Salam (Peace) - Part 2

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

The recollections of the life of the Prophet Muhammad from 'Muhammad Prophet For

Our Time' by Karen Armstrong, show that even for incarnations and prophets, life

is not so easy, in that there are many hurdles and tricky situations to be faced

and overcome. And these situations they face seem to work things out on a

collective level, that have great bearing on the evolution of human

consciousness.

 

regards to all,

 

violet

 

 

 

('Salam' - Peace; often used by Muslims as a greeting. [Muhammad Prophet For Our

Time Glossary pg. 218].)

 

 

Salam - Part 2

 

(p.170) Muhammad had not wanted to separate his private life from his public

duties. He continued to take his wives on military expeditions, though they

would now remain in their tent. But the other women of the ummah continued to

move around the oasis freely. The hijab was not devised to divide the sexes. In

fact, when the revelation had come down, the curtain had been drawn between two

men--the Prophet and Anas--to separate the married couple from the hostile

community. (p.171) The introduction of the hijab was a victory for 'Umar, who

had been urging the Prophet to segregate his wives for some time--a somewhat

superficial solution to a complex problem. Muhammad had wanted to change

people's attitudes, and the imposition of this external barrier was a

compromise, because it did not require Muslims to exercise an internal control

over their actions. But he gave in to 'Umar, because of the crisis that was

tearing Medina apart.

 

But the situation did not improve. A few weeks after the introduction of the

hijab, Muhammad's enemies orchestrated a vicious attack on 'A'isha, which

devastated the Prophet and almost succeeded in dividing the community. [10]

'A'isha was an easy target. Everybody knew that she was Muhammad's favorite. She

was beautiful, spirited, proud of her prominent position, jealous, outspoken,

not without egotism, and had doubtless many enemies. On this occasion, Muhammad

had chosen 'A'isha to accompany him on an expedition against an ally of the

Quraysh who had somewhat menacingly encamped a little closer to Medina than

usual. According to Muhammad's spies, the Quraysh had persuaded them to attack

the oasis. It was a successful raid: the Muslims intercepted them at the Well of

Muraysi on the Red Sea coast and managed to carry off two hundred camels, five

hundred sheep, and two hundred of their women. Juwayriyyah bint al-Harith,

daughter of the chief, was among the captives. 'A'isha's heart sank as soon as

she set eyes on her, because Juwayriyyah was so pretty, and, sure enough, during

the negotiations that followed the raid, Muhammad proposed marriage to seal the

alliance with her father.

 

The Muslims camped at Muraysi for three days, but, despite the positive outcome

of the ghazu [raid], the simmering tension between the Emigrants and the Helpers

escalated into a serious incident. While the Muslims were watering their camels

at a well, local people from two different tribes--one confederated to the

Quraysh, the other to the Khazraj--started to quarrel about a fairly trivial

matter. Before long there was a full-scale brawl, and the combatants called upon

the Muslim bystanders for help. The Emigrants rushed to the aid of the tribesmen

who were allied to the Quraysh, while the Helpers from Khazraj rallied round

their opponents. In a matter of moments, in direct violation of the Qur'an,

Muslim was fighting Muslim. When they heard the news, 'Umar and some of

Muhammad's other companions rushed in to stop this unseemly fighting, but Ibn

Ubayy was enraged: how dared 'Umar prevent the Khazraj from helping their own

allies! " They seek to take precedence over us! " he cried. " By Allah, when we

return to Medina, the higher and mightier of us will drive out the lower and the

weaker. " A bystander ran immediately to report this to Muhammad, who paled when

he heard this latest threat. 'Umar wanted to have Ibn Ubayy executed

immediately, but Muhammad restrained him: did he want it said that the Prophet

killed his own companions? [11] But he gave the Muslims orders to decamp

immediately and begin the trek home, even though this meant travelling through

the worst heat of the day--something he had never done before.

