Those who remained steadfast on Islam During the Apostasy Part 8

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Those from Hadramawt who remained steadfast on Islam

When the delegation of the Muslims of Kindah came to the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, he appointed Ziyad ibn Labid al Ansari al Bayadi[1], who was amongst those who took the pledge of al ‘Aqabah, and was a resolute man. Al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu reaffirmed his position as the leader of Kindah in Hadramawt. He was at the forefront of those who remained firm on Islam in this region.[2] His firmness and strength were a major reason for the rebellion against him by Harithah ibn Suraqah.[3] The summary of this, as mentioned by al Kala’i,[4] is that Ziyad, while distributing the charity, had given a specific camel to a young man from Kindah by mistake. When the owner of the camel wanted to exchange it for another, Ziyad did not accept that. So, the young man sought the help of their leader, Harithah ibn Suraqah. When Ibn Suraqah requested Ziyad to exchange the camel, Ziyad insisted on his position, which angered Ibn Suraqah. He forcefully set the camel free, which led to conflict between Ziyad’s supporters and Ibn Suraqah’s supporters. A war ensued, Ibn Suraqah was defeated, four kings of Kindah were killed, and Ziyad captured a number of people from Ibn Suraqah’s group. As the captives were on their way to Madinah, they sought the aid of al Ash’ath ibn Qays,[5] who assisted them out of tribal loyalty and emotion, escalating the strife and broadening its scope. Al Ash’ath’s forces increased, and they besieged the Muslims until they were rescued by al Muhajir ibn Abi Umayyah.

Although this conflict, referring to the Fitnah of al Ash’ath, began due to reasons that were distant from apostasy, it ended up challenging the authority and was classified within the realm of political apostasy. Standing firm in it alongside Ziyad was Imru’ al Qays ibn ‘Abis ibn al Mundhir al Kindi,[6] who tried to dissuade al Ash’ath ibn Qays from the Fitnah[7], and Banu Qatirah from Kindah,[8] and Shurahabil ibn al Simt and his son,[9] and ‘Adi ibn ‘Awf al Kindi,[10] and Abda’ah ibn Malik, one of the sons of the kings of Kindah[11], and ‘Afif ibn Ma’di Karib, from amongst the chiefs of Kindah[12], and Thawr ibn Malik[13], and the tribes of al Sakasik and al Sakun, and Muawiyah ibn al Jawn al Kindi,[14] who was the orator of his people in the era of al Jahilyyah and Islam, and Muawiyah ibn ‘Amr[15], the brother of Dhu al Kala’, who said to the kings of Kindah when they apostatized from Islam:

 

يا معشر كندة إن لم أكن شريككم في الخطيئة فأنا شريككم في المصيبة ردوا زيادا إلى عمله واكتبوا إلى أبي بكر بعذركم وإلا سفكت والله الدماء على الردة

O assembly of Kindah! Even though I am not a partner in your sin, I am still going to be a partner in your calamity. Return Ziyad to his post, and write an excuse to Abu Bakr, or by Allah, you have spilled blood over apostasy.[16]

 

When they did not accept his advice, he turned away in anger and recited poetry regarding that.[17]

And among those who remained firm in this tribulation along with Ziyad, apart from these ones, are those mentioned by Wathimah.

 

1. Abu Farghan al Kindi[18]

 

2. ‘Ab’ab ibn ‘Amr Al Kindi

He recited poetry, addressing al Ash’ath.

 

فالله يعلم أنني لم أنكث	إِن تمس كندة ناكثين عهودهم
خذها ولا تردد نصيحة عبعب	لا تبغ إلا الدين دينــا واحـــدا

If Kindah breaks their pacts,

Then Allah knows that I did not break mine.

Seek only one religion, a single faith,

Take it and do not hesitate, heed the advice of ‘Ab’ab.

 

3. ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd al Kindi

When the story of the camel occurred, al Walid ibn Muhsin rose and admonished Kindah, but they threw him out from among them. Then, ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd stood up and said:

 

أو كل من قال حقا اتهمتموه على انفسكم؟ إن رأيي والله رأي صاحبي فأخرجونا جميعا

Every time someone speaks the truth, do you accuse him of being against yourselves? By Allah, my opinion is the same as the opinion of my companion. So, expel us all.

 

His words were difficult for them to accept, and they drove him away. He then recited:

والحـي مـن قـابـل فـي نـاقـــة خــوق	أردت ثمود بوادي الحجر ناقتهم
مثل الذين مضوا بالشؤم في النوق	والحي من كندة صاروا بناقتهم
من دين سوء ضعيف السر ممحوق	ابعد دين تولى الله نصرته

The she-camel of Thamud drove them to ruination in the valley of al Hijr,

And by a mangy one were the children of Cain.

