Occasion Letters
The Appointment of the Great Prophet of Islam : Trustworthy; in the Eyes of the Polytheists [ 2011/06/30 ]
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In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Trustworthy; in the Eyes of the Polytheists
The eyes were locked on the entrance of Masjid al-Haram. Everyone was waiting to see who would enter. In order to resolve the dispute among the tribes, the head of Quraish at the ignorance era (1) had suggested that whoever entered Masjid al-Haram be accepted as the judge among them…
The Kaaba required renovation, and every tribe had got a portion of the work. Everything had gone smoothly until it was time for putting Hajar al-Aswad (2) (the black stone) in its place. This task was so honorary that choosing the person to do it caused a dispute among the tribes. This dispute became so serious that it almost got into a war. Eventually, they all agreed with the suggestion of the head of Quraish, and they waited to see who would enter Masjid al-Haram to be the judge among them.
Finally, their anticipation was over; a man entered Masjid al-Haram. When they saw him, they all said with pleasure, "He is trustworthy; we accept him as the judge; he is Muhammad (PBUH&HP)". They were all pleased with Muhammad (PBUH&HP) as the judge among them. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) came up with a resolution for their dispute and proposed a new idea; he asked for piece of cloth, put Hajar al-Aswad on it, and then said to the crowd, "Every tribe should get a corner of the cloth". So they all lifted the cloth, and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) put it in its place (3).
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) was well-know for his good merits from his young ages; no one had any doubts about his righteousness; he had a well-mannered, dignified character; he had never attended parties; he was hospitable and held ties of kinship; he helped the needy and the poor; these are all what the people of the ignorance era have said about him (4). As a result of these merits, the people chose him as the judge in their disputes and submitted to his judgment (5). At that era, people knew him as "trustworthy" (6); as they referred to him when putting Hajar al-Aswad in its place. Even the polytheists admitted to his truthfulness, to a level that when he declared his mission on the mountain of Safa, they all admitted that, "We have never heard you lying (7)".
This is a glimpse of the manner of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) in the polytheist environment of the ignorance era in the Arabian peninsula, where he received the most severe and cruel treatments from uncivilized people. But even in that era when he was the target of all kinds of animosities, he was famous for his truthfulness and trustworthiness among the enemies and the polytheists. This issue is not only instructive for all human beings, but also of specific importance for us as Muslims. How truthful and trustworthy are we among ourselves in this world? When an honorable person like the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) stood away from infidelity and misconduct in the sinful environment of Mecca before his mission, then how should we behave among our friends and relatives?
(The above is a selection taken from "The Political History of Islam: The Life of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP)", by Rasoul Ja'farian (with some changes and additions))
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1. Hajar al-Aswad, or the black stone, is a sacred element of Masjid al-Haram, located besides the Kaaba. It has been besides the Kaaba since the day it was built. Even before Islam, it was highly respected by people. It is narrated that Hajar al-Aswad is a heavenly stone brought down to earth by Prophet Adam (PBUH).
2. During the ignorance era, when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) had not been appointed as a messenger, the Arabs were polytheists and used to worship idols. Imam Ali (PBUH) has described that era in the 26th sermon of Nahj al-Balaghah as follows: "You people of Arabia were following the worst religion and you resided among rough stones and venomous serpents. You drank dirty water and ate filthy food. You shed blood of each other and cared not for relationship (you buried your daughters alive and killed your sons). Idols were worshipped among you, and sins were clinging to you".
3. Sirat al-Nabi, vol. 1, pp. 209-214
4. Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, vol. 2, p. 198