THE ORPHAN OF THE ARABIAN DESERTS

Ismail Yurdakok
ismailyurdakok@gmail.com

There were not perennial rivers or lakes. To supplement the water supply from un
derground sources in irrigating the oases, Arabian deserts, apart from small str
eches in the mountains and oases, was an almost treeless land. The life was very
difficult and the orphan’s life is full of tragical events. Two months ago before
he came to this world, his father had died. There was a tradition that they use
d to send new babies to a wet-nurse in a tribe of desert. Mother Amenah obeyed t
his tribal rule and she was forced to give his son to a wet-nurse from the Baney
Sa’d tribe. Halemah took the orphan to the desert. Amenah was sheding tears. The
orphan was brought to home town when he was four years old. Mother embraced her
child. Mother and the son, two happiest year of the orphan in his life. Amenah w
anted to visit her maternal uncles, an eleven days journey on the camel, they ar
rived Madina city in a caravan.
After visiting mother’s relatives they both were returning but mother died on the
Mecca way. She was buried near road in desert by a few men of caravan. Orphan Mu
hammad was crying but no use. Now no father and no mother and he was six years o
ld. The chief of the caravan
delivered the child to his grandfather.
Abdulmattaleb was a notable man of Mecca and he was 99 years old. After one year
the old grandfather died and the orphan again was sheding tears. Muhammad would
go to another
House when he was seven years old and this is third house in his short life. Unc
le Abu Taleb as a guardian was a compassionate man. The orphan was twelve years
old and he and the uncle went to Damascus with a trade caravan. After five years
Muhammad and the other uncle Zubayr went to Yemen also for trading.
A tradeswoman Hadeyjah had heard the honesty of Muhammad that he was a young tra
desman now. She wanted to employ Muhammad and Muhammad went to Damascus for Hade
yjah. Hadeyjah gained a good profit from the orphan’s work. After some years she w
anted to marry Muhammad. A good speech from the uncle Abu Taleb in the wedding c
eremony, Muhammad was twenty five years old Hadeyjah was forty. Qasem was the f
irst son of the family but a few months later small baby died. Especially Hadeyj
ah was very sad because God had given a baby after her forty years old but the b
aby was not alive now. After five years, the first daughter of the family Zaynab
and three years later the second daughter Ruqayyah and then third daughter Ummu
Kulthum were born. In the tenth year of the marriage last daughter Fatima was
born. Another son of the family, Abdullah, he also died when he was a small baby
.
The orphan was forty years old now and began to tell the early verses of Quran.
The first
verse was about “reading”, God had revealed that “Read with the name of your God”. This
verse was very important that in the future centuries the Islamic civilisation w
as born on the principle of this first command of God. In the Medieval Ages, a b
rilliant Islamic civilisation was seen in the Near East with great muslim schola
rs.
Hadeyjah as a woman is the first muslim in the history who believed in Muhammad’s
teachings. ‘Invite to Islam’ was secretly at the early days. About twenty men and wo
men became muslim in the first three years. Publicity began to call the people t
o the new religion. Meccan polytheist authorities did not want to permit a fre
e choice between Islam and idolatry to Meccan people. All of the Arabian towns a
nd villages were in serious economic and political injustice. Although the movem
ent radically altered the domestic social and political order and also produced
a set of revolutionary ideas but it was an ethical change in the community.
He was not a political man but the conditions made him a valuable statesman and
he established an independent powerful state in Arabian deserts and at the end
anarchy and plunder disappeared. As a carismatic leader, his movement became an
ethical revolution. The mainstay domestic opponents were idolators in Meccan per
iod (13 years) and hypocrites (10 years) in Madina period. Absolutely he was a “ho
ly man” but the Prophet had not got an unlimited autocracy. The companions used to
ask/say/criticize him especially in worldly affairs. After the Khandak war, Mec
can Quraysh tribe began to lose control of situation. And there was a “cold war” bet
ween believers and hypocrites, in all of the Madina period. But new muslims were
not in a disintegration position in new religion because they used to want to l
eave former lives. Patience: was the real method of muslims from the earlier day
s of Islam. The Prophet forgave enemies of new religion even two famous enemy Wa
hshey and Khaled b. Waleyd that Wahshey had killed the uncle of the Prophet and
Khaled also a lot of Muslims.
