Suraqa bin Malik

Suraqa bin Malik is known to be one of those members of the Quraish who pursued Muhammad when he was on his way to Madinah on the mission of Hijrah (migration). Muhammad had taken asylum inside the cave of Saur outside Makkah. Abu Jahal and three of his accomplices, hot on the trail of Muhammad and his bosom friend Abu Bakr, even reached the mouth of the cave. Abu Bakr was trembling with fear at the sound of the advancing steps of the pursuers. But Muhammad was counseling patience reminding him that no one could hurt them because Allah was with them. As ordained by Allah, a spider spun a cobweb on the mouth of the cobweb. This was enough for the pursuers to abandon the hunt and return.

The Quraish announced a reward of 100 red camels for anyone who tracked Muhammad and Abu Bakr. Suraqa was enticed. He was an intelligent pursuer who sniffed the trail of the people by identifying their footprints on the sand, the excreta of the camels and horses and with abundant patience at his disposal. He had an agile mare. He asked his slave woman to prepare the mare, take her out of Makkah at a point where no one could get an air of the mission at hand. He also left his house from the rear door, hung his weapons from the neck and provided to put a tight saddle to the slave woman.

It did not take him much to track down the two-man caravan of Muhammad on its flight to Madinah. But as soon as he caught sight of the duo, his mare got stuck into the sand. It was a bad omen. With some effort, it got out, ran for a distance but got into the sand again. No amount of persuasion would work. Meanwhile, the Prophet and Abu Bakr became visible and were very much within the range of his arrow. He lifted the bow and was about to shoot the arrow. But his hands suddenly got paralysed. He cried out, ‘O Muhammad, pray for me in order that my mare could get out of this mess. I promise, I will retrace my steps and give up the pursuit.’

Muhammad prayed for Suraqa and his mare got released. But such was the lucre of the reward that Suraqa went back on his word and returned to the pursuit of the duo. But as he came within the sight of Muhammad, the mare got stuck into the sand again. Suraqa began to pray for help again: ‘O Prophet, if I was released again, I would surrender my arms and return to Makkah never to pursue you. I would dissuade even others from pursuing you.’

Muhammad prayed and the mare came out of the sand. Suraqa then declared that Muhammad’s religion would prevail one day and requested Muhammad to hand him a written promise that he would be honoured whenever Muhammad became the head of the Islamic state. Abu Bakr wrote the promise at the behest of Muhammad on a bone and handed it over to Suraqa. Even as he began to return, Muhammad told him that he would one day wear the bangles of Khusrow of Iran. He asked in wonderment if Muhammad meant the bangles of Khusrow bin Hormuz, the emperor of Iran. Muhammad nodded in acknowledgement.

Suraqa encountered several contingents of Quraish who were looking for Muhammad and persuaded them to get back to Makkah as ‘he (Suraqa) could find no hint of the duo on the route to Madinah. However, he narrated the detailed account of his encounter with the Prophet to Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl reproached him for his cowardice.

Time flew and within eight years of his migration to Madinah, Muhammad entered Makkah at the head of a vast army and declared general amnesty. Suraqa chose a day and entered the court of Muhammad by tearing through the crowd of the holy companions and declared shahadah.

Suraqa always rued the day he decided to pursue Muhammad merely to grab the insignificant reward of 100 red camels. He was struck with profound grief the day Muhammad died. But he remembered the promise of Muhammad that he would one day receive the bangles of Khusrow of Iran.

Years passed. Iran was conquered during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar. Umar received a missive from Saad bin Abi Waqqas, commander of the Islamic forces about the conquest of Iran. A fifth of the booty was sent to Umar in Madinah. It contained the famed crown of Khusrow studded with rubies, a gold belt studded with pearls and the gold bangles. Umar was looking at each of the items sent by the Commander of the forces. Suddenly Umar requisitioned Suraqa and put the crown on his head, asked him to put on the gold embroidered dress and wear the gold bangles on his hand.

But Suraqa was feeling uncomfortable in the royal outfit. He raised his hands towards the sky and prayed: ‘O my Lord, how could I put on something which your Prophet and his close buddy Abu Bakr deserved. I smell the air of punishment in it’.

He then turned towards Umar and asked him to distribute all those royal appendages among the Muslims.