Perseverance

Soldiers were fleeing the battlefield, scrambling to escape the fight, but one man stood firm and unshaken, like a mountain. “Ana nabiyyu la kadhib, ana ibn Abdullah (I am a prophet, this is no lie, I am the son of Abdullah),” he declared, “Ilayya ibadullah (to me, servants of Allah).”

This was none other than the Prophet of Allah Muhammad SAW at the battle of Hunayn. In this battle the Muslims, having just peacefully conquered Makkah, numbered 12,000 and were well equipped with weapons and armor. The opposing army, from the tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif, was only 4000 in number but they were tactically capable, laying an ambush for the muslim army and fighting fiercely.

The Muslims, many of whom were recent converts, were not expecting this heavy attack. Their confidence, built on the belief that their numbers and superior weapons would guarantee victory, quickly faltered. They forgot that true victory lies in patience, perseverance, and steadfastness. Prophet Muhammad SAW exemplified this by standing firm. He asked his uncle Abbas, who had a powerful voice, to call the people back to the battlefield. After the army heard his call, they started to regroup and eventually emerged victorious. The spoils of war were immense, and many prisoners were taken.

The traits of sabr (perseverance) and istiqlal (standing firm) were crucial to the success of the Muslim army at Hunayn, and these same qualities contribute to our success in the everyday battles we face. If we recognize something to be the truth (Haqq), we must be willing to stand firm on it. If we do not, we will be losers not only in the next life but in this life as well. We must prepare ourselves and be ready to face any challenges that may come our way. In a hadith narrated by Sufyan ibn Abdullah, and reported in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet urged us, “Say ‘I believe in Allah’ then remain steadfast.” 

It is part of that steadfastness to believe that Allah SWT will help us in our task, and make it easy for us, facilitating our way. We see proof of this through another extraordinary event in the life of our Prophet Muhammad SAW, his emigration from Makkah to Madinah.     

By the time this event took place, the Quraysh were actively looking to kill the Messenger SAW. A bounty of 100 camels was set for his capture, dead or alive, and his house was surrounded by assassins. Yet by throwing a handful of dust ahead of him he was able slip past them undetected and safely reach the house of Abu Bakr. The journey was perilous and they were constantly pursued. 

Their first stop was a small cave that barely hid them from view. Allah SWT sent a spider to build a web at its entrance and Abu Bakr RA later recalled that he could see the feet of their pursuers from where he huddled with the Prophet SAW and feared for their safety. This is when the Prophet reassured him with words found in Surah Tawbah, “do not fear, Allah is with us.” None of the pursuers looked inside the cave believing the spider web indicated it had been undisturbed.

As they continued their journey, a bounty hunter named Suraqah bin Malik found them. Every time he was about to catch up to them, his horse would get stuck and throw him off. Realizing that the Prophet SAW was protected by some Divine power and would succeed in his mission to escape, Suraqah called out to him and asked for written protection in exchange for leading the other hunters away from their trail. The Prophet SAW then predicted that Suraqa would one day hold the bracelets of Kisra, the emperor of Persia. Suraqa would embrace Islam at the conquest of Makkah, and when Umar RA was the Khalifah and the Muslims conquered Persia, he would see that prediction come true.

After their run-in with Suraqa, the Prophet and Abu Bakr moved on and met a caravan. A person from the caravan recognized Abu Bakr and came to him and asked “who is this man with you?” Abu Bakr replied “he is my guide and shows me the path.” This was not a lie, as the Prophet SAW was his spiritual guide showing him the straight path, but the man took his words literally. Soon after this, they reached Madinah despite facing many life threatening and dangerous challenges along the way. 

The lessons we should learn from this remarkable journey are that in our everyday life we should not abandon the obligations and principles of Islam out of fear. For example, some Muslim women may remove their hijab and stop dressing modestly due to peer pressure or worry that they will have a harder time getting married. Similarly, some men skip jumuah prayers because they fear that it will cause problems with their job, to the point where they won’t even bother to ask for accommodations. If we trust in Allah, He will open new doors of His blessings for us. He is Al-Wali, the friend and protector of His faithful servants and will never abandon them. 

What can help us acquire the perseverance that will give us a strong Muslim Identity? 

Muslim identity is a complex topic, with many layers of culture and spirituality. The most important aspect is the belief in the oneness of Allah, His names and attributes, and the understanding that He is always with us and has knowledge of all things. The second most important is the belief in the Day of Judgment (Yawm al-Qiyamah) and living with the certainty that we will be held accountable for our deeds and actions. These beliefs develop a beautiful character within a Muslim and we can improve it further by striving to increase our knowledge in our faith through all the resources available (lectures, books, and conferences). An inspiring example of this is found within the prison system, where dawah (Islamic outreach) has transformed many lives. Islam gives us the spiritual motivation to leave behind misdeeds and try to be better citizens and better people. May Allah protect us and make us and our future generations steadfast.