Among the People of the Book...
Great numbers of Christians embraced Islam during and soon after the Islamic
conquests after the prophet's death. They were never compelled, rather it
was a recognition of what they were already expecting. Anselm Tormida, a
priest and Christian scholar was one such person whose history is worth relating.
He wrote a famous book The Gift to the Intelligent for Refuting the Arguments
of the Christians. In the introduction to this work he relates his history:
"Let it be known to all of you that my origin is from the city of Majorca,
which is a great city on the sea, between two mountains and divided by a small
valley. It is a commercial city, with two wonderful harbors. Big merchant
ships come and anchor in the harbor with different goods. The city is on
the island which has the same name - Majorca, and most of its land is populated
with fig and olive trees. My father was a well respected man in the city.
I was his only son. When I was six, he sent me to a priest who taught me to
read the Gospel and logic, which I finished in six years. After that I left
Majorca and traveled to the city of Larda, in the region of Castillion, which
was the centre of learning for Christians in that region. A thousand to a
thousand and a half Christian students gathered there. All were under the
administration of the priest who taught them. I studied the Gospel and its
language for another four years. After that I left for Bologne in the region
of Anbardia. Bologne is a very large city, it being the centre of learning
for all the people of that region. Every year, more than two thousand students
gather together from different places. They cover themselves with rough cloth
which they call the "Hue of God". All of them, whether the son of a workman
or the son of a ruler wear this wrap, in order to make the students distinct
from others. Only the priest teaches controls and directs them. I lived in
the church with an aged priest. He was greatly respected by the people because
of his knowledge and religiousness and asceticism, which distinguished him
from the other Christian priests. Questions and requests for advice came from
everywhere, from Kings and rulers, along with presents and gifts. They hoped
that he would accept their presents and grant them his blessings. This priest
taught me the principles of Christianity and its rulings. I became very close
to him by serving and assisting him with his duties until I became one of
his most trusted assistants, so that he trusted me with the keys of his domicile
in the church and of the food and the drink stores. He kept for himself only
the key of a small room were he used to sleep. I think, and Allah knows best,
that he kept his treasure chest in there. I was a student and servant for
a period of ten years, then he fell ill and failed to attend the meetings
of his fellow priests. During his absence the priests discussed some religious
matters, until they came to what was said by the Almighty Allah through his
prophet Jesus in the Gospel: "After him will come a Prophet called Paraclete".
They argued a great deal about this Prophet and as to who he was among the
Prophets. Everyone gave his opinion according to his knowledge and understanding;
and they ended without achieving any benefit in that issue. I went to my priest,
and as usual he asked about what was discussed in the meeting that day. I
mentioned to him the different opinions of priests about the name Paraclete,
and how they finished the meeting without clarifying its meaning. He asked
me: "What was your answer?" I gave my opinion which was taken from interpretation
of a well known exegesis. He said that I was nearly correct like some priests,
and the other priests were wrong. "But the truth is different from all of
that. This is because the interpretation of that noble name is known only
to a small number of well versed scholars. And we posses only a little knowledge."
I fell down and kissed his feet, saying: "Sir, you know that I traveled and
came to you from a far distant country, I have served you now for more than
ten years; and have attained knowledge beyond estimation, so please favor
me and tell me the truth about this name." The priest then wept and said:
"My son, by God, you are very much dear to me for serving me and devoting
yourself to my care. Know the truth about this name, and there is a great
benefit, but there is also a great danger. And I fear that when you know this
truth, and the Christians discover that, you will be killed immediately."
I said: "By God, by the Gospel and He who was sent with it, I shall never
speak any word about what you will tell me, I shall keep it in my heart."
He said: "My son, when you came here from your country, I asked you if it
is near to the Muslims, and whether they made raids against you and if you
made raids against them. This was to test your hatred for Islam. Know, my
son, that Paraclete is the name of their Prophet Muhammad, to whom was revealed
the fourth book as mentioned by Daniel. His way is the clear way which is
mentioned in the Gospel." I said: "Then sir, what do you say about the religion
of these Christians?" He said: "My son, if these Christians remained on the
original religion of Jesus, then they would have been on God's religion, because
the religion of Jesus and all the other Prophets is the true religion of God.
But they changed it and became unbelievers." I asked him: "Then, sir, what
is the salvation from this?" He said "Oh my son, embracing Islam." I asked
him: "Will the one who embraces Islam be saved?" He answered: "Yes, in this
world and the next." I said: "The prudent chooses for himself; if you know,
sir the merit of Islam, then what keeps you from it?" He answered: "My son,
the Almighty Allah did not expose me to the truth of Islam and the Prophet
of Islam until after I have become old and my body weakened. Yes, there is
no excuse for us in this, on the contrary, the proof of Allah has been established
against us. If God had guided me to this when I was your age I would have
left everything and adopted the religion of truth. Love of this world is the
essence of every sin, and look how I am esteemed, glorified and honored by
the Christians, and how I am living in affluence and comfort! In my case,
if I show a slight inclination towards Islam they would kill me immediately.
Suppose that I was saved from them and succeeded in escaping to the Muslims,
they would say, do not count your Islam as a favor upon us, rather you have
benefited yourself only by entering the religion of truth, the religion that
will save you from the punishment of Allah! So I would live among them as
a poor old man of more than ninety years, without knowing their language,
and would die among them starving. I am, and all praise is due to Allah, on
the religion of Christ and on that which he came with, and Allah knows that
from me." So I asked him: "Do you advise me to go to the country of the Muslims
and adopt their religion?" He said to me: "If you are wise and hope to save
yourself, then race to that which will achieve this life and the hereafter.
