# MBC1 - # series _ Omar - The eighth - Episode 8

In my view, your only option is that you reduce the pressure on Muhammad's followers. When our traders go to Abyssinia, some of us should reassure the immigrants, giving them what may encourage them to come back. We will benefit by people's love of their homeland. By God, you do not love Makkah any more than they do, but you forced them to immigrate. You, Muthammam! Won't you stop all this? Haven't I forbidden you that? Haven't I forbidden you? Isn't it enough that you have deserted our religion, caused disunity among us, berated our elders, criticized our gods, then you spoilt our sons, brothers, slaves and allies, and perpetrated every bad thing? On top all of this you come and dust your face by your prayer in front of us. By Al-Lat Quraysh has never known anyone bringing it more evil than you've done. If you must, then keep away from us and relieve us from seeing you, because we hate such sight. By Al-Lat, if I see you here again, I will split up your head with a stone. Abu Imarah! I wish you could have seen what your nephew, Muhammad, suffered at the hands of Abu Al-Hakam Ibn Hisham. He found him sitting here... and he reviled and abused him, giving him what he would hate to hear. He then left him, but Muhammad did not reply to him. - Has he, now? - Yes, God is my witness. Welcome, Abu Imarah! Would you abuse him when I follow his religion, saying what he says? Leave Abu Imarah alone. By God, I have badly abused his nephew. This is what I counselled you against. He did not follow his nephew's religion, but you pushed him into it. He only said it in anger. What if he confirms what he said? By God, Muhammad has not received greater support as he received today with Hamzah declaring himself a Muslim. Nephew, don't worry. If anyone harms you, I will harm them in multiples. I used to support you as a blood relative, but now I support you as a Muslim. I declare my belief that there is no deity other than God, and that you are His messenger. That's Muhammad. It is all his doing, all these troubles he has caused us. Would that I go and kill him with my sword, Umar! You must have come out carrying your sword for some serious matter. I am looking for this man, Muhammad, who has split Quraysh. - What did you say? - A man for a man! By God, you think too highly of yourself, Umar. Do you think the Abd Manaf tribe will let you walk on earth when you have killed Muhammad? No. Once I have done that, I would give myself up to the Hashimites to kill me in retaliation. The matter will end at that. - The least evil. - Rather, the greatest evil. Shouldn't you rather go back to your own family and start by taking care of them? Who of my family? Your sister, Fatimah Bint Al-Khattab, and her husband Saeed Ibn Zaid Ibn Amr, your brother-in-law. Both are Muslims, following Muhammad's faith. "But when he came close to it, a voice called out to him: Moses," "I am your Lord! Take off your sandals," "for you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa." "Know that I have chosen you. Listen, then, to what is being revealed." "Said (Moses): My Lord, open up my heart (to Your light)," "and make my mission easy for me," "and free my tongue from its impediment," "so that people may understand what I say." "Appoint for me a helper from among my kinsmen," "Aaron, my brother." "Grant me strength through him" "and let him share my task" "so that together we may extol Your limitless glory" "and remember You always." Saeed! Fatimah! It's me, Umar. Stay here. No sound. My brother... What is this noise I heard here? You heard nothing, except some conversation between us. Yes, indeed. I heard that you have deserted, and that you are following Muhammad's religion. Don't lie to me. Umar, what will you say if a religion other than yours is the right religion? So, you have done. Umar! Umar! Stay away from my husband, you tyrant. Umar! You, enemy of God! Will you beat me and my husband because we believe in God's oneness? Do what you can. I bear witness that there is no deity other than God and I bear witness that Muhammad is His messenger. Yes, we have accepted Islam in spite of you. Take your hands off me. Is that what you were reading? - Give it to me to read. - I won't. Look. I took what you said to heart. "Ta Ha." "We did not bestow this Qur'an on you from on high to cause you distress," "but only as an admonition to the God-fearing." "It is a revelation from Him who has created the earth and the high heavens," "the Lord of Grace, established on the throne of His almightiness." "To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth," "as well as all that is between them, and underneath the soil." "If you say anything aloud," "then (know that) He knows all that is secret, as well as all that is yet more hidden." "(He is) God; there is no deity other than Him." "His alone are all the attributes of perfection." Is it from this that Quraysh has fled away? "Indeed, I alone am God; there is no deity other than Me." "So, worship Me alone, and establish regular prayer to celebrate My praise." "Although I have chosen to keep it hidden, the Last Hour is bound to come," "so that every soul may be rewarded in accordance with what it strove for." "Hence, let not anyone who does not believe in its coming" "and follows only his own desires turn your thoughts from it, lest you perish." The one who says this must be worshipped alone, without partners. My brother... my sire, my love! Khabbab! Were you the reciter? Be happy, Umar. I sincerely hope that the Prophet's prayer is fulfilled in your favour. He said: "My Lord, grant support to Islam" "with the one You love better out of these two:" "Abu Al-Hakam Ibn Hisham or Umar Ibn Al-Khattab." Has he really said that? Yes, indeed. By God, he said it. By God, you are the best of the two men I am sure the Prophet's prayer would be fulfilled in your favour. Take me to the Prophet and his companions. It is Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, carrying his sword. Why