Hadith of warning

The Hadith of Warning or Yawm al-Inzar (Arabic: یوْمُ الْاِنذار), also known as the Invitation of the close families of Muhammad (دعوة ذو العشیرة - Da‘wat dhul-‘Ashīrah), is a hadith that describes how the Islamic prophet Muhammad attempted to present Islam to his relatives and warned them about the Hereafter.

Narration[]

Upon receiving verse 26:214 of the Quran in c. 617 CE, some three years after his first divine revelation, Muhammad was tasked with presenting Islam to his relatives.^[1]^[2]^[3] There are two primary versions of the hadith, which evidently correspond to two separate attempts, though both attempts were reportedly thwarted by Abu Lahab, Muhammad's uncle and a staunch polytheist.^[4]^[5]

Address on a mountain[]

Muhammad climbed a mountain and addressed his own clan with a warning that likened the Judgement Day with to a nearing army:^[6]

Alas for the sons of 'Abd Manaf! I am a warner. I am a man who has seen the enemy and hastens to warn his people, before the enemy gets ahead of him, and exclaims: Alas, you are being attacked!

In other variations of this account, Muhammad also warned each individual about their responsibility for their deeds. For instance, addressing Safiyya bint Abd al-Muttalib, his paternal uncles and his daughter, Fatimah, Muhammad reportedly said, "I possess nothing to your credit with God."^[6]

Address during a feast[]

Muhammad invited his relatives to a meal, which later became known as the Feast of Dhul Asheera.^[7] According to ibn Ishaq, after the meal, Muhammad presented Islam to his relatives and asked them for their support, "Who will help me in this venture, as my brother, my executor and my successor?" Muhammad's cousin, Ali, who was the youngest among them, was the only relative who offered his assistance to Muhammad. In response, Muhammad placed his hand on Ali's shoulder and declared:^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]

This [Ali] is my brother, my executor and my successor. Listen to him and obey him.

This announcement was met with ridicule from Abu Lahab and the guests dispersed.^[9]^[10] Some sources, such as the Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, have not recorded Muhammad's response to Ali.^[12] More detailed accounts attribute a miraculous aspect to this event.^[9] For instance, ibn Sa'd narrates that Muhammad fed his guests with a single plate of food, though Abu Lahab dismissed it as sorcery. Chaos ensued and the guests left. Muhammad invited the group another night and repeated the miracle, after which this narration continues similar to the earlier one. Notably, Ali's response to Muhammad's call is in clear contrast to the remainder of his tribe, the Quraysh.^[13] Sir Richard Burton comments that this banquet "won for [Muhammad] a proselyte worth a thousand sabers in the person of Ali, son of Abu Talib."^[14]

Sunni and Shia views[]

The two versions of the hadith, which might correspond to two separate attempts by Muhammad, have historically been appropriated to reinforce the religious views of the Sunni and Shia sects of the Islam.^[15] In regards to the first version, the kinship with Muhammad is not enough to secure salvation, even for his daughter, Fatimah.^[16] This notion ostensibly has an anti-Shia insinuation, due to the particular reverence of the Shia for their imams, who were all descendants of Muhammad.^[16]

However, according to W. Madelung, the Quran repeatedly describes how the past prophets prayed for (and were granted) divine favors for their kin.^[17]^[18] Similar to those prophets, the Quran emphasizes the exalted status of Muhammad's family above the rest of Muslims.^[19]^[20]^[21] For instance, the verse of purification promises to thoroughly purify Muhammad's household.^[22] This privilege does not obviate the free will of Muhammad's family because the renegades among them would certainly be excluded from the divine grace (such as Muhammad's uncle, Abu Lahab), just like the renegades among the families of the past prophets (such as Lot's wife).^[23]

Similarly, the early appointment of Ali as Muhammad's heir in the second version supports Ali's right to succeed Muhammad, a central tenet of the Shia.^[24] One of the accounts of this event is attributed to Ali, in which he describes himself as Muhammad's successor.^[25]^[26] Lastly, the association of this event with the revelation of a Quranic verse suggests divine authorization.^[25]

References[]

