By now the entire world knows of the massacre on 26 May 2024, in which the demons of Israel burnt our brothers and sisters alive. Which Muslim’s heart does not bleed when seeing the scenes broadcast throughout the world.

Some us may have further been affected when hearing about a burnt page of the Qurʾān containing the opening verses of Sūrah ʾal-Burūj found on one of the lady-martyrs. (Not sure why Muslim media referred to “a Palestinian” which kind of implies a male). If you have not, please listen to the recitation which really penetrates the heart.

The Tafsīr of Sūrah ʾal-Burūj is unique in certain ways and pondering over it should make a Muslim weep. Now combined with parallels of Rafaḥ and Ghazzah, the heart of a believer is overwhelmed –

• the Jews burning the believers alive,
• the Jewish obsession with sorcery,
• the lady martyr,
• children sacrificing their lives and calling to truth,
• miracle manifesting after miracle,
• a boy flinging a stone at a massive enemy
• martyrdom of believers is a means of guidance for disbelivers…

I never imagined seeing such a “reenactment” of Sūrah ʾal-Burūj in my lifetime, and I can’t explain what emotion overcomes me…

Herewith an overview of the Sīrah, Ḥadīth and Tafsīr relevant to this incident.

Dhū Nuwās

The last independent king of Yemen before ʾIslām was Yūsuf bin Shuraḥbīl of the Ḥimyar tribe, who would rule from 522 until the Ethiopian invasion of 530. Yemen had a large Jewish population at the time and Yūsuf converted to Judaism, growing his sidelocks (nuwās) in the Jewish style, thus becoming known as Yūsuf Dhū Nuwās. His reign is recorded both in Arab sources (ʾIbn Hishām) and Greek (Procopius).

Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ himself explained at length why Allāh cursed him in Sūrah ʾal-Burūj. This in itself makes this Sūrah unique and worth studying, for generally a Ḥadīth is not as lengthy and as detailed as this Tafsīr which our Master ﷺ rendered. These events being more than 80 years before the revelation of the Qurʾān, the believers of the time were the followers of ʿĪsā, peace be upon him. The boy mentioned in the Ḥadīth who preached belief in Allāh, was named ʿAbdullāh bin ʾath-Thāmir, Allāh’s mercy be on him.

The Ḥadīth

I had hoped to save time and reproduce the English from sunnah.com, but as is often the case with this website which cyber Muslims hold sacrosanct, the translation is replete with errors. So herewith my translation. ʾal-ʾImām Muslim narrates in [ʾal-ʾImām ʾan-Nawawī’s heading insertion] The Book of Abstention and Softening of Hearts and ʾal-ʾImām ʾat-Tirmidhī in his Book of Tafsīr, that Ṣuḥayb (may Allāh be pleased with him narrated that Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ said:

كَانَ مَلِكٌ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ وَكَانَ لَهُ سَاحِرٌ فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ قَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ إِنِّي قَدْ كَبِرْتُ فَابْعَثْ إِلَىَّ غُلاَمًا أُعَلِّمْهُ السِّحْرَ ‏.‏ فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ غُلاَمًا يُعَلِّمُهُ فَكَانَ فِي طَرِيقِهِ إِذَا سَلَكَ رَاهِبٌ فَقَعَدَ إِلَيْهِ وَسَمِعَ كَلاَمَهُ فَأَعْجَبَهُ

There lived a king before you who had a magician. When [the magician] grew old, he said to the king, “I have grown old, send some young boy to me that I may teach him magic.” [The king] sent to him a young man so that he could train him. On his way [to the magician] [the boy] found a monk. So he sat and listened to his speech and liked it.

 فَكَانَ إِذَا أَتَى السَّاحِرَ مَرَّ بِالرَّاهِبِ وَقَعَدَ إِلَيْهِ فَإِذَا أَتَى السَّاحِرَ ضَرَبَهُ فَشَكَا ذَلِكَ إِلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَقَالَ إِذَا خَشِيتَ السَّاحِرَ فَقُلْ حَبَسَنِي أَهْلِي ‏.‏ وَإِذَا خَشِيتَ أَهْلَكَ فَقُلْ حَبَسَنِي السَّاحِرُ ‏.‏ فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ أَتَى عَلَى دَابَّةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ قَدْ حَبَسَتِ النَّاسَ فَقَالَ الْيَوْمَ أَعْلَمُ آلسَّاحِرُ أَفْضَلُ أَمِ الرَّاهِبُ أَفْضَلُ فَأَخَذَ حَجَرًا فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ أَمْرُ الرَّاهِبِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ أَمْرِ السَّاحِرِ فَاقْتُلْ هَذِهِ الدَّابَّةَ حَتَّى يَمْضِيَ النَّاسُ ‏.‏

