Chapter One

16) The Prophet (PBUH) honored his agreements with the polytheists even after their death:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 3139):  Muhammad ibn Jubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that his father (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said concerning the captives of Badr: ‘Had Al-Mut‘im ibn ‘Adiyy been alive and spoken to me regarding those filthy ones, I would have freed them for him.’”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His honoring of agreements even with the polytheists, which indicates the nobility of his morals.
2-    His being appreciative of favors and never denying them, even those done by the disbelievers.
3-    His approval of freeing the captives of Badr was only contingent on Al-Mut‘im requesting it from him.
4-    His rewarding the one who did him a favor, even if he was a polytheist, as he said: “Whoever does you a favor, reward him.”

17) The Prophet (PBUH) honoring his agreement even with the polytheists who were at war with Muslims:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Muslim 4639): Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Nothing prevented me from participating in the Battle of Badr except this incident. I set out with my father Husayl  but we were caught by the disbelievers of Quraysh. They said: ‘You want to join Muhammad.’ We said: ‘No, we do not want to join him, we just want to go to Madinah.’ They took from us a covenant in the name of Allah to go to Madinah without fighting on his side. We went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of what happened, thereupon, he said: ‘You are dismissed then. We shall fulfill the covenant made with them and we shall seek the help of Allah against them.’”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His honoring of the covenant even with the polytheists who were at war with Muslims.
Benefits:
1-    True reliance of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) on Allah Almighty and seeking His aid.
2-    The unshakable faith of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in his Lord and his constant adherence to his religion even in his dealing with the enemy.

18) The Prophet (PBUH) pardoning a polytheist hoping that he might embrace Islam:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 4372):
Sa‘īd ibn Abi Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) say: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sent some cavalry towards Najd and they returned with a man from the tribe of Banu Hanīfah who was called Thumāmah ibn Uthāl. They tied him to one of the pillars of the mosque. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went to him and said: ‘What have you got,  O Thumāmah?’ He replied: ‘I have got goodness, O Muhammad. If you killed me, you would be killing a man with blood,  and if you set me free, you would be doing a favor to one who is grateful, and if you want property, then ask me whatever you want.’ He was left till the next day then the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) asked him again: ‘O Thumāmah, what have you got?’ He said: ‘What I told you; if you set me free, you would do a favor to one who is grateful.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) left him till the next day, then asked him: ‘What have you got, O Thumāmah?’ He said: ‘I have got what I told you.’ On that, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Release Thumāmah.’ So he (i.e. Thumāmah) went to a place where there is water near the mosque, took a bath, then entered the mosque and said: ‘I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. By Allah, O Muhammad, I hated no face on the surface of earth more than I hated your face, but now your face has become the most beloved face to me. By Allah, I hated no religion more than I hated yours, but now it has become the most beloved religion to me. By Allah, I hated no town more than I hated your town, but now it has become the most beloved town to me. Your cavalry arrested me when I was on my way to perform ‘Umrah, so what do you say?’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) gave him good tidings  and ordered him to perform ‘Umrah. When he arrived at Mecca, someone said to him: ‘Have you deserted your religion and embraced a new one?’ Thumāmah replied: ‘No, I have embraced Islam with Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). By Allah, not a single grain of wheat will come to you from Yamāmah unless the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) gives his permission.’”    

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    He went in person to Thumāmah, who was a polytheist.
2-    His repeating the question for Thumāmah more than once and listening to his reply.
3-    His approval of tying the disbeliever in the mosque, possibly for the purpose of letting him watch the Muslims pray, the thing that could lead him to renounce polytheism, and Allah knows best.
4-    His pardoning that polytheistic man in return for nothing, despite his previous misdeeds, hoping that he might embrace Islam.
5-    His gentle speech with Thumāmah, who was a polytheist, to attract his heart to Islam. This proved to be fruitful as Thumāmah ended up embracing Islam and loving this religion and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and his town.
6-    His sending detachments to the lands of disbelief.
7-    His rewarding Thumāmah for embracing Islam by giving him the glad tidings of attaining goodness in this world and the Hereafter, or by giving him the glad tidings of entering Paradise, or of having his past sins forgiven.

Benefits:
1-    Kindness is required when dealing with Muslims and non-Muslims alike, especially when there is a desire to attract the latter to Islam or to avoid their evil.
2-    If the disbeliever embraces Islam while performing some good act, he is allowed to proceed with that act and finish it.
3-    The effect of faith on that Companion (may Allah be pleased with him) showed in his applying the principle of allegiance and disassociation when dealing with the polytheists. When they accused him of deserting his old religion, he replied in the negative. Then he wished to make up for his previous misdeeds, so he told the polytheists that they would not receive a single grain of wheat from Yamāmah except with the permission of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).

19) The Prophet (PBUH) pardoning a polytheist who wanted to kill him:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 4136):  
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “We were in the company of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in (the Battle of) Dhāt al-Riqā‘. We came across a shady tree and we left it for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) (to take rest under its shade). A man from the polytheists came while the Prophet’s sword was hanging on the tree. He took it out of its sheath secretly and said (to the Prophet): ‘Are you afraid of me?’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘Who can save you from me?’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: ‘Allah’...”

Sahīh Muslim 1949: Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah reported:
“We went along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) on an expedition in the direction of Najd. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) found us in a valley with many thorny trees. He rested under a tree and hung his sword by one of its branches. People scattered in the valley and started to rest in the shade of trees. Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘A man came to me while I was asleep and he took hold of my sword. I woke up and found him standing over my head and I had hardly become alert (and saw) that the sword was in his hand unsheathed. He said: “Who can protect you from me?” I said: “Allah.” He repeated his question and I gave him the same reply. Then he sheathed the sword. You can see this man sitting there.’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not in any way touch him.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His bravery when that polytheist was standing over his head with a sword in his hand asking who could save him from him.
2-    His confident reply to that polytheist’s question that Allah is the Protector.
3-    His remaining calm and composed even in the most threatening and toughest situations.
4-    His bravery in words and deeds.
5-    His forgiveness and tolerance towards that polytheist, and his responding to a bad deed with a good deed.

Benefits:
1-    Prophets and allies of Allah Almighty are under His protection.
2-    True reliance of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) on Allah Almighty.
3-    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) feared none but Allah Almighty.
4-    Permissibility of forgiving a disbeliever who is at war with Muslims if the Muslim leader believes this will lead to good consequences.

20) Mercifulness of the Prophet (PBUH) towards his enemies:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 3231):  
Ibn Shihāb reported that ‘Urwah told him that ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), wife of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) told him that she once asked the Prophet: “‘Have you encountered a day worse than the Day of Uhud?’ He replied: ‘Your people have given me a hard time, and the worst thing was how they treated me on the day of ‘Aqabah  when I presented myself to Ibn ‘Abd Yālīl  ibn ‘Abd Kulāl and he did not respond to my call. So, I departed overwhelmed with excessive grief and proceeded on. I did not notice my whereabouts till I had reached Qarn al-Tha‘ālib where I lifted my head towards the sky to see a cloud shading me unexpectedly. I looked up and saw Jibrīl (Gabriel) in it. He called me saying: “Allah has heard what your people said to you and how they responded to you. He has sent you the angel of mountains so you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.” The Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me, and then said: “O Muhammad, order what you wish. If you like, I will let Al-Akhshabayn  fall on them.” The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “No, but I hope that Allah will let them have offspring who will worship Him alone, and worship none besides Him.’”   

