Draft:Addas
| Lineage | From the people of Nineveh |
|---|---|
| Well-known Relatives | Slave of 'Utba and Shayba, the sons of Rabi'a |
| Places of Residence | Ta'if |
Addās was a Christian slave residing in Ta'if who presented a basket of grapes to Prophet Muhammad (s). This encounter occurred while the Prophet (s) was seeking refuge in a garden to rest and recover from harassment by local polytheists during his missionary journey to Ta'if.
Following the death of Abu Talib and the intensification of hostility toward Islamic preaching in Mecca, Muhammad (s) traveled to the city of Ta'if to propagate the religion of Islam. After several days of proselytizing, the city's elders rose in opposition, demanding his departure. They incited the youth and the foolish among the populace to insult the Prophet (s) and pelt him with stones. Sustaining injuries to his feet from this assault, the Prophet (s) sought sanctuary in a garden owned by 'Utba and Shayba, the sons of Rabi'a. Resting in the shade of a grapevine, he engaged in supplication to his Lord.
Observing the Prophet's (s) condition, 'Utba and Shayba dispatched their Christian slave, Addas, to offer him grapes. As the Prophet (s) uttered "Bismillah" (In the name of Allah) before eating, Addas—hearing this phrase for the first time—inquired if such language was customary in the region. The Prophet (s) asked about Addas's origins and religion, to which he identified himself as a Christian from Nineveh. The Prophet (s) then remarked, "From the city of the righteous man Jonah b. Amittai (Yunus b. Matta)?" Surprised, Addas asked how he knew of Jonah (a). The Prophet (s) replied: "He was my brother and a Prophet of God, just as I am a Prophet and Messenger of God."[1]
Astonished by these words, Addas approached the Prophet (s) and kissed his hands and feet; according to Ya'qubi, he embraced Islam at that moment. Upon his return to 'Utba and Shayba, they questioned his behavior. Addas responded that he knew of no one better, as the Prophet (s) had revealed knowledge possessed only by prophets. Witnessing this, 'Utba and Shayba warned him against abandoning his faith, but Addas maintained that the Prophet's (s) religion was superior to his own.[2]
Notes
References
- Ibn al-Athīr, ʿAlī b. Muḥammad al-Jazarī, Usd al-ghāba fī maʿrifat al-ṣaḥāba, Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, 1409 AH.
- Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar, al-Bidāya wa-l-nihāya, Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, 1407 AH.
- Ibn Hishām, ʿAbd al-Malik, al-Sīrat al-nabawiyya, translated by Sayyid Hāshim Rasūlī, 5th ed., Tehran: Kitabchi, 1375 Sh.
- Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr, Tārīkh al-umam wa-l-mulūk, translated by Abu l-Qasim Payandeh, Asatir Publications, 5th ed., 1375 Sh.
- Yaʿqūbī, Aḥmad b. Abī Yaʿqūb, Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī, translated by Muhammad Ibrahim Ayati, 6th ed., Scientific and Cultural Publications, 1371 Sh.
