A Ploy by the Enemies

Shaath bin Qais was an elderly man who was a staunch disbeliever and held a lot of malice and hatred in his heart for the Muslims. He once passed by a group of Muslims who were sat speaking to one another. When he witnessed their mutual bond of love and unity and the peacefulness between them through the way they were sat and speaking to one another in a loving and joyful manner he became infuriated.

Although eventually, he too attained this through his acceptance of Islam after once having had enmity in the time of Jahiliyya (days of ignorance), in other words he previously held enmity for the people, but through Islam, he too achieved this mutual understanding, love and affection. This is because when they accepted Islam, God Almighty united their hearts.

Shaath bin Qais says that the leaders of Banu Qayla were sat in one place and he could not bear to see them together and he could not be at peace seeing them united. How was it possible that this enmity had transformed into friendship, rather love and affection? He instructed a Jew accompanying him to go and sit with them, to remind them of the Battle of Bu‘as and their state prior to it. Also, that he should recite to them those chants which they used to sing against one another when they were two separate tribes.

This person did exactly this and one tribe read out some of the couplets they used against the other. Hearing these couplets rekindled a fire in their hearts bringing back the days of ignorance to them. Thereafter, the other tribe replied saying that this is what their poet used to recite on such and such day, as he too recited some poetry in the days of ignorance. Hence, just as they were all sitting and speaking to one another with love and affection, this mischief caused them to start speaking unpleasantly to one another and an argument ensued as they began boasting.

It reached the point where two of them, Hazrat Aus (ra) bin Qaizi and Hazrat Jabbar (ra) bin Sakkhar became irritated and one of them even said to the other that if they wanted, they could even fight. It got to the stage where out of anger, both parties designated the place of battle and started making claims as they did in the days of ignorance.

This news reached the Holy Prophet (sa) so he went to the Aus and Khazraj tribes, accompanied by the Muhajireen Companions. The Holy Prophet (sa) stated “O Muslim, fear Allah! Fear Allah! Do you all make claims like you did in the days of ignorance while I am amongst you, whilst God Almighty has guided you to Islam, honoured you through it, put an end to your days of ignorance, saved you from disbelief and established love between you? Do you then turn to disbelief once again like the past?”

The Companions came to the realisation that this was the wicked work of Satan and an evil plot to turn them against one another. Therefore, they put down their weapons, began weeping and the people of the Aus and Khazraj tribes began embracing one another.

Then they submitted to the Holy Prophet (sa) pledging their obedience to him once again. God Almighty turned out the fire kindled by their enemy Shaath bin Qais. The verse was then revealed:

قُلْ یٰٓاَہْلَ الْکِتٰبِ لِمَ تَکْفُرُوْنَ بِاٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ وَاللّٰہُ شَہِیْدٌ عَلٰی مَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ۔ قُلْ یٰٓاَہْلَ الْکِتٰبِ لِمَ تَصُدُّوْنَعَنْ سَبِیْلِ اللّٰہِ مَنْ اٰمَنَ تَبْغُوْنَہَا عِوَجًا وَّاَنْتُمْ شُہَدَآئُ۔ وَمَا اللّٰہُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُوْنَ

“Say, ‘O People of the Book! Why deny ye the Signs of Allah, while Allah is Watchful of what you do?’ (3:99)

“Say, ‘O People of the Book! Why hinder ye the believers from the path of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, while you are witnesses thereof? And Allah is not unmindful of what you do.’” (3:100)

Hazrat Aus bin Qaizi and Hazrat Jabbar (ra) bin Sakkhar and their companions who behaved as they would during the days of ignorance because they were under the influence of Shaath’s deception, for such people, the following commandment was revealed:

یٰٓاَیُّہَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِنْ تُطِیْعُوْا فَرِیْقًا مِّنَ الَّذِیْنَ اُوْتُوا الْکِتٰبَ یَرُدُّوْکُمْ بَعْدَ اِیْمَانِکُمْ کٰفِرِیْنَ۔ وَکَیْفَتَکْفُرُوْنَ وَاَنْتُمْ تُتْلٰی عَلَیْکُمْ اٰیٰتُ اللّٰہِ وَفِیْکُمْ رَسُوْلُہٗ وَمَنْ یَّعْتَصِمْ بِاللّٰہِ فَقَدْ ہُدِیَ اِلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِیْمٍ

“O ye who believe! If you obey any party of those who have been given the Book, they will turn you again into disbelievers after you have believed. How would you disbelieve, while to you are rehearsed the Signs of Allah, and His Messenger is present among you? And he who holds fast to Allah is indeed guided to the right path.”

(3:101-102) (Subul-ul-Huda Wa Al-Rashaad Fi Sirat Khair Al-Abaad, Vol. 3, pp. 398-399, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)

This was the condition of the Companions. There was a time when they were deceived by Satanic influences, however, they became regretful immediately after the Holy Prophet (sa) made them realise that they were behaving in the same manners as they would in their days of ignorance, so they moved forth towards reconciliation.

In fact, they displayed their feelings of love and brotherhood for each other. Such were their examples that serve as a model for people who get entangled in this day and age due to a false sense of honour and ego over petty issues. If those who were thirsty for each other’s blood and those who were at war with each other became brothers, then how is it that those who recite the same Kalimah [declaration of faith also known as the Islamic creed] now and those who were born into one Jamaat cannot efface their egos?

There are many issues that come to light which are caused by false egos, and relationships deteriorate because of this. Sometimes, such issues last months or even years. Some youngsters write that their familial relations have been strained but the new generation has the desire to re-establish these relations, but because of their adults, this does not happen. Such people should take heed that the teaching of God Almighty is that of love, affection, unity and He has made us one community.

We should live together as one and should not become engrossed in our false egos. May Allah Almighty guide everyone.