CHAPTER II: Arab Conquests Companions Were Not among the Forerunners and Those on the Right

Firstly: Types of Companions between the Quran and History:

1- Shortly before Muhammad's death, God has revealed in the Quranic Chapter nine that the contemporaries of Muhammad, or the so-called companions of the prophet, vary in degrees in terms of deeds and faith. Some of them were forerunners in good faith and good deeds among immigrants to Yathreb and its dwellers, some mixed bad deeds with good ones whom God may accept their repentance, some whom God has postponed His judgment, pardon or punishment, on them until their acceptable repentance or lack of it before their death, and some were the hypocrites. The last category is divided into two major types: those whose deeds and words exposed their hypocrisy and conspiring nature and those who hid their feelings of animosity toward Islam. God has warned both types against torment in this life and the Hereafter in case of non-repentance. The Quranic Chapter nine begins with denouncing and disowning Qorayish polytheists and disbelievers who preached their treaty with believers and Muhammad and were bent to expel them out of Mecca. God gives believers the period of four moths of pilgrimage to wait, and then they are urged to begin self-defense fighting, and warned against making allies with aggressive polytheists of Qorayish.

2- The Quran tells us about descriptions of the so-called companions without naming any of them, in contrast to historical accounts that define names, events, location and time details. The leading companions in history are the so-called 'righteous' four caliphs as well as the Arab conquests companions.

3- We, Quranists, use the Quran as the sole criterion and measure-stick to judge deeds of the Arab conquests companions, written and registered in Sunnite authoritative books, trying to understand the reasons behind this sudden reversal against Islam committed by the Arab conquests companions once Muhammad died. Among the worst manifestations of such reversal was the violation of the four sacred months in a worst manner in comparison to pre-Islam Arabs. Such conquests led to the establishment of empires headed by Qorayish tribesmen, and Qorayish became the most famous tribe worldwide at the time. Yet, such conquests were against the Quran and deemed a flagrant violation of its teachings, and the Arab conquests companions have entered a dark satanic tunnel with all early Muslims due to such deeds, and never emerged out of this tunnel until this very moment. The reason: such conquests have led to the establishment of the devilish sharia legislations of the earthly, man-made, fabricated creeds of the Muhammadans who worship mortals and things and violated the peace of the holy mosque at Mecca and its Kaabah shrine and disturbed the peace imposed during the four sacred months of pilgrimage as well. Most of the Arab conquests companions are being worshiped and deified now by the followers of the Muhammadan creeds; we note the fright of the Arab readers of this book as evidence of that type of polytheistic worship and reverence.  Criticism of such companions of the Arab conquests is deemed blasphemous in the Sunnite creed! They are being worshipped and sanctified as saints who were infallible! We begin below with types of companions mentioned in the Quran.   

Secondly: Arab Conquests Companions Were Not among the Forerunners from the Immigrants and the Yathreb Dwellers:

1- God says in the Quran: "The forerunners - the first of the Migrants and the Supporters, and those who followed them in righteousness. God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will abide forever. That is the sublime triumph." (9:100). The term ''forerunners'' here does NOT mean those who converted to Islam before the rest; as the terms include dwellers of Yathreb thought they converted to Islam later on and the verse includes ''those who followed them in righteousness'', and hence, piety is what counts here. Hence, the intended meaning here is acceptable faith and good deeds by pious and devout ones, preserved until death, with no polytheism in terms of behavior and in terms of faith, with no grave sins committed; thus, they died in piety: "But the pious are amidst gardens and springs. Receiving what their Lord has given them. They were virtuous before that. They used to sleep a little at night. And at dawn, they would pray for pardon. And in their wealth, there was a share for the beggar and the deprived." (51:15-19).