GREAT SYNERGY
Muhammad protected slaves, gave a lot of rights for slaves that he said: “you shou
ld give meals to the slaves what you eat and you should give clothes to them wha
t you wear.” He appointed Zayd that -he was a former slave- as the chief of staff
, 14 centuries ago, and after
some years also appointed Usamah (the son of Zayd) to the same post, in spite of
a lot of opposite opinions against this appointments. After immigration, the co
nditions were heavy but he and his friends did not think that they were exiled t
o Madina city (that Madina would become the capital city of the ethical movement
) with a great synergy they went on to invite people. As an orphan and as a fath
er he saw death of his five children and his wife, his near companions, and pove
rty in the long years of his time and insults of idolaters and hypocrites to his
face ...calamities were raining non stop...but there was not any despair in his
life when he was a young man, middle-aged or old man.
NO POLITICAL DISCOURSE
He used to give a short sermon in every friday in the mosque in noons. But no po
litical discourse or nationalist racist sentences were seen. No sentences like “th
is land of our ancestors” or no political slogans like “This is our goal. We must p
ut our hearts and hands to its achievement.” or “Arabic culture is the cradle of ou
r civilization” or “defend of Oriental values”. New religion would not be a geograph
ic movement or only spiritual or only political
doctrine. He emphasized –non stop- man’s journey from darkness toward light. Freedom
and peace for all mankind. There was not a “hate Mecca” propaganda campaign after
immigration to Madina. It was possible to establish a “Free Madina (city) State” and
to build walls, ramparts around the city. But Muhammad was not a canditate to a
(n imperial) post and he did not do these, but ethical movement had to spread. H
e had not established a regular army even a permanent body guard team for himsel
f. Security was important but for all of the citizens that’s why criminal law code
s of Quran had got heavy punishments for prevent ordinary man’s life, wealth, chas
tity.
VOICE OF OPPRESSED PEOPLE
He tried to persuade the people of desert for an ethical cleanness. This is a fa
ct that, a lot of days, he was hungry but he used to give his meal to the poor.
In the Meccan period, the companions learned –under heavy pressure and torture of
Meccan idolaters- that rewards of (Hereafter) must be earned; that nothing is ga
ined without effort. Muhammad was the voice of oppressed people in these long 13
yearsin Meccan period. He knew that he was not a superman “Say: ‘I am but a man li
ke yourselves’” (Quran, Kahf, verse, 110); although he did not like to talk much but
he should go to the idolaters and say, now, the realities of God’s power, he shou
ld tell the wickedness of bad behaviours on physical body and soul of man. He wa
s a calm man, used to live in his own world but, now, he should be a man of acti
on. After immigration he was 53 years old and defense of ethical behaviours and
establish a good society; this meant working against time and against the handic
ap of resistance movement classical Arab aristocracy that they were accustomed t
o live in an unethical life. His duty is to train right-thinking men and right-t
hinking women.
He did not slapped a woman or a child. To say truths in everywhere, he did not t
hink “may be to say these sentences is not appropriate for my future or my career”.
This was the first step to make an ethical society that the leader has to expres
s what is in his heart and mind. To solve the complex problems of immigration wa
s not easy but the Prophet and the companions were patient men/women. The demand
s of believers was clear: in five different times of every day, Muhammad and bel
ievers used to say these sentences (verses of Quran):
Praise be to Allah (God), the Owner of the universes;
The Compassionate, The Merciful;
The Owner of the day of judgement;
You alone we worship, and You alone we want for help;
Guide us to the straight Way;
The way of those whom You have favoured;
Not of those who have incurred your wrath. Nor of those who go astray.(Chapter o
f Fatihah)
Eknath Easwaran also would narrate that Gandhi of India also used to repeat thes
e sentences
(of Quran) every night although he was a buddist.(Easwaran E. “Nonviolent Soldier
of Islam”
The new religion’s aim the unification of spiritual and material powers of man.“Two
muslims (Huzayfah and his father) had been captured by polytheists before the Ba
der war (between Muslims and polytheists). Polytheists took (obtained) the promi
se from these both Muslims not to fight to polythists in the coming Bader war, a
nd released both of them. Huzayfah and his father met with Muhammad on the way t
o Madina (capital city of Muslims) and they both told what they promised to poly
theists and what is the opinion of the Prophet about this promise. The Prophet s
aid both of them “Return to Madina, we are Muslims and we perform what we gave (as
a promise) and we want help from God.” (Muslim, K.Jehad wa al-Seyar, B, 35, Had,
99) We see in this event, (even) in a critical time (before the Bader war) Musli
ms should keep their promise that in that days muslims were only 319 men and the
y were in need of much person even one person, but God had said in Quran: “O you
who believe ! Fulfill your undertakings”(Quran, Chapter of Maedah, verse,1). Fulfi
llment of undertakings, promises and contracts, was a pillar of the Islamic soc
ial, legal and political order. Here it is a proclaimed as an absolute obligatio
n.The Prophet was not in a hurry to propagate Islam because God had said: “Therefo
re, have patience (O Muhammad) as did the masters of determination Prophets and
do not be in haste concerning them...(Quran, Ahqaf, 35).
