Political, not religious
BY Manal Abdul Aziz
THEY might be the first conjoined twins in human history. Hashim and Abd Shams were the male twins of Abd Manaf the grand grandfather of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). They were born conjoined by their thumbs and were separated by the use of a sword. A soothsayer predicted that the two brothers would live in enmity that would last in their offspring; generation after generation.
This was the story my late grandfather narrated to me when trying to clear causes behind the lasting state of enmity between Muslim Sunnis and Shi’ites.
When trying to inspect the facts around this story, I found different versions of its origin including one that claims that the twins were born conjoined from their forefront. But as it is difficult to imagine the presence of a clever surgeon at that time who was able to separate them from such sensitive organs, I continued believing in the soundness of the story as narrated by my grandfather.
According to his story, Abd Manaf, who was saddened much by this prophecy, spared no effort to raise his two sons with love and mercy to save them the plight of enmity. Though his effort bore good fruit for the two brothers throughout their life, deep enmity erupted between their children who competed fiercely on the leadership of the tribe of Quraish and the one who should sponsor the sacred Ka’ba and its pilgrims.
After years of conflict between the two sides, the two grandsons; Abdul Motaleb bin Hashim and Ummaya bin Abd Shams agreed to share leadership of the tribe and services of Ka’ba, the first masjid built for the worship of One God.
This situation lasted for years and the two families lived in agreement until Mohammed bin Abdullah, the grandson of Abdul Motaleb, received from Heaven announcing his prophethood. At the time, most tribes showed resistance to this new religion that calls for equality between all mankind. Banu Ummaya, however, were radical in their enmity and resistance to this new religion. Along with their fear of losing their leadership to the tribe, Banu Ummaya sensed jealous and envious to Banu Hashim for having one of their offspring chosen as the last Messenger of God.
Banu Ummaya knew that they could compete with Banu Hashim in every field of leadership but not the prophethood that was granted by Allah to Mohammed as His last messenger to mankind. Therefore, they fought his call since its emergence until eventually surrendered to the Muslims conquest of Mecca in the eighth year of Hijrah.
On that day, the infidels of Mecca were frightened when they thought of Muslims’ retaliation for the despicable crimes they had committed against the Prophet and his early companions. However, the Prophet who enjoyed great morals met all their offenses with pardon and forgiveness and worked hard to heal the wounds of the past by acquiring Banu Ummaya prestigious position after accepting Islam.
He addressed all the Meccans at Ka’aba saying: “O Quraysh, what do you see that I do with you? They said: Good, generous brother and generous nephew, so he said:“ Go, you are free. ”
Since then, the Prophet was keen to reconcile the old enmity between his family and their brethren. This state of fraternity continued to prevail in the Muslim community until the murder of the second Caliph Omar bin Al Khattab. While still suffering his injury, Omar unintentionally recalled the old rivalry when refused to name the third Caliph to succeed him in ruling over the Muslim community. Instead, he named six candidates for the Muslims to choose their caliph from.
The six candidates included the two rivals; Ali bin Abu Taleb bin Hashim and Othman bin Affan of Banu Ummaya.
Definitely, Omar did not mean to revive the old enmity and subject the Muslim community to division as he built his choice on the persons the Prophet once named as men who got Allah’s promise to be rewarded by paradise in the day after. In other words, he selected the candidates from the most honest believers. Besides, there was no kind of competition between Ali and Othman, the two men, who were amongst the first to embrace Islam and the Prophet (PBUH) chose as husbands to his daughters.
Sadly, Othman and Ali, who were chosen as Third and then fourth caliphs respectively, met the same end of being murdered at hands of some unwise Muslims. Their tragic death caused Muslims to split into two factions that lasted until today.
Ironically enough, this division that started tribal developed along centuries to be sectarian and then racial. However, no one could claim that this split that continues to risk the emergence of more inter-Muslim wars, was of religious background as it only indicates the row and competition over political power that first emerged between offspring of Banu Ummaya and Banu Hashim but later developed to a sectarian split between Sunni and Shi’ites and now between Arabs and Persians.
No one could claim that the Iranian Shi’ites belong to Banu Hashim nor one could assume that the Sunni Muslims of the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt for example are the offspring of Banu Ummaya.
Thus, while considering today’s Muslim disputes, it must be made clear that it has nothing to do with Islam and the noble teachings of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) who struggled along to unite his followers and remove any sort of dispute and discrimination between them on basis of gender, race, or social status.
So, when would Muslim leaders recall the great principles of Islam and end their baseless differences that serve no one but the enemies of the Muslim nation and defame the image of Islam?
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