A Christian delegation came to Madinah from Najraan (Yemen) that consisted of fourteen people and they all were noblemen of Najraan. This delegation was led by three individuals:
- Abu Haarisah Bin ‘Alqamah who was the chief pope of Christians.
- Uhayb who was the tribal chief.
- ‘Abdul Masih who was next to the main chief and was known as ‘Aaqib’.
They all were dressed up in exquisite clothes and entered in the Masjid-un-Nabawi after Salat-ul-‘Asr and offered their own prayer facing towards their Qiblah. Then Abu Haarisah and another person came in the blessed court of the Prophet of Rahmah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. The Beloved Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم conversed with them in a very affectionate manner. The following conversation took place:
Holy Prophet :
C You people should embrace Islam and become obedient to Allah ( ).
Abu Haarisah:
C We have already become obedient to Allah ( ).
Holy Prophet :
C Your statement is not true because you people worship the cross, ascribe son to Allah ( ) and eat pork.
Abu Haarisah:
C Why do you people abuse our Prophet ‘Isa (علیہ السلام).
Holy Prophet :
C What do we say about Prophet ‘Isa (علیہ السلام).
Abu Haarisah:
C You people call Prophet ‘Isa (علیہ السلام ) a bondsman of Allah, whereas, he is son of God.
Holy Prophet :
C Yes! We say that he (علیہ السلام ) is the bondsman and a Prophet of Allah and he is Kalimatullah who was born to Maryam (رضی اللہ عنہا) without father by the commandment of Allah ( ).
Abu Haarisah:
C Can anyone be conceived without a father? When you people believe that no person is father of Prophet ‘Isa (علیہ السلام ), then you people will have to admit that God is his father.
Holy Prophet :
C If someone does not bear father, it does not necessarily mean that Allah ( ) is his father. If Allah ( ) wills, He can create a human without father. This is evident from how Allah ( ) created Sayyiduna Aadam (علیہ السلام ) from without father and mother. So why it is strange if Allah ( ) created Prophet ‘Isa (علیہ السلام ) without father.
Hearing these prophetical words of wisdom from the Beloved Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, instead of leaving Christianity and coming into the fold of Islam, these people started to quarrel and argue with the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. The argumentation and dispute prolonged to such an extent that Allah revealed this verse of Surah Aal-e-‘Imran:
Therefore O beloved Prophet Muhammad say to those who dispute with you regarding ‘Isa after the knowledge has come to you, say to them ‘Come! Let us summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves – then pray humbly, thereby make the curse of Allah upon the liars!’
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 3, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, verse 61)
Abu Haarisah accepted this challenge of Mubahilah (contest) mentioned in the Holy Quran and it was decided that this Mubahilah will take place in an open field the next morning. But, when Abu Haarisah came to the Christians, he said, ‘O my people! You people have well understood and recognized that Muhammad ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) is the Last Prophet of Allah ( ) and bear in mind that the people that hold Mubahilah against a real Prophet are destroyed completely. Therefore, betterment lies in having a truce with him and returning home instead of holding Mubahilah with him in any way.’
Therefore, the next morning when Abu Haarisah came in front of the Greatest and Holiest Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, he saw the Beloved Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم carrying Sayyiduna Imam Husayn in lap and holding the finger of Sayyiduna Imam Hasan رضی اللہ عنہا. Sayyidatuna Fatimah رضی اللہ عنہاand Sayyiduna ‘Ali رضی اللہ عنہما were walking behind him and he صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was saying to them: When I would supplicate, say :آمین.
Upon seeing this, Abu Haarisah shivered with fear and said, ‘O the group of Christians! I am seeing such blessed faces that if Allah ( ) wills, the mountains would move leaving their location by virtue of these blessed faces. Therefore, O my people! Do not engage in Mubahilah at all, otherwise you will be destroyed and not a single Christian will be left on the face of the earth.’ Then he said, ‘O Abu Qaasim! We will not conduct Mubahilah with you and we wish to remain on our own religion. The Prophet of Rahmah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said them to embrace Islam so that they may get the rights of a Muslim but the Christians clearly rejected to embrace Islam. Then the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said, ‘If so, I have no option other than to have a war against you.’
Upon hearing this, the Christians replied, ‘We do not possess the capability to have a war against Arabs, therefore, we request a truce with you entailing a condition that you people would not set war against us and leave us on our own religion and in return, we will pay you one thousand clothes every year as a Jizyah (tax).’ This offer of peace treaty was accepted by the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم on the said condition and the Merciful Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم provided them a letter of relief and peace.
