The story of Shaykhul Islam and his enemy

 During the time of Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, he was disliked by many people. But no one harboured a greater hatred for him then Nur al-Din Ali al-Bakri. This Al-Bakri was a good scholar of the Shafi'i madhab who did Jihad against the Coptic Christians and educated young children, however, he had fallen into the errors of the Ash'airah, and subsequently, he became an innovator. Over time, he became very popular amongst the people, and his pride got the best of him. To combat this, Ibn Taymiyyah wrote a book of refutation against him; this book was meant to correct the error of his ways and move him away from his arrogance. But Al-Bakri did not take kindly to this. He was very angry, and he declared Ibn Taymiyyah to be a disbeliever and ordered that he be persecuted. When his teacher heard this, he scolded Al-Bakri, but the latter did not listen.

One night, Ibn Taymiyyah was walking alone on the street to his home. Out of the blue, Al-Bakri and a group of his companions appeared and cornered him. The innovators beat the Shaykh very badly, and left him lying in pain on the street. However, people in nearby houses heard the commotion, and they all rushed out of their homes to help him, causing Al-Bakri and the gang to flee immediately. 

The people asked if Shaykhul Islam was alright, and they told him that they would exact revenge on Al-Bakri. So, Ibn Taymiyyah said, “For what? It is not permissible to do so, I do not like if a Fitna is caused by me.” Then the people replied, “Was what they did not permissible?” The Shaykh replied in exasperation, “The right which you want me to claim either belongs to me, or to you or to Allah. If this right belongs to me, then I have pardoned my oppressors. If it belongs to you, then if you will not listen to me then do as you wish. If this right belongs to Allah, then Allah will claim His right when and how He wishes.” 

The people did not listen to Shaykhul Islam, and they thought he was just being generous. They hunted for Al-Bakri, who was now a ‘Wanted’ criminal. He was so scared, he considered running away. Fortunately, Ibn Taymiyyah found Al-Bakri hiding and sheltered him in his house. Ibn Taymiyyah then went out to the palace of the Mamluk Sultan, Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, where he interceded for Al-Bakri and asked the Sultan to forgive him. The Sultan did, and Al-Bakri was free again, and he was able to write his book Kitab Tafsir Al-Fatihah.

Then a few months (or years) later, Nur al-Din al-Bakri was delivering a sermon in front of Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad. During this sermon, he said, “The best jihad is a word of truth to a tyrannical ruler.” So the Sultan asked if he was a tyrant, and Al-Bakri replied, “Yes, you are one, because you have empowered the Copts over the Muslims.” The Sultan was angry and ordered him to be imprisoned, and his tongue cut out. However, Ibn Taymiyyah arrived just in time to intervene, and he requested that the Sultan forgive Al-Bakri. So, again, the Sultan did forgive Al-Bakri, but he stopped him from giving any fatwas, and eventually Al-Bakri was exiled from Cairo. So, Al-Bakri stayed in Dahrut, the town of his ancestors, until he passed away, and his funeral was well-attended. He was buried in the cemetery of Qarafa, also known as the “City of the Dead.” 

After these events, the Ash'ari and Maturidi scholars in Egypt saw Ibn Taymiyyah in a different light. That is, a more positive one. They felt that he had qualities and morals that were “usually seen in the Prophets of Allah.” More people had a postitive view of Ibn Taymiyyah after the incidents. 

May Allah have mercy on Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Nur al-Din Ali al-Bakri.

The story of Prophet Nuh

 Prophet Idris, peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him, had passed away, leaving the people stranded and without guidance. The people then decided to follow the companions of the Prophet Idris, as there was no other Prophet yet. These companions were righteous men, and the people loved them for their piousness and wisdom. When faced with problems, they would consult these men. But they are still human, and eventually, the pious men died. This once again left the people without any guidance, and these people were afraid that they would be astray from the correct path.

Shaytaan was happy to see the people without a leader. He disguised himself as a man, and told the people, “If we make statues of these righteous men, it will be more pleasing to us in our worship and will remind us of them.” The unsuspecting people agreed to this request, believing that erecting idols of their pious predecessors would help them to remember Allah better and potentially encourage themselves to do good. Oh, how mistaken they were!