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His great keenness to call non-Muslims to Islam.
2-    His endurance of hardships and difficulties and the long journey for the sake of inviting non-Muslims to Islam.
3-    His being overwhelmed with grief, while carrying out his mission, when the polytheists rejected Islam.
4-    His presenting himself and his call to the tribes. Allah then bestowed His favor upon some of them, who thus accepted the truth, while others did not accept the truth but they supported and protected the call to Islam, and some chose to show enmity to Islam.
5-    His compassion and mercy towards all people, as he did not want the two mountains to fall upon those who abused him, rather, he hoped that Allah would grant them children who would worship Him alone without associating partners with Him.
6-    His foresight, as he had hopes that those polytheists might have children who would turn out righteous, and his hopes came true at the end.
7-    His patience and tolerance with those stubborn polytheists.
8-    His refraining from taking revenge on those who abused him with words and deeds and who rejected his religion, as he did not approve of tormenting those polytheists.

Benefits:
1-    True reliance of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) on Allah Almighty and seeking His reward.
2-    Great keenness of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to fulfill true monotheism, as he said: “Who will worship Him alone and worship none besides Him.”
3-    One of the proofs of his being a Prophet was sending angels to him.
4-    Allah Almighty honored His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) by sending him the angel of mountains and letting him speak to him.
5-    The great excellence of patience and tolerance.

21) The Prophet (PBUH) denouncing the killing of women and children during wars:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 3014):  
Nāfi‘ reported that ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: “A woman was found killed in one of the battles of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) so the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) denounced killing women and children.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His giving instructions to his Companions in case of violating his methodology in dealing with non-Muslims.
2-    His prohibition of killing women and children since killing was not his aim and he never started the fight. Rather, he always started by calling non-Muslims to Islam through writing letters or sending them his messengers, and only when they insisted on fighting him, he fought them. Hence, he said: “Do not wish to meet the enemy (in battle) and ask Allah for safety, but if you faced the enemy, then be patient.”
3-    His being careful to check what was going on during and after the battle and his inquiring even about the killed ones.

22) Command of the Prophet (PBUH) to be lenient even with the aggressors:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 4194):  
Yazīd ibn Abi ‘Ubayd reported that he heard Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) say: “I went out before the Adhan (call to prayer) of the first one. The milch she-camels of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) were grazing at Dhu Qarad. ‘Abdul-Rahman ibn ‘Awf’s slave met me and said: ‘The milch she-camels of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) were taken away.’ I said: ‘Who took them away?’ He replied: ‘(People from the tribe of) Ghatafān.’ I cried thrice for help. I made the whole Madinah hear my cry. Then I ran straight in their pursuit until I overtook them while they were just going to water their animals. Being an archer, I began to shoot them with my arrows while saying: ‘I am the son of Al-Akwa‘, and today is the day when the villains will meet their doom.’ I continued to chant until I rescued the milch she-camels from them and snatched from them thirty Burdahs. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and some other people came along. I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, I have prevented them from water while they were thirsty. So, send a force after them now.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘O Ibn al-Akwa‘, you have overpowered them, so be kind and let them go.’ Then we returned and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) made me mount behind him on his she-camel until we entered Madinah.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His leniency even with his enemies, who were polytheists, as clear in his attitude towards those who stole his milch she-camels, for when Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ informed him of their condition, being thirsty, he (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) advised him to be lenient with them.
2-    His response to the call for help and going personally with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in pursuit of the polytheists.

Benefits:
1-    Keenness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to protect and defend the Muslims’ properties if that was within their ability.

23) Generosity of the Prophet (PBUH) even with non-Muslims:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 5397): Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “A man used to eat much, but when he embraced Islam,  he started eating less. That was mentioned to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) who then said: ‘The believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food), whereas the disbeliever eats in seven intestines (eats much).’”

Sahīh Muslim 5397:
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) received a guest, who was a disbeliever. He offered him the milk of an ewe and he drank it all. Then he offered him the milk of another one and he drank it until he drank the milk of seven ewes. On the next morning, he embraced Islam. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) offered him the milk of an ewe and he drank it. Then he offered him the milk of another one, but he could not finish it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘The believer drinks in one intestine, whereas the disbeliever drinks in seven intestines.’”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His generosity even with non-Muslims.
2-    His tolerance and patience with feeding that polytheist as he offered him the milk of seven ewes.
3-    His kind treatment and generosity with that polytheist led him to embrace Islam.

Benefits:
1-    Hospitality towards guests is permissible under Shariah.
2-    The Muslim is distinctive compared to the disbeliever even in terms of the amount of food he consumes.
3-    Generosity is one of the means of inviting people to Islam.

24) Patience and tolerance of the Prophet (PBUH) with a polytheist man who came to recite a healing chant over him:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Muslim 2008):  
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“When Dimād, who was from the tribe of Azd Shanū’ah and who used to heal the mad and the possessed with healing chants, arrived at Mecca, he heard some of the fools of Mecca saying that Muhammad was mad. He said: ‘If I could see that man, Allah may cure him through me.’ When he met him, he said: ‘O Muhammad, I recite healing chants for such illnesses (madness and possession) and Allah cures whomever He wills through me, so would you?’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘All praise is due to Allah, we praise Him and seek His help. Whoever Allah guides none can lead astray, and whoever He leads astray none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone with no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.’ Dimād said: ‘Repeat to me these words of yours.’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his words three times for him. Thereupon, Dimād said: ‘I have heard the speech of soothsayers, sorcerers, and poets, but I have never heard words like yours and they have, indeed, reached the depth of the sea (of eloquence).’ He then added: ‘Give me your hand so I may pledge allegiance to you on Islam.’ He did, then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Would you pledge allegiance on behalf of your people too?’ He replied in the affirmative. Later, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sent an expedition that passed by his people. The leader of the expedition asked his soldiers: ‘Have you taken anything from those people?’ A man said: ‘I took a water utensil.’ So, he said: ‘Return it, for those are the people of Dimād.’”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His reply to that polytheist started by declaring the oneness of Allah and praising Him.
2-    His tolerance and patience with the polytheists’ abuse as he treated Dimād with forbearance and was not provoked by his accusing him of madness.
3-    His refraining from defending himself against that polytheist’s inappropriate accusation.
4-    His listening to that polytheist without interrupting him.
5-    His kind response to the polytheists without blaming them for their improper words.
6-    His keenness to spread the call to Islam among the polytheists in general.
7-    His repeating the words thrice if needed when asked by that polytheist to repeat his words.
8-    His carefulness to choose brief touching words when addressing Dimād.

Benefits:
1-    The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) returned what they took on knowing that they took it from the people of Dimād, and they did it out of their loyalty to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
2-    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) belittling himself and showing humility to his Lord by saying: “I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.”

