Stories from Islamic History

By Nayab Naseer

Stories from Islamic History picks out twelve popular tales from Islamic history. These stories cover most of the landmark events in the history of Islam, starting from the struggle between Ali and Mu'awiyah, moving on to the gory incident of Karbala, the struggle between the rationalists and the orthodoxy, the jihad against the Mongols, the struggle revisited between the Salafis and the status-quoists, the tragedy of Islam in Spain and the Americas, and more. Each story highlights episodes of courage and character, that has made Islam what it is today. With this book, a student of history gains from rich material insights, an avid reader gets insights of courage and character that separate heroes from ordinary mortals, casual readers get inspiring and enriching tales, followers of Islam get fresh insights into their past, in an angle rarely presented before... and finally there is a question of "what would have been" if the events had unfolded a little different from what it did.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nayab Naseer
• Release date: Feb 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311643810

Nayab Naseer

Nayab Naseer is a post graduate in Human Resource Management with over a decade of corporate work experience in India and the Middle East. He likes to travel, read books, and write!

Book preview

STORIES FROM ISLAMIC HISTORY

Nayab Naseer

Published by Nayab Naseer at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Nayab Naseer

DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction, not history.

This work is based on actual historical characters and places. However, the actual stories and plots itself are works of fiction. Most of the stories contained in this publication are in circulation throughout the Islamic world either as authentic history or as tales – the author has not attempted to verify the historic accuracy of any of these tales and has merely reprised and reproduced the tales in his own way.

Cover Image courtesy of : maple / freedigitalphotos.net

Copyright 2013 Nayab Naseer

This book is available in print at most online retailers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue

Ali v/s Mu’awiyah

The Villains of Karbala

Sofia

The Life and Times of Imam Ahmed and Bukhari

The Eye of Goliath

The adventures of Ibn Battuta

The Spanish Tragedy

Kunjali Marakkar

The Mahdi of Sudan

Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahab and the House of Saud

The Padri Wars

The New World Order

Epilogue

Appendix: Glossary of Arabic words

PROLOGUE

Bal’am bin Ba’ura of Yemen was one among the scholars of the Children of Israel, whom Allah had given the knowledge of the scriptures. He knew Allah’s greatest name. The people used to seek his lead in supplication in times of difficulty, and his supplications were accepted.

When Prophet Musa, peace be upon him entered the land of Bani Canaan in the area of Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), the people of Bal’am came to him, saying, "This is Musa, son of Imran with the Children of Israel. He wants to drive us out from our land, kill us and replace us with the Children of Israel. He is a strong man, and he has many soldiers. We are your people and have no other dwelling area. If he gains the upper hand over us, we will be destroyed. You are a person whose supplication is acceptable, so go out and supplicate to Allah against him.''

Bal’am said, "Woe to you! Here is Allah's Prophet (Musa) with whom the angels and believers are! How can I supplicate against them when I know from Allah what I know''

The people persisted, "We have no other dwelling area.''

So they kept luring and begging Bal’am until he was tempted by the trial and went on his donkey towards Mount Husban. When he proceeded on the Mount for a while, the donkey sat down and refused to proceed. He got off the donkey and struck it until it stood up again and he rode it. The donkey did the same after a little while, and he struck it again until it stood up and so on. So he proceeded and tried to supplicate against Musa and his people.

However, Allah made Bal’am’s tongue mention his people with evil and the Children of Israel with good instead of his people, who protested, "O Bal’am! What are you doing? You are supplicating for them and against us!''

It is against my will. This is a matter that Allah has decided.'' As he said this to them, his tongue was made to loll out of his mouth, and he uttered: Now I have lost this life and the Hereafter.''

Bal’am became tempted by the adornment of this life and its delights. He tried to please his people rather than Allah; and was hence deceived by this life and its joys, just as life deceived others like him; with knowledge, but without sound comprehension or a good mind. The end result was a total loss in this life and an unending torment of the Fire in the hereafter. This is a lesson for all mankind.

Allah revealed an ayah in the Quran about Bal’am:

And recite to them, [O Mohammed], the news of him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became astray. And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own vain desires. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought. (al Araf 175-176)

ALI V/S MU’AWIYAH

The struggle between Ali and Mu’awiyah for the khilafat, epitomized by the battle of Siffin where not just the eminent sahabas crossed swords with each other, but Ai’sha, the mother of the believers fought Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law and closest companion. The struggle marks the beginning of a never-ending political strife in Islam, something that went on to create a permanent schism in Islam.

The root cause for the strife goes back to the khilafat of Uthman.