Shaytaan was even more happy, as his evil plot had succeeded. He was extremely patient, for he knew that getting someone to worship another being other than Allah was a slow and difficult process. When that generation had died out, and the new generation of people had forgotten the intentions behind why the statues had been built, Shaytaan then whispered to the people, saying, “Your forefathers used to worship these idols. These statues brought them goodness.” The people were convinced enough, and they began to worship the idols, which were named Waaz, Suwah, Yaghooth, Ya'uq and Nasr.

After several centuries had passed, Allah sent down Prophet Nuh, peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him, to guide the people away from idolatry. Allah blessed his great servant with a very eloquent speech and immense patience, so that he would be able to carry out his assigned task with success. Prophet Nuh preached to his people about the many universal wonders; he told them about the nights and the days, the stars, the sun and the moon, the plants and animals, and the heavens and what was on Earth. He explained to them that humankind was created by Allah to glorify and worship Him. He then told them about the oneness of Allah; that the wonders of this world were only proof of the existence of one true God, and that is none other than Allah, may He be Exalted. Prophet Nuh then explained to them that Shaytaan had misled them into worshipping statues, and warned them of a terrible punishment from Allah if they continued their polytheistic ways.

The people listened to him with great confusion, shock, and patience. Several amongst them , mostly the poor and needy, began to find hope and solace in the words of Prophet Nuh, and gradually entered into the fold of Islam, while the rich and snobbish people watched on with rage. They said to Prophet Nuh, “We see you as a man whom is no different to us.” The Prophet then explained to them that he was certainly a human being, and Allah had specifically chosen a human messenger as this world was predominantly occupied by humans after all. And if this world was occupied by angels, Allah would have surely sent an angelic messenger to convey His message.

One day, the affluent men of the people approached Prophet Nuh and said to him: “Listen Nuh, if you want us to believe in you, then dismiss your believers. They are poor and needy, but we are elite and rich; no faith can include us both.” Prophet Nuh was well-aware of the ignorance of these rich men. He knew that he had to remain calm in order to explain to them that materialistic possessions were worthless in the sight of Allah and it was what is within one’s heart that really mattered to Him. Prophet Nuh replied to them: “O my people! I ask for no wealth for it, my reward is from none but Allah. I am not going to drive away those who have believed. Surely, they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are ignorant people. O my people! Who will help me against Allah, if I drove them away? Will you not then give a thought? And I do not say to you that with me are the Treasures of Allah nor that I know the unseen, nor do I say that I am an angel, and I do not say of those whom your eyes look down upon that Allah will not bestow any good on them. Allah knows what is in their inner selves. In that case, I should, indeed be one of the wrongdoers.”

The polytheists were extremely mad. They had tolerated the incessant preaching of Prophet Nuh for far too long. They angrily challenged Nuh, saying, “O Nuh! You have disputed with us and have prolonged the dispute with us, now bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are of the truthful.” The Prophet replied, “Only Allah will bring the punishment on you, if He wills, and then you will not be able to escape. And my advice will not profit you, even if I wish to give you counsel, if Allah's Will is to keep you astray. He is your Lord! And to Him you shall return.”

For a hundred and fifty years, Prophet Nuh, peace be upon Him, preached to his people and any generation which came after them. But these people were stubborn, and each child that had reached an age of understanding was clearly warned against the teachings of Prophet Nuh. Whenever the Prophet approached them, they ran away from him. Before long, Prophet Nuh realized that the number of disbelievers was rapidly growing, whilst the number of believers was still the same as centuries before. He was very upset for his people, and he feared a terrible predicament for them. After a while, he was left with no choice. So Prophet Nuh prayed to Allah, “My Lord! They have disobeyed me, and followed one whose wealth and children give them no increase but only loss. They have plotted a mighty plot. They have said, ‘you shall not leave your gods, nor shall you leave Waaz, Suwah, Yaghooth, Ya'uq and Nasr’. Indeed they have led many of them astray. O Allah! Grant no increase to the disbelievers.”

Allah revealed to Prophet Nuh that no other man from the people would enter Islam thereafter. Sad and frustrated, Prophet Nuh replied to Allah: “My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers on the earth. If you leave them, they will mislead Your slaves and they will beget none but wicked disbelievers.” Prophet Nuh’s prayer was accepted by his Lord. He instructed to Prophet Nuh, “Construct the ark under Our Eyes and with Our Inspiration and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong.”

