Why Did They Become Muslims

in the second and third groups.
[During the early years of the call to Islam some of the As-hâbi-kirâm
migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) because of the
persecutions perpetrated by the unbelievers. The Messenger of
Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ and the Sahâbîs who stayed
with him in Mekka lived for three years under multifarious
embargo which deprived them of all sorts of social activity; so
much so that they were not allowed to visit, to talk with or to trade
with anyone except their Muslim co-religionists. The unbelievers
of Qoureish wrote a unilateral pact containing the paragraphs of
that embargo and hung it on the wall of Ka’ba-i-muazzama.
Allâhu ta’âlâ, the Almighty, set a worm called Arza upon that
written document. That tiny worm ate up the entire document,
with the exception of the part containing the expression
Bismikallâhumma = in the name of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Allâhu ta’âlâ
informed our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ about this
event through Jibrîl-i-emîn (Gabriel the trustworthy). And our
Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, in his turn, told his
paternal uncle Abû Tâlib about it. The following day Abû Tâlib
went to the eminent ones of the unbelievers and conveyed to
them what the blessed Prophet had told him, adding,
“Muhammad’s Rabb (Allah) told him so. If his allegation proves
to be true, then raise that embargo and do not prevent them from
going about and seeing other people like before. If it is not true, I
shall no longer protect him.” The eminent ones of Qoureish
accepted this suggestion. They gathered together and went to
Ka’ba. They took the written pact down, opened it, and saw that,
as Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ had stated, all the
writings had been eaten up, and only the expression
Bismikallâhumma had remained intact.]
Husrav, the Persian emperor, had sent envoys to Medina. One
day Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ sent for them and,
when they came, said to them, “Tonight your Chosroes was killed
by his own son.” Some time later intelligence was received that
Chosroes had been killed by his own son. [Iranian Shahs are called
Chosroes.]
29– One day he said to his wife Hafsa ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’,
“Abû Bakr and your father will preside over my Ummat.” By
saying so, he gave the good news that Abû Bakr and Hafsa’s father
’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’ were going to be Khalîfas.
30– He had put Abû Hureyra ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ in
– 219 –