In the early days of Islam, Najran was a big center of learning whose
inhabitants were idol-worshipers. Subsequently, they accepted Christianity as
their religion. Najran is in the modern Saudi
Arabia, south of Jeddah. The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) had sent letters to
the heads of different countries inviting them to Islam. One such letter was also
sent to the bishop 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 Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) included
the following Ayah of the Glorious 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 learned priests headed by
their chief monk priest, Abdul Masih, came to Madinah and went straight to meet
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) wearing golden ornaments and dressed in silken
clothes. The Messenger did not like their attire and turned his face away from
them. They inquired from a few influential Muslims for the reason but they did
not know the state of his (s.a.w.a.s.)’s mind. The Commander of the faithful,
Maula Mushkil-Kusha, Imam Ali (a.s.) came to their rescue and advised them to
dress in simple clothes. When they returned wearing simple clothes, the Messenger
warmly welcomed them. It may be concluded that appearances and attires show the
thinking of the person. They wanted to show pride and high status.
Following conversation followed:
The Messenger:
I invite you to the belief of Tauheed and the worship of one God and submission
to His will. (Then he recited Ayah 64 of Surah Aale Imran.)
Abdul Masih:
If Islam means faith in one God of the universe, we already believe in Him and
follow His commands.
The Messenger:
Islam has a few other 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 [I’sa (a.s.)] was the son of God because his mother Mary [Mariyam
(s.a.)] had given birth to him without marrying anyone in the world. Therefore,
obviously his father is the God of this universe. And also because he used to
bring the dead back to life, cure the sick and create birds from clay and make
them fly. It shows that he is God.
The Messenger: No, he was the servant and creature of
God, and placed in the womb of his mother Mariyam (s.a.). All his power and
strength was granted to him by God.
At this time, Archangel Jibra’eel brought the following Ayah 59 of
Surah Ale Imran:
“Surely, the example of I’sa
to Allah is like that of Adam; He created him from dust and then said to him,
“Be” and he was”
It means 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 a mother. The priests could not reply to this
argument and continued to argue out of obstinacy.
Then the following Ayah 61 of Surah Ale Imran 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”
The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.)
produced this verse before the priests and challenged for “Mubahilah”. The
priests consulted each other and accepted the challenge. It was agreed that the
two parties' contest would take place the next day in the open desert outside
Madinah. On 24th Zilhajj,
the the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) came out for Mubahilah. He was holding
Imam Husayn (a.s.) in his arms, and held Imam Hasan (a.s.) by his hand; Lady of
Paradise Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.) was behind him, while the Lion of Allah,
Imam Ali (a.s.) was behind her. The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) said to them,
“When I pray for curse of Allah, you should say Ameen”.
In compliance of the Ayah of Mubahela, the Noble Messenger
(s.a.w.a.s.) brought Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (a.s.) as his “SONS”, Sayyida Fatima
Zahra (s.a.) in place of “WOMEN”
while he could have brought three women, and Imam Ali (a.s.) as his “SELF
“while the Ayah had the accommodation for three.
The priests, by seeing these shining faces emitting light, were
spellbound. Their hearts trembled and they began to shake on seeing the light
radiating from the faces of The Sacred Panjetan (a.s.).
Their leader asked: “who are these persons who have come with
Muhammad”
A man told their names and their relationship with the Noble
Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.). He could no longer hold his patience and 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”
After the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) heard these words, he later
remarked:
“By God, had the Christians of Najran contested with us, they
would have been transformed into monkeys and swine. Fire would have rained over
them”
It is a historic event of a unique triumph of Islam. This event
unquestionably established the truth about Islam and the spiritual purity of
the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). It proved beyond
doubt as to who were the members of The House of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.)
and their “unquestionable Truthfulness!”
There is a point to
be remembered here that in Arabic language the plural tense is used for more
than three persons. Allah had provided
the place for three or more than three persons in the categories of “SONS”,
“WOMEN”, and “SELVES”. But the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.)
had to decide as to who were the persons who were “TRUTHFUL” and
never lied in their life time, because Mubahilah would bring up Allah’s
wrath on the “LIARS”. It was a crucial test for Islam. Hence,
he picked-up Imam Hasan (a.s.) and Imam Husayn (a.s.); only two persons for the
place in “SONS”. While in the place of “WOMEN”, he picked-up only his daughter,
The Lady of Paradise,
Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.). Similarly, in the place of “SELVES”, he picked up
The Conqueror of Khyber, Imam Ali (a.s.).
After the sad demise of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.), when Sayyida
Fatima Zahra (s.a.) claimed her gifted property of Fidak, which was given to
her by her father, the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.), the Caliph did not accept
her testimony, that of Imam Ali (a.s.) nor Imam Hasan (a.s.) and Imam Husayn
(a.s.). These were the same Panjetan, whose Truthfulness was accepted by Allah
on the eve of Mubahilah!
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