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Muslim Community Center of Tucson
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August 28, 2026·Rabiʻ I 15, 1448 AH·1:01 PM·42m·August 2026

When Your Worst Enemy Becomes Your Greatest Ally

The Story of Thumamah: From Enemy to Believer - A Lesson in Divine Providence

thumamahdivine providencemercyenemies of islamprophet muhammadconversion to islamfaith journey
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Summary

Sh. Ali Mashhour delivers a sermon on divine providence and planning, using the story of Thumamah ibn Uthal as a central example. Thumamah was a leader of Banu Hanifah who initially opposed the Prophet Muhammad and attempted to assassinate him, but was captured and brought to Medina. After three days tied to a pillar in the masjid, listening to the Quran and witnessing the faith of the Muslims, Thumamah embraced Islam. Sh. Ali Mashhour emphasizes how Allah's plan operates through seemingly random events, and how the Prophet's mercy toward his enemies resulted in Thumamah becoming a powerful ally who later controlled the grain trade and prevented Quraysh from receiving supplies unless the Prophet permitted it.

Transcript

Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.

All right. Allah I should.

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Adore. I shall adore.

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Oh, I.

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Allah in the Lord. Oh, awesome.

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Alhamdulillah. for.

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Allah. foreign.

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Foreign.

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When we look back at how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala chains events together and seemingly random occurrences turn into a momentous plan. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala began the journey of Ysef Alisam with a whisper from a shan that the brothers the elder brothers of Ysef Alisam felt a tinge of jealousy towards their two younger brothers Ysef and his younger brother Benjamin Benamian. And so the story of Yuis unfolded when they decided to act on that jealousy. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala took those efforts that a shan so diligently put forth and he turned them into the momentum needed to forge the likes of Yuis and al and the tribes of the 12 tribes of Benny Israel that followed. We see that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has certain plans in place, certain things that are to take place. And when we arrive at those plans and everything is uncovered, it seems like it could have been no other way. But when we look back at the start of those plans, the match that was first struck to light that fire, we see that it is often times connected to rather innocuous occurrences that at the time strike the people involved as random, as coincidence. as luck. But there is no luck. Coincidence is a fancy word that human beings use to describe what they don't understand. With Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, there is no coincidence. It is a plan written 50,000 years before the creation of the heavens and the earth. And not one thing on this earth occurs. Not one mosquito bats its wings. Not one thought goes through a person's mind. Not one movement of the eyes or beating of a heart. No matter how obscure anywhere on this earth in its entire history except that it was part of that greater plan. Allah subhanahu waala says that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has created everything on this earth for a purpose for a reason. There is no extra there is no level in the actions and the creation of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. We see that years and years and years ago before the conquest of Mecca that Mecca is in a very very obscure and cut off place. It's in the smack dab in the middle of a of one of the harshest deserts on Earth. It's a very difficult place to survive. And the survival of Mecca hinges and relies heavily on diplomacy with other lands in order that they may import all of their sustenance to this dot in the middle of nowhere. And so one of the greatest alliances that Bur maintained even before the prophet sallall.aii wasallam was a messenger was their allegiance and alliance with the people of Yan, the people of Benihan. This is a land that is to the east of Mecca or it's actually more towards the northeast of Mecca and it is directly east of Medina and it's a place that is was at the time very rich it in its grains and its production of grains wheat and barley and all of these things that are necessities things that keep really well in the desert. And so more than half of Mecca's sustenance comes from that direction. It was one of the most precious alliances for the people of Mecca. And fortunately enough, the people of Yemen were very devout people. They were very religious. They would come for Hajj and Omrah constantly. And so there was kind of a mutual respect between the people of Yana and the prophet sallall.aii wasallam tried and tried with the people of Yama. However, they were feeding into the propaganda of Qur and they would refuse to listen to the point that the people of Benihanifa became some of the most staunch opponents of the prophet sallall.aii wasallam. It got to a point that they would go out of their way to send assassins to try to murder the prophet sallall.aii wasallam. And just before hijah, if you were to look around at that time, it would seem the Muslims and Islam was failing. They had no major allegiance. And they had just come out of being cut off when the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam and his companions and Banu Abdalib were pressed by the people of Quraysh into the valley of and they were starved there. Banu Hanifh refused to give them a single grain for two consecutive years. The famine was so terrible that it was said that at night for miles you could hear the wailing and als in the valley of Ebalib as they were ailing and wailing and crying from hunger. And Benohhanifha refused to give them even one grain. And they were feeling pretty good about themselves with this. They were able to maintain and leverage their political alliances to starve the prophet sallall.aii and his companions. One of the most staunch antagonists of the prophet sallall.aii wasallam was a man named Thumama. Thum and Thumma he wasn't just a regular Joemo in Benihanifa and amongst the people of Yemen. He was say Benihanifa. He was considered to be one of their highest tribesmen. And he commanded thousands of men that were at his becking call. And he also controlled the grain trade from Yamama. Now he hated the prophet sallall.aii wasallam so much that he decided to go out and try to find him and kill him on his own. Murder him himself. This is a tribesman. This is a a leader. He doesn't have to lift a finger. the son has barely had at his skin since his birth. But he hated him so much he wanted to do it himself. And so in the sixth year after Hijra, the prophet sallall.aii Wasam sent a battalion out in those directions because they were having an ongoing problem with Benibi Baka. And as his troops were returning, they came across a man who was out in the desert by himself or he had a few men with him. It wasn't with a caravan and they took him. They didn't know who this man was. And this is hostile territory here. And so they took him back to Medina. They had no idea who this man was. And he's telling them that he is Thumama. And they're saying, "Yeah, right. Okay. Thouama." They don't know who this man is. And so when the companions arrived back in Medina, who do they have with them but and the prophet sallall.aii wasallam saw him and said, "Do you guys have any idea who this guy is?" They said, "Some guy we found him out in the desert." He said, It was a kind of happy accident, right? A coincidence. And so the prophet sallall.aii wasallam deliberated for a moment and then told them to tie him to one of the pillars in the masid. And so they did. He came to Thumana and he said, The prophet sallall.aii wasallam asked what's the word? He said.