So whenever he went to the magician, he would pass by the monk and sit with him. When he reached the magician, the magician beat him [for being late]. So he complained about that to the monk. So the monk said, “When you fear the magician [will beat you], say, ‘My family had detained me.’ And when you fear your family, say, ‘The magician had detained me.’”

While he was doing that [routine] it so happened that he came across a huge beast that blocked the way of the people. [The boy] then said, “Today I shall come to know whether the magician is superior or the monk is superior.” He picked up a stone and said, “O Allāh, if the affair of the monk is more beloved unto You than the affair of the magician, then slay this beast, that the people may pass by. He threw it and killed [the beast] and the people began to pass by again.

فَأَتَى الرَّاهِبَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّاهِبُ أَىْ بُنَىَّ أَنْتَ الْيَوْمَ أَفْضَلُ مِنِّي ‏.‏ قَدْ بَلَغَ مِنْ أَمْرِكَ مَا أَرَى وَإِنَّكَ سَتُبْتَلَى فَإِنِ ابْتُلِيتَ فَلاَ تَدُلَّ عَلَىَّ ‏.‏ وَكَانَ الْغُلاَمُ يُبْرِئُ الأَكْمَهَ وَالأَبْرَصَ وَيُدَاوِي النَّاسَ مِنْ سَائِرِ الأَدْوَاءِ

[The boy] went to the monk and informed him. The monk said to him, “O my dear son, today you are better than I. Your affair has reached what I see. Soon you will be tested. When you are tested then do not indicate towards me.” The boy began to cure the blind and lepers and he in fact began to treat people for all diseases.

فَسَمِعَ جَلِيسٌ لِلْمَلِكِ كَانَ قَدْ عَمِيَ فَأَتَاهُ بِهَدَايَا كَثِيرَةٍ فَقَالَ مَا هَا هُنَا لَكَ أَجْمَعُ إِنْ أَنْتَ شَفَيْتَنِي فَقَالَ إِنِّي لاَ أَشْفِي أَحَدًا إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللَّهُ فَإِنْ أَنْتَ آمَنْتَ بِاللَّهِ دَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ فَشَفَاكَ ‏.‏ فَآمَنَ بِاللَّهِ فَشَفَاهُ اللَّهُ فَأَتَى الْمَلِكَ فَجَلَسَ إِلَيْهِ كَمَا كَانَ يَجْلِسُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ مَنْ رَدَّ عَلَيْكَ بَصَرَكَ قَالَ رَبِّي ‏.‏ قَالَ وَلَكَ رَبٌّ غَيْرِي قَالَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللَّهُ ‏.‏ فَأَخَذَهُ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُعَذِّبُهُ حَتَّى دَلَّ عَلَى الْغُلاَمِ

A courtier of the king heard [of this]. He had become blind, so he brought many gifts for [the boy] and said, “All this that I have gathered here is for you if you cure me.” [The boy] said, “Indeed I do not cure anyone. It is Allāh Who cures. If you believe in Allāh, I shall supplicate unto Allāh and it is He that will cure you.” So [the courtier] believed in Allāh and Allāh cured him. He went to the king and sat by him as he used to sit. The king said to him, “Who restored your eyesight?”   [The courtier] replied, “My Lord.”  The king said, “And you have a lord besides me!?” [The courtier] said, “My Lord and your Lord is Allah.” So [the king] seized him and kept torturing him until he indicated towards the boy.