are you worried. Open the door for him. If God wills it good for him, he will accept Islam. If not, it will be easy for us to kill him. What brings you here now, carrying your sword? Will you not abandon your attitude until God has willed a strike to befall you? Messenger of God. I have come to declare that I believe in God and His messenger, and in what you have brought us from God. God is supreme! God is supreme! Zaid! Brother! Have you beaten me to Islam, Zaid? I wouldn't have sought your permission. You were tyrannical. But you won't find me weak in Islam. May God and His messenger, and you all, be my witnesses that in every position in which I harmed a Muslim I will now stand again defending Islam. I want to catch up with you all, as you have taken a lead on me. Umar? What news? Aren't you aware that I am now a Muslim? - What did you say? - I have become a Muslim. - Don't do it. - I have done. May God blacken your face and the news you brought me. Umar! Have you heard that I have become a Muslim? - You? - Yes. People of Quraysh! People of Quraysh! I am now a Muslim. I bear witness that there is no deity other than God and that Muhammad is God's servant and messenger. And you have come to challenge us in our meeting place! By God, we will give you the same treatment you meted out to others. - Enough. That's enough. - Here comes Al-Aas Ibn Wael What's the matter with you idiots? Have you lost your brains? Ibn Al-Khattab has deserted. So what? A man has chosen a religion! Do you think that the Adiy clan will gladly hand him over to you? Have you forgotten that we, the Sahm clan, are allied to Adiy. Whatever befalls them also befalls us. Disperse. Disperse. You didn't need all this. Shouldn't you have kept quiet about it? I won't conceal the truth after knowing it. I will continue to separate the truth from falsehood, just as God has distinguished day from night. Umar? Who could have thought... By God, I was right. You thought he would convert? We were talking with him the other day about Muhammad and our people. The two of us were there as were Safwan, Umair and Ikrimah. I looked in all your faces and wondered if any of us would accept Islam one day, and who would be the first to do so. And you thought it would be Umar? He is not as rich as our fathers to be keen to retain his wealth. His clan is not a top one like the Abd Shams, Jumah, Sahm and Makhzoom, your clan, so as to envy the Hashimites for having a Prophet from among them. He thinks independently from his father. Besides, Al-Khattab, his father, is unlike your father or mine or Umayyah Ibn Khalaf. Moreover, he is the youngest to share with our elders in the debate about Muhammad. As such, he has a fresh heart, closer to what is new. He does not allow old traditions to dictate to him. But above all that, he is Umar: he is the same on the inside and in outer appearance. When he is hard, he soon gets softer and kinder. He has not been hostile to Muhammad for any purpose those elders shared, but he obeyed his own mind. If he happens to think differently, he won't hesitate to change his mind. He will not be impeded by any personal concern or by a gain elsewhere. Nor would he fear any consequences. Makkah after Umar's conversion to Islam is different from Makkah before that. By God, Muhammad and his companions have enhanced their status. First Hamzah and now Umar. People of Adiy, come over to me. I used to forbid you to follow Muhammad, and I treated some of you harshly for doing so. I was in a state of ignorance, error and blindness. You are now aware that God has shown me the truth and has guided me to follow His religion. I am now giving you sincere advice. Take it from one who wishes you well and loves to see you rightly guided. I will not force anyone as I used to force you to follow falsehood. By God, this religion is the truth given by your Lord. Do not be among those who dispute it in vain. God is certain to give victory to His faith, Let not other people be ahead of you in this goodness, for you will then regret it. I appeal to you all by God and by the bond of kinship: any of you I had harmed or beaten up, to come forward and take his vengeance, And who dares to do that? so that I would not bear that sin any longer, or else let them forgive me. God is certainly much forgiving. I open my chest for whoever wishes to retaliate As for me, I forgive. Whoever of you wishes may do so. We have forgiven. Messenger of God, aren't we following the truth, whether we live or die? Why should we hide, then? By Him who sent you with the message of the truth, we shall go out and pray at God's Sacred House. We will spite those enemies of God until they have despaired and stopped acting against us. Don't try. Two such rows that include Umar and Hamzah. Neither a wise man nor a foolhardy person should ever come near them. No, Abu Al-Hakam. We have tried what you are urging us to do. We have beaten people up and tortured and imprisoned them, but we achieved nothing. Muhammad's message has broken out of this city of ours to reach other Arabs. Many have accepted Islam as a result of Umar's conversion. They formerly knew him as Quraysh's ambassador who speaks out for it, and as its unbeatable strong man. Why shouldn't they listen to him and accept what he says? Were we to denounce him, they will not believe us, since we had praised him earlier. Wisdom requires that we change course. We should withhold our opposition to Muhammad and his companions, at least for a while. Perhaps we may be able to achieve with a moderate approach what we could not achieve by iron-fist tactics. We had disputed Muhammad's claim of prophethood, but we didn't try to challenge him to prove his claim in public. He claims to be supported by divine revelations. Let him, then, show us some miracles as a proof. Why don't you demand that he gets springs of water gush out of the earth, letting streams flow to water gardens of dates and grapes. By Al-Lat, we are in a city suffering from water scarcity and lack of vegetation. Or