Seerah of Prophet Muhammad 72 - Umrah Al Qadah - Dr. Yasir Qadhi | 13th November 2013
Seerah of Prophet Muhammad 72 - Umrah Al Qadah - Dr. Yasir Qadhi | 13th November 2013
Today we will move on from Khaybar and in the next 6 months a number of minor expeditions happen with not much significance. The Prophet PBUH sent Umar RA and Abu Bakr RA and other sahaba where perhaps small tribes converted to Islam, but nothing as important as Khaybar or Ahzab etc. happened. So we skip over these incidents as we don't really know the tribes.
Umrah al-Qada
So we move to Umrah al-Qada - that is, they are making up (qada) the Umrah they did not technically do at Hudaybiyyah, even though they did it in terms of Allah's reward. Indeed, even though the Prophet PBUH did not physically do Umrah the year before, Allah gave him the reward. So it's 'as if' he did it. The first Umrah he physically did is Umrah al-Qada. And the Prophet PBUH left Madinah in Dhu al-Qa'dah 7 AH, with around 2000 Muslims. This is a massive amount, and this time they took all of their weapons with them. When the Quraysh heard 2000 are coming and they are armed, the Quraysh sent out a delegation led by Mikraz ibn Hafs who was also the delegation in Hudaybiyyah, and Mikraz send, "O Muhammad we have never seen you be treacherous in anything small or big, so why have you brought weapons when we have agreed you would come with no weapons other than the small swords? But you have horses, armor, arrows etc." So the Prophet PBUH said, "And we shall not enter Makkah except as we agreed." Once again the Prophet PBUH is being faithful to the letter to the law. He brought the weapons all the way to Makkah, but left them outside. And the Prophet PBUH had a supply of weapons outside the haram where 200 people guarded the weapons, and 1800 did tawaf. And then those 200 swapped and did tawaf etc. So the Prophet PBUH did not trust the Quraysh and therefore he brought the weapons, but he still fulfilled his agreement and entered Makkah with the bare minimum sword.
It appears the Quraysh divided into three groups. One group stayed in their houses for 3 whole days, other groups congregated in their parliament (Dar al-Nadwa) - their largest house as well. And it had a large area so lots of people could stay there. One group even left Makkah and just camped outside in the valleys and hills for three days. None of them wanted to interact with the Muslims out of fear and for political reasons.
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Legitimate PR in Islam
And a rumor spread that the Muslims - remember the Quraysh have not seen their kith and kin, their own relatives for 6.5 years, it's a long time especially back then when family lived together - so one of them spread a rumor, "The plagues of Madinah have harmed them and they've come back weaklings." Remember Makkah was a harsh climate with greenery - this harshness meant there weren't many diseases. Madinah however has water, agriculture, cultivation so there are a different spectrum of diseases people were exposed to, and indeed the sahaba all fell sick when they first migrated to Madinah. Abu Bakr RA felt sick and thought he would die, Bilal fell sick etc. So a rumor was spread, "The people have returned as weaklings." When the Prophet PBUH heard this, he commanded the Muslims to do many things:
1. Raise their voices out loud with talbiyah
2. Show and expose their right shoulders. This is the first time this sunnah was introduced that when we do the first tawaf we expose the right shoulder.
3. They should walk around tawaf the first three with 'raml' which is a brisk walk. We can never do this because of the sheer rush around the Ka'bah now. But with no rush, the Prophet PBUH and the sahaba were almost running. That is, walking as fast as possible - almost running. And they did this for the first three rounds.