25) The Prophet (PBUH) answering the polytheist who called him several times:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Muslim 4245):  
‘Imrān ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“The tribe of Thaqīf was an ally of Banu ‘Uqayl. Thaqīf took two men from the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) as prisoners. The Companions of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) took one man from Banu ‘Uqayl as a prisoner, and captured Al-‘Adbā’  along with him. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came to him and he was tied with ropes. He said: ‘O Muhammad.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came near him and said: ‘What is the matter with you?’ Thereupon he (the prisoner) said: ‘Why have you taken me as a prisoner and why have you caught hold of Sābiqat al-Hājj?’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘You were captured for the crime of your allies, Thaqīf.’ He (the Prophet) then turned away. The man again called him and said: ‘O Muhammad, O Muhammad’, and since the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was compassionate and tenderhearted, he returned to him and said: ‘What is the matter with you?’ He said: ‘I am a Muslim’, whereupon the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Had you said this when you were in full command of yourself, you would have gained the ultimate success.’ He then turned away. The man (the prisoner) called him again saying: ‘O Muhammad, O Muhammad.’ He came to him and said: ‘What is the matter with you?’ He said: ‘I am hungry, feed me, and I am thirsty, so provide me with drink.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘That is (to satisfy) your want.’ He was then ransomed for the two men (who had been taken prisoners by Thaqīf). A woman of the Ansār was then taken captive and also Al-‘Adbā’ was caught. The woman was tied with ropes. The people were giving rest to their animals before their houses. She escaped one night from the bondage and came to the camels. As she drew near the camels, they fretted and fumed and so she left them until she came to Al-‘Adbā’. It did not fret and fume; it was docile. She rode upon its back and drove it away and she went off. When they learned about her escape, they went in her pursuit, but it (the she-camel) exhausted them. She (the woman) took a vow for Allah, that if He saved her by it (the camel), she would offer it as a sacrifice. As she reached Madinah, the people saw her and they said: ‘Here is Al-‘Adbā’, the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).’ She (the woman) said that she had taken a vow that if Allah saved her on its back, she would sacrifice it. They came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned that to him, whereupon he said: ‘Glory be to Allah, what a bad reward! She made a vow to sacrifice it if Allah saved her on its back. No vow is to be fulfilled if it entails an act of disobedience, or if it involves something that one does not own.’” The narration of Ibn Hajar reads: “No vow is to be made in disobeying Allah.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His patience with the one who called him several times even if he was a polytheist.
2-    His inquiry about the need and request of those who called him from the polytheists.
3-    His explaining to that polytheist the rulings on the captive in case of embracing Islam before or after being captured.
4-    His modesty with the ones he dealt with.
5-    His gentleness and patience even with the polytheists.
6-    His frankness and honesty even when dealing with the polytheists.
7-    His generosity and compassion even with the captives.
8-    His listening to questions, whether those posed by Muslims or polytheists, and his answering them.
9-    His correcting any wrong concept.
10-    His mercy and compassion in dealing with that captive.

Benefits:
1-    Glorifying Allah and exalting Him as an exclamation.
2-    Making a vow concerning something that one does not possess is invalid.
3-    Rulings on captives of war are not annulled when a captive, who comes from a people at war with Muslims, embraces Islam.

26) The Prophet (PBUH) listening to the questions of some polytheists who wanted to embrace Islam:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 4810):  
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported:
“Some people from the polytheists had committed murder and adultery excessively. They went to Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and said: ‘What you say and what you invite people to is good indeed, if only you can tell us whether there is expiation for what we committed.’ Thereupon, the following verse was revealed: {And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except rightfully, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.}  And: {And those who say: “Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.”}   

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His listening to the polytheists’ question.
2-    His forbearance regarding the violations and assaults that occur in the polytheists’ questions like murder, adultery, etc.
3-    His answering the polytheists’ question after the revelation of the Qur’anic verse.
4-    His noble morals and kind treatment that encouraged the polytheists to approach him and ask him.
5-    His encouraging the polytheists to embrace Islam by telling them that doing so will be a cause for having their past sins forgiven by Allah.

Benefits:
1-    The extensive mercy of Allah Almighty and His favor upon His slaves.
2-    The preacher’s need for patience and forbearance in the process of calling people to Allah.

27) The Prophet (PBUH) emphasizing monotheism in answering the polytheists:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 4043):  
Al-Barā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“We faced the polytheists that day  and the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) placed a group of archers (in a certain place) and assigned ‘Abdullah as their leader. He, then, said to them: ‘Do not leave your places. If you see us conquering them, do not leave your place, and if you see them conquering us, do not come to our aid.’ On facing the enemy, they fled till I saw their women running towards the mountain, lifting up their clothes from their legs, revealing their anklets. The Muslims started saying: ‘The booty, the booty!’ ‘Abdullah said: ‘The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had taken a firm promise from me not to leave this place.’ But his companions refused to stay. When they refused, they got confused and they suffered seventy casualties. Abu Sufyān then ascended a high place and said: ‘Is Muhammad present among the people?’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Do not answer him.’ Abu Sufyān said: ‘Is Ibn Abi Quhāfah present among the people?’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Do not answer him.’ Abu Sufyān then said: ‘Is Ibn al-Khattāb among the people?’ He then added: ‘All these people have been killed, for were they alive, they would have replied.’ On that, ‘Umar could not help saying: ‘You are a liar, O enemy of Allah. Allah has kept what will bring you disgrace.’ Abu Sufyān thus said: ‘May you be exalted, O Hubal.’ Whereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Reply to him.’ They said: ‘What should we say?’ He said: ‘Say: Allah is more Exalted and more Majestic.’ Abu Sufyān then said: ‘We have Al-‘Uzza whereas you have no ‘Uzza.’ Whereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him said: ‘Reply to him.’ They said: ‘What should we say?’ He said: ‘Say: Allah is our supporter whereas you have no supporter.’ Abu Sufyān said: ‘This day compensates for our loss at Badr and war has its ups and downs. You will see some of your dead men mutilated, but neither did I urge this action, nor am I sorry for it.’”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His military skills in arranging his army and choosing the position for his soldiers to be ready for confronting the enemy.
2-    His great resolution and his foresight regarding the possible changes that could occur in their battle against the polytheists.
3-    His strength, steadfastness, and bravery in facing the polytheists even when only a few of his Companions stayed around him.
4-    His instructions to his Companions not to answer the leader of the disbelievers, Abu Sufyān, when he was asking about Muhammad and others.
5-    His prohibition of mutilation despite Abu Sufyān’s words and what his people did to His Companions’ dead bodies.
6-    His great keenness to fulfill monotheism, for when Abu Sufyān, the leader of the polytheists at that time, said: “May you be exalted, O Hubal,” the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) ordered his Companions to say in reply: “Allah is more Exalted and more Majestic.” When Abu Sufyān said: “We have Al-‘Uzza whereas you have no ‘Uzza”, he (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to say in reply: “Allah is our supporter whereas you have no supporter.”

Benefits:
1-    Confidence of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in his Lord and his true reliance on Him as he said: “Allah is our supporter whereas you have no supporter.”
2-    Optimism of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) despite the severe tribulations and afflictions, as he said: “Allah is our supporter whereas you have no supporter,” despite the heavy casualties that the Muslim army sustained.
3-    The greatest and most important lesson to be learned from this battle is that goodness, success, and happiness lie in obeying the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), whereas evil and harm lie in disobeying him as Allah Almighty says: {And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and is conscious of Him - it is those who are the winners.}  This is exactly what happened in the Battle of Uhud, since disobeying the command of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was the cause that led to such heavy casualties.
4-    The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were well disciplined by the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and this showed in their civility with him, hence, when he ordered them to reply to Abu Sufyān, they did not rush to do so, rather, they asked him first what they should say in reply and he told them what to say.
5-    The high status that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) held even with the polytheists, on account of their great efforts in serving Islam.
6-    Refraining from answering Abu Sufyān at first out of belittling him, then on detecting his pride and arrogance, they answered him bravely and informed him of the truth.
7-    On hearing the polytheists taking pride in their deities and their polytheism, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) ordered his Companions to give a powerful reply showing their glorification of monotheism and declaring the glory of Allah and the fact that His soldiers will never be conquered.