Outside the city limits, away from the sea, Prophet Nuh began to build the ark through day and night, with the support and guidance of the Allah's great Angels. The construction of the ark continued, but it was met wit constant mockery from the people. They jeered at Prophet Nuh, saying, “O Nuh! Does being a carpenter appeal to you more than being a Prophet? Why are you building an ark so far from the sea? Are you going to drag it to the water or is the wind going to carry it for you?” Prophet Nuh answered them, “You will come to know, who, will be put to shame and suffering.”

Allah then instructed to Prophet Nuh that when the oven at his home begins to gush forth water, collect the believers and board the ark for it was the first sign of the beginning of the floods that would destroy the disbelievers. Not long after, the terrible day dawned as water began gushing forth from the oven at Prophet Nuh's house. Nuh knew it was time to board the ark. Along with the believers and three of his sons, Prophet Nuh also took with him pairs of animals, birds and insects. The people who witnessed Nuh's peculiar behaviour laughed at him again saying, “Nuh must have gone out of his head! What is he going to do with the animals?”

Soon after, heavy rains emerged, descending from the angry skies, and water began to rise through every crack on the ground. The water levels gradually began to rise, and soon, the oceans engulfed the land. The once dry land was now completely submerged in water for the first time. Prophet Nuh witnessed the terrible calamity that had befallen his people. He knew the disbelievers had no escape from the wrath of Allah. Amongst the disbelievers was Prophet Nuh's wife and one of his sons who refused to board the ark. Nuh desperately called out to his son: “O my son! Embark with us and be not among the disbelievers.” The ignorant son of Nuh replied, “I will get to the mountain, for it will save me from the water.” Nuh answered, “This day there is no saviour from the Decree of Allah except him on whom He has mercy.” The disobedient young man went and climbed up the tallest mountain, but it was engulfed by angry waves, and he was never to be seen again.

When all of the disbelievers had ultimately been destroyed, Allah ordered the skies and the earth, “O Earth! Swallow up your water, and O sky! Withhold your rain.” The skies then cleared, and out rose the sun, which shone brightly on the land. Meanwhile, the ark landed on Mount Judi in a calm manner. Allah then instructed His Prophet: “O Nuh! Come down (from the ship) with peace from Us and blessings on you and on the people who are with you.” As instructed, Prophet Nuh along with the believers got off the ark, releasing the rescued animals, birds and insects across the green land.

Prophet Nuh then placed his forehead on the ground to prostrate to his Lord. Prophet Nuh then thanked Allah immensely for His mercy and blessings. The believers were grateful to Allah for safeguarding them from the terrible ordeal and observed a day of fasting as an act of gratitude to Allah. As for the sons of Prophet Nuh, three out of four remained, they were Shaam, Haam, and Yafith. These three were the only people out of Nuh's family who were believers. After Prophet Nuh had passed away at the age of at least a thousand, the sons spread Islam and they also became the ancestors of a new generation of humans. We humans, you and me, are essentially the descendants of these three, great, righteous men, whom themselves are descended from Prophet Nuh, peace be upon Him.

Source:

Qassas al-Anbiya by Imam Ibn Kathir, chapter on Prophet Nuh alayhis salaam

Qur'an verses featuring the Prophet Nuh alayhis salaam

The story of Saba' and the Flood of 'Arim

 Saba' was a kingdom located in South Arabia. They were a predecessor to the Himyarites. The Sabaeans were known for being a very wealthy and prosperous kingdom, with their capital at the edge of the Arabian desert in Ma'arib. The city of Ma'arib was located between two large mountains. Rainwater used to come from the two mountains, which often caused floods in the city. One of the rulers of Saba' built a strong and fortified dam between these two mountains. The dam would remain unaffected by the flow of water and it stopped the serial surges of flooded water that entered from the two mountains. This created a place where fresh and pure, uncontaminated water was stored. Inside the dam, there were levels. The storage of water could be released systematically for the Sabaeans to irrigate their farms and gardens. Underneath the dam, a huge big tank was built. The tank supplied water to various parts of Saba' and surrounding agricultural territories. The mountains eventually became beautiful and prosperous gardens, with many species of plants growing there. A lot of fruits grew there, and the supply of fruit seemed endless.

