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"The Hour will not be
established until there arise thirty impostors, liars, each one
imagining that he is a messenger of Allah, a prophet, but I am the
Seal of the Prophets: there is no prophet after me."
[Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)]1
Malik bin Nuwaira was
a chief of the Bani Yarbu', a large section of the powerful tribe of Bani
Tamim which inhabited the north-eastern region of Arabia, above Bahrain.
Being close to Persia, some elements of the Bani Tamim had embraced Zoroastrianism,
but by and large the tribe was pagan until Islam came to Arabia. The centre
of Malik's clan was Butah. 2 (See Map.
8).
Malik was a chief of noble birth. Famous
for his generosity and hospitality, he would keep a light burning
outside his house all night so that any traveller passing that way
would know where to find shelter and food. He would get up during
the night to check the light. A strikingly handsome man, he had
a thick head of hair and his face, a contemporary has said, was
"as fine as the moon." 3 He was
skilful in the use of weapons and noted for his courage and chivalry,
and he was an accomplished poet. Thus Malik possessed all the qualities
which the Arabs looked for in the perfect male. He had everything!
Laila was the daughter of Al Minhal and
was later also known as Umm Tamim. A dazzling beauty, she was one
of the loveliest girls in Arabia, the fame of whose stunning good
looks had spread far and wide. She was known especially for her
gorgeous eyes and her lovely legs. She too had everything! 4
When she came of age she was pursued by
every swain in the region but rejected the suit of one and all.
Then she met Malik, with whom she was destined to enter the pages
of history. Malik married Laila. Thus Malik, in addition to all
his other enviable qualifications, also had as wife one of the loveliest
women of the time.
Malik bin Nuwaira certainly had everything.
Everything, that is, but faith.
During the Year of Delegations, when the
tribe of Bani Tamim embraced, Islam, Malik also moved with the popular
trend and became a Muslim. In view of his distinguished position
in the tribe and his unquestionable talents, the Holy Prophet appointed
him as an officer over the clan of Bani Handhalah. His main responsibility
was the collection of taxes and their despatch to Madinah.
Malik performed these duties honestly and
efficiently for some time. Then the Holy Prophet died. When news
of his death reached Butah, Malik had just collected a good deal
of tax, prior to its despatch to Madinah. Forgetting his oath of
allegiance, he at once opened the coffers and returned the money
to the taxpayers. "O Bani Handhalah!" he announced,
"your wealth is now our own." 5
Malik had apostatised.
Sajjah was the daughter of Al Harith. Born
in a family of chiefs, she had qualities of leadership, personality
and intellect with which few women have been endowed. She was clairvoyant,
would predict future events, and was so versatile a poetess that
practically everything that she said was in verse. When people spoke
to her, she rhymed back at them.
Later known as Um Sadira, she also belonged,
on her father's side, to the Bani Yarbu' and thus was a kinswoman
of Malik bin Nuwaira. On her mother's side, however, she belonged
to the Taghlib, one of the tribes in the large group known as Rabi'a
which inhabited Iraq. Sajjah lived mostly among the Taghlib who
followed the Christian faith, and because of her mother's influence,
Sajjah also had become a Christian, but Christianity did not have
a very strong hold upon her, nor upon many members of the Taghlib,
as we shall see.
When apostasy began to spread, Sajjah heard
that Tulaiha and Musailima had proclaimed their prophethood. Her
fertile imagination was intrigued by the possibilities that these
false claims opened up. Why should only men be prophets? Why could
a woman not enter the sacred precincts of prophethood? An adventuress
at heart, she finally gave in to the temptation. "I am a
prophetess!" she declared, and elucidated the point with
a few appropriate verses.
1. Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi,
Ahmad, Hakim. Sahih Al-Jami' Al-Saghir No. 7417-8.
2. Butah is now nothing more than a tiny
Bedouin settlement 14 miles south-south-west of the present Ras.
It shows signs of having been a bigger place at one time.
3. Balazuri: p. 108.
4. Isfahani: Vol. 14, p. 65. "It used to
be said that never had legs more beautiful than hers been seen."
5. Balazuri: p. 107.
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