THE HOME OF TOLERANCE
To perform the rules of God (and teach these to the humanity) was more important
. In a famous event, in the life of the Prophet, the Prophet had gone to Taif ci
ty to invite them to Islam in the tenth year of his prophethood. The Prophet Muh
ammad was very sad because his city that he was born and lived 40 years there, h
ad not accept Islamic principles. He went to Taif city but a tragical event was
 waiting the Prophet. The people of Taif stoned the Prophet and the shoes of the
Prophet were full of his blood. He took refuge to a vineyard out
of Taif. And in the teachings of muslims ((Hadith Book of) Muslim, K.Jehad, B,39
, had,111) the angel of mountains came to the Prophet and said: “O Muhammad, God h
eard what your nation said/did to you. I am the angel of mountains. God sent me
to you what you command what you want. If you want to close these two mountains
on these polytheists,(I kill (destroy) them)”. The Prophet said: “No, I hope, God (
will) take out (extract,create) from their descendants believers that they worsh
ip only one God and do not recognize a partner with Him.” The Prophet did not wan
t the kill of polytheists. This is Islam. They say “the home of democracy is Engl
and”, we can say “the home of tolerance was Madina.” 14 centuries ago Muhammad had p
ut the principles of tolerance to muslims and non-muslims in the middle of Arab
ian deserts.
After ten years from the above event, the Prophet had got a powerful army and he
sieged Taif but the people of Taif also refused the offers of the Prophet. He r
aised the siege and only prayed for them: “O my God, show (inform) them the true p
ath”.
Islam/Prophet had adopted the method of persuasion. We see this in the verses, r
evealed in the first year of Islam: “Have you not seen (considered) how your God
dealt with
(the tribe of) Aad.(The people) of the many-columned city of Iram. Whose like ha
s never been built in the lands; And with (the tribe of ) Thamud, who clove the
rocks in the valley; And with Pharaoh, of (the victims impaled upon stakes. They
had transgressed in the land and multiplied corruption in it. Therefore your Go
d let loose on them the scourge of His punishment; For your God is ever watchful
.” (Quran, Fajr,v,6-14) In the long tragical 13 years of Meccan period, Quran thr
eated idolaters only with the torment of Hereafter: “Say: “(Quran is) the Truth fro
m your God”. Now whosoever will, may believe, and whosoever will, may disbelieve .
For the cruels (wrong-doers) We (God) have prepared a fire (whose flames) will e
ncircle them like the walls of a tent. If they ask for a drink they shall be sho
wered with water as (hot as) melted brass, which will scald their faces. How ter
rible a drink, how evil the resting-place.”(Quran, Kahf, v, 29).
“Therefore,remind, for you are one to remind:You are not at all a warder over them
. But who turns away and rejects faith, Allah (God) will punish him with a most
terrible torment. Surely to Us (God) will be their return, Then it will be for U
s to do the reckoning.”(Quran, Ghashiyah, v, 21-26).