28) The Prophet (PBUH) sending messengers to eradicate the idols:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 4357):  
Jarīr reported:
“The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) once said to me: ‘Won't you relieve me  of Dhul-Khalasah?’  I replied: ‘Yes, I will.’ So I set out with one hundred and fifty cavalrymen from Ahmas  who were skillful in riding horses. I used not to sit firm over horses, so I informed the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) of that, and he stroke my chest with his hand till I saw the marks of his hand over my chest and he said: ‘O Allah! Make him firm and make him one who guides (others) and is guided (on the right path).’ Since then, I have never fallen off a horse. Dhul-Khalasah was a house in Yemen belonging to (the tribe of) Khath‘am and Bajīlah, and in it there were idols which were worshiped, and it was called Al-Ka‘bah. Jarīr went there, burnt it with fire and destroyed it. When Jarīr arrived in Yemen, there was a man who practiced fortunetelling by casting arrows of divination. Someone said to him: ‘The messenger of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is present here and if he should get hold of you, he would cut off your head.’ One day, while he was using them (i.e. arrows of divination), Jarīr stopped there and said to him: ‘Break them and testify that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah, or else I will cut off your head.’ So, the man broke the arrows and testified that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah. Then Jarīr sent a man from Ahmas called Abu Artāt to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to convey the good news (of destroying Dhul-Khalasah). So when the messenger reached the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), he said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, by the One Who sent you with the truth, I did not leave it till it was like a scabby camel.’ Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) blessed the horses of Ahmas and their men five times.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His sending messengers and detachments to destroy idols and everything used as a means to commit polytheism.
2-    His deep concern and care about monotheism and what contradicts it. This was clear in his words to Jarīr (may Allah be pleased with him): “Won’t you relieve me,” which indicates how concerned he was about that issue. Al-Hāfizh Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “What is meant by ‘relief’ here is the relief of the heart, and nothing troubled the heart of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) more than the existence of what is associated with Allah Almighty in worship.”

Benefits:
1-    The quick response of that Companion to the Prophet’s request and the accomplishment of his mission.
2-    Keenness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to make the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) happy by fulfilling his request and giving him the glad tidings of destroying that idol. Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “It is recommended, according to this Hadīth, to send bearers of glad tidings to deliver news of conquests and the like.”
3-    The high status of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and their outstanding efforts in spreading the sound creed and eliminating whatever contradicts it.

29) The Prophet (PBUH) guiding non-Muslims to hasten to Islam:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 2808):  
Abu Is-hāq reported that he heard Al-Barā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) say: “A man  whose face was covered with an iron mask came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, shall I fight or embrace Islam first?’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Embrace Islam first then fight.’ So he embraced Islam, then fought and was martyred. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘He did a little work and earned a great reward.’”   

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His listening to people’s questions, whether Muslims or non-Muslims, and replying to them, and directing them to the wise course of action.
2-    His calling non-Muslims to embrace Islam, which is one of the best and most important deeds. Actually, the first deed one is required to do in this life is to be a Muslim.
3-    His guiding that polytheist to the fact that no deed, regardless of how good it is, will ever be accepted from anyone unless his embracing of Islam is established. {And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them dispersed to dust.}

Benefits:
1-    Consequences are what count; that man lived as a polytheist and even prevented his people from embracing Islam and turned people away from the way of Allah, but then he embraced Islam and was granted a good end for his life.
2-    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) gave his Ummah a great lesson on the importance of the sound creed. He also emphasized the favor and mercy of Allah Almighty after fulfilling monotheism, for this man never performed a single prayer, but he embraced Islam then fought in the cause of Allah.
3-    The vastness of Allah’s mercy, which encompasses everything for whoever dies upon monotheism. Allah bestowed His favor upon that man by making him embrace Islam, then He honored him with martyrdom, although what he did was so little.
4-    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not approve of having this polytheist participate in supporting Islam, rather he asked him to embrace Islam first, then participate in Jihad and in supporting Islam.

30) The Prophet (PBUH) displaying the strength of Muslims before the polytheists during Tawāf and Sa‘y:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 1602):  
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported:
“When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions went to Mecca, the polytheists said: ‘There will come to you people who are weakened by the fever of Yathrib.’  So, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) commanded his Companions to make Ramal  in the three rounds (of Tawāf) and walk between the two Corners.  He did not command them to make Ramal in all the rounds out of pity for them.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His showing the polytheists how strong and active the Muslims were to instill terror in their hearts so they would not underestimate the Muslims’ power. On seeing the Muslims’ strength, the polytheists said: “Those are stronger than so-and-so”. This is not considered dispraised ostentation.
2-    His strength of heart and that of his Companions before those polytheists, since they relied on Allah without fearing to be envied by the people of Mecca. A narration of Muslim reads: “So the polytheists said: ‘Muhammad and his Companions cannot make Tawāf around the Ka‘bah out of feebleness’, and they used to envy him.”  One of his narrations reads: “...and the people of Mecca were envious.”
3-    His insight that led to fulfilling the objective behind showcasing his Companions’ strength.

Benefits:
1-    Permissibility of resorting to allusion in deeds just as it is permissible in words, perhaps it is even better to resort to it in deeds.
2-    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) revealed his Companions’ strength to the polytheists, and that had a stronger impact on them than that of words expressing strength, and Allah knows best.
3-    The Companions’ endurance of hardships for the sake of manifesting the honor of Islam.
4-    Permissibility of showing non-Muslims the strength and honor of Islam.

31) The Prophet (PBUH) executing the Shariah-prescribed punishments even if the criminal was hanging on to the drapes of the Ka‘bah:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 1846):  
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) entered Mecca in the Year of the Conquest wearing a helmet on his head. When he took it off, a man came to him and said: ‘Ibn Khatal is hanging on to the drapes of the Ka‘bah,’ but the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Kill him.’”    

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His keenness on executing the Shariah-prescribed punishments and fulfilling retaliation even if the criminal hung on to the drapes of the Ka‘bah, let alone his being a polytheist.
2-    His acknowledging the act of reporting information to the Muslim rulers about the corrupt from among the polytheists or others. This is not considered prohibited backbiting or talebearing  unless it leads to spying on people and seeking their flaws.

Benefits:
1-    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) utilized the available means, hence, he wore a helmet. This does not contradict his reliance on Allah for he is the best of those who rely on Allah. Ibn Hajar said: “He wore two armors, and yet he would be the first one to fight when the battle would grow fierce. Reliance, thus, does not contradict the utilization of available means, because the former is a deed of the heart, whereas the latter is a physical deed.”
2-    The sanctity of lives and how the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) regarded that as a serious issue. This was clear in their seeking confirmation from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) regarding killing Ibn Khatal.
3-    The Ka‘bah does not offer refuge for a sinner and does not prevent the execution of an obligatory Shariah-prescribed punishment.

32) Justice of the Prophet (PBUH) in treating captives, even if relatives:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 2537):  Ibn Shihāb reported that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: “Some men from the Ansār  asked permission from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) saying: ‘Allow us not to take the ransom of our nephew Al-‘Abbās.’  The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: ‘Do not leave a single dirham thereof.’”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His treating the captives equally in terms of the required ransom, even if the captive is one of his relatives.
2-    His aiming at weakening the polytheists financially by taking ransoms from them, thus diminishing their ability to finance their war against the Muslims, and at strengthening the Muslims, on the other hand, by what he takes from them.
3-    His mercy towards his enemies and those at war with him, as he accepted ransom from the polytheistic captives. Had the polytheists been victorious, they would have killed and tortured the Muslim captives.
4-    Support should be granted to Muslims and no support should be granted to the polytheists even if they are relatives.
5-    He (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) emphasized to his Companions that they should not leave a single dirham of Al-‘Abbās’s ransom by swearing by Allah, saying: “By Allah, do not leave a single dirham thereof.”

