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The Najran Pact, Mobaahelah (Mubahilah) Part 12

The Najran Pact,

Mobaahelah (Mubahilah)

Part 12

 

We have already- in this site kindfather.com- briefly presented the Shi’ah account of the event of Mobaahelah in the article “Mobaahelah, Ali as Mohammad's self” but now let us look at more details regarding this event from authentic Shi’a documents.

 

Once the Islamic government was established in Medina, Hadrat Mohammad (SAWA) sent invitations to many to accept the True Religion of Allah. Tribe after tribe, region after region, were coming into the fold of Islam. One such invitation was sent to the christians of Najran … Responding to this invitation, the Najranites sent a delegation toward Medina.

 

Let us keep in mind that as mentioned previously in this writing, christian sources have confirmed that such a delegation was sent to Medina.

 

As cited in Muntahi al-Aamaal of Shaykh Abbas Qumi and in Hayat al-Qolub of ‘Allamah Majlesi, Shaykh Tabarsi (Tabrasi) and others have narrated that a group of christian nobles of Najran led by their scholars, came to the Holy Prophet (SAWA). One of them was Ahtam ibn No’maan, their bishop, the other was Abdul Masih, a person to whom people had recourse for aid in their problems, and another was Hasin ibn al-Qamah (Abu Haritha), one of their leaders and scholars. Roman kings had built churches for him and they used to send him gifts and presents due to his knowledge.

 

On the way to Medina, Abu Haritha was astride an animal which was driven by his brother, Karz bin al-Qama, when the animal began to run fast and threw Abu Harithah, Karz passed a derogatory remark on the Holy Prophet (SAWA) for he thought that it was because of him that they had gone on that hard journey. Abu Haritha said: “What you have said would only happen to you.” “Why, brother?” he asked. Abu Haritha said, “He is the same Prophet we were anticipating.” So Karz said, “Then why don’t you follow him?” He said, “Perhaps you don’t know! how these Christians consider us. They have considered us their leader and made us rich and honorable. They are not prepared to follow that Prophet. If we begin to follow him, they would take back everything from us.” And later … when Karz came to the Holy Prophet (SAWA), he became a Muslim. 

 

They arrived in Medina in the afternoon dressed in fine silk garments and beautiful apparel. They came to the Messenger of Allah (SAWA) as no one from Arabs had ever come dressed in such a way to salute the Prophet. The Holy Prophet (SAWA) did not reply their salutations and neither did he speak to them.

 

From there, they came to Uthman and Abdur Rahman bin Auf as they had known them from before and said: “Your Prophet wrote to us and we accepted his invitation and came to meet him; now he neither replies to our greetings, nor speaks to us.” Uthman and Abdur Rahman bin Auf brought the Christians to Amirul Momineen (a.s.) and took counsel from Him. Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “Remove these silk garments and gold ornaments and go to meet the Prophet in ordinary clothes.” They followed this advice and again came to meet the Messenger of Allah (SAWA). They greeted the Messenger and he replied to them. After that he said, “By the One Who sent me with Truth, when these people came to me the first time, they were also accompanied by Satan and that’s why I did not reply to their greetings.”  

 

Thus, that day, members of the delegation posed questions to His Eminence and held discussions with him. At last their scholar said, “O Muhammad, what do you hold about Christ?” He replied, “He was a servant of God and His messenger.” They said, “Have you ever seen any child come into this world without a father?” At that moment verse 3:59 was revealed: 

 

Surely the parable of Isa is with Allah as the parable of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he was.”

 

When the discussion prolonged, and the opponents increased in their obstinacy and enmity to the Prophet, the Almighty Allah revealed the following command (Qur’an 3:61): 

 

But whoever disputes with you in this matter after what has come to you of The Knowledge, then say: Come let us call our sons and your sons and our women and your women and our selves and your selves, then we will pray earnestly, so that we shall bring about the La’n (curse, total withholding of Mercy and Compassion) of Allah upon the liars.”

 

When this verse was revealed, it was decided that the following day they would participate in a Mubahila (mutual Imprecation) and then the christians returned to their temporary quarters. Abu Haritha told his companions, “If tomorrow, Muhammad comes with his family members and Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), you must beware of divine punishment and if he is accompanied by his companions and followers, you must not worry, and go ahead with the Mubahila.”

