The Year of Delegations and the Hajj of Abu Bakr with the People

The Impact of Tabuk and the Arab Tribes' Inclination toward Islam

With the expedition to Tabuk, the word of your Lord resounded throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula, and the security of Muhammad became widespread among its inhabitants. The truth is, shortly after returning from this expedition to Medina, those who resided in the regions of the Arabian Peninsula began to ponder.

While the Muslims who accompanied Muhammad on his journey to the Levant endured various hardships and endured the scorching heat and thirst, they returned with some resentment in their hearts because they did not engage in battle or acquire spoils due to the Romans' withdrawal into the fortified areas of the Levant. This withdrawal left a profound impact on the tribes of the Arab Peninsula, who preserved their identity and religion. It left an even deeper impact on the southern tribes of Yemen, Hadramaut, and Oman.

Were not the Romans the ones who defeated the Persians and reclaimed the Cross from them, bringing it to Jerusalem in a grand ceremony? Was not Persia the ruler of Yemen and the neighboring lands for a long time? Thus, when the Muslims were in close proximity to Yemen and other Arab lands, it was only appropriate for these regions to unite under the banner of knowledge represented by Muhammad, the knowledge of Islam, in order to be saved from the domination of both the Romans and the Persians.

What harm would it do to the leaders of the tribes and regions to accept the authority of Muhammad, who calls for Islam and obedience to his leadership within his tribe? Let the tenth year of the Hijra, the Year of Delegations, usher people into the religion of Allah in groups. Let the impact of the Tabuk expedition and the Romans' withdrawal be even more profound for the Muslims than the conquest of Mecca, the victory at Hunayn, and the siege of Ta'if.

The Conversion of Arwa bin Mas'ud to Islam

It is a fortunate twist of fate that Taif, which had resisted the Prophet during its siege and continued to resist until the Muslims withdrew without capturing it, was the first to hasten to declare allegiance after the Battle of Tabuk. However, it hesitated for a long time before making this declaration.

Arwa bin Mas'ud, one of the prominent leaders of Taif, had been absent in Yemen during the Prophet's conquest of his homeland after the Battle of Hunayn. When he returned to his hometown and saw the Prophet victorious in Tabuk and back in Medina, he hurried to announce his conversion to Islam. He was also eager to invite his people to embrace the religion of Allah.

Arwa was well-acquainted with Muhammad and his significance. He had been one of those who negotiated with him on behalf of the Quraysh during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. The Prophet was aware of Arwa's intention to return to his people and call them to the religion he had embraced. He knew the strong attachment of Taif to their idol, Al-Lat, and their staunchness, which made him warn Arwa, saying, "They have fought against you". Nevertheless, Arwa cherished his standing among his people and replied, "O Messenger of Allah, I am dearer to them than their own eyes".

Arwa went ahead and called his people to Islam. They deliberated among themselves but did not reach a consensus. In the morning, Arwa stood on an elevated platform, calling them to prayer. This is where the wisdom of the Prophet's foresight was confirmed. His people could not bear it, surrounded him, and pelted him from all directions with deadly arrows. The turmoil engulfed Arwa, but he uttered as he surrendered his soul, "Allah honored me with nobility, and Allah sent a testimony to me. I am no different from the martyrs who fought alongside the Messenger of Allah before he left you". He then requested to be buried with the martyrs, and his family buried him among them.

Arwa's bloodshed did not go in vain. The tribes surrounding Taif had all embraced Islam, and consequently, Taif saw its actions against one of its leading figures as a sin and disgrace. They realized that they were no longer safe from attacks, and not a single man among them could leave without being targeted. They were convinced that unless they found a path to reconciliation or a truce with the Muslims, their destiny was certain to be annihilation.

The people discussed the matter among themselves and spoke to one of their elders, Abdullah ibn Abi Yazid, asking him to go to the Prophet and propose a peace treaty on their behalf. Abdullah ibn Abi Yazid, fearing the fate of Arwa, declined to go alone and insisted on being accompanied by five others to ensure their safety.

When they reached Medina, Al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba met them, eager to inform the Prophet about their arrival. Abu Bakr, who was determined to reach the Prophet as soon as possible, met them as well. Upon learning their purpose, he asked them to convey this good news to the Prophet and requested them to seek his prayers for their success. Abu Bakr then entered and informed the Prophet about the arrival of the delegation from Taif.