Benefits:
1-    They said “our nephew” because Al-‘Abbās’s grandmother, mother of ‘Abd al-Muttalib, was from Banu al-Najjār. They, out of wit and politeness, attributed Al-‘Abbās to themselves and did not attribute him to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) by saying “your uncle” so that his release from captivity would be a favor for them not for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
2-    Permissibility of giving equal treatment, and distancing oneself from any suspicions of nepotism.

33) Keenness of the Prophet (PBUH) to fulfill justice and settle grievances:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 2780):  
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported:
“A man from Banu Sahm went out with Tamīm al-Dāri and ‘Adiyy ibn Baddā.’  The man from Banu Sahm died in a land in which there were no Muslims.  When they arrived with what he had left behind,  they (the heirs) searched for a bowl made of silver and inlaid with gold. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had the two of them take an oath. Then, the bowl was found in Mecca, and those who had it said: ‘We purchased it from Tamīm and ‘Adiyy.’ So, two men from the relatives of the Sahmi man  stood to take an oath by Allah that: ‘Our testimony is truer than their testimony’, and that the bowl belonged to their deceased relative. Then, the following verse was revealed in relation to them: {O you who believe, testimony [should be taken] among you when death approaches one of you at the time of bequest - [that of] two just men from among you or two others from outside if you are traveling in the land and the disaster of death should strike you. Detain them after the prayer and let them both swear by Allah if you doubt [their testimony, saying]: “We will not exchange our oath for a price, even if he should be a close relative, and we will not withhold the testimony of Allah. Indeed, we would then be of the sinful.”}     

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His listening to his Companions’ complaints against non-Muslims and giving his verdict.
2-    His veneration of the oath, which is considered evidence for proving something or negating it. This is found in all legislations, religions, and laws, and it is the resort when there is lack of evidence.
3-    His obliging the defendant, even if a non-Muslim, to take an oath when there is no clear evidence.
4-    His verifying the plaintiff’s claim and refusing to accept it except with clear evidence, especially if it is made against a non-Muslim.
5-    His keenness to fulfill justice and settle grievances.

34) The Prophet (PBUH) gathering information about the enemy and sending spies for that purpose:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 4086):  
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sent a scouting Sariyyah  under the leadership of ‘Āsim ibn Thābit, the grandfather of ‘Asim ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb. They proceeded till they reached a place between ‘Usfān and Makkah. News of them reached a branch of the tribe of Hudhayl called Banu Lahyān so they sent about one hundred archers on their tracks. They came upon a place where they found date pits. They said: ‘These are the dates of Yathrib (Madinah)’, and continued following their tracks. When ‘Āsim and his companions saw their pursuers, they went up a Fadfad and the disbelievers encircled them. The disbelievers said to them: ‘Come down and surrender, and we promise and guarantee you that we will not kill anyone of you.’ ‘Āsim said: ‘As for me, I will not come down to be under the protection of a disbeliever. O Allah, convey our news to Your Prophet.’ Then the disbelievers threw arrows at them till they martyred ‘Āsim in a group of seven. Three men remained and came down accepting their promise and covenant; they were Khubayb, Zayd, and another man. So, when the disbelievers captured them, they undid the strings of their bows and tied them therewith. Thereupon, the third (of the captives) said: ‘This is the first betrayal.’ He refused to go with them, so they dragged him and tried to compel him to accompany them, but as he refused, they killed him. They took Khubayb and Zayd with them and sold them (as slaves) in Makkah. Khubayb was bought by the sons of Al-Hārith ibn ‘Āmir ibn Nawfal. It was Khubayb who had killed Al-Hārith in the Battle of Badr. So, Khubayb remained a prisoner with those people. When they agreed on killing him, he borrowed a razor from one of the daughters of Al-Hārith to make Istihdād. That daughter said: ‘A son of mine went to him while I was unaware. I saw him placing my son on his thigh and the razor was in his hand. I got scared so much that Khubayb noticed the agitation on my face and said: “Do you fear that I would kill him? No, I would never do so.” I have never seen a prisoner better than Khubayb. One day I saw him eating of a bunch of grapes in his hand while he was shackled, and there was no fruit at that time in Makkah.’ The daughter of Al-Hārith used to say: ‘It was a boon that Allah bestowed upon Khubayb.’ When they took him out of the Sanctuary (of Makkah) to kill him outside its boundaries, Khubayb requested that they let him offer two Rak‘ahs (2 units of prayer). They allowed him and he offered two Rak‘ahs and then said: ‘Had I not been afraid that you would think that I was afraid of death, I would have prolonged the prayer.’ He was, thus, the first to set the tradition for any Muslim sentenced to death in captivity to offer two Rak‘ahs before being executed. He then said: ‘O Allah, kill them all with no exception.’ Then he recited a poetic verse that means: ‘I do not care, when I am killed as a Muslim, in what way I die in the cause of Allah.’” “Then ‘Uqbah ibn al-Hārith got up and killed him. Quraysh sent some people to ‘Āsim in order to bring a part of his body so that his death might be known for certain, for ‘Āsim had killed one of their chiefs in the Battle of Badr. But Allah sent a cloud of wasps which protected his body from their messengers, so they could not approach his body.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His sending detachments to reconnoiter the enemy so that the Muslims would be ready and on their guard.
2-    His keenness to ensure the Muslims’ safety and security and to guard them against the polytheists’ schemes.
3-    His gathering Muslims under one leadership; that is why he assigned one leader over them.

Benefits:
1-    Truthfulness of his prophethood as he informed his Companions of what had happened to the men in the detachment he had sent.
2-    Strong faith rises above everything else as clear in the steadfastness of ‘Āsim and Khubayb.
3-    The Companions’ love for prayer and their strong connection with Allah Almighty. This was clear when Khubayb (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the disbelievers to allow him pray two Rak‘ahs before being killed. The polytheists were aware of that, hence, they said in one of their battles with Muslims: “Shortly, it will be time for them to perform a prayer that is dearer to them than their children.”
4-    Allah Almighty honored the Prophet’s Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) greatly in a way that no one is capable of except Him.
•    Allah Almighty provided Khubayb with grapes while he was in captivity at a time when there were no grapes in Makkah.
•    When the disbelievers wanted to cut off part of ‘Āsim’s body, Allah Almighty sent him a cloud of wasps and no one was able to approach him.
5-    The disbelievers’ betrayal, lying, and disloyalty which showed in many situations:
•    Breaking the promise they gave the Muslims when they surrounded them.
•    Breaching their promise and taking the Muslims as captives.
•    Killing most of the Muslim detachment and selling the rest to their enemies.
6-    Supplicating against all the polytheists in general.
7-    Loyalty of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and their refraining from betrayal. This showed when Khubayb (may Allah be pleased with him) refused to take advantage of the opportunity he had after having power over one of the family members that held him as captive in their house. He had a chance to kill him or take him as a hostage to escape his captivity, but he did not do that because betrayal is not of the Muslims’ traits, especially when it comes to the weak from among the women and children.

35) Keenness of the Prophet (PBUH) to protect Muslims from the enemies’ plots:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 3051):  
Iyās ibn Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ reported on the authority of his father that he said: “A spy of the polytheists came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) when he was on a journey. He sat near his Companions then slipped away. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Look for him and kill him.’ He killed him and the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) gave him his belongings as booty.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His giving quick orders to chase that warring polytheist and kill him, especially because he came to spy on the Muslims.
2-    His alertness and insight regarding those polytheists who approach the Muslims and the purpose behind their doing that.
3-    His Keenness to look after and protect the Muslims’ interests.

