Al-Qaseedah

might have been spared the disgrace and defeat they had met with that day.

The Prophetsaw then ordered the wiping out of the pictures which had been drawn on the walls of the Ka‘ba. Having ordered this the Prophetsaw said two rak‘ats of prayer as thanks-giving to God. He then withdrew to the open court and said another two rak‘ats of prayer. The duty of wiping out the pictures had been entrusted to ‘Umarra. He had all the pictures obliterated except that of Abrahamas . When the Prophetsaw returned to inspect and found this picture intact, he asked ‘Umarra why he had spared this one. Did he not remember the testimony of the Qur’an that Abrahamas was neither Jew nor Christian, but a single-minded and obedient Muslim? (3: 68).

It was an insult to the memory of Abrahamas , a great exponent of the Oneness of God to have his picture on the walls of the Ka‘ba. It was as though Abrahamas could be worshipped equally with God.

It was a memorable day, a day full of the Signs of God.

Promises made by God to the Prophetsaw , at a time when their fulflment seemed impossible, had been fulflled at last. The Prophetsaw was the centre of devotion and faith. In and through his person, God had manifested Himself, and shown His face, as it were, again. The Prophetsaw sent for water of the Zamzam. He drank some of it and with the rest performed ablutions. So devoted were Muslims to the Prophet’ssaw person, that they would not let a drop of this water fall on the ground. They received the water in the hollows of their hands to wet their bodies with it; in such reverence did they hold it. The pagans who witnessed these scenes of devotion said again and again that they had never seen an earthly king to whom his people were so devoted (Halbiyya, Vol. 3, p. 99).

The Prophetsaw Forgives His Enemies

All rites and duties over, the Prophetsaw addressed the Meccans and said: “You have seen how true the promises of God have proved. Now tell me what punishment you should have for the cruelties and enormities you committed against those whose only fault was that they invited you to the worship of the One and Only God.” To this the Meccans replied, “We expect you to treat us as Josephas treated his erring brothers.”

By signifcant coincidence, the Meccans used in their plea for forgiveness the very words which God had used in the Surah Yusuf, revealed ten years before the conquest of Mecca. In this the Prophetsaw was told that he would treat his Meccan persecutors as Josephas had treated his brothers. By asking for the treatment which Josephas had meted out to his brothers, the Meccans admitted that the Prophetsaw of Islam was the like of Josephas and as Josephas was granted victory over his brothers the Prophetsaw had been granted victory over the Meccans. Hearing the Meccans’ plea, the Prophetsaw declared at once: “By God, you will have no punishment today and no reproof” (Hisham). While the Prophetsaw was engaged in expressing his gratitude to God and in

carrying out other devotions at the Ka‘ba, and while he was addressing the Meccans announcing his decision to forgive and forget, misgivings arose in the minds of the Ansar, the Medinite Muslims. Some of them were upset over the scenes of homecoming and of reconciliation which they witnessed on the return of Meccan Muslims to Mecca. Was the Prophetsaw parting company with them, his friends in adversity who provided the frst home to Islam? Was the Prophetsaw going to settle down at Mecca, the town from which he had to fee for his life? Such fears did not seem too remote now that Mecca had been conquered and his own tribe had joined Islam. The Prophetsaw might want to settle down in it. God informed the Prophetsaw of these misgivings of the Ansar. He raised his head, looked at the Ansar and said “You seem to think Muhammadsaw is perturbed by the love of his town, and by the ties which bind him to his tribe.” “It is true,” said the Ansar, “we did think of this.”

“Do you know,” said the Prophetsaw, “Who I am? I am a Servant of God and His Messenger. How can I give you up? You stood by me, and sacrifced your lives when the Faith of God had no earthly help. How can I give you up and settle elsewhere? No, Ansar., this is impossible. I left Mecca for the sake of God and I cannot return to it. I will live and die with you.”

The Ansar were moved by this singular expression of love and loyalty. They regretted their distrust of God and His Prophetsaw , wept and asked to be forgiven. They explained that they would not have any peace if the Prophetsaw left their town and went elsewhere. The Prophetsaw replied that their fear was understandable and that, after their explanation, God and His Prophetsaw were satisfed about their innocence and acknowledge their sincerity and loyalty.

How must the Meccans have felt at this time? True they did not shed the tears of devotion but their hearts must have been full of regret and remorse. For, had they not cast away with their own hands the gem which had been found in their own town? They had all the more reason to regret this because the Prophetsaw, having come back to Mecca, had decided to leave it again for Medina.