 

On the next day, the Messenger of Allah (SAWA) came to the residence of Amirul Momineen (a.s.), took the hand of Imam Hasan (a.s.), picked up Imam Husain (a.s.) in his arms and Amirul Momineen (a.s.) walked before His Eminence and Lady Fatima Zahra (s.a.) followed the Messenger of Allah (SAWA). In this way, these divine personalities came out of Medina. When they reached the christians, Abu Haritha asked, “Who are these people with him?”  

 

He was told, “The one walking in front is the cousin of Muhammad and the husband of his daughter and his most favorite person in the world’ and the two boys are the sons of this man; and the one walking behind, is his daughter, Fatima, the most beloved person for him in the world.”

 

According to the Hadith by Imam Ja’far Saadeq (SBUH), as narrated by Ali bin Ibrahim, they began to fear after being told this and they said, “Please excuse us from the Mubahila and we are prepared to accept any of your conditions.” And at last they agreed to pay the Jizya and returned to their town. 

 

His Eminence came forward and sat down to participate in the Mubahila. On the other hand Sayyid and Aqib took their boys and wanted to proceed for the ceremony.

 

Abu Haritha, the scholar, said, “Muhammad, is sitting in the style of prophets when they sit down for mubahila.” So they turned back from there and did not dare to take part in the Mubahila, Sayyid asked, “Where are you going?” Abu Haritha said, “If they had not been on truth he would not have dared us for this Mubahila ceremony. If they have Mubahila with us, the year will not pass that there will not remain and single Christian on the face of the earth.”  

 

According to another report he said, “I am seeing such faces, that if they pray to the Almighty Allah to move the mountain from its place, Allah will indeed do so. Therefore, do not participate in this Mubahila as you will be destroyed and not a single christian will remain on the earth.” After that Abu Haritha came to the Holy Prophet (SAWA) and said, “O Abal Qasim, refrain from Mubahila and sign a treaty with us with conditions that we can fulfill.”  

 

According to the Hadith from Imam Ja’far Saadeq (SBUH), he said: “If he comes with his followers, we would take part in the Mubahila, because it would be known that he is not a Prophet, because he does not have trust in his rightfulness, and that he has come with an army and a big group. If he comes with his Ahlul Bayt and special people, we will not have Mubahila with him, because, if he had not been true, he would not have taken the risk of cursing his family members.”

 

So they made peace with the Prophet with the condition that every year they would pay Jiziyah, 2000 robes, each worth 40 dirhams and if there was a battle, they would give 30 coats of mail, 30 spears and lend 30 horses. After that His Eminence put the treaty in writing for them and returned from there.

 

The Holy Prophet (SAWA) said, “By the One in Whose hands is my life, destruction would have come upon them, if they had gone ahead in Mubahila, all of them would have been transmogrified into monkeys and pigs. And indeed this whole valley would have been filled with fire and all of them would then have been reduced to ashes.”

 

The Almighty Allah would have destroyed the Christians of Najran so thoroughly that not even a bird would have survived on their trees and before the end of the year, all the Christians would have become extinct. Sayyid and Aqib returned from there and back to the Messenger of Allah (SAWA) after a few days and embraced Islam.

 

The sunni Zamakhshari the author of Kashaf, and other Ahle Sunnat have narrated in Sihah (six canonical books) from Ayesha that on the day of Mubahila, the Holy Prophet (SAWA) took a sheet of black hair, covered Imam Hasan (a.s.), Imam Husain (a.s.) and Fatima Zahra (a.s.) and Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) and then he recited verse 33:33: 

 

This is it and nothing but this that Allah has desired to keep away the uncleanness from you, O the AhlulBayt! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.”

 

Obviously the Najranite scholars were quite familiar with the AhlulBayt of the Prophet (SBUT) too; we cordially invite our friends to read: “AhlulBayt (Salaam Be Upon Them, SBUT), the Promise of Enjil (Gospel)” in this site: kindfather.com

 

To be continued …