Stories from Islamic History Read online

  STORIES FROM ISLAMIC HISTORY

  Nayab Naseer

  Published by Nayab Naseer at Smashwords

  Copyright 2013 Nayab Naseer

  DISCLAIMER

  This is a work of fiction, not history.

  This work is based on actual historical characters and places. However, the actual stories and plots itself are works of fiction. Most of the stories contained in this publication are in circulation throughout the Islamic world either as authentic history or as tales – the author has not attempted to verify the historic accuracy of any of these tales and has merely reprised and reproduced the tales in his own way.

  Cover Image courtesy of : maple / freedigitalphotos.net

  Copyright 2013 Nayab Naseer

  This book is available in print at most online retailers

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Ali v/s Mu’awiyah

  The Villains of Karbala

  Sofia

  The Life and Times of Imam Ahmed and Bukhari

  The Eye of Goliath

  The adventures of Ibn Battuta

  The Spanish Tragedy

  Kunjali Marakkar

  The Mahdi of Sudan

  Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahab and the House of Saud

  The Padri Wars

  The New World Order

  Epilogue

  Appendix: Glossary of Arabic words

  PROLOGUE

  Bal’am bin Ba’ura of Yemen was one among the scholars of the Children of Israel, whom Allah had given the knowledge of the scriptures. He knew Allah’s greatest name. The people used to seek his lead in supplication in times of difficulty, and his supplications were accepted.

  When Prophet Musa, peace be upon him entered the land of Bani Canaan in the area of Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), the people of Bal’am came to him, saying, "This is Musa, son of Imran with the Children of Israel. He wants to drive us out from our land, kill us and replace us with the Children of Israel. He is a strong man, and he has many soldiers. We are your people and have no other dwelling area. If he gains the upper hand over us, we will be destroyed. You are a person whose supplication is acceptable, so go out and supplicate to Allah against him.''

  Bal’am said, "Woe to you! Here is Allah's Prophet (Musa) with whom the angels and believers are! How can I supplicate against them when I know from Allah what I know''

  The people persisted, "We have no other dwelling area.''

  So they kept luring and begging Bal’am until he was tempted by the trial and went on his donkey towards Mount Husban. When he proceeded on the Mount for a while, the donkey sat down and refused to proceed. He got off the donkey and struck it until it stood up again and he rode it. The donkey did the same after a little while, and he struck it again until it stood up and so on. So he proceeded and tried to supplicate against Musa and his people.

  However, Allah made Bal’am’s tongue mention his people with evil and the Children of Israel with good instead of his people, who protested, "O Bal’am! What are you doing? You are supplicating for them and against us!''

  "It is against my will. This is a matter that Allah has decided.'' As he said this to them, his tongue was made to loll out of his mouth, and he uttered: "Now I have lost this life and the Hereafter.''

  Bal’am became tempted by the adornment of this life and its delights. He tried to please his people rather than Allah; and was hence deceived by this life and its joys, just as life deceived others like him; with knowledge, but without sound comprehension or a good mind. The end result was a total loss in this life and an unending torment of the Fire in the hereafter. This is a lesson for all mankind.

  Allah revealed an ayah in the Quran about Bal’am:

  "And recite to them, [O Mohammed], the news of him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became astray. And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own vain desires. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought." (al Araf 175-176)

  ALI V/S MU’AWIYAH

  The struggle between Ali and Mu’awiyah for the khilafat, epitomized by the battle of Siffin where not just the eminent sahabas crossed swords with each other, but Ai’sha, the mother of the believers fought Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law and closest companion. The struggle marks the beginning of a never-ending political strife in Islam, something that went on to create a permanent schism in Islam.

  The root cause for the strife goes back to the khilafat of Uthman.

  After the death of Umar, the group of six appointed by him for the purpose of succession selected Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him as the next kalifah.

  The first eight years of Uthman’s reign was peaceful and everybody lived happy. Trouble started when the governor of Egypt Ibn Abi Sarh began to behave despotically. A delegation of Egyptians came to Madinah, pressing for his removal. Many sahabis like Abu Talha supported them. Uthman, heeding to their request appointed Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr as the new governor of Egypt. The delegates were on their way back to Egypt when they chanced upon a messenger carrying a message to the governor of Egypt. Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr, the newly appointed governor took the message. Ibn Abi Sarh was asked to kill Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr when he reached Egypt, and the letter bore Uthman’s seal.

  Back in Madinah, most of the prominent companions like Talha, Zubair, Sa’d and Ammar were away in either jihad or hajj. Ali ibn Abi Talib went to Uthman, who swore that the letter was forged. The delegation from Egypt, who had returned to Madinah were however not convinced. They besieged Uthman’s house, demanding his abdication. Uthman had once heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him say “Uthman, you will one day get a shirt which people will want you to take it off. Don’t take it off,” and as such did not agree to abdicate.