The Delegation's Request to Keep Their Idol and the Prophet's Refusal

This delegation continued to hold their people in high regard and remembered the Prophet's siege of Taif and his subsequent withdrawal. Despite knowing how they should greet the Prophet according to Islamic tradition, they insisted on greeting him with the customs of the pre-Islamic era. Furthermore, they constructed a separate enclosure within the mosque where they stayed, demonstrating their caution towards the Muslims and their reluctance to integrate with them.

Khalid bin Saeed bin Al-Aas was the intermediary negotiating with them on behalf of the Prophet. They refused to eat any food sent to them by the Prophet until Khalid had eaten it. Khalid carried out the embassy and informed Muhammad that they were ready to accept Islam but requested that their idol, Al-Lat, be spared for three years and that they be exempt from offering prayers. Muhammad adamantly refused their demands.

They initially requested that Al-Lat be spared for two years, then for one year, and finally for just one month after their return to their people, but Muhammad's refusal was unwavering and resolute. How could they expect the Prophet, who called to the monotheistic religion of Allah, the Almighty, and destroyed idols without sparing any, to compromise on an idol, especially when the people of Taif had nothing special that would distinguish them from the people of Taqif? A person can either believe or not believe, and there is no middle ground, only doubt and uncertainty. Doubt and faith cannot coexist in one's heart, just as faith and disbelief cannot. The persistence of Al-Lat as a tyrant in Taif indicated that they continued to alternate their worship between it and Allah, which constituted an act of associating partners with Allah, a sin that Allah does not forgive.

The Request for Exemption from Prayer and Its Rejection

The people of Taif requested an exemption from performing prayers, but Muhammad rejected their request, stating that there is no goodness in a religion without prayer. The Taif residents then accepted Islam and the obligation to perform prayers. However, they asked not to be forced to physically destroy their idols with their own hands. They had recently embraced faith, and their people were still waiting to see what they would do. Muhammad decided to spare them from physically destroying the idols they used to worship and that their ancestors worshipped.

Muhammad did not want to intensify the situation, fearing that if the Taif residents broke the idols, others might do the same, leading to the idols' complete destruction. In the end, the people of Taif would worship Allah alone. He said, "As for breaking your idols with your own hands, we will exempt you from that". He then appointed Uthman bin Abi Al-As as their leader, who was one of the youngest among them in terms of Islamic conversion. He assigned Uthman this responsibility because he was the most knowledgeable among them in Islamic jurisprudence and had a deep understanding of the Quran, as attested by Abu Bakr and those who converted to Islam early on.

The people of Taif stayed with Muhammad for the remaining days of Ramadan, fasting alongside him. He provided them with iftar (the meal to break the fast) and suhoor (the pre-dawn meal). When it was time for them to return to their people, Muhammad instructed Uthman bin Abi Al-As, saying, "Facilitate the prayers for them and make it easier for the people, taking into account the elderly, young, weak, and those with needs".

The Demolition of Al-Lat

After returning to their homeland, the Prophet sent Abu Sufyan bin Harb and Al-Mughira bin Shu'ba with the Taif delegation to demolish the idol Al-Lat. Abu Sufyan and Al-Mughira, who had a good rapport with the people of Taif, arrived to carry out the demolition. Al-Mughira dismantled the idol, while the women of Taif looked on, distressed and weeping. No one dared to approach the idol after the agreement between the Taif delegation and the Prophet to demolish it.

Al-Mughira took the wealth and adornments of Al-Lat and disposed of them by the order of the Prophet, in consultation with Abu Sufyan, as repayment for debts owed by Arwa and Al-Aswad. With the demolition of Al-Lat and the conversion of Taif to Islam, the entire region of Hijaz had embraced Islam. Muhammad's influence now extended from the lands of the Romans in the north to the lands of Yemen and Hadramaut in the south. The remaining regions in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula were preparing to join the new religion, ready to defend it and their homeland with all their strength. Delegations from these regions were heading to Medina to pledge their allegiance and embrace Islam.

