Message of Peace - Hon. Justice P K Shamsuddin
It was during on this
occasion when punishment for false accusation on adultery was promulgated
through the following verse, “Those who falsely accuse the chaste women for
adultery and do not bring forth four witnesses to this effect shall be stroked
with eighty strikes and their witness shall never be admitted as evidence in
any matter thereafter.” Sent this
Quranic intention, Mistah Ibn Athathah, Hassan Ibn Tariq and Hanna who spread
this accusation about Aisha in the market place were stroked with eighty
strikes each and Aisha returned to her rightful place in the house and in the
heart of Mohammed. Many historians have commented on this episode and they
agree to say that the incidents changed the life of Aisha, who continued to be
honest and innocent. Aisha’s health improved rapidly. Hussan Ibn Taliq repented
and made peace with Mohammed and was able to regain Mohammed’s friends.
Mohammed asked Abu Bakr not to deny Mitah Ibn Athathah with the kindness he
used to extend to him, in the name of the false accusations he spread against
Aisha.
Six years had passed since
the migration of Mohammed and his companions from Mecca to Medina. During this
time Mohammed and his companions were prevented from entering into the Mosque
at Mecca. The Muslims were very much hurt on that. The Meccans permitted the
entry to all people of Arabian Peninsula except the Muslims. However, the
Muslims firmly believed that the day in which God unlock for them the gates of Mecca
was not far off and they would be able to perform the religious duty of
pilgrimage in Mecca. According to the old story of capturing Mecca, Mecca belonged
to all the Arabs together; the Meccan privilege was limited to the right of
service attached to it. The Meccans feared that if Mohammed and his companions
were permitted to enter Mecca and Kaba they would persuade the majority in their
favour. The Meccans had not forgotten the truth that Mohammed and his
companions had destroyed their faith and blocked their trade route to Syria.
Muslims were eager to
visit Kaba and perform the pilgrimage and Umrah. One day morning when they were
in the mosque, Mohammed informed them the vision he had according to which they
should enter the holy sanctuary of Mecca unarmed and without fear for their
safety. The overjoyed Muslims praised God and this news spread throughout
Medina. But no one was clear as to how it would be achieved. Mohammed proclaimed
that there would be no war or fighting and it would take place in the holy
month itself. He sent a messenger to the tribes, Muslims or otherwise, inviting
them to participate with the Muslims in their pilgrimage to Mecca. Apparently
he wanted to make this group visit Mecca first. His objective was to let the
whole peninsula know that the visit was only for performing pilgrimage and
there was no intention whatsoever, of conquering Mecca. In spite of all these,
the Meccans insisted on fighting even during the holy month and preventing the
followers of Mohammed from performing pilgrimage. Pilgrimage to Mecca was the
duty commonly held by all Arabs regardless of their diverse personal faith. The
Meccans were worried and found themselves in trouble as they heard about the
Muslims and other Arab tribesmen coming over to Mecca. They also found the
other Arabs unwilling to join them in fighting out the Muslims.
One of the tribes rejected
Mohammed’s proposal but all others accepted his suggestion. The total number of
people who joined him was about one thousand four hundred men. They took with
them their camels and wore the garb demanding the ritual of Umrah. When they
reached near Mecca, the Muslims purified themselves as the ritual demanded and
isolated their cattle as was necessary for the pilgrimage.
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