1-3-2013

Episode 32: The Next 3 Converts: Ali bin Abi Talib, Zayd bin Harithah & Abu Bakr (ra)

Welcome to Seerah Pearls, which aims to highlight some tantalising learning points from each episode of the Seerah- Life of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

Afif the Businessman

 

Afif was a businessman who attended during the Hajj to do trade with Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), who was also a businessman. While they were sitting, they saw a man came out of a tent, face the Ka’ba and start praying. Then a woman came out and stood behind him and prayed. Then a boy came and stood to his right and started praying.

One narration states that Afif questioned Abbas about this religion, as it did not seem familiar. Abbas reported that this was Muhammad ibn Abdullah, who believes that Allah had sent him as a Messenger and that that the treasures of the emperors of Rome and Persia would be opened for him and his followers. This was his wife Khadijah, who believes in him and follows him, and this boy was his cousin Ali ibn Abu Talib, who also believes in him. Afif later said he wished he believed that day, as he would have been the second adult to believe.

The second narration describes the prayer. The man went into ru’ku and the boy and woman went into ru’ku with him. After that he stood up and the child and woman stood up with him. Then the man fell into sujood and both of them went into sujood. Afif commented that this was really remarkable. Abbas asked if Afif knew who these people were, commenting that this was Muhammad ibn Abdullah, his nephew; the boy was Ali ibn Abu Talib and the woman was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the wife of the man. ‘He says your Lord, the Lord of the sky, has commanded him to do what you see them doing’. Abbas commented that, ‘I swear by Allah, I do not know anyone other than these three who follows this religion today’.

It is interesting to see that at such an early stage, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) emphasised the importance of praying together as a family and that the prayer was one of the first things he taught new followers.

Zayd ibn Harithah

 

The next person to accept Islam was Zayd ibn Harithah. As a young boy, he went off playing and a passing caravan snatched him, brought him Makkah and sold him as a slave. One of the cousins of Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) brought him and gifted Zayd to her at the time of her marriage to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) gave him to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

 

Zayd’s father, a tribe leader, was desperately trying to find him. His poetry about this incident became so famous that it the news reached Makkah. People told the father his son was in Makkah. When Zayd’s father and uncle arrived, they discovered he was in the care of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). They approached him with great praises and requested he returned their son. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said he would let Zayd decide his future. Zayd recognised his family when he was called, but expressed his wishes to remain with the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Zayd reported he has seen something with the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) that he would not find anywhere else i.e. he was referring to revelation.

 

His father was distraught: the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was so concerned about the father’s emotional plight, that he embraced Zayd, declared his freedom from slavery and adopted him as his son. He was known as Zayd bin Muhammad from that day on, and his father left content. Later in Islam, to claim someone as your biological son would be disallowed: Zayd changed his name back to Zayd ibn Harithah.