Abu Jandal and his Hardship

Full Name:Al-‘Asi ibn Suhayl; later known as Abu JandalTribal Affiliation:Banu Quraysh; a prominent tribe in MakkahFather:Suhayl ibn Amr; a Quraysh negotiator at the Treaty of HudaybiyyahConversion to Islam:Embraced Islam in Makkah; faced severe persecution for his faithPersecution:Imprisoned and tortured by his father for converting to IslamRole in Hudaybiyyah:Escaped to join the Muslims during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah but was returned to Quraysh due to treaty termsLegacy:Symbol of perseverance and defender of Muslim rights post-HudaybiyahContributions:Raided Quraysh caravans to weaken them economically.Eventually joined the Muslims after the treaty's amendment.Later Service:Actively participated in military campaignsLegacy:Known for his steadfastness under oppression and unwavering faith in Islam

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(Dr. Imran Khan & Mufti. Shah Rafi Uddin Hamdani)

Abu Jandal’s real name was Al-A'asi ibn Suhayl who was the son of Sohail ibn Amr and brother of Abdullah ibn Sohail . Some people state that Abu Jandal's name was Abdullah and he participated in the battle of Badr, but they are mistaken, as Abdullah was his brother's name. He was among the early converts to Islam and the first person who was returned to the Quraysh after the treaty of Hudaybiyah was signed. ¹

Lineage

His lineage was Al-A'asi ibn Sohail ibn Amr ibn Abd Shams ibn Abd Wud ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hasl ibn Aamir ibn Lu’ayy. ² His mother was Fatimah bint Aamir ibn Nofil ibn Abd Manaf. ³

Conversion to Islam

Initially, he was a pagan, but he embraced Islam following the lead of his brother Abdullah who had accepted Islam. ⁴ Due to the reputation of their father and fear of persecution, Abdullah and Al-A'asi hid their religion. In the battle of Badr, Abdullah rode with the vanguard of Quraysh against the Muslims, however, when the battle started, Abdullah joined the Muslim forces and fought against the Quraysh. ⁵ When his father was informed of this, Abdullah and Abu Jandal were exposed. Abdullah became safe as he joined the Muslim army, however, Abu Jandal was locked up by Sohail and was severely persecuted. Abu Jandal remained in this state for several years and bore harsh torture until the Holy Prophet came to Hudaybiyah.

Trial after the Treaty of Hudaybiyah

When Abu Jandal heard that the Holy Prophet had arrived at Hudaybiyah, he became extremely hopeful that he would be freed and would be able to practice Islam freely. Hence, he tried his best to break his chains and managed to escape. At that time, his father Sohail ibn Amr was concluding the treaty of Hudaybiyah with Prophet Muhammad . When Abu Jandal reached, Prophet Muhammad's camp in his chains, Sohail ibn Umar saw him, slapped his son on the face and grabbed him by his collar. Then, he turned to Prophet Muhammad and said that the agreement had been concluded before Abu Jandal came to you, hence he is the first person who will be returned to the Quraysh. Prophet Muhammad replied, yes you have spoken the truth. ⁶ Hearing this, Abu Jandal said:

يا معشر المسلمين، أأرد إلى المشركين يفتنوني في ديني؟ ⁷

O assembly of Muslims! Am I to be returned to the disbelievers so they may tempt me away from my religion?

When, the companions heard this, they became extremely upset and agitated. Hence, Prophet Muhammad consoled Abu Jandal and replied:

يا أبا جندل، اصبر واحتسب، فإن اللّٰه جاعل لك ولمن معك من المستضعفين فرجا ومخرجا، إنا قد عقدنا بيننا وبين القوم صلحا، وأعطيناهم على ذلك، وأعطونا عھد اللّٰه، وإنا لا نغدر بھم. ⁸

O Abu Jandal , be patient and hope for your reward from Allah. Allah will indeed provide you, as well as the weak ones with you with relief and a way out. We have made an agreement between us and the arbitrators, and we have given (our words) to them, and Allah has given us His covenant, and I will not betray them.

When Sohail started to drag his son back towards Makkah, Umar jumped in and started walking next to Abu Jandal . He also consoled him and said:

اصبر يا أبا جندل، فإنما هم المشركون، وإنما دم أحدهم دم كلب. قال: ويدني قائم السيف منه. قال: يقول عمر: رجوت أن يأخذ السيف فيضرب به أباه، قال: فضن الرجل بأبيه، ونفذت القضية. ⁹

Be patient O Abu Jandal, they are polytheists, the blood of these polytheists as akin to the blood of dogs. He (Zohri) says that (after saying this), he (Umar ) moved his sword close to him (Abu Jandal), He (Zohri) says: Umar said: I thought that Abu Jandal might take sword and kill his father. He (Zohri) said: He (Abu Jandal ) left with his father and the agreement was enforced.

Abu Jandal was imprisoned again by his father. However, after a short while, he managed to escape ¹⁰ and went to the coastal area near Jeddah as he knew that if he went to Madinah, the Holy Prophet would have to return him due to the Hudaybiyah agreement.

