Post by Islamic Revival on Oct 14, 2004 1:34:42 GMT -5
At-Tufayl ibn amr was the chief of the Daws tribe. He was well respected and known for his strength of character and good works, which included feeding the hungry, and granting asylum to refugees. He was also keenly interested in literature, and was a sharp and sensitive poet capable of expressing thoughts and emotions well. At the height of the intellectual struggle between the Muslims and Quraysh in Makkah, Tufayl travelled to the city without any understanding of the struggle for which he was about to become enmeshed.
Upon entering Makkah, Tufayl was ushered aside by the leaders of Quraysh. Their pitch to him was compelling and included reference to Muhammad (saw) and how in their opinion that he was ruining their authority and shattering the community. “We are afraid that he will succeed in undermining you and your authority among your people just as he has done with us. Don’t speak to the man. on no account listen to anything he has to say. He has the speech of a wizard, causing division between father and son, between brother and brother and between husband and wife”.
Tufayl was so taken aback by these arguments that Tufayl agreed not to listen to Rasool Allah (sallallahu alaihi wassalam) and would avoid any contact.
Later during his visit Tufayl was in the precincts of the Kabah when he saw Rasool Allah (sallallahu alaihi wassalam) in prayer and despite having put cotton wool in his ears to rigidly avoid hearing the speech he was moved to listen. He soon found that he was telling himself: “What are you doing, Tufayl? You are a perceptive poet. You can distinguish between the good and the bad in poetry. What prevents you from listening to what this man is saying? If what comes from him is good, accept it, and if it is bad, reject it”.
Tufayl readily embraced Islam thereafter having listened to Rasool Allah, heard the Quran and understood the message of Islam. After he had learnt parts of the Quran and the principles of Islam Tufayl returned to his tribe and successfully called many to the deen. Following the hijrah and after the battles of Badr, Uhud, and Khandaq had taken place Tufayl rejoined the Muslims in Medina with 80 families that had all embraced Islam from his tribe, and led by his strenuous efforts to call all and sundry to Islam. one of the first to embrace Islam from the Daws was Abu Hurayrah.
How often today do we hear of smear campaigns and propaganda directed against the callers to Khilafah (the Islamic state). The proverbial cotton wool is placed in the ears of sincere Muslims and they are directed away from those that are calling for radical political change in our lands, yet the same propaganda artists fail to offer any alternative to the work based upon the method of Rasool Allah (sallallahu alaihi wassalam) and consequently delay the inevitable return of Islam as a way of life in society. If only more had the courage of Tufayl ibn Amr ad-Dawsi to listen and judge the truth themselves.
From www.ramadhan.org