The Arabs had been engaged in a series of battles with each other for many years. However, how long could this continue for? After Harb-ul-Fujjaar was concluded, it occurred to some people that just as bloodshed and killing was previously brought to an end by a pact devised by Fadhl bin Fudhaalah, Fadhl bin Wadaa‘ah and Fudhail bin Haarith, whose names caused this pact to be popularly known as Hilf-ul-Fudhool, in the same way, there was today an urgent need to once again to revive this pact.

Zubair bin ‘Abdul Muttalib mentioned this pact in his poetry saying:

إن الفضول تحالفوا وتعاقدوا ألا يقيم ببطن مكة ظالم

Indeed the three Fadhls (Fadhl bin Fudhaalah, Fadhl bin Wadaa‘ah and Fudhail bin Haarith) all took a solemn pledge from the people that no oppressor would be permitted to live within the valley of Makkah

أمر عليه تعاهدوا وتواثقوا فالجار والمعتر فيهم سالم

They all pledged and agreed to this, and hence the neighbors and visitors would all be safe among them in Makkah.”

When the series of battles known as Harb-ul-Fujjaar drew to an end in Shawwaal, then an unsteady revival of Hilf-ul-Fudhool commenced in the sacred month of Zul-Qa’dah.

The first person to revive this pact was Zubair bin ‘Abdul Muttalib. The Banu Haashim and Banu Taym gathered in the home of ‘Abdullah bin Jud‘aan who had prepared food for all present. At that time, everybody present pledged to assist the oppressed. Whether the oppressed was related or unrelated in kinship, a local or foreigner, they undertook to assist him to the best of their ability.

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) says, “On the occasion of this pledge, I was also present at the home of ‘Abdullah bin Jud‘aan. Even if I were offered red camels in exchange of this pledge, I would never accept. Now, even in the era of Islam, if I were called to join in a pledge of this nature, I would definitely agree to join.”

‘Abdullah bin Jud‘aan was the cousin of Hazrat ‘Aa’ishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) i.e. her father’s brother’s son. Once, Hazrat ‘Aa’ishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) asked Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! ‘Abdullah bin Jud‘aan was an extraordinarily hospitable manand would feed the people often. Will this benefit him in any way on the Day of Qiyaamah?” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “No! This is because he did not say:

رب اغفر لي خطيئتي يوم الدين

O my Sustainer! Pardon my sins on the Day of Reckoning!
In other words, he did not seek forgiveness for his sins at any time in his life (i.e. he did not bring Imaan).

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Whilst walking during summer, I would sometimes stand in the shade provided by the pot of ‘Abdullah bin Jud‘aan.”

This shows that the pot of ‘Abdullah bin Jud‘aan was so big that a person could stand in its shadow. It was as though this pot was a specimen of the huge basins that the Jinn had constructed for Nabi Sulaiman (‘alaihis salaam), as described in the following words of the Qur’aan Majeed:

وَ جِفَانٍ کَالۡجَوَابِ

Basins as large as reservoirs

(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/94,95)

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