 

During one of the halts, 'A'isha slipped away to relieve herself, and when she

returned, found that she had mislaid her necklace. (p.173) It had been a wedding

gift from her mother, and she could not bear to lose it, so she went back to

search for it. While she was gone, the men lifted her litter--duly shrouded with

the hijab--onto her camel, assuming that she was safely inside, and the party

moved off without her. 'A'isha was not too distressed when she discovered the

deserted campsite, because she knew that it was only a matter of time before

somebody missed her. She sat down to wait and sure enough, her old friend Safwan

ibn al-Mu'attal, who had fallen behind the others, turned up and put her on the

back of his own camel. When 'A'isha rejoined the expedition with Safwan, the old

rumor about their illicit relationship started up again, and Muhammad's enemies

gleefully imagined the worst. It was not surprising that 'A'isha had fallen for

Safwan, Ibn Ubayy remarked loudly, because he was so much younger and more

attractive than her husband. The scandal rocked Medina, and the story seemed so

plausible that some of the Emigrants began to believe it and even Abu Bakr,

'A'isha's father, began to suspect that it might be true.

 

More seriously, Muhammad himself began to doubt 'A'isha's innocence--a telling

sign of his waning confidence during this difficult period. For a few days he

seemed confused and uncertain. His need for 'A'isha was so great that, faced

with the possibility of losing her, he seemed confused and hesitant. He no

longer received any messages from God; it was the first time, since the very

beginning of his prophetic career, that the divine voice had fallen silent.

(p.174) Ibn Ubayy continued to exploit the situation, and old tribal hatreds

flared, as the Khazraj, Ibn Ubayy's tribe, threatened to fight the Aws, who

argued that the people who were stirring the scandal should be immediately

executed. The situation was so grave that Muhammad was forced to summon all the

chiefs of Medina to a meeting and ask for their support should he find it

necessary to take action against Ibn Ubayy, who was threatening his family.

 

Finally Muhammad went to confront 'A'isha, who had taken refuge in her parents'

home. She had wept for two days but her tears dried like magic as soon as her

husband entered the house and she faced him calmly. Muhammad urged her to

confess her sin honestly; if she repented, God would forgive her. But with great

dignity, the fourteen-year-old girl stood her ground and gazed steadfastly at

her husband as she made her reply. There seemed little point in her saying

anything at all, she said. She could not admit to something she had not done,

and if she protested her innocence, nobody--not even her own parents--would

believe her. She could only repeat the words of the prophet Jacob: " Patience in

adversity is most goodly in the sight of God; and it is to God [alone] that I

pray to give me strength to bear the misfortune which you have described to me. "

[12] She then turned silently and lay down on her bed.

 

Muhammad knew 'A'isha through and through, and she must have convinced him,

because as soon as she had finished speaking, he fell into the deep trance that

was so often a prelude to revelation. He swooned and Abu Bakr put a leather

cushion under his head, while he and his wife waited, terrified, for God's

judgment. " Good news, 'A'isha! " Muhammad cried at last: God had confirmed her

innocence. (p.175) Overcome with relief, her parents urged her to get up and

come to her husband but 'A'isha remained implacable. " I shall neither come to

him nor thank him, " she replied. " Nor will I thank the both of you, who listened

to the slander and did not deny it. I shall rise and give thanks to Allah

alone! " [13] Duly chastened, Muhammad humbly accepted the rebuke, and went to

recite the new revelation to the crowd that had gathered outside. [14] A

personal and political tragedy had been averted, but doubts remained. The

distressing incident had shown how vulnerable Muhammad was. Was he--as Ibn Ubayy

had so cruelly suggested--a spent fire?

 

Muhammad (Prophet For Our Time)

Chapter 5, 'Salam', p. 170-175

Karen Armstrong

Harper Perennial - London, New York, Toronto and Sydney

ISBN-13 978-0-00-723248-2

ISBN-10 0-00-723248-9

 

Notes:

 

[10] Mernissi, 'Women and Islam', 177-78; Lings, 'Muhammad', 235-45; W.

Montgomery Watt, 'Muhammad at Medina' (Oxford, 1956), 185-86; Ahmed, 'Women and

Gender in Islam', 51.

 

[11] Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, 'Sirat Rasul Allah', 726, in A. Guillaume, trans. and

ed., 'The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ishaq's' Sirat Rasul Allah (London,

1955).

 

[12] Qur'an 12:18, Asad translation.

 

[13] Ibn Ishaq, 'Sirat Rasul Allah', 735, in Guillaume, 'Life of Muhammad'.

 

[14] Qur'an 24:11.