This was some of what Allah had blessed them with; there are a lot more in fact. However, the people of Saba' became very ungrateful over time. They began to forget that Allah had blessed them with all this prosperity. In fact, some of them became idolators. The people had went astray. So, Allah sent down a Prophet to teach them the right things. More Prophets were sent down, until there were a total of thirteen Prophets advising these people, teaching them, and warning them of Allah's punishments. However, the Sabaeans rejected what the Prophets had said, and they accused them of lying. Very few people believed in the message that was sent to them.

Allah sent down His divine wrath on the Sabaeans after they had disbelieved for a long time. Several mice, or rodents, were sent down into the damn. These rodents would weaken the structure of the dam. One day, some of the people saw the rodents when entering the dam, so they reported it to their ruler. A large force of cats was sent to combat the rodents. But then, Allah sent down even more rodents into the well, which killed and injured the cats. Some people knew that if the dam was destroyed by the animals, the city would be flooded. So they migrated to a far town. It was said that ‘the people had a book which decreed that their city would be destroyed by a flood, when rodents entered the dam due to their disbelief.’ Either way, the fate of the city had already been decided by Allah. 

Eventually, the rats weakened the structure of the dam by chewing through the wood. The walls gave way, and the water blasted out. The entire city was flooded, and many people perished in it. The whole city of Saba' was completely destroyed! The farms, gardens, architectural masterpieces (et cetera) that they once had on their island were all gone. Indeed, they were one of the most ungrateful people, and Allah had punished them with the flood. Now everything they had once earned had gone to waste. 

The few survivors of the flood migrated to a part of Arabia which later would be known as Madinah. They became the ancestors of the people of Madinah. Some of them left for Syria as well. The remaining part of Saba' became a jungle, where tamarisks grew. As for the mountains, Allah replaced their two prosperous gardens on top of them with two gardens having fruits of bitter and evil taste. These fruits grew on stumpy trees with sharp thorns, and none of the fruits from such trees were worth consuming. It is said, by most mufassireen, that these trees were the Arak trees, also known as Salvadora Persica in modern scientific language. Allah knows best.

Saba' would eventually be conquered the Himyarites. The Himyarites in later years would be known for having a believing king, Tubba' Abu Karib Asad, and a disbelieving king, Yusuf Dhu-Nuwas. It is said that the Flood of 'Arim occurred in a period of Fatrah after Prophet Isa, peace be upon Him, had ascended to Heaven alive, and that the thirteen Prophets sent to Saba' were from a period prior to the Fatrah. Again, Allah knows best.

Source:

Tafsir Ibn Kathir, his tafsir on Surah Saba' verses 16 to 19 (the entire story)

Ruh al-Ma'ani by Imam Mahmud al-Alusi (about the story)

Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide (about the Salvadora Persica plant)

The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East: The Age of Persia. Vol. 5. Oxford University Press, pages 299 to 375 (more information about the ancient kingdom of Saba' and its origin)

The story of the Ashab al-Ukhdud

 Yusuf As'aar Yath'aar Dhu-Nuwas, was the one-hundred-and-fifth Himyarite ruler of Yemen. He was the son of Tubba' Asad, who is not to be confused with the Muslim ruler Tubba' Abu Karib Asad. This Tubba' brought several Jews with him from Madinah who influenced the local population greatly. Hence, Yusuf Dhu-Nuwas was not a Muslim, but much rather, he was a convert Jew. Dhu-Nuwas came to power after he stabbed the previous Himyarite ruler, Dhu-Shanatir, a known serial killer and sexual predator, to death. 

Dhu-Nuwas' advisor, a magician, told him that he should be given an intelligent boy, so that he could train him in the skill of foretelling and sihr. So, a boy named Abdullah ibn Ta'meer was brought to the private class of the advisor. Whenever Abdullah went to his teacher, he had to pass by an old Christian monk. This monk was a true believer in Allah and the uncorrupted teachings of Prophet Isa, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon Him. Abdullah sat with the monk and was very much impressed by his teachings. As a result, he would often go to the monk's house to learn from him for very long hours, before he proceeded to his teacher, the advisor's, house. The advisor was always angry because of Abdullah being late, so he would hit him with a stick. However, Allah had blessed Abdullah with such a strong faith, that he was prepared to bear any pain and persecution for the sake of Allah!