After the death of Umar, the group of six appointed by him for the purpose of succession selected Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him as the next kalifah.

The first eight years of Uthman’s reign was peaceful and everybody lived happy. Trouble started when the governor of Egypt Ibn Abi Sarh began to behave despotically. A delegation of Egyptians came to Madinah, pressing for his removal. Many sahabis like Abu Talha supported them. Uthman, heeding to their request appointed Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr as the new governor of Egypt. The delegates were on their way back to Egypt when they chanced upon a messenger carrying a message to the governor of Egypt. Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr, the newly appointed governor took the message. Ibn Abi Sarh was asked to kill Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr when he reached Egypt, and the letter bore Uthman’s seal.

Back in Madinah, most of the prominent companions like Talha, Zubair, Sa’d and Ammar were away in either jihad or hajj. Ali ibn Abi Talib went to Uthman, who swore that the letter was forged. The delegation from Egypt, who had returned to Madinah were however not convinced. They besieged Uthman’s house, demanding his abdication. Uthman had once heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him say "Uthman, you will one day get a shirt which people will want you to take it off. Don’t take it off," and as such did not agree to abdicate.

Uthman looked over the rebels and said, I adjure you by Allah, and I adjure none but the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, do you not know that the Messenger of Allah said Whoever equips the Army of Difficulty (of Tabuk) then there is the Garden for him? And I equipped it. Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah said Whoever has the well of Rumah dug, and then the Garden is for him? And I had dug it. And then do you not know that the Messenger of Allah said Whoever builds a masjid, Allah will build a house for him in paradise. And I have expanded the Prophet’s masjid. They affirmed all what he said, but nevertheless did not allow water to be brought to him from outside, much less than allow him to offer prayers at the Masjid al Nabawi."

Abu Thawr al Fahmi managed to enter Uthman’s house with water, severely injuring himself in the process.

It reached Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him that the rebels were planning to kill Uthman. He deputed his two sons - Hassan and Hussain, may Allah be pleased with them to stand at the door and let no one enter. Zubair, may Allah be pleased with him also send his son Talha to prevent people from attacking Uthman. The rebels started shooting arrows, and in the process Hassan, Mohammed ibn Talha and Marwan, the secretary of Uthman were wounded.

How did the rebels have the audacity to enter into the heart of the khilafat and virtually imprison the kalifah, with the people of Madinah standing on as onlookers? This is because Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him was still the kalifah, and he strongly forbade any one to even raise a finger in his defense, for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had said "The sword once unsheathed by a Muslim to kill another Muslim will not be drawn back in its scabbard till the day of Judgment."

Uthman also knew of the Messenger of Allah’s prophecy: "There will be a fitnah, and he who sits idle during it is better than he who stands up, and he who stands up in it is better than he who walks, and he who walks is better than he who is walking at a fast pace. When asked What if someone enters my home and stretched his hand to kill me? he said be just like the pious son of Adam."

Among two sons of Adam, Habel killed Qabil without justification, out of jealousy. Habel was stronger than Qabil, but the fear of Allah restrained Habel’s hands. He said to Qabil "If you do stretch your hand against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to kill you, for I fear Allah; the Lord of all that exists. Verily, I intend to let you draw my sin on yourselves as well as yours, then you will be one of the dwellers of the Fire, and that is the recompense of the wrongdoers." (Sura Al Maidah 28:29)

Wounding the Prophet's grandson turned the people against the rebels, and Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr knew their time was limited. He took two of his aides and scaled the wall of Uthman’s house. There was no one with Uthman except his wife.

Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr said to his companions Stay where you are, because his wife is with him. I will enter first. When I have taken hold of him, you come in and strike him until you have killed him.

Mohammed went in and took hold of Uthman’s beard.

By Allah, if your father could see you, your behavior to me would cause him great distress, Uthman said to him nonchalantly.

Mohammed was only two years old when his father Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, the first kalifah had died. Yet on hearing these words, his hand slackened, and he held back, but then the two men who had come with him entered and struck Uthman dead.

***

Mu’awiyah, the governor of Syria staked claim for the khilafat on the basis of the general meaning of ayah 33 of Sura Al Isra "And do not kill anyone whose killing Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause. And whoever is killed wrongfully, We have given his heir the authority. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life. Verily, he is helped." Mu’awiyah was the heir of Uthman, who everyone, Ali included, agreed was killed wrongfully. The basis for the claim - qasis or equal compensation for the wrong was indeed justified.

However soon after the murder of Uthman, the people of Madinah had unanimously gave the bayah to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and just as Uthman did not relinquish the khilafat based on