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[94] Missions in Yemen
Prophet Muhammad sent a mission to Yemen to invite them to Islam. The first mission was led by Khalid ibn Al-Walid, who was a harsh man who had fought against the Muslims in the Battle of Uhud, but he had an aristrocratic background and by making him feel valued Prophet Muhammad had hoped to turn him into a productive member of the Muslim community.
However once in Yemen, instead of following the prophetic principles of dawah Khalid hastily resorted to violence. The Tribe of Numayr, feeling threatened, sent a delegation to the Prophet in Medina to ask for protection from Khalid.
The Prophet sent Imam Ali to Yemen to do damage control and instructed Khalid’s men to follow him instead. While sending Imam Ali he gave him various bits of advice, emphasizing the need to display wisdom, to soften people’s hearts, and to remain upright.
The prophet emphasized the importance of avoiding bloodshed if possible, to the point where he said to not even engage in battle unless they kill one of your men first, and to even then first give them a chance to repent.
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[93] Tax Collection Struggles
After the Conquest of Makkah, the prophet dispatched tax collectors to different Bedouin tribes, aiming to consolidate an Islamic state and establish a system of governance that would ensure stability, support the needed, and fund state activities.
Some tribes like the Tribe of Bnau Tamim resisted paying taxes however, potentially because thought the prophet was giving women too many rights. After the prophet sent riders to enforce the taxes, the tribe sent a delegation to the prophet to negotiate a truce.
This event led to the early versese of Surah Al-Hujurat (#49) of the Quran being revealed, which chided the Muslims to not raise their voices in above that of the prophet.
Prophet’s Guidance to Tax Collectiors
– He’d remind them about the importance of fairness and compassion. Don’t intimidate people.
– They were to trust the people’s declarations of their wealth. They weren’t authorized to investigate deeply. The honor system was encouraged, to teach people to assume fellow muslims were honest, not deceitful
– They were encouraged to act with kindess and not be a burden
– If there were local needy people, distribute taxes to them
– Leave the best of people’s crops and livestock untouched, showing respect for their livelihood and well being
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[92] Disavowing the Polythiests
Prophet Muhammad wanted to eradicate polythiesm and all practices associated with it, such as doing tawaaf around the kaaba naked.
Surah Tawbah was revealed, which included a message that the idolaters should not be allowed near the kaaba after this year. The Prophet first sent Abu Bakr to share this news with the Meccans, but then God instructed him to send Ali instead. The message was that the polythiests would be banished from Mecca after four months, except for those who had treaties that lasted longer. Those who asked for safety would be granted it after being taught about Islam. But shia and sunni views of this even are discussed.
Surah Tawbah is the only surah without a bismillah, and it contains many references to the idolaters, and how to treat them. It defined the rules of engagement against those who would fight agains the Muslims and that they should be granted asylum if they seek it.
The banishment of kuffar was similar to how governments today determine what speech is harmful and what the accepetable overton window for a soecity is. Even liberal governments have ideologies they don’t tolerate.
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[91] Event of Mubahila
Among the delegations that came to Prophet Muhammad was on e from the Christians of Najran after their chief chief bishop and his people were invited to Islam. They came to negotiate a truce with the Prophet.
They offered terms that were unacceptable to the Prophet, and he invited them to a Mubahila, a prayer for divine curse upon the liars. The Prophet accepted, and a verse from the Quran was revealed telling each side to call their sons, women, and selves to invoke the curse.
While the Christians brough all their leaders, Prophet Muhammad brought only his daughter Fatima, his cousin Ali, and his grandsons Hasan and Husayn. The Christians were struck with fear at seeing their luminous faces and did not go through with the Mubahila.
The lecture goes on to discuss how this event highlights the importance of the family of the Prophet, comparing both Sunni and Shia views.
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[90] Year of Delegations
The Expedition of Tabuk demonstrated to Arabs the strength of the Muslims. Over the next year, the various tribes responded by sending the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delegations to accept Islam and pledge their allegiance. Prophet Muhammmad welcomed them & forgave past conflicts.