The Kindites and their camel followed suit,

And the tragedy of camels they encountered as those before.

Could any faith compare to one Allah has assumed responsibility for?

Would they not all be evil and shallow, not long for this world?

 

And something similar happened to ‘Abdullah ibn Yazid al Sakuni, as we will mention.[19]

 

4. ‘Abd ibn Yazid ibn Qays al Sakuni

After the incident of the she-camel, he said to his people:

 

يا معشر الملوك إني لا أصغر عن القول ولا يعظم أحد منكم عن الإسماع وإني أناشدكم الله والرحم أن تعيروا أحاديث في ناقة أخذت بحق وارتجاعها باطل

O assembly of kings, I am not too insignificant to speak, nor is anyone among you too great to listen. I adjure you by Allah and kinship not to criticize the talks about a camel taken rightfully and its return being falsehood.

 

Some of the poetry he recited to them is as follows:

ما تغدرون بعهد الله والذمم	ما كان في ناقة ضلت حلومكم
بعد اللسان وبعد الكف والقدم	القي زياد عليها حق ميسمه
أسام فيها ورب الحل والحرم	ليس التشوش على بكر وإخوتهم

What is in that camel that has caused you all to lose your minds?

Till when will you betray the covenant of Allah and those deputed?

Ziyad placed upon it a sign of his right,

after having done so verbally and practically.

Towards [Abu] Bakr and his brothers there is no disquietude,

by the Lord Who permits and forbids.

 

So, al Ash’ath sent a message to him, saying:

 

أرى كلامك يدفعنا وإياك إلى ما نكره وإنا لا تحمل ذلك

I see your words pushing us and you to what we despise, and we will not tolerate that.

 

He went to Madinah, then returned with the Muslims to fight them.

And he was martyred along with Ziyad ibn Labid. Mirba’ al Kindi composed a eulogy praising him saying:

 

ولكنا هزئنا بالنصيح	عبد الله قد أعذرت فينا
إلى العلياء والأمر الصحيح	وقد أسمعتنا بدعاء داع

O worshiper of Allah, you absolved yourself among us,

But we mocked the sincere advice,

And you made us hear a call from a caller,

To the heights and the right command.[20]

 

5. Al Walid ibn Muhsin al Durayki

He was among the people of reason and intellect. He delivered an eloquent sermon advising the kings of Kindah against apostasy. They did not accept his advice, belittled him, and expelled him.[21]

 

6. ‘Awf ibn Murarah al Sakuni

He was among those who warned Kindah and admonished them, reminding them of the punishments and transformations that befell nations before them. They pounced on him and intended to kill him, but al Ash’ath saved him from them.[22]

 

7. Malik ibn ‘Abdullah al Kindi

He addressed his people, warning them about apostasy and recited verses of poetry to them. He was a devout man, so they obeyed him. Later, misfortune overcame them, and they opposed Ziyad al Bayadi and expelled him. So, he joined Ziyad and the steadfast Muslims.[23]

 

8. Muawiyah ibn al Jawn al Kindi

He was an orator for his people during the Jahiliyyah. He warned his people against opposing Ziyad, but they did not accept his advice.[24]

 

Those from Mahrah who remained steadfast on Islam

When ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl, ‘Arfajah ibn Hirthimah al Azdi al Bahrayni, and Hudhayfah ibn Mihsin finished dealing with the apostasy in Oman, ‘Ikrimah marched with his army towards Mahrah. Many people from Banu Najiyah, al Azd, ‘Abdul Qays, Rasib, and Sa’d from Banu Tamim had sought his help. When he entered Mahrah, he found two groups of people; one of them was led by Shakhrit from Banu Shakhrah, and the other was led by al Musabbih from Banu Muharib. Each of them was calling the other to join him. When ‘Ikrimah saw the few men with Shakhrit, he invited him to Islam, and he accepted without hesitation. However, when he invited al Musabbih, he arrogantly declined due to the large number of people with him. Thus, ‘Ikrimah and Shakhrit collaborated in defeating al Musabbih, and they overcame him and thus dealt with his Fitnah once and for all.[25]

Those who remained steadfast on Islam in this region included some people from the Banu Muharib, who supported ‘Ikrimah radiya Llahu ‘anhu in his war against the apostates from their people. Evidence of this is what was mentioned by ‘Uljum al Muharibi, which is:

 

وفرضم إذ سارت إلينا الحلايب	جزى الله شخريتا وأفناء هيثم
لضاقت عليك بالفضاء المذاهب	أعكرم لولا جمع قومي وفعلهم

May Allah reward Shakhrit and the ends of Haytham,

And Fardam when the groups came to us.[26]