فَجِيءَ بِالْغُلاَمِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ أَىْ بُنَىَّ قَدْ بَلَغَ مِنْ سِحْرِكَ مَا تُبْرِئُ الأَكْمَهَ وَالأَبْرَصَ وَتَفْعَلُ وَتَفْعَلُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لاَ أَشْفِي أَحَدًا إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللَّهُ ‏.‏ فَأَخَذَهُ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُعَذِّبُهُ حَتَّى دَلَّ عَلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَجِيءَ بِالرَّاهِبِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ ‏.‏ فَأَبَى فَدَعَا بِالْمِئْشَارِ فَوَضَعَ الْمِئْشَارَ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ فَشَقَّهُ حَتَّى وَقَعَ شِقَّاهُ ثُمَّ جِيءَ بِجَلِيسِ الْمَلِكِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ ‏.‏ فَأَبَى فَوَضَعَ الْمِئْشَارَ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ فَشَقَّهُ بِهِ حَتَّى وَقَعَ شِقَّاهُ ثُمَّ جِيءَ بِالْغُلاَمِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ

The boy was brought and the king said to him, “O dear son, it has reached me that your magic has reached [such a level] that you cure the blind and lepers and you perform and do [even beyond that]. The boy said, “I do not cure anyone. It is Allāh Who cures.”  So [the king] seized him and kept torturing him until he indicated towards the monk. The monk was brought and it was said to him, “Turn back from your religion.” He refused. [The king] called for a saw to be brought. He placed it in the middle of [the monk’s] head and split him until his two parts fell apart.  Then the courtier of the king was brought and it was said to him, “Turn back from your religion.” He refused. [The king] placed the saw in the middle of [the courtier’s] head and split him until his two parts fell apart.  

The boy was brought and it was said to him, “Turn back from your religion.” He refused.

‏.‏ فَأَبَى فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَ اذْهَبُوا بِهِ إِلَى جَبَلِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَاصْعَدُوا بِهِ الْجَبَلَ فَإِذَا بَلَغْتُمْ ذُرْوَتَهُ فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَإِلاَّ فَاطْرَحُوهُ فَذَهَبُوا بِهِ فَصَعِدُوا بِهِ الْجَبَلَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ ‏.‏ فَرَجَفَ بِهِمُ الْجَبَلُ فَسَقَطُوا وَجَاءَ يَمْشِي إِلَى الْمَلِكِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ قَالَ كَفَانِيهِمُ اللَّهُ ‏.‏

[The king] handed him over to a group of his companions and said, “Take him to such and such mountain. Ascend the mountain with him and when you reach its top [spare him] if he renounces his religion. If not, then fling him down.” So they took him and climbed up the mountain with him. He said, “O Allah, be sufficient for me against them with whatever You will.” Thus the mountain began to shake them and they fell down. [The boy] came walking to the king. The king said to him, “What happened to your companions?” [The boy] replied, “Allāh sufficed me against them.”

فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَ اذْهَبُوا بِهِ فَاحْمِلُوهُ فِي قُرْقُورٍ فَتَوَسَّطُوا بِهِ الْبَحْرَ فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَإِلاَّ فَاقْذِفُوهُ ‏.‏ فَذَهَبُوا بِهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ ‏.‏ فَانْكَفَأَتْ بِهِمُ السَّفِينَةُ فَغَرِقُوا وَجَاءَ يَمْشِي إِلَى الْمَلِكِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ قَالَ كَفَانِيهِمُ اللَّهُ

[The king] handed him over to a group of his companions and said, “Take him and carry him in a small boat until you are in the midst of the sea.  [Spare him] if he renounces his religion. If not, then fling him in.” So they took him and he said, “O Allah, be sufficient for me against them with whatever You will.” Thus the boat tipped them over and they fell in and drowned. [The boy] came walking to the king. The king said to him, “What happened to your companions?” [The boy] replied, “Allāh sufficed me against them.”

 ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِقَاتِلِي حَتَّى تَفْعَلَ مَا آمُرُكَ بِهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَمَا هُوَ قَالَ تَجْمَعُ النَّاسَ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ وَتَصْلُبُنِي عَلَى جِذْعٍ ثُمَّ خُذْ سَهْمًا مِنْ كِنَانَتِي ثُمَّ ضَعِ السَّهْمَ فِي كَبِدِ الْقَوْسِ ثُمَّ قُلْ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْغُلاَمِ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ ارْمِنِي فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ قَتَلْتَنِي ‏.‏

[The boy] said to the king, “You will never be my murderer unless you do as I command you to do.” [The king] asked, “And what is it?” [The boy] replied, “You should gather the people in a single plain and crucify me on a [tree] trunk. Then take an arrow from my quiver, place it in the centre of the bow and say, ‘In the Name of Allāh, the Lord of the boy,’ then shoot me. When  you do that then you would be able to kill me.”

