The
Provider of Water of the Two Harams :
The Masjid Al-Uaram in Makkah and the
Masjid An-Nabarvi in Al-Madinah
In the Year of Drought, the Commander of
the Faithful Umar, along with a great
number of Muslims, went out into a vast
open area to perform the prayer for rain
and supplicate Allah the Most Merciful
to send down rain. Umar (RA) held Al-Abbaas's
right hand in his right hand and raised
it towards the sky and supplicated, "O
Almighty Allah, we used to ask You for
rain for the Prophet's sake while he
was alive. O Almighty Allah, today, we
ask you for rain for the sake of the
Prophet's uncle. So please send down
rain on us." The Muslim congregation
did not leave until rain poured
announcing glad tidings, irrigation, and
fertility.
The Companions rushed to embrace Al-Abbaas
and express their affection for his
blessed status saying, "Rejoice! You
are now the provider of water of the two
Harams."
What was the man who was called the
provider of water of the two Harams
really like ? Who was this man for whose
sake Umar beseeched Allah to send down
rain, notwithstanding Umar's piety,
precedence, and high station well-known
to Allah, His Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam) and the believers? He was Al-Abbaas,
the Prophet's r uncle. The Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) held him in great
esteem. His reverence and love for him
were inseparable. He always praised his
good nature saying, "He is the only
one left of my family."
Al-'Abbaas Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib was the
most generous man of the Quraish.
Moreover, he was good to his relatives
and maintained the bond of kinship.
Al-Abbaas, just like Hamzah (May Allah
be pleased with them both), was nearly
the same age as the Prophet r, being
only two or three years older. Thus,
Muhammad and his uncle Al- ‘Abbaas
were of the same age and generation as
children and as young men. Being
relatives was not the only bond that
made them close friends. They were tied
by the bonds of age and life- time
friendship.
In addition, Al-Abbaas's good nature
and excellent manners complemented the
Prophet's standards of judgment, for
Al-Abbaas was excessively generous, as
if he was the sponsor of good and noble
deeds towards humanity. He treasured
kinship bonds and cherished his family
and relatives. He put himself, his
influence, and his money at their
disposal.
Moreover, he was an extremely
intelligent man. His intelligence was
tinged with craftiness. This, along with
his high station among the Quraish,
enabled him to avert mischief and abuse
against the Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam) when he began to invite
people openly to embrace Islam.
As we have mentioned before, Hamzah
treated the Quraish's oppression and
injustice and Abu Jahl's arrogance and
hostility with his devastating sword. As
for Al-Abbaas, he treated them with a
kind of intelligence and craftiness that
benefited Islam in the same way that
swords did to protect and defend its
existence and victory.
A group of historians mentioned Al-Abbaas
among those who were last in embracing
Islam, for his Islam was not announced
openly until the year of the Conquest of
Makkah. However, others narrated that he
was foremost in submitting himself to
Islam but that he hid his faith.
Abu Raaffa, the Prophet's (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) servant, said, "I
was Al-Abbaas Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib's
slave when Islam dawned on the family of
the house. Thus, Al-'Abbaas, Umm Al-Fadl
and I submitted ourselves to Islam, but
Al-Abaas hid his Islam." This is Abu
Raaffa's statement in which he
witnessed Al-Abbaas's Islam before the
Battle of Badr.
Consequently, Al-'Abbaas was a
foremost Muslim. His staying in Makkah
despite the Prophet's (sollallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam) Hijrah was a premeditated
plan which bore fruit. The Quraish
neither hid their suspicions of Al-Abbaas's
real intentions, nor could they find a
reason to show hostility to him,
especially when he showed nothing but
adherence to their way of life and
religion.
When the Battle of Badr took place, the
Quraish found their golden opportunity
to unveil Al-Abbaas's real allegiance.
Al-Abbaas was a shrewd man who detected,
at once, the evil plots which the
Quraish resorted to to alleviate their
anguish and loss.
If Al-Abbaas was able to inform the
Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
in Al-Madinah of the Quraish's plans
and preparation, they would still
succeed in leading him into a battle
which he did not believe in and did not
want. However, it would be a temporary
success which would soon turn into a
devastating upheaval.
The two armies met in combat in the
Battle of Badr. The Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) called his Companions
saying, "There are men of Bani Haashim
and of other clans of the tribe who were
forced to march forth. They do not
really want to fight us. Therefore, if
any of you meet one of them during the
battle, I order you to spare his life.
Do not kill Abu Al-Bakhtariy Ibn Hishaam
Ibn Al-Haarith Ibn Assad. Do not kill
Al-Abbaas Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib, for he
was forced to go forth in this
battle."
Now, the Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) was not favoring his uncle Al-Abbaas
with a privilege, for it was neither the
occasion nor the time for privileges.