But my son, none is present with us concerning this matter, it is between
you and me only. Exert yourself and keep it a secret. If it is disclosed and
the people know about it they will kill you immediately. I will be of no benefit
to you against them. Neither will it be of any use to you if you tell them
what you heard from me concerning Islam, or that I encouraged you to be a
Muslim, for I shall deny it. They trust my testimony against yours. So do
not tell a word, whatever happens." I promised him not to do so. He was satisfied
and content with my promise. I began to prepare for my journey and bid him
farewell. He prayed for me and gave me fifty golden dinars. Then I took a
ship to my city Majorca where I stayed with my parents for six months. Then
I traveled to Sicily and remained there five months, waiting for a ship bound
for the land of the Muslims. Finally a ship arrived bound for Tunis. We departed
before sunset and reached the port of Tunis at noon on the second day. When
I got off the ship, Christian scholars who heard of my arrival came to greet
me and I stayed with them for four months in ease and comfort. After that
I asked them if there was a translator. The Sultan in those days was Abu al-Abbas
Ahmed. They said there was a virtuous man, the Sultan's physician, who was
one of his closest advisors. His name was Yusuf al-Tabib. I was greatly pleased
to here this, and asked where he lived. They took me there to meet him separately.
I told him about my story and the reason of my coming there; which was to
embrace Islam. He was immensely pleased because this matter would be completed
by his help. We rode to the Sultan's Palace. He met the Sultan and told him
about my story and asked his permission for me to meet him. The Sultan accepted,
and I presented myself before him. The first question the Sultan asked was
about my age. I told him that I was thirty-five years old. He then asked about
my learning and the sciences which I had studied. After I told him he said.
"Your arrival is the arrival of goodness. Be a Muslim with Allah's blessings."
I then said to the doctor, "Tell the honorable Sultan that it always happens
that when anyone changes his religion his people defame him and speak evil
of him. So, I wish if he kindly sends to bring the Christian priests and merchants
of this city to ask them about me and hear what they have to say. Then by
Allah's will, I shall accept Islam." He said to me through the translator,
"You have asked what Abdullah bin Salaam asked from the Prophet when he-Abdullah
came to announce his Islam." He then sent for the priests and some Christian
merchants and let me sit in an adjoining room unseen by them. "What do you
say about this new priest who arrived by ship?", he asked. They said: "He
is a great scholar in our religion. Our bishops say he is the most learned
and no one is superior to him in our religious knowledge." After hearing what
the Christian said, the Sultan sent for me, and I presented myself before
them. I declared the two testimonies that there is no one worthy of worship
except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, and when the Christians heard
this they crossed themselves and said: "Nothing incited him to do that except
his desire to marry, as priests in our religion can not marry". Then they
left in distress and grief. The Sultan appointed for me a quarter of a dinar
every day from the treasury and let me marry the daughter of Al-Hajj Muhammed
al-Saffar. When I decided to consummate the marriage, he gave me a hundred
golden dinars and an excellent suit of clothes. I then consummated the marriage
and Allah blessed me with a child to whom I gave the name Muhammed as a blessing
from the name of the Prophet."
There was also a community of Jews who lived in Madinah who had emigrated
there to wait for the expected prophet. Indeed they use to threaten the pagan
Arabs of Madinah with his arrival, saying that the Prophet will destroy them
as Allah destroyed Aad and Thaumud. It was one of the factors that caused
these same Arabs to hasten to join the Prophet when they herd of him. One
learned Jew, Ibnul Hayyaban, had left Syria seven years before the advent
of the Prophet and as he was dying had told his people: "O Jews, what do you
think made me leave the land of bread and wine to come to a land of hardship
and hunger?" When they replied that they could not think why, he said that
h had come to this country expecting to see the emergence of a prophet whose
time was at hand. This was the town where he would migrate and he was hoping
that he would be sent so that he could follow him. A good number of the Jewish
rabbis embraced Islam, including Abdullah ibn Salaam who, when he went to
the Prophet to announce his Islam, said: "Oh Prophet of Allah! My people are
very tricky, so summon them and ask them what they think of me." So the Prophet
did so, asking them: "What do you think of 'Abdullah ibn Salaam?" So they
said: "By Allah he is the best of us, and most noble and learned amongst us!"
So the Prophet asked, "What would you say if he embraced Islam?" They replied,
"We seek refuge with Allah! He would never do that!" So the Prophet asked
again, "What would you say if he did?" Again they said, "We seek refuge with
Allah from that!" Then Abdullah came from behind the covering and said: "I
testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad
is His Messenger!" So his people immediately started to revile him saying:
"He is the worst of us, and the most base born and most ignorant." Abdullah
ibn Salaam once commented on the verse: "And they (the people of the Book)
know this (that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) like they know their own
sons." "By Allah, Allah speaks the truth, for we only rely on our women concerning
our sons, where as Allah has spoken of you in His Book (meaning the Torah.)."
He also testified that when he heard about the Prophet he already knew his
name, time and place of arrival.
There are numerous incidents where Jews tested and questioned the Prophet,
some accepting him and others not. The wife of the Prophet, Safiyah bint Hauyay,
said about her father and uncle,(who were Jews): "When the Messenger of Allah
arrived at Quba, my father Huyay ibn Akhtab and my uncle Abu Yaser went to
him after morning prayer while it was still dark and they did not return until
sunset. They returned tired and demoralized, and were walking slowly. I went
near them but they did not even turn towards me due to their sadness. Then
I hear my uncle say to my father, 'Is he the one?' He replied: 'Yes, by Allah'.
My uncle said: 'Do you know him and confirm him?' He said: 'Yes'. My uncle
said: 'How do you feel about him?' He said: 'By Allah! Hatred and enmity as
long as I live.'"Important note to learn and read quran online
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