  Uthman looked over the rebels and said, “I adjure you by Allah, and I adjure none but the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, do you not know that the Messenger of Allah said “Whoever equips the Army of Difficulty (of Tabuk) then there is the Garden for him”? And I equipped it. Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah said “Whoever has the well of Rumah dug, and then the Garden is for him”? And I had dug it. And then do you not know that the Messenger of Allah said “Whoever builds a masjid, Allah will build a house for him in paradise.” And I have expanded the Prophet’s masjid.” They affirmed all what he said, but nevertheless did not allow water to be brought to him from outside, much less than allow him to offer prayers at the Masjid al Nabawi.”

  Abu Thawr al Fahmi managed to enter Uthman’s house with water, severely injuring himself in the process.

  It reached Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him that the rebels were planning to kill Uthman. He deputed his two sons - Hassan and Hussain, may Allah be pleased with them to stand at the door and let no one enter. Zubair, may Allah be pleased with him also send his son Talha to prevent people from attacking Uthman. The rebels started shooting arrows, and in the process Hassan, Mohammed ibn Talha and Marwan, the secretary of Uthman were wounded.

  How did the rebels have the audacity to enter into the heart of the khilafat and virtually imprison the kalifah, with the people of Madinah standing on as onlookers? This is because Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him was still the kalifah, and he strongly forbade any one to even raise a finger in his defense, for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had said “The sword once unsheathed by a Muslim to kill another Muslim will not be drawn back in its scabbard till the day of Judgment.”

  Uthman also knew of the Messenger of Allah’s prophecy: “There will be a fitnah
, and he who sits idle during it is better than he who stands up, and he who stands up in it is better than he who walks, and he who walks is better than he who is walking at a fast pace.” When asked “What if someone enters my home and stretched his hand to kill me?” he said “be just like the pious son of Adam.”

  Among two sons of Adam, Habel killed Qabil without justification, out of jealousy. Habel was stronger than Qabil, but the fear of Allah restrained Habel’s hands. He said to Qabil “If you do stretch your hand against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to kill you, for I fear Allah; the Lord of all that exists. Verily, I intend to let you draw my sin on yourselves as well as yours, then you will be one of the dwellers of the Fire, and that is the recompense of the wrongdoers.” (Sura Al Maidah 28:29)

  Wounding the Prophet's grandson turned the people against the rebels, and Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr knew their time was limited. He took two of his aides and scaled the wall of Uthman’s house. There was no one with Uthman except his wife.

  Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr said to his companions “Stay where you are, because his wife is with him. I will enter first. When I have taken hold of him, you come in and strike him until you have killed him.”

  Mohammed went in and took hold of Uthman’s beard.

  “By Allah, if your father could see you, your behavior to me would cause him great distress,” Uthman said to him nonchalantly.

  Mohammed was only two years old when his father Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, the first kalifah had died. Yet on hearing these words, his hand slackened, and he held back, but then the two men who had come with him entered and struck Uthman dead.

  ***

  Mu’awiyah, the governor of Syria staked claim for the khilafat on the basis of the general meaning of ayah 33 of Sura Al Isra “And do not kill anyone whose killing Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause. And whoever is killed wrongfully, We have given his heir the authority. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life. Verily, he is helped.” Mu’awiyah was the heir of Uthman, who everyone, Ali included, agreed was killed wrongfully. The basis for the claim - qasis or equal compensation for the wrong was indeed justified.

  However soon after the murder of Uthman, the people of Madinah had unanimously gave the bayah to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and just as Uthman did not relinquish the khilafat based on the saying of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah peace be upon him, Ali also did not want to abdicate. He wanted Mu’awiyah to give the bayah to him for the sake of unity of the ummah, and then make the claim for qasis.

  Matters deteriorated to the point where Mu’awiyah, Marwan, Aishah, the wife of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and two of the famous sahaba Talha and Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with all of them confronted Ali at the plains of Siffin near Basra in 36 AH (656 CE). Ali won the day, but in the true spirit of forgiving and forgetting for the sake of peace and unity among the ummah, he agreed to arbitration and returned to Kufah.

  ***

  Ali’s decision to forget and forgive and agree for an arbitration that eventually declared his khilafat null and void, even after being victorious at Siffin did not go down well with a section of his supporters, who came to be known as the ‘khawarij.’ They claimed “Judgment belongs to Allah,” and by agreeing to arbitration even when Ali was victorious in the battlefield, both Ali and Mu’awiyah had gone out of Islam. They decided to murder them both on the same day. The attack on Mu’awiyah was foiled, but the attack on Ali succeeded. One Ibn Muljam struck Ali deep while he was coming out after leading the dawn prayers.

  ***

  After Ali’s death, Al Hassan ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with him was given the oath of allegiance as the kalifah, and he remained the kalifah for six months until he abdicated in favor of Mu’awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him.

  Mu’awiyah send a message to Hassan, may Allah be pleased with both of them, to surrender the khilafat to him, on the condition that the khilafat would revert to Hassan after his death, that no one of the people of Madinah, Hijaz or Iraq would be sought out for revenge or retaliation for anything that had happened in the time of Ali, and that he would pay off Hassan’s debts for him. They concluded a treaty on that basis, and the Messenger of Allah’s saying “Allah will make peace through him between two groups of Muslims” became evident.