Muhammad r would not intercede on his
uncle's behalf — while the battle
reached the apex of atrocity and while
he saw his companions struck down in the
battle of truth — if he knew that his
uncle was one of the disbelievers.
Indeed, if the Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam) had been ordered not to even
ask for Allah's forgiveness for his
uncle Abi Taalib, despite his endless
support, help, and sacfor Islam, then
how could he order the Muslims who were
killing their own disbelieving fathers
and brothers in the Battle of Badr to
make an exception for his uncle and
spare his life? It certainly does not
seem logical or feasible. The only
logical explanation is that the Prophet
(sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) knew his
uncle's secret and hidden allegiance
and his secret services for Islam. He
also knew that he was forced to go forth
to the battle. Therefore, it was his
duty to save him as far as he was able
to.
If Abu Al-Bakhtariy Ibn Al-Haarith won
the Prophet's intercession although he
did not hide his Islam nor support it as
Al-Abbaas did, it was because he refused
to take part in the Quraish's abuse
and oppression against the Muslims.
Second, he went forth to battle out of
embarrassment and compulsion. Was not a
Muslim who hid his Islam and supported
it openly and secretly in many notable
situations more worthy of this
intercession? Indeed, Al-Abbaas was that
Muslim and that helper. Let us go back
in time to prove this statement.
When 73 men and two women from a
delegation of the Ansaar came to Makkah
during the Hajj season to take the oath
of allegiance to the Prophet in the
Second Pledge of Al-Aqabah and to make
preparations with the Prophet for the
imminent emigration of the Muslims to
Al-Madinah, the Prophet r informed his
uncle Al-Abbaas concerning all that went
on between him and the delegation and
about the pledge, for he trusted his
uncle and treasured his opinion.
When it was time for the secret meeting,
the Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) and his uncle Al-'Abbaas went
to where the Ansaar were waiting for
them. Al-'Abbaas wanted to test their
loyalty and ability to help and protect
the Prophet.
Now, let us hear one of the delegation,
Ka'b Ibn Maalik (RA) narrate the
proceedings of this meeting:
We sat in the ravine waiting for the
Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
until he arrived accompanied by his
uncle. Al-Abbaas Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib
said, "O people of Khazraj, you are
well aware of Muhammad's lineage. We
have prevented our people from abusing
him. He lives here protected and
supported by his people and in his own
country, yet he prefers to accompany you
and emigrate to Al-Madinah. So, on the
one hand, if you are certain that you
will be capable of giving him sufficient
help, protection, and safety, then
fulfil your pledge to the fullest. On
the other hand, if you intend to forsake
and thwart him after he has emigrated to
you, then you had better show him your
true colors now before it is too
late."
As Al-'Abbaas uttered these decisive
words, his eyes were surveying the
Ansaar's faces in order to trace and
observe their reflexes and reaction to
his words. Al-Abbaas was not satisfied
with what he saw, for his great
intelligence was a practical one that
investigated tangible and solid facts
and confronted them from all their
angles with the scrutiny of a
calculating expert.
Hence, he posed an intelligent question:
"Describe to me your combat readiness
and war strategy." Al-Abbaas was
astute enough and experienced with the
nature and disposition of the Quraish to
realize that war between Islam and
disbelief was inevitable, for on the one
hand there was no way that the Quraish
would accept to forsake their religion,
glory, and arrogance. On the other hand,
Islam would not yield its legitimate
rights to the power of falsehood. The
question was. Would the people of Al-
Madinah stand firmly behind the Prophet
(sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) at the
outbreak of war?
Were they, technically speaking, on the
same level of expertise in the tactics
of war, attack, and retreat as the
Quraish were ? That was what Al-'Abbaas
had in mind when he asked them to
describe their combat readiness and war
strategy.
The Ansaar were firm as a mass of
mountain as they listened to Al-Abbaas.
No sooner had he finished asking this
provocative question than the Ansaar
spoke: "By Allah, we are given to
warfare. We are men of soldierly
bearing. We were raised on the tactics
of war and trained to fight. We
inherited excellent warfare expertise
from our fathers and grandfathers. We
have learned to keep on shooting arrows
until the last one. We have learned to
stab with our spears until they break.
We have learned to carry our swords and
strike hard until either we or our enemy
is vanquished."
Al-Abbaas was overjoyed as he said, "I
can tell from what I have just heard
that you are masters of warfare, but do
you have armor?" They answered, "Of
course, we have armor, shields, and
helmets."
Afterwards, a great and magnificent
dialogue occurred between the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) and the Ansaar, which
we will narrate in detail later on. That
was Al-Abbaas's attitude at The Second
Pledge of Al-Aqabah. Whether he had
already embraced Islam or had not yet
taken his final decision does not change
the fact that his great attitude
determined his forthcoming role in
contributing to the eclipse of the power
of darkness and the imminent dawn of
Islam. Moreover, it sheds light on his
outstanding stout-heartedness.