^ Zwettler, Michael (1990). "A Mantic Manifesto: The Sura of "The Poets" and the Qur'anic Foundations of Prophetic Authority". Poetry and Prophecy: The Beginnings of a Literary Tradition. Cornell University Press. p. 84. ISBN 0-8014-9568-7.
^ Rubin, Uri (1995). The Eye of the Beholder: The life of Muhammad as viewed by the early Muslims. Princeton, New Jersey: The Darwin Press Inc. p. 131. ISBN 9780878501106.
^ "(Quran 26:214) Warn the nearest of your kinsfolk".
^ Rubin (1995, p. 140)
^ Washington (1868, p. 71)
^ ^a ^b Rubin (1995, pp. 131–33)
^ Rubin (1995, p. 137)
^ Abbas, Hassan (2021). The Prophet's heir: The life of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Yale University Press. p. 34. ISBN 9780300252057.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hazleton, Lesley (2013). The first Muslim: The story of Muhammad. Atlantic Books Ltd. pp. 95–97. ISBN 9781782392316.
^ ^a ^b Rubin (1995, p. 137)
^ Irving, Washington (1868), Mahomet and his successors, 8, New York: G. P. Putnam and Son, p. 71
^ Rubin (1995, p. 137)
^ Rubin (1995, p. 137)
^ Burton, Richard Francis (1898). The Jew, the Gypsy and El Islam. Herbert S. Stone & Company. p. 335. ISBN 978-0-526-07524-9.
^ Rubin (1995, p. 131)
^ ^a ^b Rubin (1995, p. 133)
^ Madelung (1997, pp. 8–12)
^ Abbas (2021, p. 86)
^ Madelung (1997, pp. 12–16)
^ Jafri, S.H.M (1979). The origins and early development of Shia Islam. Longman. pp. 14–16.
^ Abbas (2021, pp. 58, 64–66)
^ Abbas (2021, pp. 65)
^ Madelung (1997, pp. 10, 16)
^ Rubin (1995, pp. 136–37)
^ ^a ^b Rubin (1995, p. 137)
^ Hazleton (2013, p. 94)

External links[]

Peshawar Nights by Sultanu'l Wa'izin Shirazi, 2001

[1] Zwettler, Michael (1990). "A Mantic Manifesto: The Sura of "The Poets" and the Qur'anic Foundations of Prophetic Authority". Poetry and Prophecy: The Beginnings of a Literary Tradition. Cornell University Press. p. 84. ISBN 0-8014-9568-7.

[2] Rubin, Uri (1995). The Eye of the Beholder: The life of Muhammad as viewed by the early Muslims. Princeton, New Jersey: The Darwin Press Inc. p. 131. ISBN 9780878501106.

[3] "(Quran 26:214) Warn the nearest of your kinsfolk".

[4] Rubin (1995, p. 140)

[5] Washington (1868, p. 71)

[RubenP131-33-6] Rubin (1995, pp. 131–33)

[:3-7] Rubin (1995, p. 137)

[8] Abbas, Hassan (2021). The Prophet's heir: The life of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Yale University Press. p. 34. ISBN 9780300252057.

[:0-9] Hazleton, Lesley (2013). The first Muslim: The story of Muhammad. Atlantic Books Ltd. pp. 95–97. ISBN 9781782392316.

[:32-10] Rubin (1995, p. 137)

[11] Irving, Washington (1868), Mahomet and his successors, 8, New York: G. P. Putnam and Son, p. 71

[12] Rubin (1995, p. 137)

[13] Rubin (1995, p. 137)

[14] Burton, Richard Francis (1898). The Jew, the Gypsy and El Islam. Herbert S. Stone & Company. p. 335. ISBN 978-0-526-07524-9.

[15] Rubin (1995, p. 131)

[:1-16] Rubin (1995, p. 133)

[17] Madelung (1997, pp. 8–12)

[18] Abbas (2021, p. 86)

[19] Madelung (1997, pp. 12–16)

[20] Jafri, S.H.M (1979). The origins and early development of Shia Islam. Longman. pp. 14–16.

[21] Abbas (2021, pp. 58, 64–66)

[22] Abbas (2021, pp. 65)

[23] Madelung (1997, pp. 10, 16)

[24] Rubin (1995, pp. 136–37)

[:33-25] Rubin (1995, p. 137)

[26] Hazleton (2013, p. 94)

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