Osman bin Maz’un Leaves His Protector’s Guardianship

Islamic History Osman bin Maz'un Leaves His Protector's Guardianship LanguageEnglish Türkçe Español Osman b. Maz’un, under the protection of Walid b. Mughira, was living comfortably, eating and drinking well, …

Islamic History

Osman bin Maz'un Leaves His Protector's Guardianship

Osman b. Maz’un, under the protection of Walid b. Mughira, was living comfortably, eating and drinking well, when he saw that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his companions were facing hardships[100] and some were being burned in fire, others beaten with whips. He began to think. Instead of seeking comfort for himself, he desired to face hardships:¹⁰¹ “By Allah, the various trials and tortures that my friends and family are facing on the path of Allah, my safety and security under the protection of a disbeliever in the land of Abyssinia, my comfort—all of this is a great disgrace for me! How can I be under the protection of a disbeliever?”¹⁰² “Allah’s protection is more honorable and secure!”¹⁰³ he said, going to Walid b. Mughira. Walid b. Mughira was at that time in al-Masjid al-Haram.¹⁰⁴ Osman b. Maz’un said to him: “O father of Abdush-Shams!¹⁰⁵ O uncle!¹⁰⁶ O son of my uncle!¹⁰⁷ You took me under your protection! You protected me well! You fulfilled your promise! Until now, I have been under your protection. Now, I want to leave your protection and go to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), for he and his companions are my examples!¹⁰⁸ I return to you the protection that is over me! I want you to announce to the Quraysh that I have left your protection and am no longer under it!”¹⁰⁹¹¹⁰¹¹¹¹¹² Walid b.

Mughira asked: “O son of my brother!¹¹³ Why do you want to leave my protection?¹¹⁴ Has anyone from my people harmed you?¹¹⁵ Or insulted you?¹¹⁶ Or done any wrong to you?¹¹⁷ Or was my protection not enough for you?”¹¹⁸¹¹⁹ Bidāyah, 3/92. Haythami, 6/34. Osman b. Maz’un said: “No! By Allah, no one has harmed me or insulted me.¹²⁰ But I want to be under the protection of the Exalted Allah and not under the protection of anyone else!”¹²¹ When he insisted,¹²² Walid b.

Mughira said: “Then let us go to the gathering in the mosque so that you can publicly return and reject the protection that is over you—just as I announced that I was protecting you!” They stood up and went to the gathering in the mosque.¹²³ At that time, the Quraysh were gathered together as usual; the famous poet Labīd was reciting poetry to them. Walid b. Mughira took Osman b. Maz’un by the hand and brought him to the Quraysh:¹²⁴ “This is Osman b. Maz’un.¹²⁵ He insisted on leaving my protection and forced me to abandon it.¹²⁶ He came here to return and reject the protection that is over him.¹²⁷ I call you as witnesses that I have abandoned protecting him; until he asks to be under my protection again!”¹²⁸¹²⁹ Osman b. Maz’un said: “It is true that I returned and rejected the protection that was over me. Indeed, I found his promise and protection to be good. But I wanted not to be under the protection of anyone other than Allah. Therefore, I returned and rejected his protection to him!”¹³⁰

He then left.¹³¹ He went to the gatherings of the Quraysh in Abyssinia and sat down. The poet Labīd was reciting poetry to the Quraysh, saying: “Know that everything other than Allah is futile” Osman b. Maz’un said: “You have spoken the truth!” Labīd said: “Every blessing is perishable” Osman b. Maz’un said: “You have lied! The blessing of Paradise does not perish!”¹³² The people turned to Labīd and said: “Repeat what you said!” When Labīd repeated the first verse, Osman b. Maz’un affirmed it. When he recited the second verse, Osman b. Maz’un denied it.¹³³¹³⁴¹³⁵¹³⁶¹³⁷¹³⁸

Labīd said: “By Allah, O community of Quraysh! Such things are not done in your gatherings,¹³⁹ nor is one insulted.¹⁴⁰ Nor is one embarrassed in your gathering.¹⁴¹ Foolishness is not part of your character and dignity. When did such embarrassment become a custom in your gatherings?”¹⁴²¹⁴³ One of the truly foolish men present, Abdullah b. Abi Mughira, said to Labīd about Osman b. Maz’un: “He is one of the fools among those fools who are with him! He has separated himself from our religion. Do not be saddened by his words!”¹⁴⁴¹⁴⁵

When Osman b. Maz’un rejected the foolishness attributed to him, the situation escalated. That man stood up and gave Osman b. Maz’un a severe blow to the eye, blinding it.¹⁴⁶ Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas leaped up and with a punch broke Abdullah b. Abi Mughira’s nose.¹⁴⁷ Walid b. Mughira was near Osman b. Maz’un at that time, saw what happened to his nephew, and was even laughing!¹⁴⁸ Those around Osman b. Maz’un said: “By Allah, O Osman! If you had stayed under that protection and not sought refuge from it, your eye would not have been subjected to this calamity!” Osman b. Maz’un said: “Allah’s protection is more secure and honorable! My remaining eye also desires the calamity that befell its brother. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is an example for me! Those who are with him are examples!”¹⁴⁹

Walid b. Mughira said: “By Allah, O son of my brother! If you had not sought refuge from my protection and stayed under it, your eye would not have been subjected to this calamity!” Osman b. Maz’un said: “No! By Allah, O father of Abdush-Shams! This remaining eye of mine also desires the calamity that befell its brother on the path of Allah!”¹⁵⁰

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99. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 2/10, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 3/93, Halabi, 2/12.
100. Ibn Ishaq, Kitabu’l-mubtedā’, 3/158, Bayhaqi, Dala’il, 2/291, Ibn Asir, Usd al-Ghaba, 3/598, Haythami, 6/34. Bayhaqi, Dala’il, 2/291, Zehebi, Tarikh, s. 188, Haythami, 6/34.
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111. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 2/9, Abu Nuaym, Hilya, 1/103, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 3/92. Bayhaqi, Dala’il, 2/291, Zehebi, Tarikh, s. 188, Haythami, 6/34.
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115. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 2/9, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 3/92.
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132. Ibn Ishaq, Kitabu’l-mubtedā’, 3/159, Bayhaqi, Dala’il, 2/292, Ibn Asir, Usd al-Ghaba, 3/599, Ibn Kathir
133. Ibn Ishaq, 3/159, Ibn Asir, Usd al-Ghaba, 3/599. Baladhuri, Ansab, 1/228.
135. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 2/10, Baladhuri, Ansab, 1/228, Abu Nuaym, Hilya, 1/103, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 3/92, Halabi, 2/10.
136. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 2/10, Abu Nuaym, Hilya, 1/103, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 3/92, Halabi, 2/10. Baladhuri, Ansab, 2/10.
138. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 2/10, Abu Nuaym, Hilya, 1/103, Halabi, 2/10. Baladhuri, Ansab, 1/228.
140. Ibn Ishaq, Kitabu’l-mubtedā’, 3/159, Ibn Asir, Usd al-Ghaba, 3/599.
141. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 2/10, Abu Nuaym, Hilya, 1/103, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 3/92, Haythami, 6/34, Halabi, Baladhuri, Ansab, 1/228.
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144. Ibn Ishaq, Kitabu’l-mubtedā’, 3/159, Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 2/10, Baladhuri, Ansab, 1/228, Abu Nuaym, Hilya, 1/103, Bayhaqi, Dala’il, 2/292, Ibn Asir, Usd al-Ghaba, 3/599, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 3/92, Haythami, 6/34, Halabi, 2/11. Baladhuri, Ansab, 1/228.
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