This story is about how Iyas Ibn Mu’adh accepts Islam. He is among the youngster from Banu ‘Abdul-Ashhal, when the Messenger of Allah first invited them to Islam, Iyas since to have accepted. However, one of them was against it, saying they did not come to the place to accept Islam, rather seek alliance from the Quraish against the Khazraj.
Ibn Ishaq related from Mahmood Ibn Labelled who narrated: Abul-Haisar Anas Ibn Rafi‘ arrived in Makkah with youngsters from Banu ‘Abdul-Ashhal. Among them was Iyas Ibn Mu‘adh seeking alliance from the Quraish against their people from the Khazraj
When Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, heard of them, he approached them and sat to discuss with them. He said: “Do you wish for something better than what brought you?” “What is that?” they asked. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “I am a Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to His servants. I invite them to worship Allah and not to associate any partner with Him. And He has revealed to me the Qur’an.” He explained Islam to them and recited the Qur’an to them.
Iyas Ibn Mu‘adh’s Response To The Prophet’s Call
The narrator continued: Then Iyas Ibn Mu‘adh, a young boy, rose and said: “O people, by Allah, this is
better than what brought you here in the first place.” Abul-Haisar Anas Ibn Rafi‘ took a handful of dust and threw it at the face of Iyas Ibn Mu‘adh. He said: “Leave us alone. By my order, we have come for other than this.” Then Iyas kept quiet and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, rose to leave and they also returned to Madinah. Then the war of Ba’ath broke out between the Aws and Khazraj.
Before He Died He Never Ceased Calling ‘La ilaha ill-Allah…’
It was not long thereafter before Iyas died. Mahmood Ibn Labelled said: I was informed by those who came to me from people that they never ceased to hear him say: La ilaha ill-Allah (there no deity worthy of worship besides Allah); Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest); Alhamdulillah (praise belongs to Allah) and Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah) until he died. They did not have a doubt that he died a Muslim. Since he heard what he heard from Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, at that sitting, he had developed the consciousness of Islam.
I say: That was in the Battle of Ba’ath and Ba’ath is a place in Madinah where the battle took place in which a large number of the noblemen and elite among the Aws and Khazraj were killed leaving only very few older men.
‘A’ishah’s Comment On The Battle of Ba’ath – may Allah be pleased with her
Imam Al-Bukhari related in his Saheeh that ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The day of
Ba’ath (i.e. day of fighting between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Aws and Khazraj) was brought about by Allah for the good of His Messenger so that when he reached (Madinah), the tribes of Madinah had already been divided and their chiefs had been killed.”