let him make portions of the sky fall in pieces on top of us, as he tells people will happen on the Day of Judgement. He also speaks of God and the angels. Let him bring them to us in a group so that we can look at them. Besides, he is one of our poorest. Why doesn't he pray to his Lord to give him a house of gold? What do you think? We asked your friend to do a few things, but he hasn't done so, yet he claims to be sent as a messenger from God. Do you mean those miracles you tried to challenge him with? Had he produced some or all of them, would you have truly believed? By Him who sent Muhammad with the message of the truth, you wouldn't. You would have said: it is all magic and he bewitched our eyes with it. Earlier messengers produced miracles like these, but those who witnessed them refused to believe. What would you think others who did not see them do? You have had relations with the Jews in Yathrib, and you heard from them about the miracles God gave to Moses and his staff, and how the sea was split for him. Did Pharaoh and his people who witnessed these believe in Moses' message? How about you: did you believe in Moses when the Jews told you about these miracles? Or did you say: we saw nothing, and these are merely fables of ancient people. By God, you know that he does not lie, but it is your arrogance. When God wants to destroy the people of a prophet for rejecting his message, He shows them all the miracles they demand. If they continue to disbelieve after witnessing such miracles, He destroys them. The people of Aad and Thamud disbelieved even though they witnessed miracles given to them by God. As they did not heed God's warnings, He destroyed them. Only their ruins remain. So, be wise and take heed. Where have you come from, Arab brother? - We're from Khuza'ah. - How was Makkah when you left? You seem to ask about Quraysh and Muhammad and his companions? You are right. I did not see any problem between the people and their crony. Hamzah embraced Islam and he was followed by Umar Ibn Al-Khattab. Are you certain: Hamzah and Umar? Yes, indeed. And many others became Muslims following Umar's conversion. And you say that you found no problem in Makkah. It appears that the people have gone quiet. In fact I think they might have accepted Islam, either all or most of them. How can we tell if the man has told the truth? Why would he lie? He might have imagined it all. The man was in Makkah, and this is not the sort of thing to be imagined. As for me, I will return, God willing. If what the man from Khuza'ah has said is right, then this is what we hope for. If it is not, we will see what to do on the spot. I am not happy to be away from God's messenger (peace be upon him), even if I happen to be in the best place on earth. Help me, Abu Jandal. Abdullah! Abdullah, my son? Is that how you welcome your guests? What guest comes in without knocking? Shouldn't you have informed us of your arrival? So that you organize a fine reception for me, with maids playing music! I feared that if the people see me coming back someone might try to stop me and I get involved in a fight. If I kill him, you will have to settle the issue with his people, even though we are of different religions. If he kills me, you will be burdened with avenging my death. That's a model son, caring for his father's comfort. Now, what brings you back from Abyssinia? Have all your friends come back? We heard that you have accepted Islam, all or most of you. Is it because Hamzah and Umar have deserted you thought... So, the news is right in their cases at least. How miserable this news is! It is the best news we've had since we embraced the divine faith. You're starting to argue when you have only met a few moments ago. Won't you better wait until the morning? Make sure not to let anyone of Quraysh see you tomorrow. Do you fear for me? I fear that you give me the burden of vengeance, either for or against you. How happy I am to see you back. - Good morning to you all. - Good morning. Where's your brother? Haven't you told him... He has been bored sitting at home ever since he came back. He did not leave until it was very quiet. He is now at my sister's Sahlah and her husband Abu Hudhaifah. These are our clan's notables. They desire to hear from your brother about his faith. If they like it, they may be willing to take it up. Otherwise, they let him be and join me in protecting him. Abdullah! Abdullah! Come with me... quick... now. Is it true what Abu Jandal has said? Do you really want to hear about Islam? Here are your cousins. What's this, father? Have you played a trick on me, Abu Jandal? I swear I didn't... Father! Leave me alone; let go of me! You were right. I wouldn't tolerate that anyone from Quraysh harms you. But it is different when it is me... You thought I would let him immigrate to Abyssinia again? Who said he... Well, don't you know that since your brother and his companions came back, many more of their friends have immigrated to Abyssinia, headed by Jaafar Ibn Abi Talib. But Abdullah has not intended to immigrate again. Had he done I would have known. Huh! They are all going out in secret. You won't catch up with them before they have set sail. You have belittled me badly, father. You made a bait of me and a game of him. Blame yourself before you blame me. Yes, I tricked you both for my purpose. But you should blame yourself for not realizing it. We are partners in it. I do blame myself for thinking that Suhail Ibn Amr will only speak the truth, and is faithful to his trust. Watch your words, Abu Jandal... or else, I'll put you alongside your brother. I saw you delighted when I led you to understand that we want him to tell us about Muhammad's religion. I thought you sympathize with him. - You thought right, father. - What did you say? It's not merely sympathy. I follow his religion. I bear witness that there is no deity other than God and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. Let's see how long you can tolerate this type of life.