Quraysh revokes an Important Clause of the Hudaibiyah Agreement

After that, Abu Jandal met Abu Baseer Thaqafi , and within a short period of time, they managed to raise a strong force of 60 or 70 people. ¹¹ These people developed a plan to hurt the interests of Quraysh and made life extremely miserable for them by regularly intercepting and raiding their trade caravans as they passed through the route, when they came back from Syria. ¹² These people had the right to do whatever they wanted as they were not under the rule of Prophet Muhammad in Madinah, and were not bound by the treaty of Hudaybiyah. ¹³ Since this group was small and extremely mobile, they could not be controlled by the Quraysh. Finally, when the Quraysh were fed up, they swallowed their pride and backed off from one of the harshest clauses of the treaty ¹⁴ which stated that if some one came to the Holy Prophet from the Quraysh, he/she would be returned to Makkah.

Then, the Quraysh sent a delegation to the Holy Prophet which pleaded to take Abu-Baseer , Abu Jandal and other men in Madinah so that they may come under his rule. ¹⁵ Hence, Prophet Muhammad sent a message to them and called them to Madinah. When Abu Jandal heard this glad tiding, he recited the following poetry:

أبلغ قريشا من أبي جندل
أني بذي المروة بالساحل
في معشر تخفق أيمانھم
بالبيض فيھا والقنى الذابل
يأبون أن تبقى لھم رفقة
من بعد إسلامھم الواصل
أو يجعل اللّٰه لھم مخرجا
والحق لا يغلب بالباطل
فيسلم المرء بإسلامه
أو يقتل المرء ولم يأتل ¹⁶

Send a message to the Quraysh from Abi Jandal. I am at the cost of Zil Marwah
With a group of people who have white (shiny) swords and strong spears
They (This group) have decided to stay together after accepting Islam
Unless Allah creates a way out for them as Haq (Truth) is never overpowered by Batil (Falsehood)
We have decided that we will get peace via Islam or get martyred, we have no loss in both conditions.

When Abu Baseer got the message of the Holy Prophet which asked him to come to Madinah, he was already on his deathbed. Unfortunately, he could not reach Madinah. ¹⁷ The remaining people came to Madinah and added to the strength of the Muslim community. When they became citizens of Madinah, they abstained from their hostile acts towards the Quraysh.

Demise

Later on, Abu Jandal participated in the battles against the non-Muslims including Yamamah. ¹⁸ and passed away in Al-Sham during the plague of Amwas or Emmaus ¹⁹ in 18 A.H.

• ¹  Izz Al-Din Ali ibn Muhammad Al-Shaibani ibn Athir (2003), Usud Al-Ghaba fi Ma’rifat Al-Sahaba, Maktaba Al-Tawfiqiya, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 6, Pg. 50-51.
• ²  Yusuf ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd Al-Barr Al-Qurtabi (1992), Al-Isti’aab fi M’arifat Al-Ashab, Dar Al-Jeel, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 925.
• ³  Ahmed ibn Yahya ibn Jabir ibn Dawood Al-Baladhuri (1996), Jumal Min Ansab Al-Ashraf, Dar Al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 220.
• ⁴  Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (1427 A.H.), Al-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 32.
• ⁵  Ahmed ibn Yahya ibn Jabir ibn Dawood Al-Baladhuri (1996), Jumal Min Ansab Al-Ashraf, Dar Al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 219-220.
• ⁶  Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (1955), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Shirkah Maktaba wa Matba’a Mustafa Al-Babi, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 2, Pg. 318
• ⁷  Ibid.
• ⁸  Abu Abdullah Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal (2001), Musnad Al-Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal, Hadith: 18910, Muassasah Al-Risala, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 31, Pg. 219.
• ⁹  Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (1955), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Shirkah Maktaba wa Matba’a Mustafa Al-Babi, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 2, Pg. 318-319.
• ¹⁰  Yusuf ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd Al-Barr Al-Qurtabi (1992), Al-Isti’aab fi M’arifat Al-Ashab, Dar Al-Jeel, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 4, Pg. 1621.
• ¹¹  Ibid.
• ¹²  Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (1976), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Kathir, Dar Al-Ma’rifat lil Taba’at wal-Nashr wal-Tawzi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 335-336.
• ¹³  Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallaabee (2005), The Noble Life of the Prophet Peace be upon Him (Translated by Faisal Shafeeq), Dar Al-Salam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 3, Pg. 1533.
• ¹⁴  Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (1427 A.H.), Al-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 40.
• ¹⁵  Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (1976), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Kathir, Dar Al-Ma’rifat lil Taba’at wal-Nashr wal-Tawzi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 336.
• ¹⁶  Yusuf ibn Abdullah ibn Abd Al-Barr Al-Qurtabi (1992), Al-Istia’ab fi Ma’rifat Al-Ashab, Dar Al-Jeel, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 4, Pg. 1622.
• ¹⁷  Yusuf ibn Abdullah ibn Abd Al-Barr Al-Qurtabi (1992), Al-Istia’ab fi Ma’rifat Al-Ashab, Dar Al-Jeel, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 4, Pg. 1614.
• ¹⁸  Abu Al-Fadl Ahmed ibn Ali Al-Asqalani (1415 A.H.), Al-Isaba fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 7, Pg. 59.
• ¹⁹  Ahmed ibn Yahya ibn Jabir ibn Dawood Al-Baladhuri (1996), Jumal Min Ansab Al-Ashraf, Dar Al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 221.