As these delegations continued to arrive in Medina one after the other, the time for the Hajj pilgrimage drew near. At that time, the Prophet did not perform the pilgrimage in the way Muslims do today, but he considered it a form of gratitude to Allah for His support against the Romans, the acceptance of Taif into Islam, and the arrival of delegations from every corner. The Arabian Peninsula still had those who did not believe in Allah and His Messenger, the disbelievers, Jews, and Christians. The disbelievers, as per their customs in the pre-Islamic era, still performed the pilgrimage to the Kaaba during the sacred months, and the disbelievers were considered impure.

The Prophet decided to stay in Medina until Allah's word was fulfilled and Allah permitted him to perform the pilgrimage to His house. He instructed Abu Bakr to lead the people in pilgrimage.

Abu Bakr's Hajj with the Muslims and the Prohibition of Polytheists from Hajj

Abu Bakr set out for Hajj with a group of 300 Muslims. However, from year to year, the idolaters continued to perform Hajj to the Kaaba. Wasn't there a mutual agreement between the Messenger Muhammad and the people that no one would be prevented from visiting the Kaaba and that there would be no fear in the sacred months? Weren't there specific terms and conditions agreed upon with various tribes of the Arabs? As long as these agreements existed, the Kaaba would still be visited by those who associated partners with Allah and worshiped other than Him. The Muslims would have to witness the practices of ignorance around the Kaaba due to these specific and general agreements, so the Prophet refrained from preventing anyone from performing their Hajj or worship.

Even though many idols had been demolished, the idolaters' annual gathering around the Kaaba remained a contradiction. How could it be understood that both Jews and Christians could perform Hajj in Jerusalem, claiming it as the land of the Jews and the birthplace of Christ? Yet, it was impossible to comprehend the simultaneous worship of idols and the destruction of idols at the same sacred site. Thus, it was natural to bar the idolaters from approaching the Kaaba, which had been purified of polytheism and where all traces of paganism had been removed. Surah At-Tawbah (Chapter 9) was revealed in this context.

However, the Hajj season began, and the idolaters came to perform their rituals. This gathering was an opportunity to convey Allah's command to them, to nullify all agreements between polytheism and faith, except those with specified terms. For this purpose, the Prophet sent Ali ibn Abi Talib to catch up with Abu Bakr and deliver a sermon to the people on the Day of Arafat.

When Abu Bakr saw Ali, he asked, "Is he an Amir (leader) or a delegate?" Ali replied, "He is a delegate". Ali then informed him of the purpose of his mission, emphasizing that the Prophet had sent him to convey this message to the people because he was from the Prophet's household.

As the people gathered at Mina to perform the Hajj rituals, Ali ibn Abi Talib, accompanied by Abu Huraira, stood up among the crowd and recited the verses from Surah At-Tawbah (Chapter 9), which proclaimed the dissolution of all agreements with polytheists. He explained that the only agreements still valid were those with specific terms and conditions.

This declaration marked a turning point, and the idolaters were prohibited from performing Hajj in subsequent years unless they fulfilled the conditions set forth in the Quranic verses. The verses emphasized that the idolaters had broken their oaths, attacked the Muslims, and intended to expel the Prophet, making it clear that they should be fought against. However, if they repented, established prayer, and paid the alms, they would be considered brothers in faith. The Quranic verses established guidelines for dealing with the idolaters based on their actions and intentions.

Verily, the Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, perform the Salah (prayer), and give Zakah (charity), and fear none but Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.

Do you consider giving water to the pilgrims and maintaining the Sacred Mosque (in Makkah) to be equal to the deeds of one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and strives in the cause of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Those who believed, emigrated, and strove hard in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives are higher in rank in the sight of Allah. And it is they who are successful.

Their Lord gives them good tidings of mercy from Him and approval, and of gardens for them wherein is enduring pleasure.

They will remain therein forever. Verily, with Allah is a great reward.

O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief. And whoever does so among you - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.

Say, [O Muhammad], "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people".

Certainly, Allah has given you victory on many battlefields. And [remember] the Day of Hunayn when you were pleased with your great number, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was confining for you with its vastness; then you turned back, fleeing.

Then Allah sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger and upon the believers and sent down soldiers angels whom you did not see and punished those who disbelieved. And that is the recompense of the disbelievers.

Then afterward Allah will relent toward whom He wills; and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram after this, their [final] year. And if you fear privation, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise.

Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.

The Jews say, 'Ezra is the son of Allah '; and the Christians say, 'The Messiah is the son of Allah.' That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved [before them]. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded?