When the Quraysh saw this they said, "Wallahi there is nothing wrong with them." And imagine for the first time in history 2000 Muslims are around the Ka'bah. No doubt in the time of Ibrahim AS there were at most 5 people; after this where were the Muslims doing tawaf in mass congregation? And the Quraysh had their Jahiliyyah practices: Some did tawaf naked, some this, some that - the first time in history where we see what see today, which is the whole city in ihram, doing tawaf and raising talbiyah. Here you have 2000 people crowding Makkah, and it certainly must have been a daunting sight for the Quraysh to see. And indeed, it did have an effect, and that is why three very prominent conversions took place right after Umrah. When they are seeing 2000 Muslims dressed doing tawaf, reciting the correct talbiyah for the first time in the world - there is no adding of partners to Allah. So the talbiyah loud, the raml, the tawaf etc. Imagine the psychological impact on the Quraysh: The tide has changed, and less than 2 years from now Makkah will be in Islamic control. This type of demonstrating of power is common in the seerah. We see it in Abu Dujana during Uhud when he wore his red turban and walked around arrogantly, the Prophet PBUH said, "This is a walking Allah despises except at such a time and place." We also see in the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, when the Makkans sent the envoy, the Prophet PBUH said, "Show him the camels" and this was a person from a tribe that exalted the sacrification of animals. This shows us legitimate PR is allowed and important. We need to look at the image we give of Islam to others; it's a part of our dawah to give an image of strength and maturity. And that image changes from time to time, place to place. Here was a man who respects the hadi so the Prophet PBUH showed him the camels; the Quraysh said the Muslims are weak, so the Prophet PBUH said to the sahaba 'show your strength.' Therefore we show the people true Islam; if there is an illegitimate criticism, to emphasize that point to demonstrate Islam is the opposite of what is being said we show them what they say. This is not 'imitating the kuffar' - our Prophet PBUH is not 'catering to the kuffar' by demonstrating strength at Uhud. By showing the strength of the Muslims during the Umrah al-Qada etc. It's our job to clean our image as long as we don't affect our theology and ethics.
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Performing Umrah Without Interference
Now the Prophet PBUH stayed in Makkah for 3 days - not much details are given, but we can assume it was peaceful and nothing happened. We assume the Quraysh lived up to their treaty and did not interfere. The Prophet PBUH also ordered regular swaps of the 200 guarding the weapons so everyone did Umrah. And wallahi we wish there were details but we can only imagine the feelings of the Prophet PBUH and the sahaba after entering Makkah for 6.5 years. He sees the house of Khadija, all the valleys he grew up in etc. How emotional he must have felt. All of his memories: Every single one of them. The city of his mother, father, grandfather, Abu Talib, Khadija - the city where all of the good and bad happened. We can only imagine the feelings the Prophet PBUH had: Overwhelming with emotion.
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Marriage to Maymunah bint al-Harith RA the Last Wife of the Prophet PBUH
One or two things happened on the way out. al-Abbas suggested the Prophet PBUH marry Maymunah, and she was to be the last of his wives. And Maymunah was not only the last wife he married, she was the last to die of all the wives as well. And Maymunah was married to Abu Rahm ibn Abdul Uzza, and she became a widow, and so she was without any husband in Makkah. She is a Muslim, and she is the sister in law of al-Abbas. al-Abbas' wife is Umm al-Fadl, and her sister is Maymunah. So Maymunah is now left without anyone as a widow in Makkah - she doesn't want to remain with the Quraysh, so she says to Umm al-Fadl, "Find me a husband." So Umm al-Fadl tells Abbas and he goes immediately to the Prophet PBUH and says, "I am the wali of Maymunah and what do you think of her?" He praises her immensely, and so the Prophet PBUH agreed. Abbas was the wali and the one who took charge of the marriage ceremony.
Here there is a huge controversy in fiqh. Ibn Abbas says the Prophet PBUH married Maymunah in the state of ihram. It's an authentic hadith, but of course you cannot marry while in the state of ihram. By unanimous consensus the marriage was not consummated in Makkah, we are talking about the nikah contract. The question is, was the Prophet PBUH in ihram when he did the nikah? Ibn Abbas says he was. But we have authentic narrations not the least of which narrated by Maymunah herself: That, "The Prophet PBUH married me when he was outside of ihram." So this is clear cut that he was out of ihram. Ibn Abbas must have made an honest mistake. Some people say by 'ihram' ibn Abbas meant he wasn't in ihram but rather 'inside Makkah.' This is a bit far fetched. The majority position is the Prophet PBUH did not marry Maymunah until after he took off his ihram. So the Prophet PBUH marries Maymunah and it's the third day. The Quraysh come and they say, "Three days are up" and so the Prophet PBUH tries to renegotiate that, "What is the matter if we stay a little bit longer?" The Prophet PBUH said, "Let me be a married man, let me be a groom amongst you, and tomorrow we will have a big feast so come and enjoy food." Literally he called them to come and celebrate with him. Subhan'Allah. And he's using this to see if the Prophet PBUH and sahaba can stay longer. There is no doubt Makkah is his birthplace; the city he's raised in, and the city he feels emotional about. But the Quraysh said, "We don't need your food, three days are three days." So the Prophet PBUH honored the treaty and left without incident. Therefore he consummated the marriage outside of Makkah at a place called Sarif. And Allah willed Maymunah actually passed away many years later at Sarif, and she is buried there to this day at 61 H - the final wife of the Prophet PBUH to pass away, Maymunah bint al-Harith.
