Umayr ibn Wahb
Umayr ibn Wahb al-Jumahi returned safely from the Battle of Badr. His
son, Wahb, was left behind, a prisoner in the hands of the Muslims. Umar
feared that the Muslims would punish the youth severely because of the
persecution he himself had meted out to the Prophet and the torture he
had inflicted on his companions.
One morning Umayr went to the Sacred Mosque to make tawaf around the
Kabah and worship his idols. He found Safwan ibn Umayyah sitting near
the Kabah, went up to him and said:
Im Sabahan (Good Morning), Quraysh chieftain."
"Im Sabahan, Ibn Wahb," replied Safwan. "Let us talk for some time. Time
only goes by with conversation."
Umayr sat next to him. The two men began to recall Badr, the great defeat
they had suffered and they counted the prisoners who had fallen into the
hands of Muhammad and his companions. They became deeply distressed at
the number of great Quraysh men who had been killed by the swords of the
Muslims and who lay buried in the mass grave at al-Qalib in Badr.
Safwan ibn Umayyah shook his head and sighed, "By God, there can be no
better after them."
"You are right," declared Umar. He remained silent for a while and then
said, "By the God of the Kabah, if I had no debts and no family whose
loss I fear after me, I would go to Muhammad and kill him, finish off
his mission and check his evil." He went on in a faint, subdued voice,
"And as my son Wahb is among them, my going to Yathrib would be beyond
doubt."
Safwan ibn Umayyah listened intently to the words of Umayr and did not
wish this opportunity to pass. He turned to him and said:
"Umar, place all your debt in my hands and I will discharge it for you
whatever the amount. As for your family, I shall take them as my own family
and give them whatever they need. I have enough wealth to guarantee them
a comfortable living."
"Agreed," said Umar. "But keep this conversation of ours secret and do
not divulge any of it to anyone."
"That shall be so," said Safwan.
Umar left the Masjid al-Haram with the fire of hatred against Muhammad
blazing in his heart. He began to count what he needed for the task he
had set himself. He knew that he had the full support and confidence of
the Quraysh who had members of their families held prisoner in Madinah
.
Umar had his sword sharpened and coated with poison. His camel was prepared
and brought to him. He mounted the beast and rode in the direction of
Madinah with evil in his heart.
Umar reached Madinah and went directly towards the mosque looking for
the Prophet. Near the door of the mosque, he alighted and tethered his
camel.
At that time, Umar was sitting with some of the Sahabah near the door
of the Mosque, reminiscing about Badr, the number of prisoners that had
been taken and the number of Quraysh killed. They also recalled the acts
of heroism shown by the Muslims, both the Muhajirun and the Ansar and
gave thanks to God for the great victory He had given them.
At that very moment Umar turned around and saw Umayr ibn Wahb alighting
from his camel and going towards the Mosque brandishing his sword. Alarmed,
he jumped up and shouted. "This is the dog, the enemy of God, Umayr ibn
Wahb. By God, he has only come to do evil. He led the Mushrikeen against
us in Makkah and he was a spy for them against us shortly before Badr.
Go to the Messenger of God, stand around him and warn him that this dirty
traitor is after him."
Umar himself hastened to the Prophet and said, "O Rasulullah, this enemy
of God, Umayr ibn Wahb, has come brandishing his sword and I think that
he could only be up to something evil." "Let him come in," said the Prophet.
Umar approached Umayr, took hold of him by the tails of his robes, pressed
the back of his sword against his neck and took him to the Prophet.
When the Prophet saw Umayr in this condition he said to Umar: "Release
him.' He then turned to Umayr and said: "Come closer." Umayr came closer
and said, "Im Sabaha" (the Arab greeting in the days of Jahiliyyah)."
"God has granted us a greeting better than this, Umayr," said the Prophet.
"God has granted us the greeting of Peace--it is the greeting of the people
of Paradise." "What have you come for?" continued the Prophet.
"I came here hoping to have the prisoner in your hands released, so please
oblige me." "And what is this sword around your neck for?" quizzed the
Prophet. "Tell me the truth. What have you come for, Umayr?" prodded the
Prophet. "I have only come to have the prisoner released," insisted Umar.
"No. You and Safwan ibn Umayyah sat near the Kabah recalling your companions
who lie buried at al-Qalib and then you said, 'If I had no debt or no
family to look after, I would certainly go out to kill Muhammad.' Safwan
took over your debt and promised to look after your family in return for
your agreeing to kill me. But God is a barrier between you and your achieving
your aim."
Umar stood stupefied nor a moment, then said: "I bear witness that you
are the messenger of God." "We used, O messenger of' God." he continued,
"to reject whatever good you had brought and whatever revelation came
to you. But my conversation with Safwan ibn Umayyah was not known to anyone
else. By God, I am certain that only God could have made this known to
you. Praise be to God Who has led me to you that He may guide me to Islam.'
He then testified that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is
the messenger of Allah and became a Muslim. Thereupon, the Prophet instructed
his companions: "instruct your brother in his religion. Teach him the
Quran and set free his prisoner."
The Muslims were extremely happy with Umayr's acceptance of Islam. Even
Umar who once said of him, "A pig is certainly dearer to me than Umayr
ibn Wahb" came up to the Prophet and exclaimed "Today, he is dearer to
me than some of my own children."
Thereafter Umayr spent much time increasing his knowledge of Islam and
filling his heart with the light of the Quran. There, in Madinah, he spent
the sweetest and richest days of his life away from what he had known
in Makkah .
Back in Makkah, Safwan was filled with hope and would say to the Quraysh,
"I will soon give you some great news that would make you forget the events
of Badr." Safwan waited for a long time and then gradually became more
and more anxious. Greatly agitated, he would go out and ask travelers
what news they had of Umayr ibn Wahb but no one was able to give him a
satisfactory reply. Eventually a rider came and said "Umar has become
a Muslim."
The news hit Safwan like a thunderbolt. He was certain that Umayr would
never become a Muslim and if he ever did then everyone on the face of
the earth would become Muslim also. "Never shall I speak to him and never
shall I do anything for him," he said.
Umar meanwhile kept on striving to gain a good understanding of his religion
and memorize whatever he could of the words of God. When he felt he had
achieved a certain degree of confidence, he went to the Prophet and said:
"O Rasulullah, much time has passed since I used to try to put out the
light of God and severely tortured whoever was on the path of Islam. Now,
I desire that you should give me permission to go to Makkah and invite
the Quraysh to God and His Messenger. If they accept it from me, that
will be good. And if they oppose me, I shall harass them as I used to
harass the companions of the Prophet."
The Prophet gave his consent and Umayr left for Makkah. He went straight
to the house of Safwan ibn Umayyah and said: "Safwan, you are one of the
chieftains of Makkah and one of the most intelligent of the Quraysh. Do
you really think that these stones you are worship ping and making sacrifice
to, deserve to be the basis of a religion? As for myself, I declare that
there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
At Umayr's hands, many Makkans became Muslims, but Safwan did not.
Later, during the liberation of Makkah, Safwan ibn Umayyah attempted
to flee from the Muslim forces. Umar, however, obtained an amnesty from
the Prophet for him and he too became a Muslim and distinguished himself
in the service of Islam.
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