  Some of Hassan’s companions, aghast at the abdication would say “O disgrace of the muminin.” Hassan would reply “Disgrace is better than the fire.” A man said to Hassan “Peace be upon you, humilator of the believers,” to which Hassan replied “I am not the humilator of the believers, but I disliked killing you for the sovereignty.”

  Hassan was probably poisoned to death. It is said that his brother Hussain asked him who had given the poisoned drink. But Hassan would not tell, saying “Allah is most severe in revenge if it should be the one I suspect. If not, then no innocent person must be killed in retaliation for me.”

  And Allah knows best.

  THE VILLANS OF KARBALA

  It was Ramadan 60AH (June 680 CE) when letters from Kufah started to arrive at the house of Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib in Makkah.

  “Ya Hussain bin Ali, light of our light. The garments of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah, peace be upon him has not yet withered, the pot in which he ate is still not broken, and the dust from the shoes of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, your illustrious father has not yet settled, but oppression and fitnah has raised its head again. Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah has been forced upon as the ruler, and his Umayyad cohorts have started doing everything the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him forbade. As the leading light of the illustrious family, we call upon you for justice and to lead us in jihad against Yazid. The people of Kufah will fight till the very last and we give our solemn oath to support you and never desert you.”

  In 37AH (657 CE) Ali, may Allah be pleased with him shifted his capital from Madinah to Kufah, and ever since that city became the home of those who claimed partisanship of the Ahl al-Bayt. After the reconciliation between Hassan and Mu’awiyah, may Allah be pleased with them in 41AH (661 CE) many of those who had been in Hassan's army settled in Kufah. When the opportunity arose the Kufans, who still regarded themselves as the Shi’ah (literarily meaning “supporters”) of the Ahl al-Bayt, turned to Hussain to lead them against Yazid.

  Hussain send his cousin Muslim ibn Aqil to investigate the situation in Kufah.

  Muslim arrived at Kufah in Dhul Qa’dah (August 680 CE). The Kufans, on learning of his arrival presented themselves at the residence at the house of Muslim ibn Awsajah al-Asadi. Soon there were twelve thousand Kufans who gave their solemn pledge to support and protect Hussain with their lives and all they possessed. When this number rose to eighteen thousand, Muslim felt confident enough to dispatch a messenger to Hussain informing him of the oath of allegiance of the Kufans, and urging him to proceed from Makkah.

  Upon receipt of the letter, Hussain decided to depart immediately. A number of the eminent sahabah like Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar, Jabir ibn Abdullah, Abu Said al-Khudri, Hussain’s own brother, Mohammed, and his brother-in-law and cousin, Abdullah ibn Jafar, may Allah be pleased with all of them tried to dissuade him from going to Kufah.

  “Don’t trust the Kufans. They are treacherous. You know how they left down your father Ali at Naharwan,” Abdulla ibn Zubair, may Allah be pleased with him was accepted by the people of Makkah as their kalifah.

  “Our beloved Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him did not fight at Makkah. Only after he reached Madinah and consolidated himself did he start to retaliate against oppression. My advice is that you first establish yourself in Makkah, and with loyal troop proceed wholeheartedly against Yazid. We will be right behind you:” Abdullah ibn Umar, the son of the Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with them was the most popular choice for the kalifah, but he did not want to take up the responsibility even if one Muslim was against the idea.

  Hussain�
�s mind, however, was made up. He set out from Makkah on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah 60 AH (9 September 680 CE).

  ***

  The palace in Damascus was in far contrast to the thatched hut in Makkah where Hussain was residing. Yazid ibn Muwaiyah, the kalifah was clearly disturbed at the turn of events. Marwan, his uncle, and for shielding whom Uthman was murdered, advised him: “What has happened has happened. Allah has vested the khilafat on you, and it is your duty to ensure peace is maintained at all costs, even if the means the head of the Prophet’s grandson has to roll.” He followed up this advice by immediately issuing a decree replacing the governor of Kufah - Numan ibn Bashir, with the ruthless Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, who was then ordered to find Muslim ibn Aqil and kill him.

  Early in the month of Dhul Hajj, Ubaydullah ibn Zayd, accompanied by seventeen men on horseback entered Kufah. With the end of his turban drawn over his face he was unrecognizable, and the people of Kufah were expecting Hussain.

  "Peace upon you, o son of the Messenger of Allah," some Kufans hailed Ubaydullah Ibn Zayd, who immediately learnt the truth of the rumors. One of his mounted men shouted back at them, "Stand back! This is the governor Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad!" the Kufans now realized the seriousness of their blunder.

  Soon after reaching the governor's residence Ubaydullah sent a servant of his own with a bag containing three thousand dirham to pose as a newcomer from the Syrian town of Hims eager to join the imminent revolution. He located Muslim in the house of Hani ibn Urwah, and gave the pledge of allegiance. The money, he handed over to Abu Thumamah al-Amiri, Muslim's treasurer. After staying with them for a few days, during which he learnt most of what there was to know about the intrigue, he returned to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad. Hani ibn Urwah was arrested.