Finally, the Battle of Hunain took
place, offering more evidence of the
self-sacrifice of this quiet and
compassionate man whose impressive and
immortal heroism would be projected on
the battlefield only under pressing
necessity. Otherwise, this innate
heroism would dwell in his innermost
self, yet it would always be lurking
there.
In A.H. 8 and after Allah had enabled
His Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) and Islam to achieve the
Conquest of Makkah, some of the
influential tribes in the Arab Peninsula
were enraged by the quick victory that
this new religion had achieved in such a
short time. Therefore, the Hawaazan,
Thaqiif, Nasr, Jusham, and other tribes
held a meeting and agreed to wage a
decisive war against the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) and the Muslims.
Now, we should not let the word
"tribes" mislead us into
underestimating the gravity of the wars
that the Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) fought throughout his life. We
must not think that they were
small-scale skirmishes in the mountains.
On the contrary, these tribal wars,
fought at the tribes' strongholds,
were far more difficult and atrocious
than ordinary wars. If we bear this fact
in mind we would not only have an
accurate evaluation of the incredible
effort exerted by the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions,
but also a correct and trustworthy one
of the value of this great victory
achieved by Islam and the believers, and
an illuminated insight into Allah's
guidance that was conspicuous in
theirsuccess and victory.
As we have said, the tribes gathered in
endless waves of fierce warriors. There
were 12,000 warriors in the Muslim army.
Twelve thousand? Who were these warriors
? They were those who, not a long time
before, had liberated Makkah, dragging
the power of polytheism and idolatry to
the last and bottomless abyss, and had
raised their flags across the horizon
without rivalry or competition.
This was undoubtedly an unprecedented
victory that made pride stealthily creep
into the victorious Muslims. In the
final analysis, the Muslims were only
human beings. Their large numbers and
great achievement in Makkah made them
vulnerable to pride. Consequently they
said, "We shall not be overcome by a
small group."
Their depending solely on their military
power, solely and pride in their
military conquest were unrighteous
sentiments that they would quickly
recover from through a painful yet
curing shock which was awaiting them,
for heaven was preparing them for a much
more glorious and elevated end than war.
The curing shock was a sudden
large-scale defeat shortly after the two
armies met in fierce combat. The Muslims
at once supplicated Allah in humiliation
and submission. They perceived that
there was no fleeing from Allah, no
refuge but with Him, and there was no
power but His. These supplications
flowed throughout the battlefield,
turning defeat into victory.
Accordingly, the glorious Qur'aan
descended addressing the Muslims: <
... on the Day ofHunain when you
rejoiced at your great number but it
availed you naught and the earth, vast
as it is, was straitened for you, then
you turned back in flight. Then Allah
did send down His tranquility upon the
Messenger and on the believers, and sent
down forces which you not, and punished
the disbelievers. Such is the recompense
of disbelievers > (9 : 25 - 26).
On that day, Al-Abbaas's voice and
firmness were the most outstanding
manifestation of this calmness and
tranquility and of self-sacrifice. For
while the Muslims joined forces in one
of the valleys waiting for the arrival
of their enemies, the polytheists were
already hidden throughout the ravines
with unsheathed swords. They wanted to
take the initiative. Suddenly, they
flung themselves into the battlefield
and attacked the Muslims ruthlessly.
This blitzkrieg shook the Muslims and
made them turn their backs to the battle
and run away without even casting a
glance at one another. When the Prophet
(sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) saw the
chaos that this sudden attack brought to
the Muslim lines, he at once mounted his
white mule and cried out at the top of
his voice, "Where are my people? Come
back and fight! I am truly the Prophet!
I am the son of Abd Al-Multalib!"
At that moment, the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) stood there
surrounded by Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, Aly Ibn
Abi Taalib, Al-Abbaas Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib,
his son Al-Fadl Ibn Al-Abbaas, Ja'far
Ibn Al- Haarith, Rabi'ah Ibn Al-Haarith,
Usaamah Ibn Zaid, Aiman Ibn ‘Ubaid and
a few other Companions (radhi Allahu 'anhum).
There was also a woman who was raised to
a high station among those men and
heroes, namely, Umm Suliim Bint Milhaan.
When she saw the chaos and confusion
that the Muslims had fallen into, she
mounted her husband Abi Talhah's camel
(May Allah be pleased with them both)
and hastened towards the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam). When her baby moved
in her womb, she took off her outer
garment and pulled it tight around her
belly. As soon as she reached the
Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) ,
she gave him her dagger. The Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) smiled and asked,
"Why do you give the dagger to me, Umm
Suliim?" She answered, "You are
dearer to me than my own father and
mother. Kill those who turned their
backs on you as you do your enemies, for
they deserve the same punishment." The
Prophet's face lit up, for he had
strong faith in Allah's promise, and
he said, "Allah sufficed us against
them and has been good to us."