They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and [also] the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him.

They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah refuses except to perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.

It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religions, although those who associate others with Allah dislike it.

O you who have believed, indeed many of the scholars and the monks devour the wealth of people unjustly and avert [them] from the way of Allah. And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah - give them tidings of a painful punishment.

The Day when it will be heated in the fire of Hell and seared therewith will be their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, [it will be said], 'This is what you hoarded for yourselves, so taste what you used to hoard.'

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous.

This passage is from Surah At-Tawbah in the Quran and contains various instructions and guidance for the believers.

The Moral Foundation of the Emerging State

This foundation is what prompted us to record the entire Surah Al-Tawbah (Chapter of Repentance) here. The commitment to ensuring that all Arabs understand this foundation is what led Ali not only to recite these verses of absolution on the Day of Hajj, as narrated but also to have them read to people in their homes, as reported in many narrations. When you recite the entirety of "absolution" with deep reflection and contemplation, you will truly sense that it is the moral foundation in its most robust form for any emerging state.

The revelation of "absolution" came after the Prophet's final military campaign when the people of Ta'if declared their acceptance of the new religion, and after the entire region of Hijaz, along with Tihamah and Najd, had united under the banner of Islam. Also, after many southern Arabian tribes acknowledged Muhammad's leadership and embraced his religion, the historical wisdom behind the revelation of the verses that structured the moral foundation at that moment becomes evident.

For a state to be strong, it must have a shared moral belief that its people believe in and are willing to defend with all their resources and strength. What belief could be greater than faith in Allah alone, without partners? What belief could have a more powerful influence on the individual's conscience than when one feels connected to the highest essence, with no authority over them except Allah and no one to judge them but Allah?

Therefore, those who oppose this shared moral belief, which should be the foundation of the state, are considered corrupt. They represent the nucleus of the civil rebellion and the impending turmoil. As such, they should not be offered any covenant, and the state should fight against them. If they rise in violent rebellion against the shared faith, their rebellion must be met with force until they submit. If their rebellion against the shared faith is not violent, as is the case with the People of the Book, they should be required to pay the jizyah tax as a sign of their subordination.

Those Who Exaggerate in Their Judgments of Islam and the Prophet

Examining this issue from a historical and societal perspective leads us to understand the significance of the verses recited here from Surah Al-Tawbah. It guides anyone who seeks fairness and impartiality to this appreciation. However, those who exaggerate in their judgments against Islam and its Prophet present these powerful verses from Surah Al-Tawbah as an invitation to intolerance, which does not align with the noble values of tolerance upheld by civilized societies. They interpret these verses as an incitement to fight the polytheists and kill them without mercy, and as a call to establish a harsh and tyrannical rule. This is a narrative found in many writings by orientalists.

This narrative may resonate with minds that lack a mature understanding of social and historical criticism, even among Muslims. However, it does not align with historical reality and is inconsistent with social truth in any way. Consequently, those who hold such views interpret what we have mentioned from Surah Al-Tawbah and similar passages in the Quran in a manner that completely contradicts the logic of events in the Prophet's life and denies the great Prophet's life as it unfolded from the day Allah appointed him to call to the true religion until the day Allah took him to Himself.

Freedom of Opinion and Western Civilization

To illustrate this, let's inquire about the moral foundation of the prevailing civilization today and then compare it with the moral foundation that Muhammad called for. The moral foundation of the dominant civilization today is unlimited freedom of opinion and expression, only bound by the law. This freedom of opinion is considered an ideology that people defend, sacrifice for, fight to achieve, and even battle for. They view it as a source of pride for generations, and they boast of it as a heritage of previous ages.

For this reason, the orientalists we mentioned earlier claim that Islam's call to fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Day of Judgment is a call to intolerance, conflicting with this freedom. This is a clear fallacy when you understand the value that Islam places on opinions and acting upon them. Islam did not call for hostility against the polytheists of the Arabian Peninsula when they submitted, refrained from associating partners with Allah, and practiced their own faith.

Today's dominant civilization is more vehemently against opinions that contradict its creed than the Muslims were against the polytheists. It imposes upon those who consider themselves adherents of this civilization something worse than the jizyah a thousand times over.