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He said, "If you kill me," this is WHAT HE EXPECTS. WHY does he expect that he's going TO BE KILLED? WHY DOES HE expect that he's going to be killed? Because that's what he would have done. BECAUSE THAT'S what he was trying to do. He set out for Omrah. He was going for Omrah. But just to kind of dot his eyes and cross his tees, he wanted to see if he could assassinate the prophet sallall.aii wasallam on his way to Omrah. What kind of Omrah is this? And so this is what he would have done. This is what how he sees the world. And we see the world as we do. that a person sees the world as he behaves. A thief thinks everyone else is a thief because that's how he sees the world. A killer thinks everyone else is out to get him because that's how he sees the world. A liar thinks everyone else is lying because that's how he sees the world. A coward cannot fathom courage. A coward only understands fear because that's how he sees the world. Fumana sees the world through the lens of blood. And so he expected the prophet sallall.aii wasallam to kill him. And why not? They have a rivalry going back for almost 20 years. And now here he is in the middle of Medina tied to a random post. And so he asked him, "What's the word?" He said, "If you kill me, you are going to kill a man who has very valuable and precious blood to his people. And if you release me, you will release a very thankful person. And if you want money, just name your price. I could get you any amount of money that you want. And so the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam left him there and he remained tied to that pillar in the masid for the duration of the next day and night. The next day around the same time, the prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam came to ask him again and he said the same thing he said the day before he said if you kill me you are going to kill a man with very precious and valuable blood to his people. Don't think that that's the end of it. My people will seek retribution. And if you release me, you will release someone who will be thankful to you. And if you want money, just name your price. And so he left him again for a second day. On the third day, he came again and asked him, "Let's see if your tune has changed." And said the exact same thing, the same thing he's been pariting the entire time. If you kill me, then that's not the end of it. My people will seek retribution. I'm a trib's leader. And if you release me, you will release someone that will repay you and be grateful. And if you want money, then ask me and I will give you whatever money you want to secure my release. And so the prophet sallall.aii wasallam said, "Let him go." And so Thumana anxious to get off that pillar for the past three days. He's been tied to this pillar in the masid. He went out of the masid. And really he came right back in only a few minutes later and he said, I testify that none is rightfully worshiped but Allah and that you oh Muhammad are the messenger of Allah. He said there was no face on this earth more more hated to me than your face. And today I find your face to be the most loved of faces on this earth to me. And there is never a land more hated to me than this land. And this city of yours here. And today this city is the most beloved of cities to me. And there was no religion that I hated more fervently than your religion. But today I do testify that it is the most beloved of religions to me. Thma had actually gone out of the masid, bathed, and then returned. How did he know to bathe? Well, he's been in the masid for 3 days listening TO THE QURAN. WHAT DID HE HEAR and see while he was in the masid for those three days? I tell you this is how the prophet Sam treated his enemies. Could you imagine how he used to treat his friends? If we could choose, IF I COULD CHOOSE to go back to any time, I would choose to go back and be tied to that pillar in the masid today. That is a privilege that Thumama received. What did he see in the masid? HE SAW MEN there that barely had enough clothing to cover themselves, yet they're sharing. Men who have barely enough food to eat, but they're splitting it up. Men who stand for salah five times a day memorize and listen to the most pure and wise words that have ever graced his ears. He's watching and learning because he was brainwashed by and their propaganda. And the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam could have really used back in the early days in Mecca but it wasn't time yet. It was all part of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's plan. HE SAID, "I WAS GOING on my way to Mecca to make Omrah. What do you think I should do?" The prophet sallall.aii wasallam said, "You should continue on your path to Omrah." And is the first Muslim of this to make after the hijra of the prophet sallall.aii wasallam. That's the first. And when he arrived in Medi in Mecca, he made his Omra and of course all of the big-bellied antagonists of the prophet sallall.aii wasallam came with their chagrins and their chroing. Oh, you know here is sayifa thinking that their alliance is still untouched and he stood in Mecca there at the and he said Muslim I am now Muslim and the the tribe leaders of Quraysh were takenback by this. He said, "Did you disgrace your forefathers and change your religion?" He said, "I tell you what, not one grain is going to come to you from Yan unless Muhammad Sall.ai was allows it. I swear not one grain is going to come to you. Now the shoe is on the other foot because as the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam and his companions and anyone affiliated with them were starving in Sheb. No one listened to their whales. They even they even took the treaty that they wrote and their agreement to starve the messenger of Allah and his companions and they hang they hung it up in the Kaa itself. This is how wicked and evil these people are. They became so hungry they sent so many delegates to Thulana to try to get him to just please sell us some grain. And he said no not until Muhammad says I can. And they sent a message to the prophet sallall.aii Wasallam begging him please talk to for us so that we can eat. We're starving out here. And the prophet sallall.aii wasallam yet again another position of power over his enemies. And the grace is remarkable. And he sent word to Thumana. Sell him as you used to. They're at war. He interceded on behalf of his enemies in order to feed them. AND SO WE SEE THAT THUMAMA'S story doesn't end there because Benu Hanifh this tribe and Yana someone that I think every one of us knows came out of there. Ma was from Benihanifa. He heard of the prophet sallall.aii wasallam. He accepted Islam from Thumama. He went to visit him in the ninth year after hij and he decided being a prophet is really good for business. I could be a prophet too. And he went back to al and he decided he was a messenger as well. One of the greatest battles in the history of Islam right after the death of the prophet sallall.aii Wasam occurred and it came from the direction of and once again was critical in the Muslim being victorious and rising from the ashes of that conflict.