In those difficult moments, Al-Abbaas
was next to the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) . In fact, he
followed him like his shadow, holding
the halter tightly and defying danger
and death. The Prophet r ordered him to
cry out at the top of his voice, for he
was a stout and loud-voiced man, saying,
"Come back and fight, O Ansaar people!
Come back, for you took the oath of
allegiance to Allah and His Prophet."
His voice sounded throughout the
battlefield as if it was both the caller
and warner of destiny. As soon as those
terrified and dispersed Muslims heard
his voice, they answered in one breath,
"Here I am at your service. Here I am
at your service." They flung
themselves into the battlefield like a
hurricane. They dismounted the horses
and camels which would not move and ran
with their shields, swords, and bows as
if they were pulled by Al-Abbaas's
voice. Once again, the two armies met in
fierce combat. The Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) cried out, "Now it
is time for fierce fighting." It was
really a ferocious fight. The bodies of
Hawaazan and Thaqiif rolled down the
battlefield. Allah's warriors defeated
the warriors who tranquility on the
Prophet and the believers.
The Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) loved his uncle Al-Abbaas
dearly, to the extent that he could not
sleep when the Battle of Badr lay down
its burden and his uncle was captured.
The Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) did not try to hide his
feelings. When he was asked about the
reason for his sleeplessness, despite
his sweeping victory, he said, "I
heard Al-Abbaas moan in his fetters."
As soon as a group of Muslims heard the
Prophet's words, they rushed to where
the captives were, untied Al-Abbaas, and
returned to the Prophet and said, "O
Prophet, we loosened Al-Abbaas's
fetters a little." But why should
Al-Abbaas alone enjoy this privilege?
Consequently, the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) ordered them, "Go
and do that to all the prisoners."
Indeed, the Prophet's love for
Al-Abbaas did not mean that he should
receive special treatment that
distinguished him from other captives.
When it was decided that a ransom would
be taken in exchange for the captives'
freedom, the Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam) asked his uncle, "O Abbaas,
pay the ransom for yourself and your
nephew ‘Aqiil Ibn Abi-Taalib, Nawfal
Ibn Al-Haarith and your ally, ‘Utbah
Ibn Amr and the brothers of Bani
Al-Haarith Ibn Fahr, for you can afford
it." Al-Abbaas wanted to be set free
without paying a ransom, saying, "O
Mesenger of Allah, I was a Muslim but my
people forced me to go forth in this
battle." But the Prophet r insisted on
it. The Glorious Qur'aan descended to
comment on this incident saying, < 0
Prophet! Say to the captives that are in
your hands: If Allah knows any good in
your hearts. He will give something
better than what has been taken from
you, and He will forgive you, and Allah
is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful >
(8:70).
Hence Al-Abbaas paid the ransom for
himself and his friends and returned to
Makkah. From that point onwards the
Quraish lost their influence over him
and their benefit from his insight and
guidance. Therefore, Al-Abbaas took his
money and luggage and joined the Prophet
(sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) in
Khaibar so as to have a place in the
ranks of Islam and the believers. The
Muslims loved, revered, and honored him,
especially when they realized how much
the Prophet r loved and honored him when
he said, "Al-Abbaas was like a twin
brother to my father. Consequently, if
anyone annoyed Al-Abbaas, it would be as
though he personally annoyed me."
Al-Abbaas had blessed offspring. ‘Abd
Allah Ibn Abbaas, the learned of the
Muslim nation, was one of those blessed
sons.
On Friday, the 14th of Rajab, A.H. 32,
the people of Al-Awaalii in Al-Madinah
heard a crier calling out, "May Allah
have mercy on whoever saw Al-Abbaas Ibn
Abd Al-Muttalib." They realized at
once that Al-Abbaas had died.
An unprecedented large congregation of
people, such as Al-Madinah had not
experienced before, accompanied the
funeral procession to the graveyard. The
Commander of the Faithful Uthmaan (RA)
performed the funeral prayer. The body
of Abu Al-Fadl was laid in Al-Baqii'.
He sleeps comforted and delighted among
the faithful who have been true to their
covenant with Allah.
Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas),
a West African Islamic Academic founded AWQAF Africa, of
which he's the first al Amir (i.e. President).
Sheikh Dr. Adelabu was studying Postgraduate Degrees in
Damascus early 1990's during when Syria reviewed its
national security after an ‘Oslo Accord'...
Syria like many other countries around the world
witnessed, during this period, the flood of refugees
from war troubled nations like Somalia, arrival of
people from Algeria during the brutal struggling between
the Mujahidun and the government, resettlement of the
Palestinians fleeing from sophisticated guns of the
Israelis as well as adventure of African migrants for
reasons uncountable…
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