2- Such forerunners among immigrants and Yathreb dwellers and those who follow their example in piety and righteousness will be forerunners of all humanity in general in the Last Day, as all people will be subdivided s per faith and deeds in the Last Day into three categories: "And you become three classes. Those on the Right-what of those on the Right? And those on the Left-what of those on the Left? And the forerunners, the forerunners. Those are the nearest. In the Gardens of Bliss. A throng from the ancients. And a small band from the latecomers." (56:7-14). What counts here is that when one dies, one's life would have been spent in good faith and good deeds, to be told by angels of death to rejoice the reward in Heaven: "But if he is one of those brought near. Then happiness, and flowers, and Garden of Delights."(56:88-89).

3- The same three categories that will subdivide human beings who believe in the Quran apply to the so-called companions: "Then We passed the Book to those of Our servants whom We chose. Some of them wrong their souls, and some follow a middle course, and some are in the foremost in good deeds by God's leave; that is the greatest blessing." (35:32). Hence, other this applies to coming generations as well: "The Gardens of Eden, which they will enter. They will be adorned therein with gold bracelets and pearls, and their garments therein will be of silk. And they will say, "Praise God, who has lifted all sorrow from us. Our Lord is Most Forgiving, Most Appreciative. He Who settled us in the Home of Permanence, by His grace, where boredom will not touch us, and fatigue will not afflict us."" (35:33-35). The Arab conquests companions and those who followed their footsteps deserve the punishment mentioned in this verse: "As for those who disbelieve, for them is the Fire of Hell, wherein they will never be finished off and die, nor will its punishment be lightened for them. Thus We will repay every ingrate. And they will scream therein, "Our Lord, let us out, and we will act righteously, differently from the way we used to act." Did We not give you a life long enough, in which anyone who wanted to understand would have understood? And the warner did come to you. So taste. The evildoers will have no helper." (35:36-37). Hence, they did not heed the Quranic warnings to guide themselves! 

4- Base on Quranic verses, it is an impossibility to think that the forerunners described above were among the wayward lovers of worldly transient wealth and possessions who use politics and its corruption to become military leaders and tyrant rulers, as such lovers of wealth who seek superiority on earth never believe in God and in the Last Day: "That Home of the Hereafter-We assign it for those who seek no superiority on earth, nor corruption. And the outcome is for the cautious." (28:83).

5- There are those who are deemed 'great' in terms of history; history has been written via leaders, rulers, and 'heroes' whose deeds deemed deserving to be recorded, while millions of innocent victims of such military conquests are rarely mentioned in history. Thus, history mentions military conquests of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, Amr Ibn Al-'As, Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler …etc. but it overlooks millions of victims massacred, enslaved, and ruined. As far as the Quran is concerned, such historical 'greatness' leads to Hell for eternity, as it does not go with the values of Islam in the Quran: justice, mercy, and peace. The real greatness in the Quran never cope with the notion that any individual would be deemed 'great' while sitting on top of pyramid made of thousands of human skulls! The worst of this crime is to justify it using God's religion, Islam, and its messenger, Muhammad, who was sent as a mercy for humankind, not to terrorize and massacre humankind.

6- It is impossible to think that history would readily record the lives of the forerunners in faith and piety, who remained obscure and lacked fame and renown; history usually cares ONLY for the famous criminal ones whose deeds change and move events: like tyrants who seek superiority on earth and use and maintain corruption. In our modern age, there are believers who follow the footsteps of the pious and righteous forerunners, never seeking fame, corruption, nor superiority, but history and media will never mention them, of course, as both care ONLY for the famous ones among rulers and corrupt clergymen as well as corrupt ones in all fields who own billions of ill-gotten money. Let us give an example to illustrate this: M. Morsi has been an unheeded and unnoticed brilliant student at his village at school and at university, and no one cared for him at the time, but once he became an MB member and later on a president of Egypt, his worst deeds that violated Egypt's security and tarnished the name of Islam, he became a media star and a historical figure among the worst in the history of Egypt!

