ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Message Chapter 24: The Agreement of Aqabah During the past times 'Wadiul Qura' (the Valley of Qura) was the trade route from Yemen to Syria. After passing by the side of Makkah the trading caravans of Yemen entered this long valley and along with it there were some green and pleasant regions, one of them being the old city of Yathrib, which became known later as 'Madinatur Rasul' (the city of the Prophet).

Two famous tribes known as 'Aws' and 'Khazraj', who were Yemenite Arab migrants (Qehtani) had settled in this region since the well known tribes of the Jews (Bani Qurayzah, Bani Nuzayr and Bani Qaynqa'), who had migrated from the northern areas of the Peninsula, had also settled there. Every year a group of Yathrib Arabs went to Makkah to perform Haj ceremonies, and the Prophet contacted them.

These contacts provided the preliminaries for 'migration', and centralized the scattered strength of Islam at that point. Many of these contacts did not prove fruitful. Notwithstanding this however, the pilgrims from Yathrib, on their return to their homeland, mentioned the appearance of the new Prophet as the most important news and attracted the attention of the people of that area to this great event.

We, therefore, mention here some of these meetings which took place during the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth years of the prophetic mission.

From a deep study of these events the reasons for the migration of the Prophet from Makkah to Yathrib (Madina) and the centralization of the strength of the Muslims at that place become quite clear: As and when the Prophet learned that an important person from amongst the Arabs had arrived in Makkah he contacted him immediately and presented his religion to him. One day he heard that Suwayd bin Samit had come to Makkah. He met him at once and explained the realities of his sacred religion to him.

Suwayd thought that these realities were perhaps the wise sayings of Luqman which he had already with himself. The Prophet, however, said: "The sayings of Luqman are good, but what Allah has revealed to me is better and sublimer, because it is the torch of guidance which sheds light everywhere. Thereafter the Prophet read out some verses to him, and he embraced Islam. Then he returned to Madina. He was killed by Khazrajites before the Battle of 'Bu'ath'.

He breathed his last while reciting 'Shahadatain' (i.e.