Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

expedition to Tabūk. This is the reason for making specific mention of the hypocriteswho built it. Their case is discussed at length after completing the discussion of thevarious groups of people in the Muslim society at the time.In his commentary on the Qur’ān, Ibn Kathīr reports:The reason for the revelation of these verses is that before the Prophet’sarrival in Madinah, there lived in it a man from the tribe of the Khazraj calledAbū `Āmir and nicknamed al-Rāhib. He had adopted Christianity and readthe Bible. He used to be a man of devotion before the advent of Islam, and heenjoyed a position of great honour among the Khazraj. When the Prophetarrived in Madinah and the Muslims there rushed to his support, Islam beganto gather strength. Then the Prophet and his Companions achieved theirresounding victory in the Battle of Badr, but Abū `Āmir was in distress attheir success and he was now open with his hostility. He then left Madinahsecretly and joined the unbelievers in Makkah encouraging them to fightGod’s Messenger. They gathered their forces and were joined by other tribesto attack Madinah for the Battle of Uĥud which was a test for the believersand the final outcome was in favour of those who were God-fearing.This evil man dug large holes in the ground in the area separating the twohosts. The Prophet fell into one of them and received an injury to his face, andhis right lower front tooth was broken. There was a cut on his forehead. Atthe beginning of the battle, Abū `Āmir stepped forward and addressed hisclansmen among the Anşār, calling on them to support him. When theyrecognized him and understood his purpose, they abused him, describinghim as an enemy of God. He went back to the Quraysh saying some evil hadbefallen his people after he had left them.Before Abū `Āmir left Madinah, the Prophet had called on him to believe inGod and he recited the Qur’ān to him, but he stubbornly refused. TheProphet then prayed that he would die in a far away land, without support.That was indeed his end. When the Battle of Uĥud was over and the Muslimswere able to overcome its effects, he felt that the Prophet would move fromstrength to strength. He then fled to join Hercules, the Byzantine Emperor,and tried to persuade him to fight the Prophet. He promised him somethingto satisfy him and Abū `Āmir stayed in his court. He started to write to agroup of hypocrites from his tribe, promising them that he would come at thehead of a large army to defeat the Prophet. He asked them to establish anoutpost where anyone he would be sending could stay, and where he himselfwould establish residence when he came. They started to build whatostensibly was a mosque at a place not far away from the Qubā’ Mosque.200