Sirah
The Islam of Hamza
Hamza (RA) accepts Islam at the sanctuary, c. 615 CE
c. 615 CE
Educational historical reconstructionWhere
The sanctuary precinct by the Ka'ba, Makkah
21.4225, 39.8262 · View on OpenStreetMap
Background
In the middle years of the Makkan mission, while the believers were still few and suffering the hostility of Quraysh, the faith was strengthened by the conversion of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib (radiyallahu 'anhu), an uncle and foster-brother of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and one of the strongest and most respected men of the town, a noted hunter and warrior. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd and al-Tabari relate that Abu Jahl had come upon the Prophet near the hill of Safa and abused him grievously, and that a woman who had witnessed it told Hamza when he returned from the hunt, his bow still upon him. Stirred to anger, Hamza went to the sanctuary where Abu Jahl sat among Quraysh, struck him with his bow, and declared that he too followed the religion of his nephew, challenging any who would object. Though the sources note that his anger came first and his certainty deepened afterward, his Islam held firm, and the coming of so powerful a man to the believers gave them new strength and a measure of protection in a difficult time. Hamza would later be honoured as a champion of the early battles and would fall a martyr at Uhud. This scene depicts the place and a single telling object: the open sanctuary precinct of Makkah by the ancient cube, and a hunter's bow and quiver set down at a doorway, as of a man just returned from the chase. In keeping with the Sirah tier no person is shown, neither the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor Hamza (RA); the event is carried by the place and the hunter's gear.
What you see
The open precinct around the ancient cube of the sanctuary in a bare valley town, the clan houses on the slopes; the gathering place of Quraysh where the leaders sat and the affairs of the town were aired.
A hunter's bow and a quiver of arrows set down at a doorway, as if their owner has just come in from the chase; the gear of a strong and respected man of the town returning to hear ill news.
This marks the day Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib (radiyallahu 'anhu), uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and a noted hunter and warrior, returned from the hunt, learned that Abu Jahl had abused his nephew at the sanctuary, struck the offender with his bow, and declared his own acceptance of Islam.
The coming of a powerful man to the faith strengthened the small community and gave the Muslims of Makkah a measure of protection; an early turn in the long years of Quraysh hostility. The scene shows the place and the hunter's gear, not any face.
The bare Makkan valley and the sanctuary at its heart set this in the middle Makkan years, while the believers were still few and pressed.
The Islam of Hamza (RA) is recorded by Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd and al-Tabari. In the Sirah tier no person is depicted; the bow and quiver at the door stand for the returning hunter.
Primary sources
Ibn Ishaq via Ibn Hisham, al-Sira al-Nabawiyya: The principal narrative of the Islam of Hamza (RA): the abuse by Abu Jahl, the return from the hunt, the blow with the bow, and the declaration of faith.
Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra (9th c.): The biographical record of Hamza (RA), his standing among Quraysh, and his acceptance of Islam.
al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa-al-Muluk (early 10th c.): Sunni historical synthesis of the middle Makkan years and the conversion of Hamza (RA).
Further reading & cross-references
Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, al-Rahiq al-Makhtum (20th c.): Modern Sunni synthesis for the dating and the strengthening of the community.
Topography of the Makkan sanctuary (city): The sanctuary precinct and the hill of Safa are firmly placed in Makkah; the exact spot of the encounter is not preserved, so the location is at city precision.
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