36) The Prophet (PBUH) hiring a disbeliever as a guide on the way:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 3905):  
Ibn Shihāb said that ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr told him that ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), wife of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), said: “I do not remember my parents believing in any religion other than the true religion (i.e. Islam) and not a single day passed without the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) visiting us in the morning and in the evening. When the Muslims were persecuted, Abu Bakr set out as an emigrant to Abyssinia, and when he reached Bark al-Ghimād,  Ibn al-Daghinah,  chief of the tribe of Qārah,  met him and said: ‘O Abu Bakr, where are you going?’ Abu Bakr replied: ‘My people have turned me out, so I want to wander the earth and worship my Lord.’ Ibn al-Daghinah said: ‘O Abu Bakr, a man like you should not leave his homeland, nor should he be driven out, because you help the destitute, you maintain kinship ties, you are generously hospitable to guests, and you help those struck by calamities. Hence, I am your protector. Go back and worship your Lord in your town.’ So Abu Bakr returned and Ibn al-Daghinah accompanied him. In the evening, Ibn al-Daghinah visited the nobles of Quraysh and said to them: ‘A man like Abu Bakr should not leave his homeland, nor should he be driven out. Do you (i.e. Quraysh) drive out a man who helps the destitute, maintains kinship ties, is generously hospitable to guests, and helps those struck by calamities?’ So, the people of Quraysh could not refuse Ibn al-Daghinah’s protection, and they said to him: ‘Let Abu Bakr worship his Lord in his house. He can pray and recite there whatever he likes, but he should not hurt us with it, and should not do it publicly, because we are afraid that he might influence our women and children.’ Ibn al-Daghinah told Abu Bakr of all that. Abu Bakr stayed in that state, worshiping his Lord in his house. He did not pray publicly, nor did he recite the Qur’an outside his house. Then, a thought occurred to Abu Bakr to build a mosque in his yard, and there he used to pray and recite the Qur’an. The polytheists’ women and children would gather around him in great numbers. They used to wonder at him and look at him. Abu Bakr was a man who used to weep too much, and he could not help weeping upon reciting the Qur’an, the thing that scared the nobles of Quraysh, so they sent for Ibn al-Daghinah. When he came to them, they said: ‘We accepted your protection of Abu Bakr on condition that he would worship his Lord in his house, but he has violated the condition and he built a mosque in his yard where he prays and recites the Qur’an publicly. We are now afraid that he may affect our women and children. So, prevent him from that. If he likes to confine the worship of his Lord to his house, he may do so, but if he insists on doing that openly, ask him to release you from your obligation to protect him, for we dislike to break our pact with you, but we deny Abu Bakr the right to announce his worship publicly.’ Ibn al-Daghinah went to Abu- Bakr and said: ‘You know well what contract I have made on your behalf; now, you are either to abide by it, or else release me from my obligation of protecting you, because I do not want the Arabs to hear that my people have dishonored a contract I have made on behalf of another man.’ Abu Bakr replied: ‘I release you from your pact to protect me, and I am pleased with the protection of Allah Almighty.’ At that time, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was in Makkah, and he said to the Muslims: ‘In a vision, I have been shown your migration place, a land of date palm trees, between two stony tracts,’ which are the two volcanic rock fields. So, some people migrated to Madinah, and most of those who had previously migrated to Abyssinia returned to Madinah. Abu Bakr also prepared to leave for Madinah, but the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: ‘Wait for a while, because I hope that I will be allowed to migrate as well.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘Do you indeed expect this? My father be sacrificed for you!’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Yes.’ So Abu Bakr did not migrate for the sake of Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in order to accompany him. He fed two she-camels that he possessed for four months with the leaves of the Samur tree that fell on being struck by a stick. One day, while we were sitting in Abu Bakr’s house at noon, someone said to Abu Bakr: ‘Here is the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) coming with his head covered.’ It was a time at which he never used to visit us before. Abu Bakr said: ‘May my parents be sacrificed for him! By Allah, he has not come at this hour except for a great necessity.’ So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came and asked permission to enter, and he was allowed to enter. When he entered, he said to Abu Bakr: ‘Tell everyone who is present with you to go away.’ Abu Bakr replied: ‘There are none but your family, may my father be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘I have been given permission to migrate.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘Shall I accompany you, may my father be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, may my father be sacrificed for you, take one of these two she-camels of mine.’ He replied: ‘(I will accept it) with payment.’ So, we prepared the baggage quickly and put some journey food in a leather bag for them. Asmā’, Abu Bakr’s daughter, cut a piece from her waist belt and tied the mouth of the leather bag with it, and for that reason she was named Dhāt al-Nitāqayn (i.e. the one with the two belts). Then Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr reached a cave in the mountain of Thawr and hid there for three nights. ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr , who was a smart intelligent young boy, used to stay (with them) every night. He used to leave them before daybreak so that in the morning he would be with Quraysh as if he had spent the night in Makkah. He would pick up news of any plot made against them, and when it became dark, he would (go and) inform them of it. ‘Āmir ibn Fuhayrah, the freed slave of Abu Bakr, used to bring the milch sheep (of his master, Abu Bakr) to them a little while after nightfall in order to rest the sheep there. So, they always had fresh milk at night which they warmed by throwing heated stones therein. ‘Āmir ibn Fuhayrah would then call the herd away when it was still dark (before daybreak). He did the same in each of those three nights. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr hired a man from the tribe of Banu al-Dīl from the family of Banu ‘Abd ibn ‘Adiyy who was an expert guide. He was in alliance with the family of Al-‘Ās ibn Wā’il al-Sahmi and was upon the religion of the disbelievers of Quraysh. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr trusted him and gave him their two she-camels and took his promise to bring them to Thawr Cave in the morning after three nights. (When they set out,) ‘Amir ibn Fuhayrah and the guide went along with them and the guide led them along the coastline.”

Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 3906:
Ibn Shihāb said:
“‘Abdul-Rahmān ibn Mālik al-Mudliji, the nephew of Surāqah ibn Mālik ibn Ju‘shum, said that his father informed him that he heard Surāqah ibn Ju‘shum say: ‘The messengers of the disbelievers of Quraysh came to us declaring that they had assigned for the one who would kill or arrest the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr a reward equal to their Diyyah (blood money). While I was sitting in one of the gatherings of my tribe, Banu Mudlij, a man from them came to us and stood over us while we were sitting, and said: ‘O Surāqah, I have just seen some people far away on the seashore, and I think they are Muhammad and his companions.’” Surāqah added: “I too realized that it must have been them. But I said: ‘No, but you have seen so-and-so and so-and-so whom we saw set out.’ I stayed in the gathering for a while and then got up and left for my home. I ordered my slave-girl to get my horse which was behind a hillock, and keep it ready for me. Then I took my spear and left by the back door of my house dragging the lower end of the spear on the ground and keeping it low. Then I reached my horse, mounted it and made it gallop. When I approached them (i.e. Muhammad and Abu Bakr), my horse stumbled and I fell down. I got up, got hold of my quiver and took out the divining arrows and drew lots as to whether I should harm them or not, and the lot which I disliked would come out. But I remounted my horse and let it gallop, going against the divining arrows. When I heard the recitation of the Qur’an by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) who did not look hither and thither while Abu Bakr was doing it often, suddenly the forelegs of my horse sank into the ground up to the knees, and I fell down. Then I rebuked it and it got up but could hardly take out its forelegs from the ground, and when it stood up straight again, its forelegs caused dust to rise up in the sky like smoke. Then again I drew lots with the divining arrows, and the lot which I disliked would come out. So I called upon them to feel secure. They stopped, and I remounted my horse and went to them. When I saw how I had been prevented from harming them, it came to my mind that the cause of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) (i.e. Islam) will become victorious. So I said to him: ‘Your people have assigned a reward equal to your blood money for your head.’ Then I told them all the plans the people of Mecca had made concerning them. I offered them some journey food and goods, but they refused to take anything and did not ask for anything. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Do not tell others about us.’ I asked him to write for me a statement of security and peace. He ordered ‘Āmir ibn Fuhayrah who wrote it for me on a parchment, and then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) proceeded on his way.”

Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 3615:
Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib reported:
“Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to my father at home and purchased a saddle from him. He said to ‘Āzib: ‘Send your son to carry it with me.’ So I carried it with him and my father followed us to take the price (of the saddle). My father said: ‘O Abu Bakr, tell me what happened to you on your night journey with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)?’ He said: ‘Yes. We traveled the whole night and also the next day till midday, when nobody could be seen on the way (because of the severe heat). Then, there appeared a long rock with shade below it, and the sunshine had not come to it yet. So, we dismounted there and I leveled a place and covered it with a hide and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you sleep and I shall drive the dust away from you.’ So, he slept and I went out moving the dust away from him. Suddenly, I saw a shepherd coming with his sheep to that rock with the same intention we had when we came thereto. I asked: ‘Hey boy, to whom do you belong?’ He replied: ‘I belong to a man from Madinah - or Makkah.’ I said: ‘Do your sheep have milk?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ I said: ‘Will you milk for us?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ He caught hold of a sheep and I asked him to clean its udder from dust, hair, and dirt. He (the sub-narrator) said: ‘I saw Al-Barā’ striking one of his hands with the other, demonstrating how the shepherd removed the dust.’ The shepherd milked a little milk in a wooden container and I had a leather container which I carried for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to drink and perform the ablution from. I went to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), hating to wake him up, but when I reached there, he had already awakened; so I poured water over the milk container till the milk was cold. Then I said: ‘Drink, O Messenger of Allah.’ He drank till I was pleased. Then he asked: ‘Has the time for our departure come?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ So, we departed after midday. Surāqah ibn Mālik followed us and I said: ‘We have been discovered, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Do not grieve for Allah is with us.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) invoked evil on him (i.e. Surāqah) and so the legs of his horse sank into the earth up to its belly. (The sub-narrator, Zuhayr, is not sure whether Abu Bakr said: ‘(It sank) into solid earth.’) Surāqah said: ‘I see that you have invoked evil on me. Please invoke good on me, and, by Allah, I will make those who are coming in your pursuit return.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) invoked good on him and he was saved. Then, whenever he met somebody on the way, he would say: ‘I have already looked (for them) here in vain.’ So, he made whomever he met return, and he, thus, fulfilled his promise to us.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1-    His hiring a disbeliever as a road guide since he could trust him.
2-    His patience with the abuse he received from the disbelievers of Quraysh.
3-    His wisdom and his utilization of the available means in hiding from the polytheists, as he went to Abu Bakr with his head covered and at noon time, and he asked Abu Bakr to make those who were with him go out. All this went along with his true reliance on Allah.
4-    His good arrangement of the emigration stages and his making plans that would guarantee keeping the polytheists unaware of his emigration.
5-    His setting a time for that expert guide to come and show them the way.
6-    His courage that was clear when Surāqah ibn Mālik caught up with them and he did not turn to him.
7-    His listening to Surāqah’s request that Allah sets free his horse that was stuck in the ground, and his responding by supplicating Allah for him.
8-    His request from that polytheist, Surāqah, to keep their affair hidden from the polytheists after supplicating Allah for him.
9-    His dignity that showed in his rejecting the food and money that Surāqah offered because he was a polytheist.
10-    His fulfillment of the promise, whether it was made to a Muslim or to a polytheist, for when he met Surāqah later after many years, he said to him: “Today is a day for fulfilling the promise.”

Benefits:
1.    The Prophet’s trust in his Lord that was evident in his true reliance on Him in being granted the permission to emigrate.
2.    The Prophet’s love and care about righteous company and his modesty as well. This was clear when he asked Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) not to be in a hurry to emigrate in the hope that he too might get permission to emigrate soon.
3.    The Companions’ great love for their Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to the extent that each of them was willing to sacrifice his parents for him. This great love was not restricted to those who used to sit with him, rather, it included the old and the young, men and women. It showed clearly in the Hadīth on emigration, where all members of Abu Bakr’s household, with Abu Bakr himself ahead of them, hastened to carry out what they were assigned to do. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was ready to sacrifice his life for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), hence, he entered the cave ahead of him and would sometimes walk in front of him and other times behind him in order to protect and defend him.
4.    True reliance of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) on Allah, which Allah rewarded with granting him safety, success, and protection.
This was clear in the following situations:
•    Allah Almighty protected His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) when Surāqah caught up with him. He supplicated Allah against him, so the legs of Surāqah’s horse sank into the ground. Allah, thus, saved him from Surāqah and everyone else.
•    Allah Almighty granted His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) a miracle as he put dust on the heads of the disbelievers of Quraysh and was able to start his journey without any of them seeing or harming him.
•    Allah Almighty protected His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) from the polytheists when they were standing beside the cave where he was hiding. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was afraid they would see them, however, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: {...Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.}
5-    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) utilized the available means, namely emigrating under cover and taking a devious rough route for many days. Callers to Allah should, thus, realize that their mission is not an easy one, rather it is a mission that requires diligence, hard work, and utilization of available means in calling others to Allah despite all the hardships and weariness they may experience on the way.
6-    One of the signs of Muhammad’s prophethood was that Surāqah ibn Mālik, who went chasing the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companion at the beginning of the day, was the one who undertook the mission of diverting the disbelievers’ attention from them at the end of the day.

37) The Prophet (PBUH) calling upon the dead polytheists:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 3976):  
Abu Talhah reported:
“On the day of Badr, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that the corpses of twenty-four men from the leaders of Quraysh should be thrown into one evil Tawiyy of Badr, which became even more evil (by throwing such evil people therein). It was a habit of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) that whenever he triumphed over some people, he would stay at the ‘Arsah  for three nights. So, on the third day of the Battle of Badr, he ordered that his camel be saddled, then he set out, and his Companions followed him saying among themselves: ‘Definitely he is proceeding for some great purpose.’ When he stopped at the edge of the well, he started calling them (the disbelievers of Quraysh) by their names and their fathers’ names, saying: ‘O so-and-so the son of so-and-so, and O so-and-so the son of so-and-so, would it have pleased you if you had obeyed Allah and His Messenger? We have found what our Lord promised us to be true. Have you too found what your Lord promised you to be true?’ ‘Umar said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you are speaking to bodies that have no souls!’ Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand Muhammad’s soul is, you do not hear what I say better than they do.’” Qatādah said: “Allah brought them to life (again) to let them hear him, to reprimand them, humiliate them, and punish them, and to make them feel remorseful and regretful.”