7- Media and history never care about ordinary human beings unless they commit crimes or they were victims of crimes, mentioned in newspapers pages of accidents and crimes. As for pious non-hypocritical righteous persons who seek to gratify God and never seek fame, they would never be mentioned in media and history. This state of piety remains with them until the moment of their dying; they care only with good deeds and maintaining their deep faith and devoutness, never caring for the wayward ways of the transient world and its colorful varieties of riches and wealth. Thus were the forerunners among Yathreb dwellers and immigrants to it; they never attained fame and remained obscure soldiers of the Divine Truth, with no hypocrisy toward people, because they are devoted to God alone. Thus are those who follow their footsteps until they die. Both will be rewarded in Heaven.        

8- In contrast, Arab conquests companions committed crimes like massacres, enslavement, looting, vandalism, rape, and various types of injustices against millions of victims in the name of Islam, in flagrant violation of the Quranic sharia laws. Such persons cannot possibly enjoy the blessings of God during the Last Day described in: "… God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will abide forever. That is the sublime triumph." (9:100), as God does not like transgressors: "And fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not commit aggression; God does not love the aggressors." (2:190). Since Arab conquests companions were unjust aggressors, God did not love them or was pleased with them, of course.    

Thirdly: Arab Conquests Companions Were Not among Those on the Right:

1- Those on the Right are those who mixed good deeds with bad ones and then their repentance is deemed acceptable by God: "Others have confessed their sins, having mixed good deeds with bad deeds. Perhaps God will redeem them. God is Forgiving and Merciful." (9:102). The word 'perhaps' is used because such type of believers was still alive during the Quranic revelation, and God gave them a chance to repent willingly on their own accord and keep this repentance for the rest of their lives until they die, in the following manner: "Receive contributions from their wealth, to purify them and sanctify them with it; and pray for them. Your prayer is comfort for them. God is Hearing and Knowing." (9:103). If they keep up piety and living in devoutness, angels of death will give peace while dying: "And if he is one of those on the Right, then, "Peace upon you," from those on the Right." (56:90-91). They will be in the second degree in Paradise, described in 56:27-40.

2- In accordance to historical accounts and records about Arab conquests companions, their crimes that included massacres, rape, looting, enslavement, and various injustices done to millions of innocent victims in the name of Islam are against the teachings of God in the Quranic sharia, and thus, such companions were never among those on the right nor among the forerunners, because they never repented; i.e., they lived and died within their crimes and injustices.

Fourthly: Why the Forerunners Were above those on the Right:

1- The forerunners are above in degree in comparison to those on the right, those who contemplate God's creation: "In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, are signs for people of understanding. Those who remember God while standing, and sitting, and on their sides; and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: "Our Lord, You did not create this in vain, glory to You, so protect us from the punishment of the Fire." "Our Lord, whomever You commit to the Fire, You have disgraced. The wrongdoers will have no helpers." "Our Lord, we have heard a caller calling to the faith: `Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, and remit our misdeeds, and make us die in the company of the virtuous." "Our Lord, and give us what You have promised us through Your messengers, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Surely You never break a promise."" (3:190-194). God answers them in the following verse that asserts that those who are above in degree are those who devoted their lives to God and adhered to the Truth and were persecuted and had to immigrate and engage in self-defense fighting, with some of them getting killed in the process: "And so their Lord answered them: "I will not waste the work of any worker among you, whether male or female. You are one of another. For those who emigrated, and were expelled from their homes, and were persecuted because of Me, and fought and were killed-I will remit for them their sins, and will admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow-a reward from God. With God is the ultimate reward."" (3:195).

2- Giving away money readily for God's cause makes early believers vary in degree of piety and of Paradise levels, despite that both deserve Paradise: there are those on the right and those who are forerunners. God urges such spending for His sake and promises reward in Heaven: "And why is it that you do not spend in the cause of God, when to God belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth? Not equal among you are those who contributed before the conquest, and fought. Those are higher in rank than those who contributed afterwards, and fought. But God promises both a good reward. God is Well Experienced in what you do. Who is he who will lend God a loan of goodness, that He may double it for him, and will have a generous reward?" (57:10-11).