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What We Learn From the Incident of Umrah al-Qada
We see many things from Umrah al-Qada:
1. The Umrah al-Qada shows without a doubt the tide has fully changed. The Muslims have the superior hand. They have the more quantity, they are better organised, the Quraysh are dwindling and this is why a number of people converted.
2. The fact the Prophet PBUH is trying to renegotiate while in Makkah shows us you always have the option to go back to the drawing board IF both sides agree. If they don't, you stick to the treaty.
3. Look at the tactic being tried, and that is to soften the hearts of the Quraysh. Clearly the Prophet PBUH is trying to win them over through other means, "Come and enjoy a feast with me etc." These are the same people at Badr, Uhud, Khandaq etc. But now he has the upper hand, the goal isn't to be harsh: Rather it's to win their hearts and minds. He uses his marriage as a dawah. And if the Quraysh had agreed, no doubt he would have given them a massive feast. This clearly shows us this is allowed: Here is the Prophet PBUH saying with pagans, "Let's come and eat together." Why? When you eat together, your hatred and anger softens. And now the Prophet PBUH has the upper hand, he doesn't need to be on the defensive. Rather he can show them Islam through interactions but they were stubborn and heart hearted. And most likely the Quraysh leaders themselves realized 'we don't want our people to go soft.'
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Umara the Daughter of Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib RA
One small incident took place as they were coming out of Makkah. A young girl 6-7 years old comes running after them and calls out to the Prophet PBUH, "Oh my uncle take me take me don't leave me in Makkah." And who is this? She is Umara the daughter of Hamzah. Now he had been married in Makkah but divorced his wife. So they had a daughter by the name of Umara bint Hamzah. Of course Hamzah died at Uhud. And Umara's mother was Salma bint Umays, and she is the sister of the famous sahabiyat Asma bint Umays. Salma and Asma, their mother was also the mother of Maymunah whom the Prophet PBUH married. And subhan'Allah it's a small tribal society, therefore everyone in Makkah is related to everyone else. When you bring in mothers, it complicates matters much more. Here, the Prophet PBUH is married to Maymunah, so he is an uncle through Maymuna of Umara. The books of seerah don't mention why Umara did this, but it's clear it's because she wants to be with the Muslims. And it's amazing she wants to leave the family in Makkah and live with the Muslims.
When the sahaba found out who this is, Ali RA took her by the hand and gave her to Fatima, "We will take care of her." When the others found out this is Umara ibn Hamzah, Zayd ibn Harithah came and said, "The Prophet PBUH made me brothers with Hamzah so I am the brother of Hamzah, thus this is my niece so I will take care of her." Then Ja'far came in, who is the older brother of Ali RA, and he said, "I have the same rank of Ali BUT my wife is her khala (blood aunt)." Now Asma bint Umays is Ja'far's wife. And what a woman Asma bint Umays was - first she married Ja'far, then Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, then Ali ibn Abi Talib. So Asma is with Ja'far, and Asma's sister is Salma and Salma's daughter is Umara. So Ja'far says, "Not only is Hamzah my uncle, my wife is her aunt." So the three of them began disputing and it becomes heated.
