An incident from a battle

It is given in As Seeratun Nabawiyya that Shaiba Bin Uthman (May Allah be well pleased with him) says:  When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) went to fight Hawazin after the victory over Makkah, I told myself that this is a good chance.  I should also go along with the Quraish.  Maybe that I will get a chance to finish off Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in the ensuing tumult and disturbance, which will suffice as revenge for killing of Quraish and will also serve as revenge for my father, paternal uncle and other folk of Bani A’amaam who they had killed in the Battle of Uhud.  At that time, my stance was that even if the whole of Arabia falls in with Him and not one person is willing to part from Him, even then I will not do so.  On the contrary, my enmity for Him will go on increasing. 

 

When confusion broke out in the ranks right in the middle of the battle and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had to fight on foot, I was very near to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  I drew my sword and raised my hand to strike Him, when a ball of fire came towards me with blinding speed and bedazzled me.  In spite of myself, I had to raise my hands to cover my eyes.  At that moment, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) turned towards me, smiled and said:  O Shaiba, come closer to me.  Then He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) tapped my chest thrice with His hands.  Upon this, the love of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) blossomed in my heart to such an extent that more than that cannot be imagined.  My love for Him was greater than love for any other creation of the world.  After this, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) commanded me to fight.  I went forward and started striking with my sword.  The Lord knows that at that time I was willing to take upon myself any blow that was directed at the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  If my father was alive and came before me, I would have struck him down even.  Thus, I stayed with Him until the Islamic army, which had been routed, returned.  I brought His mount to Him and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) mounted it.

 

After that when the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) went inside His tent, I also went along with Him.  I saw that happiness was evident from the blessed face of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  O Shaiba!  What the Lord has decided you is better than what you had had decided (for yourself).  Then the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) described all those thoughts of mine which I had not shared with anyone else.  I affirmed my belief in Unity of Allah and Prophethood of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and requested Him to pray for my forgiveness.

 

Hadhrat Shaiba (May Allah be well pleased with him) was given the reply:  Allah Ta’ala has forgiven you.

 

It is mentioned in another Hadith that Hadhrat Shaiba says:  I was standing with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and I started seeing brindle horses.  I informed the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) of this.  He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  O Shaiba!  These horses are visible only to the disbelievers.

 

This Hadith shows that angels would ride brindle horses and fight alongside the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and they would be visible only to the disbelievers so that they would feel the terror of fighting a huge army.  This was the reason why a small Islamic army would go up against a huge non-Muslim army and rout them completely.  Sometimes, because of some unusual reason, the Islamic army would seem smaller than its size as well.  Thus, Allah Ta’ala desired the progress of His religion for which different methods were used.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) tapped the chest of Hadhrat Shaiba (May Allah be well pleased with him) thrice.  The reason for this seems to be that in the first tap, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) removed disbelief from his heart, in the second tap, He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) entered Iman into his heart and in the third tap, He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) filled his heart with His love.  This shows that love of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) can never be there in the heart of a disbeliever.  For this purpose, a high-class heart is required which is filled with the light of Iman.