The tribe of Thaqeef remained hostile to Islam for a long time. It was one of the most important tribes in Arabia, living in Taif, where they were virtually immune from attack, as they lived high in a mountainous area. Three years before his immigration to Madinah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) aimed at Thaqeef, trying to win a new base for Islam, but they gave him a very hostile reception, inciting their slaves and youth to chase him out, hurling stones and other objects at him. Thaqeef remained hostile to Islam even after Makkah had surrendered to the new faith. The Prophet laid siege to Taif for over a month, but it remained immune. He was informed that its people could easily withstand a yearlong siege. He then decided to end his siege, trusting that in time, Thaqeef would have no option but to turn to Islam. He ordered his army to abandon the siege and proceed back to Makkah. From there, he went to Madinah.
Urwah ibn Massoud, one of the Thaqeef chiefs, followed the Prophet and managed to catch up with him before his arrival in Madinah. He declared his acceptance of Islam and remained with the Prophet for a few days. He then took leave to return to his people and sought the Prophet’s permission to address his people, calling on them to accept Islam. The Prophet said to him: “They could kill you.” The Prophet recognized that Thaqeef were very proud people and that they needed time before they could look at Islam without prejudice. Urwah, however, felt that as one of the most distinguished figures among them, he was very popular. Indeed his popularity was unmatched in Thaqeef. He said to the Prophet: “They love me more strongly than they love maiden girls.” Indeed, they obeyed him in practically whatever he asked them to do. Feeling how Islam could transform their lives, Urwah hoped that they would not take a hard stand against Islam.
When he went back home, he called on his people to accept Islam. They did not show their hostility immediately. They left him until he went home where they watched him until he was at the top floor, when they shot him with countless arrows from all directions. One of their hits was fatal, and he was killed. As he was laid down, realizing it was his end, one of his relatives told him that they would avenge his death by killing ten people from the clan of those who attacked him, but he insisted that he wanted no revenge. He said: “The Prophet had informed me that I would be killed. My death is an honor God has bestowed on me. It is martyrdom that I welcome as a gift from God. Nothing need to be sought other than what was sought in the case of any martyr who was in the Prophet’s army when he besieged your city. Therefore, bury me with those martyrs.” Indeed, he was buried with them. It is reported that the Prophet said of him: “Among his people, he is just like the one God mentions in Surah Ya Seen,” who called on his people to follow God’s messengers but they killed him. In this surah God mentions that that man will be admitted into heaven.
A few months later, Thaqeef began to realize that their situation was getting more critical, with most of Arabia joining Islam. They felt that they might soon be facing the whole of Arabia in war. They decided to send an emissary to the Prophet, choosing one named Abd Yaleel ibn Amr, who was accompanied by five others on his mission. As they approached Madinah, they met Al-Mugheerah ibn Shubah, who belonged to Tahqeef, but had been a Muslim for more than ten years. He was delighted that his own tribe was now about to become Muslim. He went fast to give the Prophet the delightful news. As he was aiming to see the Prophet, he was met by Abu Bakr who, on learning of the arrival of the delegation, begged Al-Mugheerah to allow him to be the one who breaks the news to the Prophet. After the news was thus given, Al-Mugheerah went back to his people, attended to his work and then accompanied them to meet the Prophet, teaching them how to greet him. However, they insisted on offering the Prophet the greeting unbelievers used to say. The Prophet ordered that a tent should be erected for them inside the mosque. He wanted them to watch Islamic worship closely, hoping that this would help to soften their hearts. He appointed Khalid ibn Saeed to attend to their needs and carry any messages between them and the Prophet. They were so suspicious that when Khalid brought them any food sent to them by the Prophet they would not eat of it unless Khalid ate of it first.
When they expressed their tribe’s willingness to accept Islam, they tried to put certain conditions. Their main concern was that they should be allowed to continue to worship their main idol, Al-Lat, which was also worshipped by the rest of Arabia, for three years. The Prophet refused this outright. They tried hard to persuade him to agree, reducing the period to two years, then to one, then a few months, before insisting on a grace period of even one month. The Prophet refused to accept this condition for any set period whatsoever. He insisted on sending with them two of his companions, Al-Mugheerah ibn Shubah and Abu Sufyan, who until recently was leading the Quraysh opposition to Islam, to destroy the idol, which they did. Needless to say, the compromise they tried to strike is against the most central Islamic belief in God’s oneness. It could not be accepted, not even for an hour.
They also asked that they should not be made to destroy their idols with their own hands, and further requested that they should be exempted from prayer. The Prophet said to them: “As for destroying your idols with your hands, we will not ask you to do that.” Obviously the important point in this respect is that the people would see that those idols were useless, as they could not prevent their own destruction, regardless of the identity of the people carrying out the destruction. If the Thaqeef people felt it hard for them to destroy objects they used to worship, the task could be carried out by others.
They tried to place other conditions including that “they should not be required to fight in jihad, pay one tenth of their money in zakah, or required to offer prayers.” The Prophet accepted the first two conditions, but as for prayers he said: “A religion that does not require its followers to pray is of little benefit.” He told his companions: “If these people accept Islam, they will in time fight for it, and they will pay their required charity.”
It is clear that these people tried to strike a bargain, but no compromise was given on basic beliefs or main principles. It was not an easy task to convince them. The Prophet used to come to them every night after Isha prayer and speak to them. Much of what he said was to relate to them how hostile the Quraysh were and how stiff was their opposition to Islam. But he made clear that he did not regret having had to go through this long struggle. By relating this history to the Thaqeef people, he hoped that they would recognize that the truth of Islam was certain to be triumphant. No people could put up stronger resistance than the Quraysh did, waging war against Islam and fighting one battle after another, making alliances with other Arab tribes and with Jews. Thaqeef could not hope to fare any better. However, they did not take that easily, and sometimes the Prophet would remain standing as he talked to them until he was very tired, standing on one leg at a time to rest the other.
The Prophet recognized that the Thaqeef delegation needed something to show their people that they could get some compromise, and that their mission was not one of total capitulation. Hence, he agreed to conditions that did not touch the basic Islamic beliefs. The areas where he accepted compromise were not immediately due, such as fighting and zakah. The latter was to fall due after one year, and he was certain that when Thaqeef began to remold their lives in accordance with Islam, and feel the difference that Islam brings into their lives, they would be firm believers, fulfilling all Islamic duties.
