For this reason the Holy Prophet (S) started settlement and...

For this reason the Holy Prophet (S) started settlement and commenced with the construction of houses and buildings to be occupied by his migrating companions. Before the foundation of any building was laid the Prophet (S) ordered the construction of a masjid i.e. the house of Allah. From amongst the Muhajirs ‘Ammar was for some time a guest of Mubashshir bin Abdul Munzir till the Prophet (S) thought of another house for him. He himself worked with ‘Ammar in constructing the new house for him.

In those days there existed amongst the Muslims a group of persons in whose minds the spirit of Islam had not penetrated and it might be said that whatever they said about Islam with their tongues did not come from their hearts. In other words they were the persons who had embraced Islam on account of covetousness, as they imagined that it would be beneficial for them to do so, and by that means they would acquire wealth and status!

On the whole the number of these persons was not small and they were not weak and helpless. It is evident that the Prophet of Allah was also not oblivious of this state of affairs, Almighty Allah had specially revealed some chapters of the Holy Qur'an including Surah al-Tawba, Surah al-Munafiqun and Surah al-Ahzab about these persons.

The Holy Prophet (S) was not unaware of their hypocrisy; rather he excused and forgave them; and on the basis of peacefulness, on which the entire programme of Islam rested, he allowed them the same rights and privileges that were granted to the true believers. He accepted such persons as Muslims in accordance with the general rule and the sacred verse of the Qur'an which says: You should not tell anyone who greets you that he is not a Muslim (Surah al Nisa, 4:94).

This was not withstanding the fact that the faith of these persons was shaky and they entertained doubts in their hearts regarding the limits and laws prescribed by Islam. In such an atmosphere ‘Ammar was reckoned to be one of the chosen believers and distinguished persons possessing faith and piety.

He was one of those persons who had suffered severe persecution and torture in Makkah being a companion of the Holy Prophet, and had since become free from such torments, arrived in the peaceful land of Madina. Not withstanding this he did not slacken the campaign and strife which he had started in the very beginning for the defence of Islam and there was no diminishing in the zeal and enthusiasm of his faith.