Prophet Muhammad - 6: Taking Care Of The Weak - Nature Of
The Kind
Islamic Perspectives - Muslim JournalsArab News
& Information - By Adil Salahi
By Long before
he started to receive his revelations, Muhammad (peace
be upon him) was known for his noble characteristics.
One of the most important of these was that he always
cared for the weaker elements in society. In Arabia,
where a tribal society flourished, the most vulnerable
sections of the society were slaves and women.
Muhammad looked after both, extending to them
exemplary treatment. Perhaps the best example to
illustrate this is the way he treated Zayd ibn
Harithah, a young lad who was taken captive in a raid
mounted by a tribe hostile to his tribe. According to
the universal custom at the time, captives became
slaves. Zayd was sold as a slave by his captors. He
was then re-sold and brought to Makkah by an uncle of
Khadijah, the Prophet’s first wife. On arrival in
Makkah her uncle showed her the slaves he brought with
him and told her to choose one as a gift. She took
Zayd and gave him to her husband.
Zayd’s family continued to search for him until they
learnt that he was in Makkah. His father and uncle
traveled there and met Muhammad, requesting him to
sell Zayd to them and to be kind when naming his
price. Realizing that his interlocutors were Zayd’s
own family, Muhammad felt for them. He, however, had a
better offer for them. He told them that he would give
Zayd a choice to go with them or to stay with him. If
Zayd chose them, Muhammad would not ask them to pay
any price. He would let them take him free of charge.
But if Zayd chose to stay with him, he would not let
anyone take him away, not even his own father. Both
were very satisfied with this offer, feeling that when
Zayd would be given the choice, he would not hesitate
to choose to be free.
Zayd was duly called in, and he confirmed that the two
men were his own father and uncle. Muhammad then told
him of the offer he made to them, asking him to choose
whether to go with them or to stay with him. Zayd
unhesitatingly chose to remain with Muhammad. Stunned,
his father asked him to explain why he would make such
a choice. Zayd said: “I have seen from this man enough
to make me prefer to stay with him to any other
situation.”
At this point, Muhammad realized that the two men
needed reassurance. He therefore took them, along with
Zayd, to the Kaabah and declared to the nobles of
Makkah gathering there that he had adopted Zayd as his
own son. This was a relief to Zayd’s father and uncle
who returned home realizing that Zayd would not come
to any harm as long as he stayed with Muhammad. He was
no longer a slave.
In order to appreciate the full significance of the
affair, we need to remember that this took place
several years before Muhammad was given his mission.
He did not know that he would become God’s prophet and
messenger. Slaves were always maltreated, in all
societies. Only under Islam slaves came to be treated
like ordinary human beings, enjoying clearly defined
rights. Prior to Islam, a slave could be tortured and
killed by his master, without anyone even raising a
question. To adopt a slave as one’s own son was
unheard of. The fact that Zayd chose to stay with
Muhammad, in preference to joining his own family and
tribe, tells us much about the treatment he received
from him. It was not surprising, therefore, that when
Muhammad received his message; Zayd was the first man
to declare his belief in Islam.
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