Allah had blessed Abdullah with many more miracles. He could do Karamat (miraculous things) with Allah's permission. Once a large beast blocked a road and prevented people from passing. They were perturbed. The boy, who saw this, picked a stone and prayed, “Oh Allah! If the religion of the monk is true, then kill this beast with this stone so that the people may pass. And if the soothsayer or magician is true, then the beast must not die with my stone.” So praying, he aimed the stone at the lion, threw it, and the lion bled and died instantly. News spread among the people that Abdullah possessed wonderful knowledge. A blind man heard about it, and came up to him. He asked him to restore his sight. Abdullah conceded on the condition that the blind man embraced Islam. He agreed, and so the young boy prayed and Allah restored his sight. The blind man then became a Muslim.

King Yusuf Dhu-Nuwas came to know about these incidents, and he ordered for Abdullah, the monk, and the blind man to be arrested. They were brought before the king. He ordered that the blind man and the monk be executed. He also ordered that Abdullah be taken to the summit of a mountain and be thrown from there. But those who had taken him up there stumbled, fell, and died. Then the king told his servants to have him drowned in the sea. Abdullah escaped safely, while the people who took him to the sea were drowned. 

Abdullah then himself told the king how to kill him. He told him to take an arrow from his quiver and place it in his bow, and recite “La ilaha illa Allah” before shooting him. The king did so, and Abdullah died from the shot. Even though Abdullah had died, all of the King's people had seen what had happened, and news of it spread like wildfire. Everyone in his nation then declared, “We are believers in Allah!” Dhu-Nuwas was greatly enraged and, after consultation with his advisor and ministers, ordered for deep trenches to be dug and filled with fire. An announcement was then made that the people must renounce their faith in Allah. If they refuse, they would be thrown into the ditches. Eventually, a woman carrying her baby was brought to a trench, but she hesitated. Allah granted speech to her child who said: “Oh mother, be steadfast, because you are certainly on the truth.” So she threw herself in the ditch of the fire along with her baby, to be with the martyrs in paradise.

Many people were burned to death afterwards. Allah's divine wrath then descended upon the Ashab al-Ukhdud. The people in the trenches had their souls taken even before the fire could touch them. After that, the fire flared up so high that it spread out wildly through the city and burned all those who were watching the fun of burning the Muslims. The Himyarite ministers and the King's advisor were destroyed. 

A man named Daws Dhu-Tha'laban, who was one of the believers, survived. Dhu-Tha'laban escaped on horse, and he went to the court of the Byzantine Roman emperor, Justinian, and begged him for help against the persecutions. Justinian pondered the matter for a moment, and then wrote a letter to the Aksumite king of Abyssinia, requesting a massive force of Christian soldiers to invade Yemen. The Aksumite king agreed to his request, and two generals, Abraha and Aryaat, were sent along with a large Christian force to Yemen.

When the Aksumites arrived at Yemen, they found out that Najran was almost entirely depopulated. They began searching every house for the king, Yusuf Dhu-Nuwas, hoping to arrest and kill him. The king, whose ministers and soldiers had perished, was in a state of extreme fear. He snuck out of the city on his horse. He then fell into the sea after his horse became tired, and he drowned. Some say it was suicide but Allah knows best. 

Source:

Sahih Muslim, 3005

Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Surah al-Buruj (the entire story)

Al-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Ishaq (about the events after the burnings)

The story of Ash-Shiddatu Al-Mustansiriyyah

 In the years 1064 to 1074, there was a very long period of famine in Egypt, known as Ash-Shiddatu Al-Mustansiriyyah. This happened during the reign of the Fatimids, a dynasty that was ruled by the Rafidhi Batini Ismaili sect of Shi'ism. This famine lasted for seven to ten years. The source of origin for this famine was partly due to the Nile River failing to flood, as well as a political crisis between rival slave-warrior factions. This famine caused at least 40,000 deaths due to starvation.

When the Nile River failed to flood, this resulted in little to no crops growing, because the crops did not have enough water for the irrigation. Hence, the agricultural output had gone down. Not enough food could be produced to feed the population of Fatimid Egypt. At least, they still had wheat and bread, but now at slightly more expensive prices. Inflation occured in this time.