O ‘Ikrimah, had it not been for the gathering of my people and their actions,

The paths of life would have tightened upon you despite its vastness.[27]

 

When dealing with the rest of the Fitnah in Yemen, ‘Ikrimah radiya Llahu ‘anhu took help from those who remained firm on Islam from Mahrah and its surroundings, such as the people of Najd, the people of Riyad al Rawdah, the people of al Sahil, the people of al Jaza’ir, the people of al Murr and al Luban, the people of Jayrut, Zuhur al Shihr, al Sabarat, Yan’ab, and Dhat al Khaym.[28]

 

Those from the northern Arabian Peninsula who remained steadfast on Islam

Here we will mention, by way of example, not exhaustively, the stance of the Banu Shayban and their leader al Muthanna ibn Harithah al Shaybani in extinguishing the Fitnah of apostasy in Bahrain, and their continued operations along the shores of the Arabian Gulf, and countering the schemes of the Persians which were manifested in supporting Bakr ibn Wa’il with nine thousand Persian soldiers to fight against the Qays al Maslamah in Bahrain. Ibn A’tham[29] mentioned that among the reasons for the apostasy of some people of Bahrain from Islam was that a group from Bakr ibn Wa’il, who were hostile to the tribe of ‘Abdul Qays that did not apostatize from Islam, wanted to reinstate the reign of the people of Dar al No’man ibn al Mundhir. They approached Khosrow to assist them in this matter, and they portrayed their cause in a favourable light and belittled the situation of Abu Bakr al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu and the Muslims. So, Khosrow sent with them al Mundhir ibn al No’man, a young man. When al Muthanna heard about their march to Bahrain, he wrote to them dissuading them from their actions and from the idea of fighting their brothers ‘Abdul Qays, and he threatened them with the Muhajirin and the Ansar and their might.

Al Muthanna ibn Harithah radiya Llahu ‘anhu was the one who approached Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu and asked him to send him to his people as they had Islam among them, so that he could fight the Persians and the enemy from his side. Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu complied.[30] His significant and effective role in the efforts of Jihad in this region had a great impact on the conquest of Iraq later on.

The stance of Banu ‘Adhrah in the Jihad against the apostates in this region was a positive one; this was represented in the role of a leader amongst them called Muawiyah al ‘Adhri. Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu wrote to him ordering him to be firm in fighting the people of apostasy in his land.[31]

Through the positions of those who remained steadfast on Islam, it becomes clear to us that one of the main reasons for their perseverance on Islam during this tribulation was due to:

1. The firm establishment of the Islamic creed in their souls.
2. Their correct and sound understanding of the pillars of Islam.
3. Their correct understanding of the duties of an individual Muslim, most importantly the commitment to the community and the pledge of allegiance to a single Imam from the righteous believers.
4. The presence of leaders who embodied these aforementioned characteristics, and who were able to convince those from their tribes who were about to be deceived by Shaytan’s deception, about the truth of Islam. They removed the blinders from their eyes, as is evident from their sermons, such as Abu Harb Rabi’ah ibn Khuwaylid al ‘Aqili,[32] Ma’n ibn Hajiz,[33] Mu’adh ibn Yazid ibn al Sa’q al ‘Amiri,[34] ‘Adi ibn Hatim al Ta’i,[35] Ibn Dhi al Mish’ar al Hamdani,[36] ‘Amr ibn al Fuhayl al Zubaydi,[37] Ibn Qa’nab,[38] Thumamah ibn Uthal,[39] Ziyad ibn Labid,[40] and Muawiyah ibn al Jawn al Kindi[41].

 

With this, we conclude our discussion and hope we have succeeded in highlighting what we intended to the best of our ability and capacity.

And may Allah’s blessings be upon Muhammad and his family and Companions, and peace be upon them, and praise be to Allah by whose favour all good deeds are accomplished.

 

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[1] Al Isabah, 1/558; al Isti’ab, 1/564; Hurub al Riddah, pg. 222.

[2] Hurub al Riddah, pg. 223; al Yaqubi (Ahmed ibn Abi Yaqub ibn Jafar ibn Wahb ibn Wadih, d. 292 AH): Tarikh al Yaqubi, 2/132, Beirut, Dar Beirut li al Taba’ah wa al Nashr, 1400 AH.

[3] He is Abu al Sumayt Harithah ibn Suraqah ibn Ma’di Karib ibn Wali’ah ibn Shurahbil al Kindi, one of the leaders of Kindah. He is the person who said:

فيا عجباً ممن يطيع أبا بكر	أطعنا رسول الله إذ كان وسطنا
وتلك وبيت الله قاصمة الظهر	ليورثه بكرا إذا كان بعــــده

We obeyed the Messenger of Allah when he was among us,

How astonishing are those who obey Abu Bakr?