Fighting Bolshevism

We are not drawing an analogy between this situation and the fight against the slave trade, even if those who engaged in that trade believed it was not forbidden. We refrain from making this analogy so as not to be accused of condoning such trade, even though Islam did not call for anything more than fighting what is reprehensible. However, today, Europe, the civilization that dominates, supported by America and reinforced by Southern forces in Asia and the Far East, fought Bolshevism and is prepared to wage an even fiercer war against it. In Egypt, we are prepared to cooperate with the dominant civilization in the fight against Bolshevism.

Bolshevism, nevertheless, is just an economic opinion that opposes the prevailing opinion supported by the dominant civilization today. Can you imagine labeling Islam's call to fight the polytheists, who violated their covenant with Allah, as a savage call against freedom? Conversely, the call to fight Bolshevism, which seeks to undermine the social system of the dominant civilization, is a call for freedom of belief and opinion and should be respected.

Fighting Nude Bathhouses

Furthermore, in some European countries, there arose a belief that psychological refinement should be linked to physical refinement. They argued that the modesty displayed by people in covering their bodies, whether entirely or specific parts, actually stirred sexual desires within them and led to greater moral corruption than if people were entirely naked. Therefore, proponents of this view began to establish nude bathhouses in some cities and designated places where individuals could practice this form of physical refinement.

However, this view did not gain widespread acceptance, as authorities in many countries saw the spread of such practices as harmful to moral refinement and detrimental to society as a whole. Consequently, they prohibited nude bathhouses, opposed those advocating this view, and enacted laws against establishing places for this form of physical refinement.

There is no doubt that if this view were to spread throughout an entire society, it could lead to war being declared against that society by other nations, as it would be seen as corrupting the moral fabric of humanity. Similar to wars that have erupted over slavery or the illicit trade in drugs, the reason for this is that unrestricted freedom of opinion can tolerate anything that does not harm or pose a threat to society as a whole. However, when a particular opinion or practice begins to corrupt society, it becomes necessary to combat those who promote it and to combat all manifestations of that opinion. In some cases, it may even become necessary to combat the opinion itself, depending on the extent of the societal harm it causes, whether in terms of moral, social, or economic disruption.

Legislation as a Suppression of Freedom of Opinion Has Its Justifications

This is the social reality recognized and established by the dominant civilization today. If we were to delve into the various aspects and consequences of this in different societies, it would require extensive research, which is beyond the scope here. However, you can argue that any legislation aimed at suppressing any social, economic, or political movement is essentially a war against the opinion from which these movements originate. This war finds its justification in the extent of the harm that these opinions may cause to humanity if allowed to materialize.

If we want to assess the Islamic call to combat polytheism and its adherents, we must determine whether this war is justified or not. To do this, we must examine what this concept of polytheism represented and what it called for. If consensus is reached that these beliefs are severely harmful to society in various eras, then the declaration of war by Islam against them is not only justified but also mandated.

The form of polytheism that existed during the time when Muhammad was called to the true religion did not merely involve idol worship. Had that been the case, then indeed, combatting it would be obligatory. However, this form of polytheism represented a complex set of traditions, beliefs, and customs. It was a social system that was more oppressive than slavery, worse than Bolshevism, and more abhorrent than any other concept one could imagine in the 20th century. It condoned the killing of female infants, the practice of polygamy to an extreme degree, and usurious practices that were as morally reprehensible as they could be. It represented a fundamental degradation of human morality in its most extreme forms.

The polytheists of Arabia were the worst group to emerge among humanity. If a group today were to establish a system encompassing the same beliefs, customs, female infanticide, polygamy, and usury, it would undoubtedly warrant a war against them. Moreover, if such a society allowed this system to spread and infect others, then it would not be unjustifiable for other nations to wage war against them, just as occurred in the case of the two World Wars that resulted in the death of millions of innocent people, driven by greed and colonial interests.

In light of this, the criticism by Orientalists of the verses recited from Surah Al-Tawbah and the Islamic call to combat polytheism and its adherents, who advocate a system that includes all the aforementioned reprehensible practices, cannot be reasonably justified.

Revolution against Polytheism Is Justified

In addition to the historical reality regarding the system of polytheism that prevailed in the Arabian Peninsula during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, there is another historical fact derived from the life of the Prophet himself. From the moment he received his divine messages, for thirteen years, he peacefully invited people to the religion of Allah, using persuasion and argumentation. During this period, he never acted aggressively and always defended the rights of Muslims to freely propagate their faith.