Quran was revealed to Muhammad not to kill the humankind but only for advice:
“And verily We (God) have given mankind in this Quran every kind of parable, so th
at they may take heed.”(Quran, Zumar, v, 27); “This is a message to all of the unive
rses” (Sad, v, 87). God ordered Muhammad (and to us) to forgive the disbelievers: “(
O Prophet), tell the
believers to pardon the errors of those who do not fear the days of Allah(God),
so that Allah may Himself recompense a group for what they have earned. Whoever
does good, does so far himself, and whoever does evil will himself bear its burd
en. And afterward to your God you will be brought back.”(Jathiyah, v, 14-15). God
knows it is not easy to leave the old opinions:
“...Dreadful for the idolaters is that to which you (O Muhammad) are calling them.
..”(Shura,
v,13). That’s why muslims have to be patient and at the end everybody is free to c
hoose Islam or not..: “As for him who regards himself as self-sufficient. To him y
ou eagerly attend.Though it is not your concern if he does not purify himself. B
ut as for him who eagerly hastens to you, And is in fear of Allah, You are heed
less of him. By no means (should it be so)! (The Quran) is surely an Admonishmen
t. So let whosoever will, pay heed to it.”(Abasa, v, 5-12)
The Prophet (and the other prophets) was a social man, he was in the streets, in
 the fairs, he used to tell Islam in everywhere and sometimes he was unsuccessff
ul in this way but
God used to console him: “And whosoever disbelieves,let not his disbelief afflict
you (O Muhammad). Unto Us (God) is their return,and We shall tell them what they
did.” (Quran, Luqman, v,23); “Prophets indeed have been denied before you, and the
y were patient under the denial and persecuation till Our (God’s) aid reached them
.”(An‘am, v, 34) The Prophet Muhammad and other prophets were insulted but they wer
e patient against these: “Even so, whenever a prophet came to those that were befo
re them they cried: “Sorcerer!” or “Madman!” Have they handed down this (cry) from one g
eneration to the next?..”( Zariyat, v, 52-3); “Therefore, give warning (O Muhammad)
. By the grace of Allah, you are neither a soothsayer nor a madman. Or do they s
ay: “He is a poet; we are waiting for some misfortune to befall him?” Say (to them)
: “Wait if you will; I too am waiting along with you!” Do their minds prompt them to
say this? Or is it merely that they are wicked man?” Do they say: “He (Muhammad) ha
s invented it (Quran) himself?” Indeed, thay have no faith. Let them produce a spe
ech like it, if what they say be true! (Quran, Tur, v, 29-34). We see in these
verses: Quran chose a way of dialogue with the disbelievers and Quran did not a
void to say their claims in its original text because their answers were ready.
That’s why some Islamic constitutional scholars say it is not a problem in an Isla
mic state talking of disbelievers on the public opinion with their arguments bec
ause Islam (will) response them with strong evidences.The Prophet Muhammad solve
d a lot of problems with dialogue.
In some cases there is another way: “And when you see those who meddle with Our (G
od’s) revelations,withdraw from them until they meddle with another topic...” (An‘am,
v, 68) During the Meccan period, the believers were not allowed to fight; the id
olaters took advantage of this situation,and mocked at the believers, and the re
velations that were being revealed by God. Because of this, God enjoined the Pro
phet Muhammad to leave their meeting. Some scholars say: although this revelatio
n was directed specifically to the Prophet in the first instance, its implicatio
ns are applicable to all meetings of blasphemy and evil,and yet have not the pow
er to prevent it.
On the other hand, Muhammad is not a passivist man. Muslims were in a difficult
position under the administration of cruel idolaters in Mecca city. Even cruels
attacked to the
Prophet when he was praying to his God: “Have you seen the man who forbids, A serv
ant when he prays? Have you considered if he follows the right guidance. Or enjo
ins piety? Think: if he denies the truth and gives no heed, Does he not know tha
t Allah sees all things?
(Alaq, v, 9-14) But even in this position God had ordered the Prophet not to obe
y the idolaters:
“No! Never obey him!..”(Alaq, v, 19) But the Prophet always chose solutions with non
-military precautions. Three famous wars in Islamic history that the Prophet als
o entered himself Bader, Uhud and Khandak were defence wars that polytheists had
attacked to Madina. Verses of the Chapter of Mumtahanah (verses, 7-8-9) gives a
general strategy about relations with non-muslims: “It may well be that Allah wil
l put good-will between you and those with whom you have hitherto been at odds.