فَجَمَعَ النَّاسَ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ وَصَلَبَهُ عَلَى جِذْعٍ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ سَهْمًا مِنْ كِنَانَتِهِ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ السَّهْمَ فِي كَبِدِ الْقَوْسِ ثُمَّ قَالَ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْغُلاَمِ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ رَمَاهُ فَوَقَعَ السَّهْمُ فِي صُدْغِهِ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ فِي صُدْغِهِ فِي مَوْضِعِ السَّهْمِ فَمَاتَ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْغُلاَمِ آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْغُلاَمِ آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْغُلاَمِ ‏.‏

So [the king] gathered the people in a single plain and crucified [the boy] upon a trunk. He then took an arrow from his quiver and placed the arrow in the midst of the bow and then said, “In the Name of Allāh, the Lord of the boy.” He then shot an arrow and it struck his temple. [The boy] placed his hand upon the temple in the spot of the arrow and died. The people called out, “We believe in the Lord of the boy! We believe in the Lord of the boy! We believe in the Lord of the boy!”

فَأُتِيَ الْمَلِكُ فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَرَأَيْتَ مَا كُنْتَ تَحْذَرُ قَدْ وَاللَّهِ نَزَلَ بِكَ حَذَرُكَ قَدْ آمَنَ النَّاسُ ‏.‏ فَأَمَرَ بِالأُخْدُودِ فِي أَفْوَاهِ السِّكَكِ فَخُدَّتْ وَأَضْرَمَ النِّيرَانَ وَقَالَ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَأَحْمُوهُ فِيهَا ‏.‏ أَوْ قِيلَ لَهُ اقْتَحِمْ ‏.‏ فَفَعَلُوا حَتَّى جَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ وَمَعَهَا صَبِيٌّ لَهَا فَتَقَاعَسَتْ أَنْ تَقَعَ فِيهَا فَقَالَ لَهَا الْغُلاَمُ يَا أُمَّهِ اصْبِرِي فَإِنَّكِ عَلَى الْحَقِّ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

[The king’s men] came to the king and it was said to him, “By Allāh, do you see that that which you took steps to avoid, has befallen you through you own steps? The people now believe!”   [The king] decreed that ditches [be dug] at important points in the roadways. Thus they were dug and fires lit in them. He said, “Throw into it whoever does not turn back from his religion, or let it be said to them, ‘Jump in!’

Thus did they do till a woman came with her child and she felt hesitant in jumping into the fire. So the child said to her, “0 dear mother, be patient, for indeed you are upon the truth.”

The Addition of ʾal-ʾImām ʾat-Tirmidhī:

 قَالَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ‏:‏ ‏(‏قتِلَ أَصْحَابُ الأُخْدُودِ * النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ ‏)‏ حَتَّى بَلَغَ ‏:‏ ‏(‏العَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ ‏)‏ ‏“‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَأَمَّا الْغُلاَمُ فَإِنَّهُ دُفِنَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَيُذْكَرُ أَنَّهُ أُخْرِجَ فِي زَمَنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ وَأُصْبُعُهُ عَلَى صُدْغِهِ كَمَا وَضَعَهَا حِينَ قُتِلَ ‏.‏

It is upon this that Allāh Most High says, “Cursed were the companions of the trench.   [Containing] the fire full of fuel, When they were sitting near it. And they, to what they were doing against the believers, were witnesses. And they resented them not except because they believed in Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.”

As for the boy he was buried.

It is mentioned that [the body] was taken out in the era of Umar bin ʾal-Khaṭṭāb and his fingers were still on his temple as when he was killed.

Conclusion

What can I add to the words of Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ? I am however obligated to point out that the martyrs of the trench and the martyrs of Ghazzah died for their belief. The struggle of belief is one we are all engage in. Every Muslim needs to uphold the purity of Islām. Polluting our beliefs with western nationalist, democratic and socialist ideologies does us no favour in this world and can only bring utter ruin in the next. The choice is yours.

سليمان الكندي

X: @sulayman_kindi