DR MUHAMMAD KHAIR HAIKAL

This is an extract from his PhD thesis ‘Al-Jihad wa’l Qital fi as-Siyasa ash-Shar’iyya’

It appears that this stage, the stage of manifestation and open declaration, in accordance to the understanding that we have explained, did not take place in one go, even if this gradual transition came to its climax when ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab declared, after having been in the trench of the Kuffaar, with a certain heart and mind, that he had moved into another trench of the battle, transforming what he had carried in respect to this Da’wah in terms of a storm of hatred and violent vigour, transforming that all to the opposing side, to become the strongest of believers in backbone and firmness and most challenging in the face of the disbelievers.

A number of matters are indicative of this and they include:

That which was mentioned in ‘As-Seerah Al-Halabiyah’: “That when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered Daar ul-Arqam to worship Allah Ta’Aalaa along with those of his companions who were with him, in secret … whilst they numbered thirty-eight men, Abu Bakr requested the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with urgency in respect to manifestation i.e. going out to the Masjid (in a show of strength). So he ﷺ said: ‘O Abu Bakr, verily we are few (in number)!’

Abu Bakr continued to urge this until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out with his companions to the Masjid. Abu Bakr stood amongst the people addressing them, whilst the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting, inviting to Allah and His Messenger. Abu Bakr was therefore the first Khateeb (one to address the people and give speeches) who invited to Allah Ta’Aalaa.

The Mushrikeen then erupted against Abu Bakr and the Muslims, beating them and stamping upon Abu Bakr with their feet … ‘Utbah Bin Rabee’ah began striking Abu Bakr with his sandals directing his strikes to Abu Bakr’s face until you could not make out his nose from his face.

Banu Taim (Abu Bakr’s people) then came to fight them and they removed the Mushrikoon from Abu Bakr and then carried him away in a cloak to his house whilst not having any doubt that he would die … They then returned and entered the precincts of the Masjid and said: ‘By Allah, if Abu Bakr dies we will definitely kill ‘Utbah!’”[1]

This is what was mentioned in As-Seerah Al-Halabiyah about the first attempt to manifest the Islamic structure (kutlah) publicly and to announce the Islamic organisation, in a manner that contains a lot of challenge and boldness in addition to the consequences that resulted from this attempt in terms of serious harm and severe punishment!

Ash-Sheikh Ali At-Tantaawi, when commentating upon this stance in his book ‘Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq’ said: “As-Siddeeq was the first to urge the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for the public manifestation and that took place before ‘Umar became Muslim, even if the people thought that ‘Umar was the first to manifest it publicly and the first who beat the Mushrikeen and was beaten by them, due to what became famous in the Seerah of ‘Umar and what became hidden from the Seerah of Abi Bakr.”[2]

 

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Notes

[1] As-Seerah Al-Halabiyah: 1/321-322

[2] Ash-Sheikh ‘Ali AT-Tantaawi, ‘Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq,’ p.41