And wallahi it's amazing what 10 years of Islam have done to the status of women. 10-15 years ago NOBODY would have wanted to take care of her. She would be lucky if she remained alive in the first place. Now she's coming as an orphan and three great sahaba are fighting over her saying, "I have the most right." So the Prophet PBUH had to get involved and it was very sensitive. So he begins by praising all three of them: He says to Ali, "You are from me and I am from you." This is a great praise for Ali RA and we give all this to Ali RA. Then he said to Zayd, "You are our brother and protector." And then he says to Ja'far, "You resemble me the most physically and in manners." And indeed Ja'far is much close in age to the Prophet PBUH, and they were both raised in the same house of Abu Talib. And so he says, "You resemble me the most in looks and manners." Who does he decide? He says, "Ja'far she is yours because the khala (mother's sister) is the same as the mother." From this we derive a fiqh that when a person is an orphan, who has the right to take care of them? Three madhhab say mother's sister, one say father's sister. Both sides have their evidence but this is a crucial hadith. The point is how Islam changed the mentality of the people: Despite a girl being despised, she is a girl and orphan and she is being fought over. And crucially this is the daughter of who? Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib. They all feel a strong obligation to Hamzah - this is why Zayd said, "Hamzah is my brother so I must take care of her." So the Prophet PBUH decided in the end on Ja'far.
This is the story of the Umrah al-Qada.
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Three Major Conversions
Between this and the conquest of Makkah there was really nothing else major that happened in a political sense. And really Umrah al-Qada is the final psychological blow on the Quraysh, the conquest is just around the corner. The Quraysh are clearly on the lower and defensive side, and this is proven in the conversion of the final three people before the conquest. And all three converted right after the Umrah al-Qada, which shows us the impact this Umrah had on the Quraysh.
1. Amr ibn al-As
And his story is one of the strangest stories in the entire seerah. Amr ibn al-As felt insecure seeing the power shifted to the Muslims, and began wondering, "What would happen if Makkah was conquered? Where would I go?" This was especially true after Khandaq. Amr ibn al-As narrates his own story and says, "It became clear to me after Khandaq, Makkah is next." Recall at Khandaq the shifting of the tide truly began. So Amr said, "I told a group of my friends to look out for me." Recall Amr ibn al-As is the politician, the diplomat, the nobleman - he was sent to Najashi to secure the release of the Muslims from Abyssinia. So he has a group that looks up to him. And he said to them, "I have been telling you the affair of this man Muhammad shall be supreme very quickly. I have an idea - let us immigrate to Najashi and live under him and he was friends with Najashi, so if Muhammad is successful over his people then we shall live under Najashi because we prefer to live under him than Muhammad. If Quraysh wins, then we are who we are and can always return." So Amr did not want to engage in any more battles. The fact that they left Makkah at this stage clearly shows us it's just a matter of time before the Muslims would take over. So they left for Abyssinia, and they took fine camel leather, and other gifts for the Najashi.
So it turns out in Abyssinia a sahabi Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri is delivering a message from the Prophet PBUH to the Najashi to inform Ja'far to return back to Madinah. Al-Damri is a messenger, and he does not have the protection of the Najashi since he is not living with them. Amr ibn al-As, who doesn't know that the Najashi is a Muslim, says, "Let me ask permission from the Najashi if we can kill this envoy in order that the Quraysh will respect me." So he gave the Najashi all of those fur and gifts, and asked permission to kill the messenger al-Damri. And he says, "This man represents someone whom we despise, and he's killed many of our nobleman, will you allow me to kill him in return?" At this the Najashi took his hand and smacked it on his own nose out of distress, which was at the time a sign of extreme disgust and anger. And Amr ibn al-As said, "I became so terrified of his anger I wish the earth would swallow me up." And as soon as he saw the Najashi's anger Amr kneeled down and said, "Had I known that I would occasion such anger, I would not have asked him this." Najashi replied, "Do you wish me to deliver into your hands the envoy who is visited by the angel of Moses himself?" And he continued, "Woe to you oh Amr - for sure this man will be victorious over his enemy just like Moses was victorious over Fir'aun." It's amazing Amr tried to run away from the Prophet's PBUH message, but lo and behold the emperor is a Muslim and giving dawah to him. And this is the only time a tabi' is giving dawah to a sahabi. Najashi gave dawah to Amr ibn al-As to convert, and he became a sahabi. So the Najashi says, "Follow me and obey me and become a Muslim. He will be victorious." Imagine the one person whom he thought he would get refuge from the Prophet PBUH, the Najashi, he himself follows the Prophet PBUH. So Amr realizes this is the truth and says, "Will you accept my Islam on behalf of the Prophet PBUH?" And the Najashi says yes, and Amr accepts Islam right then and there.