Sahīh Muslim 7223:
Anas ibn Mālik reported:
“The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) left the slain disbelievers of Badr (unburied) for three days. He then came to them and called upon them saying: ‘O Abu Jahl ibn Hishām, O Umayyah ibn Khalaf, O ‘Utbah ibn Rabī‘ah, O Shaybah ibn Rabī‘ah, have you found what your Lord promised you to be true? Indeed, I have found what my Lord promised me to be true.’ On hearing the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), ‘Umar said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, how could they hear you or respond to you when their bodies have decayed?’ He said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, you do not hear what I say better than they do, but they do not have the ability to reply.’ He then ordered that they should be dragged and thrown in the well of Badr.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1.    His care about admonition as he wanted those polytheists, who were taken captives, and others as well to learn a lesson from that serious situation and from what happened to those polytheists who were too stubborn and too arrogant to accept the truth, and thus ended up tossed in a well.
2.    His command to throw twenty-four men from the disbelievers of Quraysh in the well after the Battle of Badr.
3.    His throwing the dead bodies in the well so as not to harm people with the stench if they remained unburied.

Benefits:
1.    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) stood at the edge of the well where the polytheists were thrown.
2.    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) called the polytheists with their names and their fathers’ names.
3.    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) informed the polytheists that he found what his Lord promised him to be true.
4.    The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) asked the polytheists if they had found what their Lord promised them to be true.
5.    The Muslim must learn a lesson from this Hadīth and from this grave situation and how it ended.
6.    Falsehood will inevitably come to an end no matter how prominent and attractive it appears to be.
7.    Whoever is too stubborn and too arrogant to accept the truth, and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and shows enmity towards them, will gain nothing at the end but humiliation, loss, remorse, and regret.
8.    It was a miracle that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) addressed the dead polytheists and they heard his words, as he informed his Companions.

38) Strength and Courage of the Prophet (PBUH) with the obstinate polytheists:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 4373):  
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported:
“Musaylimah al-Kadhdhāb (the Liar) came with many of his people (to Madinah) during the lifetime of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and he said: ‘If Muhammad made me his successor, I would follow him.’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went up to him with Thābit ibn Qays ibn Shammās; and he was holding a piece of a date palm leaf in his hand. He stood before Musaylimah and his companions and said: ‘If you asked me even this piece (of a leaf), I would not give it to you. You cannot transcend the command of Allah. If you turn away, Allah will destroy you. I think you are the same person who was shown to me in my dream, and this is Thābit ibn Qays who will answer your questions on my behalf.’ Then he went away.”

Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 4374:
Ibn ‘Abbās said:
“I asked about the statement of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): ‘You seem to be the same person who was shown to me in my dream,’ and Abu Hurayrah informed me that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘While asleep, I saw (in a dream) two gold bracelets on my hands, and that worried me. Then I was divinely inspired in the dream to blow them off, so I did and both bracelets flew away. I interpreted the two bracelets as symbols of two liars who would appear after me (who would claim to be prophets).’ One of them was Al-‘Ansi and the other was Musaylimah.”   

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1.    His listening to that polytheist without interrupting him.
2.    His strength and courage with the liars and obstinate from among the polytheists, even if they had their people with them.
3.    His address to that lying polytheist that he could not avoid his destiny that Allah decreed for him, and the occurrence of what he foretold.
4.    His clarifying the truth when dealing with the disbelievers and others.
5.    His going personally to meet the disbelievers who came wishing to meet him if that was in the Muslims’ interest.
6.    His using the help of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in addressing the polytheists. Imam Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “The Imam seeks help from the eloquent ones in addressing the obstinate and the likes.”
7.    His addressing that polytheist with brief and strong words as he (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was gifted with the ability to use concise words that are comprehensive in meaning.
8.    His rejection of that polytheist’s request.

Benefits:
1.    The strong faith and trust of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in his Almighty Lord as he told that polytheist that he could not escape Allah’s plan for him and that his rejection of the truth would lead him to his doom.
2.    This story reveals a virtue of Abu Bakr Al-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him). In his dream, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) himself blew off the two bracelets until they flew away. As for Al-Aswad Al-‘Ansi, he was killed in his lifetime, whereas Musaylimah was killed by Abu Bakr al-Siddīq, who did that on behalf of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).

39) The Prophet (PBUH) did not seek the polytheists’ help in war:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahih Muslim 4700):  
‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), wife of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) set out for Badr. When he reached Harrat al-Wabarah, a man known for his valor and courage caught up with him. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) were pleased to see him. He said: ‘I came to follow you and get a share of the booty.’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: ‘Do you believe in Allah and His Messenger?’ He said: ‘No.’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) thus said: ‘Then go back; I will not seek help from a polytheist.’ He went on until we reached Shajarah  where the man caught up with him again. He said the same thing he had said the first time and the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) gave him the same answer: ‘Go back, for I will not seek help from a polytheist.’ The man returned and caught up with him at Baydā. He asked him the same question he had asked before: ‘Do you believe in Allah and His Messenger?’ The man said: ‘Yes.’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: ‘Then come along with us.’”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1.    His listening to that polytheist’s request, which was supporting him and receiving a share of the booty.
2.    His patience with that polytheist who kept repeating his request.
3.    His refusing the help offered by polytheists so long as they adhered to their polytheism, regardless of their bravery and similar traits.
4.    His clarifying that faith is one of the firmly established facts that he could never waive. Hence, he asked that man repeatedly to have faith in Allah and His Messenger, otherwise he would not accept his support because faith is a condition for the validity of any deed supporting Islam.
5.    His verifying that man’s faith by asking him: “Do you believe in Allah and His Messenger?”
6.    His permission for that man to participate with Muslims in the Battle of Badr after embracing Islam.

Benefits:
1.    Faith in Allah Almighty was the primary concern of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
2.    The Prophet’s trust in his Almighty Lord, which is a trait that Muslim preachers need today and at all times.

40) Gifts and trade with the Polytheists:
Text of the Hadīth (Sahīh Al-Bukhāri 2618)):
‘Abdul-Rahmān ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “We were one hundred and thirty accompanying the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He asked us whether anyone of us had food. There was a man who had about one Sā‘ (about 3 kgs) of food, so it was kneaded. Then, a tall polytheist with disheveled hair came driving sheep. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: ‘Will you sell us (any of the sheep) or give it as a gift?’ He said: ‘I will sell you (any of the sheep).’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) bought a lamb and it was slaughtered and prepared. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that its liver and other abdominal organs be roasted. By Allah, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) gave each person of the one hundred and thirty a piece of that; he gave all those who were present and kept the shares of those who were absent. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) then put its meat in two bowls and all of them ate to their fill, and even then more food was left in the two bowls so it was carried on the camel - or he said something like that.”

Behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) indicated in the Hadīth:
1.    His asking the herdsman, who was a polytheist, whether he brought his sheep to sell it or to give it as a gift.
2.    His dealing with the polytheists in terms of trade, which is permissible except for selling what could be used against Muslims in war.
3.    His acceptance of the polytheist’s gift.  Acceptance is from one who is likely to be attracted to Islam, but not from one who uses the gift as a means of endearment and a payment for loyalty.
4.    His approval of conducting trade with the polytheists and disbelievers is a proof that they enjoy full possession of their properties, which should not be taken from them except rightfully, otherwise, that polytheist would not have originally sold anything to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) or given it to him as a gift.

Benefits:
1.    It is permissible to conduct trade with the disbelievers except for selling what could be used against Muslims in war.
2.    Multiplying the amount of food and meat to the extent that it became sufficient for all those people, with even extra food left, is a great and evident miracle.
3.    It is permissible to treat non-Muslims kindly in order to attract their hearts to Islam.