Conspiracy to Assassinate the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وصلى الله على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

A true prophet of Allah, sayyidina Muhammad Pearl of the Orphans (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) received news from Heaven of the unseen. He displayed many heavenly signs as evidence of him being a true prophet raised up by Allah Most High. On account of this a large number of the people who were his contemporaries testified to his prophesy and converted to his Religion. One of those individuals, Umayr bin Wahb al-Jumahi (radi Allahu anhu), was the sworn enemy of the Prophet and of Islam. He used to be severe in his persecution of the early Muslims during the Meccan phase. He and his son, Wahb bin Umayr, participated in the Battle of Badr with the intention of extinguishing the light of Islam once and for all. However, Allah Most High bestowed upon the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) and his companions (radi Allahu anhum) an astonishing victory at Badr, despite the fact that the latter were outnumbered three to one, and were poorly equipped in contrast to the pagan Quraish army. This amazing victory at Badr was one of the greatest heavenly signs for Islam, as Allah Most High says:

وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّـهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ

And already had Allah given you victory at Badr while you were few in number

(Sura 3:123)

Umayr bin Wahb managed to escape after his side’s defeat at Badr. In Makka, he and his close associate Safwan bin Umayya devised a devious plot to extact revenge for Badr by assassinating the Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam). So read how Allah Most High not only protected and saved His beloved Apostle from this Satanic conspiracy, but also illuminated the heart of the would be assassin to the truth of Islam:

عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ ، قَالَ : جَلَسَ عُمَيْرُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ الْجُمَحِيُّ ، مَعَ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ بَعْدَ مُصَابِ أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بِيَسِيرٍ فِي الْحِجْرِ ، وَكَانَ عُمَيْرُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ شَيْطَانًا مِنْ شَيَاطِينِ قُرَيْشٍ ، وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ يُؤْذِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَأَصْحَابَهُ ، وَيَلْقَوْنَ مِنْهُ عَنَاءً وَهُمْ بِمَكَّةَ . وَكَانَ ابْنُهُ وَهْبُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ فِي أُسَارَى بَدْرٍ ، فَذَكَرَ أَصْحَابَ الْقَلِيبِ وَمُصَابَهُمْ ، فَقَالَ صَفْوَانُ : وَاللَّهِ ، إِنَّ فِي الْعَيْشِ خَيْرٌ بَعْدَهُمْ ، فَقَالَ عُمَيْرٌ : صَدَقْتَ وَاللَّهِ ، أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَوْلَا دَيْنٌ عَلَيَّ لَيْسَ لَهُ عِنْدِي قَضَاءٌ ، وَعِيَالٌ أَخْشَى عَلَيْهِمُ الضَّيْعَةَ بَعْدِي ، لَرَكِبْتُ إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ حَتَّى أَقْتُلَهُ ، فَإِنَّ لِي قِبَلَهُمْ عِلَّةً ابْنِي أَسِيرٌ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ . فَاغْتَنَمَهَا صَفْوَانُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ ، فَقَالَ : عَلَيَّ دَيْنُكَ أَنَا أُقْضِيهِ عَنْكَ ، وَعِيَالُكَ مَعَ عِيَالِي أُوَاسِيهِمْ مَا بَقَوْا . لا يَسَعُنِي شَيْءٌ وَيُعْجَزُ عَنْهُمْ . قَالَ عُمَيْرٌ : فَاكْتُمْ عَلَيَّ شَأْنِي وَشَأْنَكَ . قَالَ : أَفْعَلُ . قَالَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ عُمَيْرًا أَمَرَ بِسَيْفِهِ فَشُحِذَ لَهُ وَسُمَّ ، ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ حَتَّى قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ ، فَبَيْنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ، يَتَحَدَّثُونَ عَنْ يَوْمِ بَدْرٍ ، وَيَذْكُرُونَ مَا أَكْرَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ، بِهِ ، وَمَا أَرَاهُمْ فِي عَدُوِّهِمْ ، إِذْ نَظَرَ عُمَرُ إِلَى عُمَيْرِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ ، حِينَ أَنَاخَ بَعِيرَهُ عَلَى بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ ، مُتَوَشِّحًا السَّيْفَ ، فَقَالَ : هَذَا الْكَلْبُ ، عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ ، عُمَيْرُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ ، مَا جَاءَ إِلَّا لِشَرٍّ ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي حَرَّشَ بَيْنَنَا ، وَحَزَرَنَا لِلْقَوْمِ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ . ثُمَّ دَخَلَ عُمَرُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَ : يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ، هَذَا عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ ، عُمَيْرُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ ، قَدْ جَاءَ مُتَوَشِّحًا سَيْفَهُ . قَالَ : فَأَدْخِلْهُ عَلَيَّ . قَالَ : فَأَقْبَلَ عُمَرُ ، حَتَّى أَخَذَ بِحَمَّالَةِ سَيْفِهِ فِي عُنُقِهِ ، فَلَبَّبَهُ بِهَا . وَقَالَ لِرِجَالٍ مِمَّنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ : ادْخُلُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَاجْلِسُوا عِنْدَهُ ، وَاحْذَرُوا هَذَا الْخَبِيثَ عَلَيْهِ ، فَإِنَّهُ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ . ثُمَّ دَخَلَ بِهِ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَعُمَرُ آخِذٌ بِحَمَّالَةِ سَيْفِهِ ، قَالَ : أَرْسِلْهُ يَا عُمَرُ ، ادْنُ يَا عُمَيْرُ . فَدَنَا ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : أنْعمُوا صَبَاحًا ، وَكَانَتْ تَحِيَّةَ أَهْلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ بَيْنَهُمْ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : قَدْ أَكْرَمَنَا اللَّهُ بِتَحِيَّةٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْ تَحِيَّتِكَ يَا عُمَيْرُ ، بِالسَّلَامِ ، تَحِيَّةِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ . قَالَ : أَمَا وَاللَّهِ يَا مُحَمَّدُ ، إِنْ كُنْتَ لَحَدِيثَ عَهْدٍ بِهَا ، قَالَ : مَا جَاءَ بِكَ يَا عُمَيْرُ ؟ قَالَ : جِئْتُ لِهَذَا الأَسِيرِ الَّذِي فِي أَيْدِيكُمْ ، فَأَحْسِنُوا فِيهِ ، قَالَ : فَمَا بَالُ السَّيْفِ فِي عُنُقِكَ ؟ قَالَ : قَبَحَّهَا اللَّهُ مِنْ سُيُوفٍ ، وَهَلْ أَغْنَتْ شَيْئًا ؟ قَالَ : اصْدُقْنِي بِالَّذِي جِئْتَ لَهُ ، قَالَ : مَا جِئْتُ إِلَّا لِذَلِكَ ، فَقَالَ : بَلَى قَعَدْتَ أَنْتَ وَصَفْوَانُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ فِي الْحِجْرِ ، فَذَكَرْتُمَا أَصْحَابَ الْقَلِيبِ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ ، ثُمَّ قُلْتَ : لَوْلَا دَيْنٌ عَلَيَّ وَعِيَالِي لَخَرَجْتُ حَتَّى أَقْتُلَ مُحَمَّدًا . فَتَحَمَّلَ لَكَ صَفْوَانُ بِدَيْنِكَ وَعِيَالِكَ عَلَى أَنْ تَقْتُلَنِي لَهُ ، وَاللَّهُ ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ، حَائِلٌ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ ، فَقَالَ عُمَيْرٌ : أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ، قَدْ كُنَّا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، نُكَذِّبُكَ بِمَا كُنْتَ تَأْتِينَا بِهِ مِنْ خَبَرِ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يُنَزَّلُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْوَحْيِ ، وَهَذَا أَمْرٌ لَمْ يَحْضُرْهُ إِلَّا أَنَا وَصَفْوَانُ ، فَوَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ مَا أَتَاكَ بِهِ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ، فَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانِي للإِسْلَامِ ، وَسَاقَنِي هَذَا الْمسَاقَ ، ثُمَّ تَشَهَّدَ شَهَادَةَ الْحَقِّ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : فَقِّهُوا أَخَاكُمْ فِي دِينِهِ ، وَأَقْرِئُوهُ ، وَعَلِّمُوهُ الْقُرْآنَ ، وَأَطْلِقُوا لَهُ أَسِيرَهُ . قَالَ : فَفَعَلُوا . ثُمَّ قَالَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، إِنِّي كُنْتُ جَاهِدًا فِي إِطْفَاءِ نُورِ اللَّهِ ، شَدِيدَ الأَذَى لِمَنْ كَانَ عَلَى دِينِ اللَّهِ ، وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَأْذَنَ لِي فَأَقْدَمُ مَكَّةَ ، فَأَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى الإِسْلَامِ ، لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَهْدِيَهُمْ ، وَإِلَّا آذَيْتُهُمْ فِي دِينِهِمْ كَمَا كُنْتُ أُؤْذِي أَصْحَابَكَ فِي دِينِهِمْ . قَالَ : فَأَذِنَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَلَحِقَ بِمَكَّةَ ، وَكَانَ صَفْوَانُ حِينَ خَرَجَ عُمَيْرُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ يَقُولُ لِقُرَيْشٍ : أَبْشِرُوا بِوَقْعَةٍ تَأْتِيكُمُ الآنَ فِي أَيَّامٍ تُنْسِيكُمْ وَقْعَةَ بَدْرٍ . وَكَانَ صَفْوَانُ يَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ الرُّكْبَانَ ، حَتَّى قَدِمَ رَاكِبٌ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِإِسْلَامِهِ ، فَحَلَفَ أَلَّا يُكَلِّمَهُ أَبَدًا وَلَا يَنْفَعَهُ بِنَفْعٍ أَبَدًا ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عُمَيْرٌ مَكَّةَ ، أَقَامَ بِهَا يَدْعُو إِلَى الإِسْلَامِ ، وَيُؤْذِي مَنْ خَالَفَهُ أَذًى شَدِيدًا ، فَأَسْلَمَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ أُنَاسٌ كَثِيرٌ ، فَلَمَّا انْقَضَى أَمْرُ بَدْرٍ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ، فِيهِ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ الأَنْفَالَ بِأَسْرِهَا

