History Books

The house of Banu Jahash was emptied of all its habitants including Abdullah bin Jahash, his family and his brothers by Abu Sufyan who seized it by force. The silent house was a testimony to the afflictions of the oppressed people on earth, and was also a proof of the firm and steadfast ideology of a Muslim.

The owners of these houses complained to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) who answered them by saying:

O servant of Allah, have you not been satisfied that Allah will give you a house better than this in paradise ... 52

The history relates to us other miseries and tortures suffered by the Muhajirin in the way of Allah. History also tells us about the sufferings of a woman who with her husband migrated, first to Abysssinia and then to Madianah.

That women in question is Umm Salama, the wife of Abdul-Assad bin Hilal. Abu Salama who was the first among the companions of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and the first from Banu Makhzum to immigrate to Madinah. When Abu Salama decided to emigrate, he took his wife, Umm Salama 53 and their son Salama along with him and seated them on a camel. But when her tribesmen saw her riding the camel, they knew that she wanted to emigrate with her husband too. They stopped Abu Salama from taking his family with him to Madinah and separated her from him by force. However, when the men of Banu Abd al-Assad tribe saw that Umm Salama was being taken by force along with her son, they became angry and told them: Indeed this boy is our son and we will not let you separate him from us. Both sides began to quarrl among themselves concerning the son, each tribe began to pull the child towards himself to the extent that they dislocated one of his hands. Then one of the uncles of his mother took him away by force. As for Umm Salama, her tribe imprisoned her because she was planning to immigrate with her husband. Likewise, many other families were scattered because of the oppression and injustice of the Quraish.

Umm Salama (may Allah be gracious with her), who later in life after she became a widow married the Messenger of Allah, says:

My husband set out for Madinah and thus they caused separation between me, my husband and my son.

She continues:

I used to go out every morning and sit near a savanna till the evening just weeping and it took more than one year till a man from my uncle (one of the Banu Mughirah) passed and saw me and took pity upon me and said to Banu Mughirah: 'Will you not let this woman to go out. You have caused separation between her, her husband and her son.' She said that they told her: 'you can follow your husband if you wish'. Banu Abd-Assad returned my son and I took a camel and travelled alone in searching of my husband till I reached a place called Tan'im (11 kilometers away from Mecca) where I met a man called Uthman bin Abi Talhah, a brother of Banu Abdul-Dar who said to me: 'Where are you going, O daughter of Abi Ummayyah?'

I replied that I want to go to my husband in Madinah. Thus, the man helped me till we reached a Village called Amru bin Awaf in Quba and found my husband. The man left the place. She adds saying that she has never seen a man more kind than Uthman bin Talhah. 54

Thus in Madinah, the Message entered a new phase. In the second book, God willing, we will shed light on the movement of Islam step by step.

Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

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52. Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (Life of the Prophet), Ibn Hisham, vol. l, p.145.

Adapted from the book: "Muhammad The Messenger of Allah"