Allah is Mighty; and Allah is forgiving, Merciful. Allah does not forbid you to
be kind and equitable to those who have neither made war on your religion nor dr
iven you from your homes. Allah loves the equitable. Allah only forbids you to m
ake friends either those who have fought against you on account of your religion
and driven you from your homes, or abetted others to do so. Those who make frie
nds with them are cruels (wrongdoers)”.
Non-muslim women used to visit and talk to Prophet’s wife and daughters, from time
to time. Muhammad had said to his wife: “when you make soup,(you have to) put muc
h water and distribute to your neighbours.” In Islamic teaching there is not also
hypocracy: “Therefore, obey not the rejecters.They wish you were pliant, so that t
hey would be pliant. Nor yield to the wretch who makes many oaths. Detracter, sp
reader abroad of slanders. Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor.(Qala
m, v, 8-12)
YESTERDAY’S ENEMY TOMORROW’S FRIEND
Yesterday’s enemy may be tomorrow’s friend: “Good and evil deeds are not equal.Repel e
vil with what is better; you will see that he with whom you had enmity has becom
e your dearest friend. And none is granted this except those who endure with for
titude; and none is granted this save the owner of great happiness(Quran, Fusılat,
v, 34-35) Indeed a lot of men (like Umar b. Hattab, Khaled b. Waled, Amr b. As
) that they wanted to kill the Prophet, but in the future years of Islam they be
came good Muslims and served Islam very much. Quran expects even repentance of m
en who did heavy torments to muslims. “Those who persecuted the believing men and
women and never repented will suffer the punishment of Hell and the torture of b
urning.”(Quran, Buruj, v, 10) They had burnt muslims but God wanted these cruel me
n’s repentance. That’s why Muhammad forgave Abu Sufyan, Safwan b. Umayya, Wahshey t
hat they had done very harmful attacks to Muslims in the past years.
He did not establish a regular army even a regular squad for protect himself or
protect the capital city. With a temporary army, they used to defend the capital
city. This Islamic movements’s aim was an ethical cleanness. Quran puts general p
rinciples for ease, peace, quiet of human kind: “And We (God) have enjoined upon m
an concerning his parents; his mother bears him in weakness upon weakness, and h
is weaning is in two years.Give thanks to Me (God) and to your parents..” “Turn not
your cheek in scorn toward people, nor walk with insolence in the land. For Alla
h/God loves not each arrogant boaster.” “Be modest in your walking and subdue your v
oice..” (Quran, Luqman, v, 14, 18, 19). Message of Quran was reposeful, restful, a
source of peace of mind. We know that a man came to the mosque and after prayi
ng he urinated in the mosque, although the friends of the Prophet wanted to beat
but the Prophet did not permit this and gave advice to this man. (Muslim, K.Tah
ara, B, 30, Had, 98-99).
Muhammad behaved with patiently in the problem of the hypocrites.Hypocrites wer
e opponent activities to Islam and to Islamic state that they used to say “we are
muslims” but they were not muslims. In spite of their bad actions, the Prophet did
not press them. On the contrary, he used his every effort to keep the hypocrite
s in the circle of Islamic state. Hypocrites did not see a torture or daunt from
the Prophet or muslims. After Uhud war the Prophet did not punish the escaped s
oldiers (from hypocrites). In the future years, include in the war of Tabuk and
in the wars of the period of four caliphes, this type soldiers were not punished
with capital punishment or the other punishments. But morale punishments were p
referred by Islamic governments. In Quran we see the advice/order of God “Be Pati
ent”
in different 19 verses. In addition to, in another 80 verses “to be patient” is adv
ised to Muslims. The concept of “Be Patient” made formed Muslims in their every de
eds. They were not passivists but they knew to act/behave calm. The Prophet had
not got any weapon in Meccan period but he was against every oppression to slave
s, women...
Historians have not said much sentences about achievement of Muhammad’s statesmans
hip because his ethical revolution overshadowed his the other actions. He did no
t establish a dynasty or a totalitarian state or a military government. He had n
ot got powerful tv-radio stations but new ethical message arrived from Red Sea t
o Indian Ocean when he died. The men/women of deserts had understood his humanit
arian advices.