Then two years later, in the year 1066, the Turkic Mamluk slave-warriors had a dispute against the Sudanese slave-warriors, as they both wanted to take control of and manipulate the weak ruler, Fatimid ruler Al-Mustansir. This dispute soon evolved into a full-scale civil war. The Turks were led by a Hamdanid prince, Nasir al-Dawla, while the Sudanese were led by the mother of Al-Mustansir himself, Umm Rasad. A siege of Cairo then happened, and this led to even more famine and food shortages. More armed conflicts spread throughout Egypt and this damaged most of the plantations that were left in the country.

Nasir al-Dawla became victorious in his fight against the Sudanese, and he expelled them from Egypt. His Turks then plundered the royal palace and stole all of the gold there, while Nasir al-Dawla himself became the de facto ruler of Egypt, the Fatimid ruler Al-Mustansir being nothing but a mere puppet under him. Al-Mustansir followed whatever Nasir al-Dawla told him to do. Nasir al-Dawla himself was not a very good ruler, and was often described as tyrannical.

Several tribes of the Berbers assisted in aggravating the distress; they intentionally destroyed the canals and embankments around the Nile River. All of Al-Mustansir's captive animals died of hunger, except for three horses, and it is said that eventually he himself was the only one who actually possessed a horse, and that when he rode out, his companions followed on foot as they did not have horses or mules. It is also said that the escort of the ruler once fainted from hunger as it accompanied him on a journey. 

During these times, the prices of food slowly rose up, until they became too high, the average person could not purchase them. The treasury was also completely out of funds; the Turks had stolen whatever was in it. The famine resulted in the cities of Al-Qata'i and Al-Askar being entirely depopulated, while the majority of Fustat's population was annihilated due to the famine. No external support from the Seljuks or other contemporary ruling dynasties was present, either.

But perhaps the worst of these events is the spread of cannibalism. Whenever a criminal was executed, his body would be cut up and cooked before being eaten. The number of executed criminals eventually reached zero, and the people began eating other animals like cats and dogs. Dogs, especially, were sold at five silver dirhams. But eventually the dogs would decrease in number as well, until it was zero. The populations then resorted to cannibalism. The hunters would attach hooks to the bottom of rooftops that were hidden by plain view. Once these hooks attached onto a person passing by, the hunters pulled up the hooks and killed the victim, before cutting them up and cooking the body parts for eating. Cannibalism became a normal practice in Egypt, and this was a possible factor of the decreasing populations in several towns as well.

Al-Mustansir secretly requested help from the Armenian governor of Palestine, Badr al-Jamali. In the year 1073, Nasir al-Dawla was murdered along with his family. But this did not end the horrifying conditions of Egypt. Only a year later did Al-Mustansir fully regain power. By the end of 1073, Badr al-Jamali and his troops had reached the port of Damietta, and were making their way into Egypt. The Turks, who did not suspect anything about Al-Jamali and his troops, allowed him access to Egypt.

By 1074, Badr al-Jamali had already assassinated and killed all of the Turkic leaders. Al-Mustansir gave Badr al-Jamali the position of Vizier, and he was also given extra authoritative permissions. Al-Jamali managed to restore the country to the state it had been before 1064. He helped repair the economy, and even invited his Armenians into Egypt. Many cities were repopulated as Badr al-Jamali encouraged migration into Egypt. The country had been successfully restored.

Source:

Natural Disasters by Lee Allyn Davis, pages 120-121 (about the drying up of the Nile)

Ighathat al-Ummah bi-Kashf al-Ghummah by Al-Maqrizi (about the events that happened during the famine)

Al-Mawa'iz wa-al-Itibaar bi-Dhikr al-Khitat wa-al-Athaar by Al-Maqrizi (about the events that happened during the famine)

Army, Regime, and Society in Fatimid Egypt, 358–487/968–1094; International Journal of Middle East Studies by Yaacov Lev (about the end of Nasir al-Dawla's rule)

The Ismailis: Their History and Doctrines by Farhad Daftary (about Badr al-Jamali and his rise to power as the new Vizier of the Fatimids)

The story of Cyrus of Alexandria

 Cyrus of Alexandria, also known as Muqawqis, was the Coptic governor of Alexandria, Egypt, who worked for the Byzantines under their head ruler in Rome, Heraclius. Cyrus was formerly a Christian cleric and a Bishop as well, but later he was promoted to the role of Patriarch of Alexandria. During his rule, Cyrus managed to unite the Myaphisite and Chalcedonian sects of Christianity under a single sect known as Monothelithism. For at least ten years, Cyrus harshly persecuted the Egyptians in his territory as the majority of the Egyptian people did not recognize him as their patriarch.