When he comes out and meets his companions he didn't tell them anything. He makes an excuse and returns to Makkah, and on his way back he finds two people walking out of Makkah. And as he's on the road back he meets two people on the highway, and these are Khalid ibn al-Walid and Uthman ibn Talha. And he says to them, "Where are you going?" And they say, "We are going to the Prophet PBUH and will accept Islam." Khalid says, "The matter is crystal clear this man is a prophet. I am going to accept Islam, for how long will we deny this?" Amr ibn al-As says, "Wallahi this is why I have come back to Makkah." And so the three of them immigrated together and they became the very last batch to enter Madinah and accept Islam before the conquest of Makkah. First Khalid accepted Islam, then it was Amr's turn. The Prophet PBUH stretched his hand forward, and according to one report pulled the hand back; held onto his hand rather the palm etc. The Prophet PBUH said, "What is the matter?" He said, "Before I embrace Islam I have one condition that all my past sins are forgiven." So the Prophet PBUH said, "Ya Amr, don't you know three things wipe away everything before them: Embracing Islam, migration and Hajj." And subhan'Allah the fact that Hajj is mentioned is our only hope for true forgiveness!
Official narration on the conversion of Amr ibn al-As:
"After the War of the Confederates, we all returned to Makkah and were close to despair. For although we were in every material aspect superior to Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) and his band of followers, they had begun to gain over us in many ways. Whereas before the Muslims had only claimed the eternal life as their own, they were now able to say that this world also was at their feet. I then thought, 'It is best that I go to the Negus of Abyssinia. For in any case, one day Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) and his friends will return to their native place, Makkah. If my people gain the upper hand over Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him), I can come back and resume residence there in peace. If Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) is victorious over my people, at least I will not have had to witness that defeat with my own eyes.' Some of my friends agreed and accompanied me, and taking with us many and precious gifts, we presented ourselves before the Negus."
"Then one day, Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) sent 'Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri to the Negus as his envoy. Intending to take advantage of this situation, I went to the Negus, since I assumed that he would be displeased by Muhammad's (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) agent. I thought he would hand him over to me for me to deal with, in which case he would incur no blame, as the man would have been murdered by one of his own people. When I put these ideas to the Negus, he flew into a rage and drove me from his presence. I then said, 'Had I known that I would occasion such anger, I would not have been so bold.'
"The Negus grew even angrier at that and said, 'You wish me to deliver into your hands the envoy of such a luminary who is visited by the messenger angel himself when he comes to deliver Divine Message!' I then asked the Negus, 'Is that truly what you believe?' He replied in a stern manner, 'Don't wast your words! Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) is as true Prophet. If you are a real man, confess Islam and know that one day he will vanquish all his opponents. Just as Musa was Kalimullah and beat Fir'aun with the staff in his hand, so Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) is the Proof of Allah and will persuade those who argue against him.'
"I left the presence of the Negus feeling utterly dejected. I now was sure that there was no other way to get ahead in the world than by becoming Muslim. I made up my mind to it and secretly set out for Madinah. Then I grew aware that Khalid ibn al-Walid was following me. 'Where are you going?' I asked him. Khalid was an open-minded, outspoken person. He did not yet know of my decision. He replied, 'No need remains for stubborn persistence on the way of disbelief that our fathers and forefathers have shown us. There is not a grain of doubt that Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) whom we used to know as 'al-Amin' is a true Prophet. I am on my way to Madinah into his presence to surrender all that I am and own that he may teach me the worship of the God that he preaches. I will entreat him to forgive me for all the outrage and insolence I have worked against him before this day. If I can achieve his pardon, there is no man happier than I.'