3- Realistically even in Yathreb, there is no equality in reward between those who made jihad with money and self-defense fighting and those who remained behind, despite the fact that both were promised Paradise, but this is the difference between the forerunners and those on the right: "Not equal are the inactive among the believers-except the disabled-and the strivers in the cause of God with their possessions and their persons. God prefers the strivers with their possessions and their persons above the inactive, by a degree. But God has promised goodness to both. Yet God favors the strivers, over the inactive, with a great reward." (4:95).

Fifthly: The Forerunners and Those on the Right Were Unknown and Obscure, and Never among the Elite Leading Men like Arab Conquests Companions:

1- Our patriarchal, masculine culture dominant in our modern days is the reason behind our imagining that forerunners are among males only, forgetting that they include both genders as per the Quran itself: "Muslim men and Muslim women, believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, patient men and patient women, humble men and humble women, charitable men and charitable women, fasting men and fasting women, men who guard their chastity and women who guard, men who remember God frequently and women who remember-God has prepared for them a pardon, and an immense reward." (33:35). We pose a question here: would such descriptions in 33:35 fir for those engaged in politics and seeking superiority on earth and corruption by deceiving the masses in Arabia to lead them into 'religious' conquests to loot, kill, confiscate, rape, enslave, destroy, and invade lands of others?!

2- Features of forerunners in the Quran are jihad with money and self for God's sake seeking God's gratification, NOT seeking transient aims like looting and tyranny. God has reproached contemporaries of Muhammad in battles: "…Some of you want this world, and some of you want the next…" (3:152), as some fought for God's sake and some fought for the sake of transient material considerations.   

3- In general, fighting described here is in cases of self-defense against aggressors ONLY, for the sake of God and Quranic vales of religious freedom, justice for all, and Truth. As for fighting for the sake of possessions and wealth, against innocent persons who never fought them, this is deemed aggression and a grave injustice, and consequently for the sake of the Devil. There is no medial position here: fighting is of either type; it can never combine both types simultaneously. "Let those who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter fight in the cause of God. Whoever fights in the cause of God, and then is killed, or achieves victory, We will grant him a great compensation. And why would you not fight in the cause of God, and the helpless men, and women, and children, cry out, "Our Lord, deliver us from this town whose people are oppressive, and appoint for us from Your Presence a Protector, and appoint for us from Your Presence a Victor." Those who believe fight in the cause of God, while those who disbelieve fight in the cause of Evil. So fight the allies of the Devil. Surely the strategy of the Devil is weak." (4:74-76). Hence Arab conquests companions fought for the sake of transient life possessions and glory and wealth to rule and dominate and tyrannize, for the sake of the devil, and the same applies to those who follow their footsteps among modern-times Wahabis (Salafists and terrorist MB).

4- Despite anything written by historians on the topic of Qorayish empires created within Arab conquests, let us note that battles of Muhammad were exclusively self-defensive in nature; those who say otherwise deny the Quran and an enemy of Muhammad. Aggressive fighters are enemies of God; see 2:190, and Muhammad had never committed this sin, of course. Hence, all battles engaged by early obscure and unknown forerunner believers with good faith and deeds alongside with Muhammad were for the sake of self-defense, with efforts and money spent for God's sake, with no one seeking to be leaders or wealthy ones; rather, everyone were content to seek god's pardon and mercy.

5- We assert here that the role of money spent for God's sake was decisive in self-defense fighting and in the peaceful call and preaching for God's religion: "… strive with your money and possessions and your lives in the cause of God. That is better for you, if you only knew." (9:41), "O you who believe! Shall I inform you of a trade that will save you from a painful torment? That you believe in God and His Messenger, and strive in the cause of God with your possessions and money and yourselves. That is best for you, if you only knew." (61:10-11). As for aggressive fighting of transgression for the sake of the Devil, wealth and rule were the aims and the end when people were fighting other peaceful nations to conquer and invade their lands to confiscate their wealth and possessions like any colonizers and tyrants.

6- We assert here also that the difference lies in jihad for God's sake that entails a pledge with God within hearts of believers, in piety and devoutness until the moment of their death: "Of the believers are men who are true to what they pledged to God. Some of them have fulfilled their vows; and some are still waiting, and never wavering" (33:23).