In the month of Muharram, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote letters to various rulers and governors to convert to Islam, one of this being Cyrus. The letter was transported by the Sahabi, Hatib ibn Abi Baltah, to the palace of Cyrus. This letter, read: “Bismillahirrahmanirrahim!

From Muhammad, the slave and Messenger of God to Muqawqis (what the Arabs called Cyrus), the leader of Copts!

Peace be upon those who follow the right path! After this prayer, I invite you to Islam. Embrace Islam so that you will attain salvation. Embrace Islam so that God will reward you twice. If you refuse my invitation, may you be responsible for the sins of Copts!

Say: ‘O people of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but God; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not from among ourselves Lords and patrons other than God.’ If then they turn back, say: ye! ‘Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to God's will).”

Cyrus read the letter, and he was pleased for some reason. He then folded up the letter and placed it in a special box made of ivory. “May it be good for all!” he exclaimed after he read the letter. He made sure that no one except his trusted translator had seen him read the letter.

Later that night, Hatib was getting ready to leave for Madinah. Then, an envoy of Cyrus summoned him and brought him to Cyrus himself. Cyrus looked Hatib in the eyes, saying, “I knew that a prophet would come but I thought he was going to appear in Damascus. For most of the previous prophets appeared in Damascus. In fact, I also saw in the books that the last prophet would emerge in Arabia, the land of hardness, scarcity and poverty. This time is just the time of the prophet whose characteristics are written in the book of God.” Cyrus then, in a sad tone, said, “However, Copts will not obey me if I become a Muslim. I cannot leave my sovereignty. This prophet will be sovereign in many countries; after him, his Companions will come and settle in our land; then, they will defeat those people over there.” Cyrus had accepted the fact that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was a true Prophet, but he did not become a Muslim out of fear that he would lose his authority in Alexandria.

Cyrus of Alexandria, however, decided to give Prophet Muhammad ﷺ some gifts as a token of apology that he could not become a Muslim. He wrote a reply to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, saying,

“From Muqawqis, the leader of Copts to Muhammad b. Abdullah!

Peace be upon you!

After greeting, I want to say this;

I received your letter and read it. I understood what you mentioned in your letter and what you invited me to do. I knew that a prophet would come but I thought he was going to appear in Damascus!

I entertained your envoy. I sent you two female slaves respected by Copts and clothes; I also sent a mule for you to ride.

Peace be upon you!”

Cyrus then gave Hatib the letter, and he also sent some cavalry to deliver the presents to the Prophet ﷺ, the gifts were; a white mule, a thousand kilograms of gold, a crystal glass, a set of twenty Egyptian-made clothes, a jar of honey, several perfumes and two slave girls. 

When Prophet Muhammad ﷺ read the letter sent by Hatib from Cyrus, he said, “Miserable man! He loved his sovereignty so much, but this sovereignty he loved will not remain forever!” The slave girls were named Maria and Shirin, both became Muslims later on under the guidance of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Maria married the Prophet ﷺ while Shirin married one of his companions. As for the white mule, it was named “Duldul”.

Years later, Cyrus reluctantly participated in battles against the Muslims. But he did not fight in the battles, he was rather just the person whom tried making peace with the Muslims. This made his superiors angry with him, and he was harshly scolded by them. Cyrus eventually surrendered the city of Alexandria to the Muslims in the eighth year of Hijrah, and died one year later.

In later years after his death, the Christians of Constantinople condemned Cyrus and labelled him as a heretic disbeliever in their religion. As for the letter, it was discovered in an old Christian monastery, where it was retrieved by Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid and placed in the Topkapi Palace museum.

Source:

Historical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Morris Bierbrier (about Cyrus of Alexandria)

The Arab Conquest of Egypt and the Last Thirty Years under Roman Dominion by Albert J. Butler (about Cyrus' rule)

Al-Tabari's Tarikh (about the letter)

Tabaqat al-Kubra by Ibn Sa'd, volume 1, pages 260-261 and 485 (about the Muslim encounter with Cyrus)

Enchiridion symbolorum et definitionum by Denzinger (about the excommunication of Cyrus by the later Christians)

The story of the origins of Zoroastrianism

  The religion of Zoroastrianism is still active as a minority in many countries and places, like the parts of Lalish near Kurdistan. This religion was founded by an apostate man who betrayed one of the Prophets of Allah. Contrary to popular speculation, Zoroaster was not a Prophet of Islam, much rather, he was a former disciple of Prophet Aramaya, peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him.

