48 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
Al-Tufayl was an honoured and respected man of Daws. He came to Mecca
where he was met by the Quraysh chieftains, who warned him about the
Messenger of God (SAAS), and forbad him to meet with him or to listen to him
talk.
Al-Tufayl related, "By God, they kept on at me until I agreed not to hear him
nor to speak to him. I even stuffed my ears with cotton when I went to the
mosque to prevent myself hearing anything he said; I didn't want to listen to him.
"I went to the mosque, and there was the Messenger of God (SAAS) standing
in prayer at the kacba. I went over near to him, and God required me to hear
some of what he said.
"And I heard wonderful speech. So I told myself, 'May my mother not be
bereft! I swear, here am I, a man who is intelligent and a poet, and someone
who can well distinguish good from bad! What prevents me from hearing what
this man is saying? If what he says is good, I will accept it; if bad, I will reject
it."'
He went on, "So I stayed there until the Messenger of God (SAAS) went off
home and I followed hi till he went inside his house. Then I went in to him and
said, '0 Muhammad, your people have told me such-and-such.'
He continued, "And I swear, they so scared me that I stuffed my ears with
cotton so as not to hear what you say. But then God insisted on making me hear
your words. And I heard he speech. So explain your situation to me.'
Al-Tufayl continued, "And so the Messenger of God (SAAS) explained Islam
to me and recited the Qur'm to me and, I swear, I never heard words more sweet
than those, nor any matter more just.
"And so I accepted Islam and bore true witness, saying, '0 Prophet of God, I
am a man who is obeyed by his people. I am now returning to them and will
invite them to Islam. Pray to God to give me a sign that will help me with them
when I do so.'
"And so he said, '0 God, give him a sign.'
"I then left for home and travelled till I came to a pass that enabled me to look
down on to my village. But then there appeared between my eyes a light like that
of a lamp. I said to myself, '0 God, not right in my face, for I fear that they will
think it some exemplary punishment that has struck my face for my abandoning
my faith.'
"Then the light moved and alighted on the head of my whip. And the villagers
watched that light atop my whip that resembled a suspended candle, and they
continued to do so as I was descending to them from the pass, right until I was
there among them.
"When I dismounted, my father, an aged sheikh, came over to me, but I told
him, 'Off with you, father; you and I must have nothing to do with one another.'
"'Why is that, my sou?' he asked.
"'I have accepted Islam, and adopted the religion of Muhammad (SAAS).'
"'Well, son, your religion shall be mine.'