Did you know? (Inspirational Islamic Stories)

Accepting Islam and firmly standing by it

The Talbiyah.

Yes, the one that those who perform hajj recite. 

Have you ever wondered who was the first ever Muslim on the face of the earth to enter Makkah reciting the talbiyah?

No guess? Let me tell you a bit of his story.
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He was Thumamah Ibn Uthal Radiyallahu Anhu, a leader in the province of Al Yamamah, a region close to the modern day Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. He was such an influential man, but also was “once” amongst those great enemies of Islam who wanted to kill the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam, but when he lost his way to Makkah… things changed. 
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We may all have heard about the man who was captured and was tied to a column in a masjid who was approached by the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam for two days, given food, drink and milk from his own camel…This was the very man that Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam set free and later on accepted Islam.

What we didn’t know is that Thumamah RA was on his way to perform umrah that time but not under the rights of Islam, so when the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam set him free and he accepted Islam, he left to fulfil his intention of doing Umrah but now, as a Muslim.

When he reached the valley of Makkah, he began shouting the talbiyah:

لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ

The Quraish on the other hand, heard the sound of the talbiyah and felt both the anger and alarm. With drawn swords, they set out towards the voice to punish the one who had assaulted their preserve but as they came closer they found out that it was Thumamah RA who was reciting.

One of them, a young Quraish, was so angered that he was about to throw an arrow to Thumamah RA, but he was grabbed by the other man and was told that he was the ruler of Al Yamamah and they should not harm him because of this or his people will cut all their supplies with dire consequences for us.

When Thumamah RA saw this, he started to raise his voice even higher while reciting the talbiyah and looked upon them with pride and defiance. 

So one of them came up to Thumamah RA and said: “What is wrong with you, Thumamah?” Have you given in and abandoned your religion and the religion of your forefathers?”

“I have not given in”, Thumamah RA replied, but I have decided to follow the best religion, I follow the religion of Muhammad.” He then went on: “I swear to you by the Lord of this House that after my return to Al Yamamah, no grain of wheat or any of its produce shall reach you until you follow Muhammad.”

So, Thumamah RA performed his umrah as how the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam has instructed him. He dedicated his sacrifice to Allah alone.

Thumamah then returned to his land and ordered his people to withhold supplies from the Quraish. The boycott gradually began to have effect and became more and more stringent. Prices then began to bite and there was even fear of death among the Quraish. 

And this is where the treaty of Hudaybiyyah came. 
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Look at how beautiful the story of Thumamah RA, indeed he reminds us of the story of ‘Umar Ibn Al Khattab RA. With such bravery and courage these men has set the standards of how one should stand firmly on the Tawheed and belief in Islam, that once we are called Muslims, we should fulfil our obligations, that we are at His Call every single minute. 

So many of us have forgotten the importance of giving service to Islam, so many of us have long forgotten the way the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam would treat people who intended to kill him, people who wanted to do bad on him, people who have mistreated him and yet we say we love and follow the sunan of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam, yet when we see a man in torn clothes asking us for a penny, we shun away or that when we hear about the death of a muslim brother or sister it doesn’t affect us.

O servants of Allah! Can we not be the likes of Thumamah RA who would greatly and firmly stand and dedicate themselves in the service of Islam, both in ‘ilm and amal?

Reflect and ponder O Muslims!
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And we pray that Allah Azza Wa Jall enlightens our hearts to fulfil our obligations in the service of Islam, may we be amongst those Muslims who would love to dedicate their lives in full service and worship to Allah Azza Wa Jall.

Amin.

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Story was taken from:

• Sahih Al Bukhari 4372
• Fath Al Bari 8/109-111
• Zad Al Ma’ad 3/277
• As Sirat Al Nabawiyyah Ibn Hisham 4/295,296
Zohayma