Evidences of Equality in Islamic History
Sunday, 01 November 2009
Written by Islamstory
First Example
Abu Dharr somehow got angry with the freed slave of Abu Bakr, Bilal of Abyssinia. Both of them were Companions of the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]. The altercation became prolonged and Abu Dharr in his fury called Bilal "the son of a black skinned mother". Bilal complained to the Prophet who addressed Abu Dharr saying, "Did you call him a name reviling his mother? It appears you still retain vestiges of Jahiliyah (ignorance period before Islam.)"
Abu Dharr failed to understand the word Jahiliyah and took it to signify some sort of sexual immorality, and meekly questioned in surprise, "At this ripe age, O Prophet of God?" The Prophet said in reply, "Yes, you are his brother." Abu Dharr became ashamed and repentant, and - out of extreme repentance and humility - requested Bilal to trample his face with his feet.
Second Example
When a woman of the Bani Makhzoom tribe, called Fatimah, was found guilty of theft she was brought to the Prophet to be judged according to Shari'ah Law. The Quraish tribe tried to intercede not to punish the women and after deliberation sent Usamah ibn Zaid for intercession since he was very much in favour with the Prophet. When he talked to the Prophet (PBUH,) he became very angry and said to Usamah, "You intercede in the matters of the limits prescribed by God?" Then he gathered the people and said to them, "The people before you who met their doom, discriminated between the patricians and the plebeians in the dispensation of justice for crimes like theft. The high-placed were spared while the weaker elements of society were readily punished. By God! If Fatimah bint (daughter of) Muhammad had committed theft, I would have amputated her hand also."
Third Example
Qais ibn Mutatiah, a hypocrite, came to a gathering where Salman al-Farisi (the Persian), Suhaib Rumi (the Roman), and Bilal Habashi (the Abyssinian) were present. He remarked tauntingly, "Aws and Khazraj have rendered some service to this person (the Prophet, PBUH, ) but I fail to understand what have these people (Bilal, Suhaib and Salman) done (to deserve this honour). Mo'adh ibn Jabal was in that gathering, caught hold of him by his neck, dragged him to the Prophet and told him what he had uttered. The Prophet became angry and went to the mosque and gave a sermon: "O ye people! Always remember that your Lord and Cherisher is one and your supreme ancestor is one, and your faith is also one and the same."
Fourth Example
'Adi ibn Hatim went to Madinah before embracing Islam and found the Companions sitting around the Prophet. 'Adi was inspired with awe when he witnessed their reverence for him. Meanwhile a humble woman came to the Prophet and asked to see him in private. The Prophet got up and at some distance from the gathering talked to her, and when finished with her came back. 'Adi was very much touched by this inconceivable concept of philanthropy and, eventually, embraced Islam.
Fifth Example
When The Prophet conquered Makkah, those who drove him out and fought him were brought before him vanquished, even then he called them to the same thing, to Islam. Standing at the gate of the Ka'bah he said, "O ye people of Quraish! Allah has, this day, put an end to your pride of the Jahiliyah (ignorance) and also the pride of your ancestry. Keep in mind! All men are from Adam, and Adam was fashioned out of clay." On this occasion he recited this verse: "O Mankind! We created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other. Verily, the most honorable of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you." (The Qur'an 49:13)
Sixth Example
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was a glorious caliph. He was sympathetic to the weak, firm in his stand by the truth. He used to go without food to feed others, and kept himself deprived to give to others. He used to go from door to door asking people about their conditions of living, etc.
Seventh Example
When a caravan came to Madinah, 'Umar and Abdul Rahman ibn 'Auf (may Allah be pleased with them) kept awake that night together to guard the caravan. During that night, Umar heard a baby's cry, he approached and said to the mother, "Fear God and look after your child carefully."
Then he went back to his own position. Once again he heard the baby crying, and went over to the mother once again and gave her the same advice. Later, during the last part of the night the child cried once again, 'Umar came to the mother and said, "Woe to you! You appear not to be a good mother. How is it that thy child could not sleep peacefully during the night?"
The woman little suspecting that she was speaking to the Amir of the believers, said in reply, "God bless you man, you have pestered me several times during the night. I want to wean it forcefully (before time,) but the child is intractable."
'Umar asked her, "And pray, why wean it forcefully?" She said in reply, "Because 'Umar grants allowance only for such children that have been weaned."
Umar asked her, "How old is your child?" And she told him it was only a few months old. 'Umar asked the woman not to be hasty in weaning her child. And then he led the Dawn Prayer in such a state that his weeping made the recital of the Qur'an inaudible and unintelligible. At the end of the prayer he said, "Umar is ruined. He killed the children of the believers!" And at this, he ordered the crier to proclaim in the town of Madinah that the mothers should not wean their children only for the sake of the allowance for the children. From now on, every child, suckling or weaned, shall receive a stipend.
Eighth Example
One of the unique incidents relating to sympathy and equality in the history of mankind is that 'Umar came by one night. It was usual with him to go out during the nights to see with his own eyes the conditions under which people were living. One night he heard somebody crying in a nearby tent, at whose door was standing a man. 'Umar greeted him and asked him who he was.
He said in reply that he was a Bedouin who had come to Madinah to ask the Amir of the believers for help. Then 'Umar asked him about the crying and wailing inside the tent, which question the Bedouin tried to evade, saying that since it did not concern him he should not interest himself in it and go his way.
However, on the insistence of 'Umar he told him that his wife was in labour pain and had no one to help her with the delivery. 'Umar returned to his home and asked his wife, Umm-Kulthum bint Ali, whether she was interested in the reward from God which He might have brought her way. He asked her to take with her the requisites of a newborn and the delivered mother and also some provisions for food.
He took all those things from her and started, Umm-Kulthum following him. When they came to the Bedouin's tent, 'Umar sent his wife inside, himself sat with the husband, and lighting a fire started cooking food with the provisions he had brought with him. The Bedouin was still unaware that he was sitting beside a great man of the world.
Then the woman was delivered of a child and Umm-Kulthum called him from inside the tent, addressing him as Amir-al Muminin, and asked him to congratulate his friend on the birth of his child. The Bedouin on hearing her words became conscious of the fact that he had been with the head of the Islamic state all this time and had been rude to him, and was awe-struck and began receding from 'Umar.
But 'Umar reassured him and asked him to keep sitting where he was, unceremoniously. He asked Umm-Kulthum to offer the mother the food that he had cooked and also he offered food to her husband, saying "Partake of it, you have kept up the whole night and have been inconvenienced.
Here we must also mention that 'Umar is not an isolated example presented as a perfect and affectionate person by the Islamic civilization. The lives of Abu Bakr, Uthman and 'Ali (God be pleased with them all) were also moulded in the mould of perfect humanity, brimming over with mercy and affection.
Also the lives of 'Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, Salahuddin Ayyubi and many other big personages, the legists and leaders also present countless immortal examples, which is a brilliant evidence in favor of that glorious civilization from every aspect.
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