|
4
The sentry nodded knowingly, and disregarding the shouts of
his master, walked away.
1.
Balazuri: pp. 113 - 125.
2.
Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 467.
3.
Balazuri: p. 114.
4
.
Ibid
Page 3
Created by PDF Generator (http://www.alientools.com), to remove this mark, please register the software.
Azad waited until the sentry had turned the corner of the corridor, then rushed into the
room. She saw Fairoz standing beside the bed, waiting for a chance to strike again, while
the impostor writhed in his bed, waving his arms about. The two now worked together.
The woman hastened to the head of the bed, caught the hair of Aswad in both her hands
and held his head down. Fairoz drew his dagger and with a few deft strokes severed the
black head from the enormous body. Thus ended the career of the false prophet, Abhala
bin Kab, alias the Black one, alias the Donkey-Walah, alias the Drunk. His mischief
lasted three months and ended with his death, six days before Prophet Muhammad passed
away.
With Aswad's death his movement collapsed. The Muslim resistance organised by Qais
in San'a turned in violent vengeance against the followers of Aswad, many of whom were
killed. But many escaped to create trouble for Muslim rulers at a later stage. Many
became Muslims again, and of these some again apostatised. Fairoz was appointed
governor of San'a.
The messenger who carried the good news to Madinah arrived there shortly after the
death of the Holy Prophet. The report of the destruction of the mischief of Aswad Al
Ansi brought some solace to the heart-broken Muslims.
Madinah was now going through a crisis which was at once emotional, spiritual and
political. The loss of the beloved Muhammad had left the Muslims devastated. For the
past 10 years the Prophet had been everything to them-commander, ruler, judge, teacher,
guide, friend. There was no aspect of life in which he had not participated. They had
taken all their problems to him, and he had settled, decided, directed, comforted. In the
warm light of his presence they had felt safe from trouble and misfortune. Now that light
had gone out. The Muslims felt alone and frightened-in the words of the chroniclers:
"like
sheep on a cold, rainy night."
1
The crisis deepened as reports of the revolt spreading over Arabia began to arrive. All the
tribes of Arabia, with the exception of those in Makkah and Madinah and the Thaqeef in
Taif, revolted against the political and religious authority of Madinah and broke their
oaths of allegiance. False prophets arose in the land and claimed a share in Muhammad's
prophethood. These impostors, having seen the affection and reverence in which the Holy
Prophet was held, and unmindful of the trials and sufferings which he had experienced
before his efforts bore fruit, decided that prophethood was a good thing and that they too
should get the benefit of it. Apart from Aswad, there were two impostors (possibly three)
and one impostress. There were others-chieftains and elders, who did not claim
prophethood, but united with the false prophets in their perfidious designs to extinguish
the flame of Islam and return to the tribal independence of the Ignorance. The flames of
the apostasy raced like wild fire across all Arabia, threatening to engulf Makkah and
Madinah-the spiritual and political centres of the infant state of Islam.
The chief cause of the apostasy was lack of true faith. Most of the tribes, converted in the
ninth and tenth years of the Hijra, had taken to Islam for political reasons. They had
found it expedient. They saw Muhammad as a powerful political boss rather than a
prophet with a new message. The true Muslims were the Muslims of Makkah and
Madinah, especially the latter who had been in contact with the Holy Prophet for many
years and had drunk deep at the fountain of truth which the Prophet had revealed. The
outlying tribes had not enjoyed this spiritual experience. In many cases, when a chief
became a Muslim the tribe followed his example out of tribal loyalty rather than religious
conviction. With the death of the Prophet the tribes felt free to renounce their allegiance,
Created by PDF Generator (http://www.alientools.com), to remove this mark, please register the software.
which, as they saw it, had been made to a person and not to Madinah or to Islam.
Muhammad was dead; and now they could throw off the yoke of discipline which the
new faith had imposed in limiting the number of wives a man could marry, in collecting
taxes for the benefit of the community, in enforcing prayers and fasting. The strong
leaders who led the revolt preferred to be free to exploit the weak to their own advantage,
unhampered by the restrictions which Islam placed upon them.
The fears of the Muslims deepened when Abu Bakr became caliph-the first caliph in
Islam. Abu Bakr had never been known for any great quality of leadership, let alone the
ability to steer the ship of state through the storm that gathered on every side and
threatened the very existence of Islam. What was needed at this critical juncture was a
strong, robust and capable leader. And what was the image of Abu Bakr? A small,
slender, pale man, he had deep-set eyes under thin, delicate eyebrows. By now he had a
pronounced stoop which heightened the impression of age and senility, in spite of the fact
that he dyed his beard. A mild, gentle and tender-hearted individual, he was easily moved
to tears.
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
