Relationship with the Arabs who were monotheist¹

Although there was polytheism everywhere in Arabia with idol-worship quite common in every home, there were some individuals who were firm monotheists and were fed-up with disbelief and polytheism even in this type of environment. Among these fortunate people was Zayd Bin ‘Amr Bin Nufayl. He would openly reject polytheism and idol-worship and would express hatred against the polytheistic traditions of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance. He was a paternal cousin of Sayyiduna ‘Umar رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ. His uncle Khattab Bin Nufayl would badly torture and punish him for his monotheistic beliefs. His uncle even exiled him from Makkah and did not let him enter it. But he remained a firm believer of monotheism despite thousands of tortures. Two of his couplets are very famous which he used to recite aloud in the crowds and fairs of polytheists [i.e. those who believe that there are many gods]:

اَرَبًّا وَّاحِدًا اَمْ اَلْفَ رَبّ   اَدِیْنُ اِذَا تُقُسِّمَتِ الْاُمُوْرٗ تَرَکْتُ اللَّاتَ وَ الْعُزّٰی جَمِیْعًا    کَذَالِكَ یَفْعَلُ الرَّجُلُ الْبَصِیْرٗ

Translation: Should I worship only one Lord or one thousand? The religious matters of people have been divided. I have given up Laat [لَات] and ‘Uzza [عُزّٰی]; and every man of insight² will do the same.³

Seeking true religion and being fed-up with the religion of polytheists, he went to Syria where met a Jewish scholar. He then met a Christian monk but he neither accepted Christianity nor Judaism. Hence both of them guided him towards ‘Deen-e-Haneef’ – i.e. the religion of Sayyiduna Ibraheem Khaleelullah عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. Both of them also told him that Sayyiduna Ibraheem عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام was neither a Christian nor a Jew and that he would worship only and solely one Almighty.Listening to it, Zayd Bin ‘Amr Bin Nufayl returned to Makkah from Syria and loudly declared with his hands raised: O people! Be witnesses to what I say, ‘I am a believer of the religion of Sayyiduna Ibraheem عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام’. ⁴

Zayd Bin ‘Amr Bin Nufayl had relationship with the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم before he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم made the declaration of his Nubuwwah. Sometimes, he would also meet the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم . Therefore, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umar رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُمَا narrated: The Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم once met Zayd Bin ‘Amr Bin Nufayl in a low-lying area called ‘Baldah’. He served the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم with a meal at a dining-mat but he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم refused to eat, so Zayd Bin ‘Amr Bin Nufayl said, ‘I do not eat the meat slaughtered with the names of idols. I eat the only meat slaughtered with the name of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.’ He then spoke ill of the slaughtered animals of the Quraysh. Addressing the Quraysh, he said, ‘Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has created the goat and showered water for it from the sky and has created grass for it on the earth. O Quraysh! Why do you slaughter the goat with the name of anyone other than Allah [i.e. with the names of idols]?’⁵

Sayyidatuna Asma Bint Abu Bakr رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُمَا stated: She saw Zayd Bin ‘Amr Bin Nufayl leaning against the Holy Ka’bah and saying, ‘O the group of the Quraysh! By Almighty! Except me, none of you is a follower of the religion of Sayyiduna Ibraheem عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام.’⁶

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¹The one who believes that there is only one God
²The ability to understand something correctly
³As-Seerat-un-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hishaam, pp. 90
⁴As-Seerat-un-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hishaam, pp. 93; Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Manaqib-ul-Ansaar, vol. 2, pp. 567, Hadees 3827
⁵Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Manaqib-ul-Ansaar, vol. 2, pp. 567, Hadees 3826
⁶Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Manaqib-ul-Ansaar, vol. 2, pp. 568, Hadees 3828