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Alhamdulillah. forch.

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Allham.

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Allah.

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For.

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Allah. for Allah. Allah be.

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Alhamdulillah. Allah sh.

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Allah.

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Straighten your rope. rows. Please ensure that your rows are as straight and coherent as possible by aligning your shoulders and feet and ankles with the shoulders and feet and ankles of your two neighbors on either side of you. The straightening of our rows will directly result and affect the harmony of our hearts and the reward of our prayer. Please double check your phones. Ensure that they are silent. I saw beyond the magn Imagine looking. Alhamdulillah.

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Amen.

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Fore.

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Speech. Allah hol.

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Allah.

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Alone. Oh, alhamdulillah. for.

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Amen. for.

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Allah. Oh, I say me Allah Allah Allahbel Allah exel Allah exel Hello.

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All that's Stuffable stuff.

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Brothers and sisters, asalam alalaykum. Couple of quick reminders. First one is we have the potluck tonight between Mahab and Isisha. So bring your favorite food dish and share with the community inshallah. So it's again it's off between Mranisha tonight at the masjid. Number two we have monthly community the the Quran competition is tomorrow. Please enroll and schedule online. Also we have the Sunday program starting this Sunday. Inshallah the Sunday will be at 10:30 to 1:30 every Sunday from on now from tomorrow on or from this Sunday on. So inshallah you can you have a chance to benefit from this school and educate your children especially those who are in public or private schools outside that will be a tremendous benefit for them to connect with our with our masid inshallah. Also please donate generously on the way out.

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