Making him inherit a young camel once he is gone,

And that, by the house of Allah, is the last straw.

 

See al Tabari, 3/332; Ibn A’tham: Kitab al Futuh, 1/48-50; al Hamawi: Mu’jam al Buldan, under Hadramawt; al Waqidi: Kitab al Riddah, pg. 170-172.

[4] Hurub al Riddah, pg. 226-229; see the story in al Tabari, 3/336-342; al Kamil, 2/79; Futuh Ibn A’tham, pg. 57.

[5] He came to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in the Kindah delegation and converted to Islam. Al Isti’ab, 1/51; Sirah Ibn Hisham, 2/585-586; Hurub al Riddah, pg. 224, footnote 1. When he was brought as a captive to Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu, he stated that he had not apostatized from Islam and sought pardon. He was pardoned, and Abu Bakr wed his his sister, Umm Furwah [bint Abi Quhafah], to him. Hurub al Riddah, pg. 238-239; al Isti’ab, 1/51.

[6] He visited the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and embraced Islam. He was a poet. He settled in Kufah during the Islamic conquests. His uncle was killed on the day of Nujayr because he was among the apostates. See that in Usd al Ghabah, 1/115; al Isabah, 1/64; al Isti’ab, 1/105. Also read his biography in al Tabari, 3/334; Futuh Ibn A’tham, pg. 54-56; Hurub al Riddah, pg. 224.

[7] Hurub al Riddah, pg. 224

[8] Ibid., pg. 232.

[9] See the mention of their stance towards Banu Muawiyah in al Tabari, 3/334; al Kamil, 2/380. See the lineage and history of Shurahabil’s life and Jihad in al Isabah, 2/143, biography: 3870; al Isti’ab, 2/141–142; Usd al Ghabah, 2/391.

[10] Futuh Ibn A’tham, pg. 61. See his lineage in al Isabah, 2/470, biography: 5485. And he is among those who visited the Prophet as mentioned in this biography.

[11] Futuh Ibn A’tham, pg. 62.

[12] Ibid., pg. 63. And see his lineage and biography in al Isti’ab, 3/163-165; Usd al Ghabah, 3/414.

[13] Futuh Ibn A’tham, pg. 64. See his lineage in al Isabah, 1/205, biography: 974.

[14] Al Isabah, 3/497, biography: 8432.

[15] Refer to this report in al Isabah, 3/435, biography: 8075.

[16] Al Tabari, 3/316-317; al Kamil, 3/373; al Bidayah wa al Nihayah, 6/372.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Wathimah: Qit’ min Kitab al Riddah, pg. 35; al Isabah, 3/104, biography: 6413, according to Ibn Hajar his name is ‘Ath’ath and he is mentioned under this name in his book.

[19] Wathimah: Ibid., pg. 35; Al Isabah, 3/90, biography: 6320.

[20] Wathimah: Ibid., pg. 36, 37; al Isabah, 3/95, biography: 6360.

[21] Wathimah: Ibid., pg. 37; al Isabah, 3/645, biography: 9187.

[22] Wathimah: Ibid.; al Isabah, 3/123, biography: 6543.

[23] Wathimah: Ibid.; al Isabah, 3/484, biography: 8354.

[24] Wathimah: Ibid., pg. 38. According to this source, he is Muawiyah ibn al Harith. However, according to Ibn Hajar in al Isabah, 3/497, he is Muawiyah ibn al Jawn.

[25] Al Tabari, 3/316-317; al Kamil, 3/373; al Bidayah wa al Nihayah, 6/373.

[26] Al Hala’ib means “groups”.

[27] Al Tabari, 3/317.

[28] Al Tabari, 3/327.

[29] Al Futuh, pg. 45; al Tabari, 3/317.

[30] See al Isabah, 3/361, biography: 7720.

[31] See al Isabah, 3/438, biography: 8085.

[32] Abu Harb Rabi’ah ibn Khuwaylid al ‘Aqili, Click Here.

[33] Ma’n ibn Hajiz, Click Here.

[34] Mu’adh ibn Yazid ibn al Sa’q al ‘Amiri, Click Here.

[35] ‘Adi ibn Hatim al Ta’i, Click Here.

[36] Ibn Dhi al Mish’ar al Hamdani, Click Here.

[37] ‘Amr ibn al Fuhayl al Zubaydi, Click Here.

[38] Ibn Qa’nab, Click Here.

[39] Thumamah ibn Uthal, Click Here.

[40] Ziyad ibn Labid, Click Here.

[41] Muawiyah ibn al Jawn al Kindi, Click Here.