The people of Bani Israil were severely weakened by the attacks from King Bukhtanasar. After Bukhtanasar had passed away peacefully in his sleep, they regained control of Al-Quds and began rebuilding their city. However, many years later, the Romans arrived, and these Romans had converted to Christianity. The Romans hated them, and then persecuted them. The Israilites were forced to move themselves to a separate continent, Balkh, which is now located in modern-day Afghanistan. There, the Israilites then assimilated with the Balkhi population, and the ruler of the Balkhis was the King named Kay Lohrasp, the successor of Kay Khosrow. Kay Lohrasp was loved by his people. He was known to be a just king, and a diplomatic ruler with polite manners. No one rebelled against him, as his rule was very satisfactory. But eventually, as Kay Lohrasp grew older, he became ill and too weak to rule. So he assigned his son, Vishtaspa, as the new ruler to lead the people.

Zoroaster was from this new generation of Balkhi Israilites. He was of both Israilite and Balkhi descent, as the Israilites married with the local Balkhi population. He was also a good friend of Prophet Aramaya, peace and blessings be upon him. Zoroaster was one of Prophet Aramaya's closest companions, and he was very loyal to him. But Zoroaster involved himself in criminal activities behind the back of Prophet Aramaya. Zoroaster often acted very friendly and innocently in front of his friend, to conceal his dark side which is friend never knew of; that is, his evil actions which he performed in secret.

One day, Zoroaster obtained money from his employer via illegal methods. His employer was so angry, and the employer contacted Prophet Aramaya and complained to him about Zoroaster. Prophet Aramaya confronted Zoroaster, who kept denying his actions and was not willing to admit and claim responsibility. Hence, Prophet Aramaya then cursed Zoroaster. This curse resulted in Zoroaster suffering from a disease which affected parts of his skin, said to have been leprosy. Over time, Zoroaster grew bitter, and he even started writing the groundwork for his own interpretation of God, which paved the way for the creation of his own religion.

Once his new religion was complete, Zoroaster travelled to the center of Balkh to meet King Vishtaspa. He told Vishtaspa about the new religion he founded, and encouraged Vishtaspa to join it. Vishtaspa was willing to convert to it, and both of them became the greatest of friends. He ordered everyone in his kingdom to convert to the religion of Zoroastrianism. But the people, who were believers in Allah, refused to do so. Vishtaspa carried out mass killings of his people, and forced them to accept Zoroastrianism. Soon, Balkh was a completely Zoroastrian land, filled with fire temples.

After Vishtaspa died, his son Beshotan (also a Zoroastrian) ruled over the kingdom. Then, Beshotan died, and then his brother, Esfandiyar, became the ruler. Esfandiyar was known for being influential in spreading the religion of Zoroastrianism, and he was one of Zoroaster's earliest companions. Zoroaster even said some blessings towards him, and gave him a special, customized and personalized set of chainmail armor. Finally, Kay Bahman took the throne after they all died.

Many, many years later, these kings became known in the Persian history as great kings. The Sassanians, a Zoroastrian empire, honoured them greatly and some of their rulers even claimed descent from these kings. The last Zoroastrian ruler was Yazdegerd the Third, who fled from Persia and stayed in a farmhouse after the Companions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ conquered the land of Persia and eradicated Zoroastrianism from it. He was killed by the farmhouse owner and looted. Persia then became a land where Islam became widespread.

The religion of Zoroastrianism still exists today, mostly in India and Kurdistan, but it is not the original one that was spread through Zoroaster's teachings. It is just a religion formed from the interpretation of whatever texts that were attributed to Zoroaster were found. Many Zoroastrians have left their religion to join another, mostly they have reverted to Islam. The pagan practices of Zoroastrianism are present in the religion of the Rafidhah, and Zoroastrian figures like Piruz Nahavandi are deified in this religion.

Source:

Qassas al-Anbiya by Ibn Kathir, at the portion on Prophet Aramaya/Jeremiah

Al-Bidayah wan Nihayah by Imam Ibn Kathir