Urwa b. al-Zubayr narrates: Umayr b. Wahb al-Jumahi was sitting in the Hijr with Safwan b. Umayyh, a little after the disaster suffered by Quraysh at Badr. Umayr b. Wahb was one of the devils of Quraysh, those who used to torment the Messenger of God and his companions, and cause them distress so long as they remained in Mecca. His son Wahb b. Umayr was among the captives of Badr. While Umayr was discussing the People of the Well and what had happened to them, Safwan said, “By Allah, there is nothing good in life after their death.” “You are right, by Allah,” replied Umayr, “if I did not have a debt which I cannot discharge, and a family who I fear might perish when I am gone, I would ride to Muhammad and kill him. I have cause against his followers, for my son is captive in their hands.” Safwan b. Umayya seized this opportunity and said, “I will accept your debt and will discharge it for you, and I will look after your family in exactly the same way as my own, as long as they live. They will lack nothing that is within my means.” “Keep this agreement between us a secret, then,” Umayr said. “I will do so,” Safwan replied. Then Umayr called for his sword, had it sharpened and poisoned, and set out and came to Medina. While Umar b. al-Khattab and a number of Muslims were in the Mosque talking about the day of Badr and discussing the way Allah had honored them by it, and what he had taught them by the fate of their enemy, Umar suddenly noticed Umayr b. Wahb making his camel kneel at the door of the Mosque, and girt with his sword. “This is the dog, the enemy of Allah, Umayr b. Wahb,” he said, “he has certainly come for some evil purpose. He is the one who set us against one another and estimated our numbers for the enemy on the day of Badr.” Umar then went in to the Messenger of Allah and said, “O Messenger of Allah, here is the enemy of Allah Umayr b. Wahb, who has come wearing his sword.” “Bring him in to me, then,” he said. Umar went up to him, took hold of the shoulderbelt from which his sword was hanging , and seized him round the neck with it. Then he said to some men of the Ansar who were with him, “Go in to the Messenger of Allah and sit near him, and watch out for this villain, for he is not to be trusted.” Umar then took Umayr in to the Messenger of Allah, and when the Messenger of Allah saw him with Umar grasping his sword-belt he said, “Let him go, Umar. Approach, Umayr.” He approached and said, “An’imu sabahan (good morning).” This was the greeting of the people of the Jahiliyya among themselves. The Messenger of Allah replied, “Allah has honored us with a greeting better than your greeting, Umayr, which is ‘al-salam’ (peace), the greeting of the people of Paradise.” “By Allah, Muhammad,” he said, “You have not been using this expression for long.” “What brings you here, Umayr?” he asked. “I have come for this captive who is in your hands,” he said, “so treat me well over him.” “What is that sword round your neck for?” he asked. “Allah curse the swords,” Umayr said, “have they been of any use to us?” “Tell me the truth,” he replied, “about what you have come for.” “I have come for nothing but this,” Umayr insisted. “No,” the Messenger of Allah replied. “While you and Safwan b. Umayya were sitting in the Hijr and discussing the People of the Well of Quraysh, you happened to say, ‘If it were not for a debt which I owe and for my family, I would go and kill Muhammad.’ Safwan then said he would be responsible for your debt and your family on condition that you would kill me for him. Allah has intervened, however, between you and me.” Then Umayr said, “I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah. We used to disbelieve the tidings of Heaven which you brought us and the revelations which came down to you. This is a meeting at which only Safwan and I were present. By Allah, I know that nobody but Allah could have informed you of it. Praise be to Allah Who has guided me to Islam and led me along this path.” Then he pronounced the Shahadah, and the Messenger of Allah said to the Muslims present, “Instruct your brother in his faith, teach him to recite and understand the Quran, and release his captive for him,” and they did so. Later Umayr said, “O Messenger of Allah, I used to strive to put out the light of Allah and to persecute those who were in Allah’s religion. I would like you to give me permission to go to Mecca and call the people there to Allah and to Islam. Perhaps Allah will guide them rightly; but, if not, I will make difficulties for them in their religion as I used to make difficulties for your companions in theirs.” The Messenger of Allah gave him permission and he went to Mecca. After Umayr b.Wahb had left Mecca, Safwan used to say to Quraysh, “Rejoice, good news will come to you, in a few days from now, of an event which will make you forget what happened at Badr.” Safwan used to ask riders about Umayr, until one arrived who told him that he had become a Muslim. Safwan swore that he would never again speak to Umayr and never again confer any benefit on him. Umayr, on arriving in Mecca, remained there calling people to Islam and making great difficulties for those who opposed him; many people accepted Islam at his hands. (Tarikh at-Tabari)

Now this episode from the Sira of the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) has many points of benefit and implications for us. It is yet another example of news of the unseen being revealed by Allah to sayyidina Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) which left no other option for one of his sworn enemies but to testify to his truthful claim to prophesy. When sayyidina Umayr (radi Allahu anhu) converted to Islam, the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) gave instructions that he should first be given understanding of the Din (Religion of Islam) before knowledge of the Quran. This is a proof that the basics of Islam and its Articles of Faith must be imparted to someone before he or she embarks on studying the text of the holy Quran. This entire incident is a sharp refutation of the so-called Quranists and the ‘Parwezis’ (followers of Ghulam Ahmad Parwez). The latter assert that it is only the text of the Quran which is the source of our Religion, and that the term nabi is not the equivalent of the English word ‘prophet’ which refers to someone who prognosticates and reveals hidden matters of the unseen.

Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) survived several assassination attempts, itself a sign that he was under the protection of Allah. Like the Quraish’s attempt to assassinate him while he lay in his bed at dawn during the time of the Hijra, and the Jews’ attempt to poison him after their disgrace at Khaybar, Allah Most High foiled the plot Umayr b. Wahb and Safwan b. Umayya.