The strong call to combat polytheists as impure and lacking any covenants or agreements, as mentioned in the Surah Al-Tawbah verses recited earlier, came after the Battle of Tabuk. When Islam entered lands where polytheism and the destructive social and economic system that prevailed during the time of the Prophet was still in place, the Muslims called on the inhabitants of these lands to abandon that system and follow the divine laws. However, they refused, and it was only fair to call for a revolution against them and fight until the truth prevailed and the entire religion belonged to Allah.

The impact of this call to combat polytheism was profound. It eliminated any doubt in the hearts of the tribes that had been hesitant to accept the call of Islam. As a result, Yemen, Mahrah, Bahrain, and Yamamah entered into Islam. Only a few individuals remained obstinate, and their pride and stubbornness led to their downfall. For example, Aamir bin Tufayl went with a delegation from Banu Aamir to seek shelter under the banner of Islam. However, upon arriving and seeing the Prophet, he refused to accept Islam and intended to become a rival to the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet tried to persuade him to accept Islam, but Aamir persisted in his disbelief. He left, vowing to raise a large army against the Prophet. However, a plague struck him while he was on his way home, and he died, uttering the words, "O sons of Aamir! I shall be devoured by ants like the camel's meat!" Another example is Arbad bin Qais, who also refused to accept Islam and returned to his people, but they burnt him alive with a bolt of lightning.

Among those who adamantly opposed Islam was Musaylamah, who falsely claimed prophethood, asserted that Allah had given him revelations alongside Muhammad, and sought to compete with the Quran by composing his own verses. He permitted alcohol and adultery and abolished prayer among his followers. Musaylamah's actions led to a call for war against him, similar to the call against the polytheists. The result of this call was the defeat of Musaylamah in the Battle of Yamamah.

Hence, the call to combat polytheism and its adherents, as practiced by the Prophet Muhammad, was justified due to the grave harm inflicted by the beliefs, customs, and practices of the polytheists on society, just as it would be justified to combat any society that implemented such a harmful system today.

Naming the Arab Delegations to the Prophet

We will not delve into the details of the Arab delegations to the Prophet as some earlier biographers did since they all embraced Islam. Ibn Saad dedicated approximately fifty large pages to the delegations from Arab tribes to the Prophet. We will only mention the names of the tribes and sub-tribes that sent delegations. Delegations came from the following:

1. Muzaynah
2. Asad
3. Tamim
4. Abs
5. Fazara
6. Murrah
7. Tha'labah
8. Muharib
9. Sa'd bin Bakr
10. Kilab
11. Ru'as bin Kilab
12. Bani al-Bakka'
13. Kinana
14. Ashja'
15. Bahlul
16. Salim
17. Hilaal bin 'Amir
18. 'Amir bin Sa'sa'ah
19. Thaqeef
20. Rabi'ah: Abd al-Qays, Bakr bin Wa'il, Tughlab, Hanifah, Shayban.
21. Yemeni Tribes: Tai', Tujeeb, Khawlan, Ja'fi, Sada', Murad, Zabid, Kindah, Sada' (Hutha'ib), Hilaal bin 'Amir, Hamdan, Sa'd al-Ashirah, 'Adrah, Salaman, Juhainah, Kilab, Jarm, Azd, Ghassan, Harith bin Ka'b, Himdan, Sa'd al-'Ashirah, 'Ans, Ad-Dariyyeen, Ar-Ruhaaween, Ghamd, Nakh' , Bajilah, Khath'am, Ash'ar, Hadhramawt, Azd Oman, Ghaafiq, Baarik, Dawas, Thumalah, Al-Ash'aryeen, Hudhayl, Aws, Khazraj, Quda'ah, An-Najjar, Sa'eed, Al-Fadl, Qais, Dawood, Himyar, Zubyan, A'raab, Lahyam, Ghurab, Banu Hanifah.

Every tribe and sub-tribe on the Arabian Peninsula eventually embraced Islam and abandoned idol worship, as this transformation occurred willingly and by choice after the Treaty of Tabuk. The entire Arabian Peninsula was purified from idols and idol worship through voluntary conversion to Islam, without loss of life or bloodshed.

So, how did the Jews and Christians fare with Muhammad, and how did Muhammad interact with them?