والعاقبة للمتقين
The cursed and wretched end of the adversaries of a claimant to prophecy is a proof that the claimant is a true prophet. In this brief entry I shall mention the destructive end of two severe adversaries of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who in fact conspired to assassinate him. They were Amir b. al-Tufail and Arbad b. Qays. These two individuals came to the Prophet ﷺ in Medina. Amir addressed the Prophet ﷺ, saying: “Either put me in charge of the desert and you maintain control over the towns or make me your successor; otherwise I shall attack you with two thousand (horsemen) of the people of Ghatafan” (Bukhari sharif). The Prophet ﷺ naturally refused the arrogant demands of Amir b. al-Tufail. When Amir specifically asked to be made the Prophet’s ﷺ successor, he replied:
لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ لَكَ وَلا لِقَوْمِكَ ، وَلَكِنْ لَكَ أَعِنَّةُ الْخَيْلِ
“That is not for you nor for your people; However, I could appoint you as a commander of the horsemen.”
(Tabarani sharif)
Amir arrogantly responded that he was already the commander of the cavalry and then proceeded to ask that he be given authority over the desert (Najd) while the Prophet ﷺ would maintain his authority over the towns only, but this too the Prophet ﷺ obviously refused him. Infuriated, Amir and his companion, Arbad b. Qays, then made a plot to assassinate the beloved Prophet ﷺ.
When Amir and Arbad left, Amir said: “O Arbad! I will keep Muhammad busy while talking to him, so you can strike him with the sword.” Arbad said: “I will do that” and they went back to the Prophet ﷺ. Amir said, “O Muhammad! Stand next to me so that I can talk to you.” The Prophet ﷺ stood up, and they both stood next to a wall talking to each other. Thus while Amir was distracting the Prophet ﷺ, Arbad reached for his sword. However, Arbad’s hand was miraculously paralyzed and he could not unsheath his sword. When the Prophet ﷺ realized what was going on he immediately departed. Thus Ibn Abbas commented that the Angels in succession guard Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by the command of Allah. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
The Prophet ﷺ invoked Allah against against these two (Sealed Nectar p. 454)
Arbad b. Qays met his end in accordance with the Ayah of the Qur’an:
وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَن يَشَاءُ وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللَّـهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ
He sends the lightning bolts, and therewith He strikes whom He wills while they are disputing about Allah. And He is Mighty in strength and Severe in punishment.
(Sura 13: 13)
Thus when Arbad reached a place called al-Raqm he was struck by a flash of lightning and was totally burnt to death along with his camel upon which he was mounted. Amir managed to flee to an area called al-Harīm but was afflicted with some deadly epidemic. He died while in the house of a lady of Bani Salul lamenting his miserable state all along. (Tabarani sharif)
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*Note: It is reported that when Aamir b. al-Tufail asked the Prophet ﷺ to make him his successor, the Prophet said: لا, ليس ذلك إليَّ إنما ذلك إلى الله تعالى يجعله حيث يشاء "No, that is not up to me; that is up to Allah, exalted is He, and He appoints whoever He wills" (Asbab-al-Nuzul of Wahidi; Sura 13:13) Contrary to the view of the Shi'a, this demonstrates that the Prophet ﷺ did not appoint anyone to succeed him but rather left the matter to Allah, knowing that Allah would make, from whomsoever He desired, one to succeed him, and that person ended up being the Prophet's most senior disciple Abu Bakr. At the same time, this saying establishes the fact that the matter of Khilafa is ultimately given by Allah Himself, but through the agency of the elders and learned ones of the community who consult among themselves but reach their decision through guidance from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, while apparently it seems that the Khalifa is appointed through consultation, the reality is that Allah Himself makes the Khalifa through the agency of those who are consulted.
ReplyDelete*Note: The wording of the supplication of the Prophet against these two (Amir b. Tufail and Arbad b. Qays) was: اللهم اكفنيهما بما شئت "O Allah, deal with them for me as You will" (Asbab al-Nuzul of Wahidi; Sura 13:13)
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