After this, the Noblest Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said, ‘Destruction had reached the people of Najraan but these people were saved. Had they committed Mubahilah with me, their faces would have been deformed and they would have become monkeys and pigs and such a fire would have blazed in their valley that all of the inhabitants of Najraan including the birds and beasts would have been burnt, and turned into a muck of ashes and all the Christians on the earth would have been obliterated within one year. (Tafseer Ruh-ul-Bayan, vol. 2, pp. 44; part 3, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, verse 61)
Moral: From this event, we come to know that doing Mubahilah with the Prophets ((عزوجل و صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ وسلم) ) of Allah brings ruin and destruction. Contesting with the Prophets, the friends of Allah and other chosen people of Allah brings devastation. In fact, even a slight disrespect and hurting the feelings of the saints (‘ ./ of Allah can be highly destructive and can inflict such destruction that has no remedy.
Sayyiduna Khujandi and the Basaati poet
It has been reported that once Sayyiduna Kamaluddin Khujandi
علیہ الرحمۃ went in the gathering of poets and the Basaati poet mentioned this nonsense couplet against him in a very disrespectful and ridiculous manner:
Translation: From where have you come— ﻟ ﻮﻧﺪُ از ﮐﺠﺎﺋﯽ از ﮐﺠﺎﺋﯽ اے from where have you come—O mischief?
Sayyiduna Khujandi رحمۃ اللہ علیہdid not get angry assuming that he (the Basaati poet) is saying such being intoxicated. He (‘ -./ replied as under:
Translation: I came from Khujand—I came از ﺧﺠﻨﺪم، از ﺧﺠﻨﺪم از ﺧﺠﻨﺪ from Khujand—I came from Khujand.
After this Sayyiduna Khujandi رحمۃ اللہ علیہaddressed the gathering and said that he (Basaati) is out of senses due to being intoxicated and is babbling whatever comes to his tongue. Do not say anything to him. Hearing this, the shameful Basaati poet insulted him saying:
Translation: O infidel Khujandi, you keep a very long beard and seeing its length; it can be called ten beards. :معاذاللہ
Listening to these insulting comments publically grieved him too much and Sayyiduna Khujandi رحمۃ اللہ علیہinvoked curse unto him with wrathful gaze and instantly, the Basaati poet fell dead on the ground without any illness. All the gathering witnessed that awful
scene. (Ruh-ul-Bayan vol. 2, pp. 45; part 3, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, verse 63)
‘Abul Hasan Hamdaani’s chicken
To act against the desires of the saints (‘ ./ of Allah also brings afflictions. It has been reported that once Khuwajah Abul Hasan Hamdaani intended to visit Sayyiduna Khuwajah Ja’far Khaalidi رحمۃ اللہ علیہand just before leaving home, Abul Hasan Hamdaani asked his households to roast a chicken for him and keep it ready. When he reached in the court of Sayyiduna Khuwajah Ja’far Khaalidi رحمۃ اللہ علیہhe ordered him to stay overnight with him. Since the heart of Abul Hasan Hamdaani was desirous of the roasted chicken, so he made a reasonable excuse and went home back. Due to this, Sayyiduna Khuwajah Ja’far Khaalidi رحمۃ اللہ علیہfelt unhappy. When Khuwajah Abul Hasan Hamdaani was about to eat the chicken, a dog entered the home, took the roasted chicken, ran away and threw it in a sewerage drain.
The next morning when Khuwajah Abul Hasan Hamdaani came in the court of Sayyiduna Khuwajah Ja’far Khaalidi علیہ الرحمۃ Sayyiduna Khuwajah Ja’far Khaalidi رحمۃ اللہ علیہsaid to him, ‘The one who does not respect the words of the saints, a dog is appointed at him that inflicts him.’ Upon hearing this, Khuwajah ‘Abul Hasan Hamdaani
felt remorse. (Ruh-ul-Bayan, vol. 2, pp. 46; part 3, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, verse 63)
Everyone of Balkh city became a liar
Sayyiduna Khuwajah Abu ‘Ali Daqqaaq رحمۃ اللہ علیہreported that when the people of Balkh exiled Sayyiduna Khuwajah Muhammad Bin Fadl رحمۃ اللہ علیہdespite being guiltless, he رحمۃ اللہ علیہinvoked the curse unto the people of the city and said, ‘O my Allah ( ), do not give them the ability to speak the truth.’ Consequently, there left no truthful person in the city for years and every person of the city became liar. The city notoriously became famous as ‘the city of
liars’. (Ruh-ul-Bayan, vol. 2, pp. 46; part 3, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, verse 63)
Nevertheless, one should never displease the saints (‘ ./ of Allah . Otherwise, the slightest distress may call wrath of Allah that may result in utter destruction.
Khuda ka qahar hay un ki nigah ki gardish
Gira jo un ki nazar say sanbhal nahin sakta
A slight movement of their eyes can bring the curse
The one whom they curse, can never be recovered from the misery