"In this way we proceeded to Madinah together and met with a gracious reception by Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him). Thus we entered Islam"
2. Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira
Recall Khalid's father was the chieftain of the Banu Makhzum, Abu Jahal's tribe. And they are the statesman, the one who had the most rivalry and jealousy of the Prophet's PBUH tribe. Recall the Quraysh were composed of several tribes. However there were three major tribes, and among them smaller tribes such as Umar ibn al-Khattab's tribe, the Banu Adi. To be a Qureshi you are already honored, but within the Quraysh they had their own hierarchy and the three at the top were the Banu Hashim, Banu Umayyah and Banu Makhzum. Post Islam the Banu Makhzum basically died out, but in the days of Jahiliyyah these three were at the top. And al-Walid ibn al-Mughira was the chieftain of the Banu Makhzum, just like Abu Talib was the chieftain of the Banu Hashim. So al-Walid ibn al-Mughira was one of the most famous Qureshi, but he was also the official poet of Makkah. Nobody was close to him, and that is why when the Quran was revealed they all came to him. So he says, "Let me think a while" and as Allah says in the Quran is Surah al-Muddaththir:
And to whom I granted extensive wealth
And children present [with him]
And spread [everything] before him, easing [his life].
Then he desires that I should add more.
No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.
I will cover him with arduous torment.
Indeed, he thought and deliberated.
So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
Then he considered [again];
Then he frowned and scowled;
Then he turned back and was arrogant
And said, "This is not but magic imitated [from others].
This is not but the word of a human being."
I will drive him into Saqar.
And Khalid is referenced in the Quran as one of the 'many children.' So in the privacy of his own house he is walking up and down, but Allah exposes him in such a powerful Surah. And al-Walid is the same one whom the Prophet PBUH was talking to when he turned away from ibn Ummi Maktum. And Allah says, "As for the one who thinks he has everything." Note al-Walid was a noble man who didn't stoop to low levels. He was a noble enemy and that's why he listened to the Prophet PBUH, and why the Prophet PBUH was giving him dawah, that he was so hopeful al-Walid might convert. But ibn Ummi Maktum comes along, and al-Walid says, "You want me to follow your religion when these are your followers?" That's when Surah Abasa was revealed.
So al-Walid's son was Khalid ibn al-Walid and he was raised in lap of luxury. He was trained in the art of war and horsemanship; he did not fight in Badr, but after this he participated in every single battle. And in every single battle he caused the most damage. At Uhud he single handedly caused the destruction of the Muslims. At Khandaq he was one of the few who broke the defenses and made it into Madinah, but he realized he was outnumbered so went back. And he was sent to Hudaybiyyah to block the Prophet PBUH, but the Prophet PBUH outmaneuvered him. This clearly shows the Prophet PBUH was the better military commander. And the story of Khalid's conversion is mentioned by him in the first person mentioned in Ibn Kathir.
"When Allah wanted good of me, he threw the love of Islam in my heart. And I said to myself, 'I have witnessed all of these battles against Muhammad, and every time I've participated, I have sensed I am being turned away.' And that Muhammad shall be victorious. The final straw was Hudaybiyyah; when I met him at Asfan and I was ready to charge, but even during salah he knew what I was thinking (recall Khalid's plan was to charge while the Muslims prayed). Even at Hudaybiyyah he managed to outflank me - I realized this man is protected and I cannot get to him, and I realized after the treaty he will be victorious. So I thought to myself where should I go? Abyssinia - what will I do there and his own followers are there? If I go to Rome I will have to become a Christian and I will have to change my culture and live as a stranger. So I continued remaining confused until Umrah al-Qada. When the Prophet PBUH entered Makkah and did not find me and asked about me. So my brother left me a message." Now Khalid's older brother was al-Walid ibn al-Walid and he embraced Islam as a prisoner of war after Badr. He became a prisoner, Khalid brought 4000 dirhams for his ransom, and al-Walid waited for his brother to pay the money, went back to Makkah with Khalid, but the first night they camped when Khalid woke up al-Walid had gone back to Madinah. He wanted the Prophet PBUH to have the money from the Quraysh. So al-Walid wrote him a letter, "I have not seen anything stranger than you running away from Islam. For how long will you oppose Islam? And the Prophet PBUH asked about you when he came to Makkah. And he said 'it is not befitting that he neglect Islam, if he were to put his talents and energy against the mushriks and we would honor him greatly.' So my dear brother make up what you have already passed because many opportunities have passed you by." Meaning change over before it's too late.