He focused on:
– Renouncing idolatry & polytheism
– Spreading Islamic knowledge
– Building strong alliances and goodwill
The Prophet’s Methods:
– Generosity: Gave gifts (gold, dates, land) to solidify alliances.
– Compassion: Blessed children & offered amnesty even before requested.
– Education: Assigned teachers to delegations.
– Respect: Gave new, honorable names to some converts.
Examples:
Bedouin Tribe: Wanted to convert & requested financial aid. The Quran revealed their motives weren’t pure faith, but the Prophet didn’t reject them.
Banu Thaqif: A stubborn tribe, they initially set conditions for conversion (avoid prayer, keep idols). The Prophet refused some demands but offered amnesty & teachers.
– Uthman ibn Abi Al-Aas (secret Muslim from the tribe) was assigned to be their governor, highlighting the Prophet’s trust in young converts.
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[88] Assassination plot at the Mountain Pass
Allah had warned Prophet Muhammad in the Quran (64:4) that his companions contained hypocrites so skilled at deceit that the prophet himself was pleased by their speech and appearance. Only revelation could expose them.
Later, during the return from the Tabuk expedition, while Prophet Muhammad went through a mountain pass while instructing his army to pass from below, some of these hypocrites tried to assault the prophet by startling his horse into dropping him off the cliff. Their plan was foiled and they fled. Despite wearing masks to hide their identies, they could be known by their horses.
The Quran (9:47) said that these hypocrites had renounced faith after becoming Muslims out of greed and vindictiveness.
However, instead of punishing those men, Prophet Muhammad decided to not pursue them because of the division it could cause amongh the Muslims. Those were men who appeared to be highly respected (as Quran 64:4 implied) and accusations against them would risk causing fitna.
Only Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman was told their names, and Prophet Muhammad instructed him to keep it a secret.
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When leaving for Tabuk, the Prophet (s) appointed Imam Ali (as) as his deputy in Madinah. Explaining it’s significance, he said to Imam Ali “You are to me as Harun was to Musa, except that there is no prophet after me.”
There were at least 7 occasions that Prophet Muhammad made such a statement during his life.
One such occasion was narrated by Umar ibn Al-Khattab, when he emphasized how precious such a statement was by saying “If I had [a quality like that mentioned about me or my family], it would be dearer to me than anything.”
What ranks did Prophet Harun have compared to Prophet Musa?
– Minister
– Helper
– Brother
– Backer/Stengthener
– Partner
The lecture includes objections Sunni scholars have raised to believing that this status continued after the Prophet’s death, and Shia rebuttals to those objections.
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[86] Tabuk Part 1 – Rome Conquers Persia
This lecture covers the prelude to the Battle of Tabuk. Key topics include:
– Birth of Ibrahim: Upon returning to Medina, the Prophet’s wife Mariya the Coptic gave birth to a son, named Ibrahim. The Angel Gabriel congratulated the Prophet on becoming a father.
– Expedition of Tabuk: This was the last military campaign led by the Prophet. It aimed to preempt a rumored Roman invasion and also test the faith and commitment of the Muslim community during extreme summer heat and the harvest season.
– Challenges and Sacrifices: The expedition required significant personal sacrifice, including traveling long distances in severe heat and missing the harvest season, leading to financial hardships.
– Legitimate Excuses: Some individuals, including the poor, weak, and elderly, were excused from the expedition due to genuine inability to participate, yet their desperately wanted to go.
– The Repenters: A group of companions who stayed behind were punished with social ostracism. They later repented and were forgiven after 50 days.
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[85] The Siege of Ta’if
After victory against Banu Thaqif at Hunayn, Prophet Muhammad marched his army to Ta’if, where Banu Thaqif had retreated to and barricated themselves inside with enough food and water to last them for a year.
The Prophet declared any slaves who joined Islam and left the fortress would be granted freedom, and many took him up on the offer.
As the siege extended, the prophet decided a military victory there wasn’t necessary. Thaif was isolated from all allies and would eventually realize it’s advantageous to join Islam.
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