Useyd quickly approached them and shouted at Mus’ab: “Why have you come here? Is it to incite our weak-minded and ignorant tribe? Let me warn you, if you value your lives, leave this place immediately!”
Mus’ab responded calmly: “Instead of speaking like this, why don’t you sit down and listen to us? If you don’t agree with what we say, then you have every right to turn away. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be better to accept what you find pleasing?”
For a moment, Useyd pondered, then said: “You’re right! Tell me more then... I’m listening.”
And he sat down, ready to listen to Mus’ab.
Mus’ab first provided Useyd with some information about the principles of the Islamic religion, and then he recited verses from the Qur’an. Useyd was quite pleased with what he heard, he involuntarily interrupted: “Wow, this is such a beautiful thing! How wise you are to have become Muslims. So, what do I need to do to become a Muslim now?”
So, they explained to him what he needed to do to become a Muslim: “First, you cleanse yourself by taking a full ablution. You clean your clothes well. Then, you recite the Shahada, declaring your faith in Allah and the Rasul, and you perform salat.”
These instructions resonated with Useyd. He got up, took ablution, cleaned his clothes, recited the Shahada, prayed two rakahs of prayer, and repented for his past actions. Afterward, he addressed Es’ad and Mus’ab:
“When I came here, I left someone behind. If he becomes a Muslim, no one from my people will oppose Islam, and they will all become Muslims. That person is Sa’d bin Muaz. Now I will send him here.”
Then Useyd returned to his people. Sa’d had noticed Useyd’s arrival from a distance and carefully observed the change in his demeanor. He turned to those around him and said:
“This man is returning differently than when he left! There must be something going on!”
At that moment, Useyd had also reached them. Sa’d asked eagerly:
“What happened? What did you do? Did you tell those men to leave?”
Useyd spoke calmly and indifferently:
“I told them what you wanted me to tell them. However, I didn’t see any unruly behavior from them. Nevertheless, I asked them to put an end to their actions.”
Furthermore, I have learned that the sons of Haris, who are your cousins, have decided to kill Es’ad with the sole intention of humiliating you! When Sa’d bin Muaz heard this news, he became greatly upset. He quickly got up and set out on the road, heading towards Mus’ab and Es’ad.
Upon seeing Sa’d approaching from a distance, Es’ad warned Mus’ab, saying:
“Here comes Sa’d bin Muaz! If he also becomes loyal to you, there won’t be a single person left who hasn’t embraced Islam.”
As Sa’d approached them, he carefully observed their demeanor. Not finding any signs of agitation or haste in their behavior, he realized that Useyd had encouraged his visit to facilitate their meeting.
Nevertheless, in a state of intense anger, he approached them and spoke:
“Oh, Es’ad! If there wasn’t a kinship between us, I would know exactly what I would do to you. You cannot easily implement something that we disapprove of in our neighborhood.”
Mus’ab interjected and responded in place of Es’ad:
“Oh, Sa’d, instead of saying that, why don’t you sit down and listen to us? And if what we tell you resonates with you, wouldn’t it be better for you to join us?”
Sa’d pondered these words for a moment. It didn’t come across as an unreasonable statement. It was a very reasonable and fitting proposition. He sat down beside them, curious about what they had to say.
Mus’ab then proceeded to explain the intricacies of the Islamic faith to Sa’d and began reciting the beginning of Surah Az-Zukhruf from the Quran:
Ha, Meem.
By the knowledge that clearly discloses the reality...
Indeed, We have made it an Arabic Quran, so that you may use your intellect (understand and evaluate it)!
And indeed, it is in the Mother of Books (the knowledge of Allah) in Our presence, high in dignity (Aliy) and full of wisdom (Hakim).
Shall We forsake warning you because you are a people who transgress (squander your inherent essential forces)?
And many Nabis We have disclosed within previous peoples.
But whenever a Nabi came to them, they mocked what he brought.
So, We destroyed many nations, mightier than them, because of it... The former people became history full of exemplary lessons!
Indeed, if you were to ask them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?” They would surely say, “The Aziz and Aleem One.”[1]
Sa’d had never heard such words before. Moreover, this divine revelation he was hearing for the first time had a tremendous impact on him, and signs of faith began to appear on his face. So how does one enter the religion of Islam?
He asked:
“What should I do to become a Muslim?”
“You take ablution, cleanse yourself, then declare your faith in Allah and His Rasul, and enter the religion of Islam by offering two rakahs of prayer and repenting for your past actions.”
Upon receiving this answer, Sa’d made a firm decision and got up from his place, heading straight to the water source. There, he performed the ritual ablution, cleaned himself, offered two rakahs of prayer, repented for his past actions, and then returned to his people.
The people of the tribe could sense that something had changed in Sa’d, his demeanor, and his attitude. When he approached them, he asked:
“O sons of Abdul Ashhal, how do you recognize me among you, and what do you think of my actions?”
They replied:
“You are our leader! You always guide us with your thoughts and opinions. You are the best among us and the most benevolent.”
Upon receiving this response, Sa’d burst out with the following words like a cannonball:
“Until you believe in Allah and His Rasul, it is forbidden for me to converse with your men and women!”
They were stunned by these unexpected words.
They knew that Sa’d had been like them not long ago, but now he had embraced Islam. Since Sa’d is our noble leader, they thought, we should continue to follow him. Therefore, they all made the decision to become Muslims.
Thus, by the end of that evening, the entire neighborhood had become Muslim.
After the conversion of this neighborhood, Es’ad and Mus’ab joined forces and worked diligently. In a short period of time, there was not a single house left in the neighborhood that had not embraced Islam.