So when he read this letter he decided to convert. And subhan'Allah Khalid embraced Islam the very last batch before the conquest. He went to Safwan ibn Umayyah and said, "What do you think about embracing Islam?" But Safwan said, "If I'm the only person left in the world I will not embrace Islam." So Khalid left him and said, "Then I went to my childhood friend, Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahal." They grew up together and are of the same age, so they are very close friends. So Khalid says to him, "I feel I should embrace Islam." Ikrimah panics, and he starts raising his voice and yelling, shouting, and says, "You are going to leave us, the son of al-Walid? Wallahi this is not going to happen." And in his panic he calls Abu Sufyan and other of the seniors of the Quraysh, and they all gather in Ikrimah's house. Now he is surrounded by all of the seniors of the Quraysh. And according to one version, it actually came to unsheathed swords in front of Khalid. One said, "If you embrace Islam you will have to face this." At this point Ikrimah himself was shocked, "Will you kill him merely because he changed his religion?!" Ikrimah defused the situation and told them to go home. So Khalid realized he can no longer stay in Makkah; thus that very night when this incident happens, Khalid and the third of the three, Uthman ibn Talha decide to leave Makkah.
3. Uthman ibn Talha
Uthman ibn Talha left Makkah with Khalid ibn al-Walid. Within the next day they bump into Amr ibn al-As on his way back from Abyssinia.
Uthman ibn Talha is the sahabi who's going to be the key-holder of the Ka'bah after the Conquest of Makkah later on. And it is a great honor.
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The three of them therefore marched into Madinah simultaneously. Amr ibn al-As the symbolic statesman and politician of the Quraysh, Uthman ibn Talha the symbolic person in charge of the Ka'bah, Khalid ibn al-Walid the real military leader of the Quraysh. Notice the three things: The Ka'bah, the military genius and the political statesman master. Subhan'Allah.
And the three of them embraced Islam and became the last batch of Muslims whom Allah says in the Quran, "Not same are those who embraced Islam before the conquest and after. Those who embrace before are better."
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Notes
From these stories we notice many things:
1. Najashi's love for the Prophet PBUH. And it's a true sign of Iman - and we should not be embarrassed when Allah and His messenger is mocked. No doubt we don't get violent. Look at Najashi, "You want me to kill the envoy of the man who Jibril comes down to?!" So when Allah and His messenger is mocked, we should feel this sense of violation and anger.
2. Amr knew everything the Najashi told him, but when he told him it finally clicked. When it comes from Najashi it clicks - this is human nature. Sometimes the truth depends on who it comes from. And if it comes from somebody else it might make sense to you. This is human nature, "I want to hear it from someone else." We see the same thing with Heraclius when he spoke to Abu Sufyan, that he said, "Are you a fool? He doesn't lie about gold and silver, you expect him now to lie about God Himself?!" It's the same truth but it's coming from someone you don't expect.
3. Notice the psychological dawah to Khalid. The Prophet PBUH mentioned his name and praised him.
4. Notice the concern of Amr ibn al-As of his sins being forgiven. This shows us genuine Iman - he is worried about his sins. He wants a clean slate, and this shows us the status of Amr ibn al-As. There is no doubt he is a sahabi and great companion. A fundamental principle of aqidah is we never speak ill of any sahabi. We don't doubt their intention. Sure we can disagree with their fiqh positions: Ibn Abbas said X is halal, ibn Umar said Y is halal. But we never criticize the intention and Islam of any companion. Even though yes they committed sins, but we never doubt their Islam. And on his deathbed Amr ibn al-As said, "I don't know if Allah will forgive me etc." This clearly shows his Iman.
5. With the conversion of these three people that symbolize the religious, political, and military conversion, it's a done deal now the Quraysh will be wiped out from power.