7- This state lasted until the revelation of the Quranic Chapter nine, among the last revealed chapters, "God has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties in exchange for Paradise. They fight in God's way, and they kill and get killed. It is a promise binding on Him in the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Quran. And who is more true to his promise than God? So rejoice in making such an exchange-that is the supreme triumph. Those who repent, those who worship, those who praise, those who journey, those who kneel, those who bow down, those who advocate righteousness and forbid evil, and those who keep God's limits-give good news to the believers." (9:111-112). Hence, those unknown soldiers fought for God's sake alongside with Muhammad seeking Go's reward, and they were distinguished from those who did not fight: "But the Messenger and those who believe with him struggle with their possessions and their lives. These have deserved the good things. These are the successful. God has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great victory." (9:88-89).

8- Those ill or crippled who cannot participate in self-defense fighting and had no money to share were excused, but they could give good advice, and this verse is concerned with the poor, weak, crippled ones, not the famous ones who later on led the Arab conquests: "There is no blame on the weak, nor on the sick, nor on those who have nothing to give, provided they are true to God and His Messenger in their advice. In no way can the righteous be blamed. God is Forgiving and Merciful." (9:91).

9- The following verse excusing poor and incapable believers from fighting who wept for being unable to participate cannot apply to those well-known names among the so-called companions, but apply to unknown obscure common believers among ordinary people: "Nor on those who approach you, wishing to ride with you, and you said, "I have nothing to carry you on." So they went away, with their eyes overflowing with tears, sorrowing for not finding the means to spend." (9:92).

10- The same applies to Bedouins, whose majority were hypocrites and unbelievers during Muhammad's lifetime; see 9:97-98. But few of them were among the forerunners and those on the right, among the common and poor ones: "Yet among the Desert-Arabs and Bedouins are those who believe in God and the Last Day, and consider their contribution to be a means towards God, and the prayers of the Messenger. Surely it will draw them closer, and God will admit them into His mercy. God is Forgiving and Compassionate." (9:99). This means that the majority of hypocrites and unbelievers were rich and greedy who might have participated in Arab conquests.

11- hypocrites of Yathreb at the time were stingy in spending for God's sake despite their being rich, whereas poor common dwellers of the city and its immigrants preferred to spend for God's sake even if they were needy: " To the poor ones who were driven out of their homes and their possessions, as they sought the favor of God and His approval, and came to the aid of God and His Messenger. These are the sincere. And those who, before them, had settled in the homeland, and had accepted faith. They love those who emigrated to them, and find no hesitation in their hearts in helping them. They give them priority over themselves, even if they themselves are needy. Whoever is protected from his natural greed-it is they who are the successful." (59:8-9). Again, this does not apply to famous Arab conquests companions who were greedy and coveted other nations' possessions.

12- It is noteworthy that among the last revealed Quranic verses, we read about the poor believers who donate money for God's sake despite their being needy, and they were taunted and mocked by the rich: "Those who criticize and taunt the believers who give money voluntarily for God's sake, and ridicule those who find nothing to give except their own efforts-God ridicules them. They will have a painful punishment. Whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them-even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, God will not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in God and His Messenger. God does not guide the immoral people." (9:79-80). Those mockers were among the rich ruling retinue and leaders. The poor devout ones are never mentioned in history, but are mentioned and honored in the Quran, and they will be rewarded by God in Paradise; see 9:100.

Lastly:

1- There is a huge contrast between the obscure unknown pious ones among forerunners and those on the right among Yathreb dwellers and those who immigrated to it and those who rose in fame due to the crime of conquering other lands. The top cannot be equal to the bottom, and the same applies to Quranic descriptions of real believers and the fake greatness granted by history on tyrants and blood-thirsty leaders who caused massacres among the nations.

2- As there is no room for Arab conquests companions among the forerunners and those on the right, the only remaining category for them is those on the left among Hell dwellers, as we understand from the Quran. For further details, read on please!