EID-E-MUBAHELAH

In the early days of Islam, Najran was a big centre whose inhabitants were idol-worshippers.

Subsequently, they accepted Christianity as their religion. Najran is still there in Saudi Arabia, south of Jeddah. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) had sent letters to the heads of different countries inviting them to Islam. One such letter was sent to the Christians of Najran.

It read as follows:

In the name of the God of Ibrahim, Ishaaq and Yaqoob. This letter is from Muhammad, the Prophet and Messenger of Allah to the Bishop of Najran.

Praise be to the God of Ibrahim, Ishaaq, and Yaqoob. I invite you to worship Allah instead of His servants. I invite you to come out of the rule of servants of Allah and into the rule of Allah Himself.

It is also stated that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) included the following verse of the Noble Qur’an:

“Say, (O’Muhammad) O People of the Book (Bible), come to an agreement between us and you; that we shall worship none but Allah and that we shall claim no partner to Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords besides Allah”

And if they turn away, then say, “Bear witness that we are Muslims (those who have surrendered to Allah).

This was the event of 10 A.H. Sixty very learned priests headed by their chief monk priest, Abdul Masih came to Madina and went straight to meet the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.)dressed in silken clothes. The Prophet did not like their attire and turned his face away from them.

The Commander of the faithful, Maula Mushkil-Kusha came to their rescue and advised them to dress in simple clothes. When they returned wearing simple clothes, the Prophet

warmly welcomed them.

 Following conversation took place:

The Holy Prophet: I invite you towards the belief of Tauheed and the worship of one God and submission to His will. (Then he recited verse 64 of Sura al-Aale Imran.)

Abdul Masih: If Islam means faith in the one God of the universe, we already believe in Him and follow His commands.

The Holy Prophet: Islam has a few signs and some of your actions show that you have not accepted true Islam. How do you claim worship of one God when you worship the cross and do not abstain from eating pork and believe that God has a son?

Abdul Masih: Certainly he [Isa (a.s.)] was the son of God because his mother Mary [Mariyam (s.a.)] had given birth to him without marrying any one in the world. Therefore, obviously his father is the God of this universe. And also because he used to bring dead back to life, cure the sick and create birds from clay and make them fly. All this points to the fact that he is God.

The Holy Prophet: No, he was the servant and creature of God, and placed in the womb of his mother Maryam (s.a.). All his power and strength was granted to him by God.

At this time, Archangel Jibra’eel brought the following verse of Noble Qur’an:

“Surely the example of Isa to Allah is like that of Adam; He created him from dust and the said to him, “Be” and he was” (Noble Qur’an 3:59)

This meant that if Isa (a.s.) could be called the son of God because he was born without father, then Adam (a.s.) deserves this title more because he was born without a father and mother. The priests could not reply to this argument and continued to argue out of obstinacy.

Then the following verse was revealed:

              “And whoever argue with you in this matter after what has come to you of knowledge then say, come, let us call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then let us humbly pray (to our Lord) and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars” (Noble Qur’an 3:61)

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) produced this verse before the priests and challenged of “Mubahala”. The priests consulted each other and accepted the challenge. It was agreed between the two parties that the contest would take place the next day in the open desert outside Madina. On 24^th Zilhajj, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) came out for Mubahala. He was holding Imam Hussayn (a.s.) in his arms, and held Imam Hasan (a.s.) by his hand. Lady of Paradise Bibi Fatima (s.a.) was behind him, while behind her was the Lion of Allah, Imam

Ali (a.s.). The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said to them, “When I pray you should say Ameen”.

In obedience to verse of Mubahala sent by Allah, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) brought Imam

Hasan and Imam Hussayn (a.s.) as his “SONS”, Bibi Fatima (s.a.) as his “WOMEN” and Imam Ali (a.s.) as his “SELF”

The priests by seeing these beautiful and shining faces were spellbound. Their hearts trembled and they began to shake on seeing the power radiating from Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

Their leader asked someone “who are these persons who have come with Muhammad”

The man told their names and their relationship with the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.)

He could hold his patience no longer and he cried out:

“By God, I am seeing such faces that if they were to pray to God to move the mountain, God Almighty would move the mountain for them. O You People of Najran, if you contest with Muhammad in this prayer of invoking curses on the liars, then I warn you that all of you will be destroyed and not a single soul will remain on this earth. I feel that it would be better to surrender to them and obey them”

When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) heard these words, he remarked:

“By God, had the Christians of Najran contested with us, they would have been transformed into monkeys and swines. Fire would have rained over them”  

It is a historic event of a unique triumph of Islam. This event unquestionably establishes the truth about the spiritual purity of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). It proves beyond doubt as to who are the members of The House of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.).

There is a point to remember that Allah had provided the place for three or more than three persons in the categories of “SONS”, “WOMEN”, and “SELVES”. But the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) had to decide as to who were the persons who were “TRUTHFUL” and never lied in their life time, because Mubahala would bring Allah’s curse up on the “LIARS”. Hence, he picked-up Imam Hasan (a.s.) and Imam Hussayn (a.s.); only two persons for the place in “SONS”. While in the place of “WOMEN”, he picked-up his daughter, The Lady of Paradise, Bibi Fatima Zahra (s.a.). Similarly, in the place of “SELVES”, he picked up The Conqueror of Khaiber, ImamAli (a.s.).

After the sad demise of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), at one time, when Bibi Fatima (s.a.) claimed back her gifted property of Fidak, the Caliph did not accept her testimony and that of Imam Ali (a.s.) nor The Hasnain (a.s.). These were the same Panjetan, whose Truthfulness was accepted by Allah on the eve of Mubahala!