Original subtitles





What's he doing?

I think hes praying like our priests do in front of the fires in the Zoroastrian temple

Praying?





But I don't see an idol here?

What kind of prayer is that?

If he stands, then bows down and prostrates his face on the earth,

then I'll tell you what kind of prayer it is





How strange!

He did exactly as you said!

I wonder which cjods he is praying to?

If I tell you about the religion that this man follows,

then will you let me behead him?

It seems to me that this man here,

is one of the followers of that illiterate Arab,

who was insolent to our great Lord Khosrau!

This man's prophet repudiates statues and idols,



but he also criticises those Arabs who bury their daughters alive

Just a little while ago, weren't you condemning the Arabs

who prostrate before idols that they've made with their own hands?



how stupid they are that they then eat them when they get hungry,

and then end up defecating and excreting on them!

Peace be upon you

Peace be upon you

Why dont you rest and shake off, the dust of your journey?

What's happened? What are you running from?

rom the butchers! Go and see

Oh yes!

Wherever there are butchers, there is sure to be meat!

Very good, I'll be in time for the leftovers

Go faster, animal!



Allah is greater!

What do these man's words mean?

What did he say?

He said his God is greater than we can fathom

He has stopped speaking,

as if he's in his own world!

I have long known the Arabs to prostrate to their idols,

at the same time as eating, speaking and trading

Arabs are indeed the strangest of people!

Allah is greater!





What are you talking to that I cannot see?

I don't see anything

A gold coin...

and here another one

I know I’m committing a sin,

but I just can't turn my back on you two

Arabs are worshippers of terrifying idols,

but this Arab, only God knows what hes doing!

0 how beautiful this woven mat is!

I haven't done anything wrong!

Leave me alone!

Let me go!

Get up!

Get up!

Are you deaf?

Help me!

Calm down!

Wait!

Where are you dragging this poor, innocent boy who couldnt even hurt a fly?

To jail, so he can be punished

Jail? But what is he accused of?

Stealing?

Stealing?

You couldn't find anyone else to arrest in this whole market apart from this thief?

Where?

Where is the money that he has stolen?

What are you doing?

Show me the goods that this boy has stolen!

Come everyone,

come and gather up the stolen money falling from his pockets like camel droppings

What are you? A clown?

Are you trying to make a scene in front of all these people?

Am I the one making a scene or are you?

Fine, then. At least show me the things that he has stolen? Where are they?

I'm not stupid

You know full well who I am

You think you're passionately in love with me,

But youre a man devoid of love

And of honesty too!

Get away from me or I'll humiliate you

Who are you?

We are persian soldiers

Do you not see our flag?

And who is this?

This boy stole one of them, and vandalised it, so I arrested him

Come forward little one

Untie him

Where is the way to the rulers palace ■

From there

Let's go



There are messengers who have come from Lord Khosrau,

standing at the gate, asking for permission to enter

Let them enter



Long live the Prince and Ruler Bazan!

Long live the Prince Bazan!

The Ruler of Yemen,

Representative of Lord Khosrau in these lands



hi the name of Khosrau, god of Persia

I have received news that an illiterate Arab man has made a claim of prophethood in Hijaz,

after which he sent to me, the God of Persia,

a letter inviting me to embrace his religion

He went so far as to have the audacity to write the name of his god in his letter,

and his own name above my name

How dare anyone consider himself to be better or higher than me?

So I have sent you this message

so that you send someone to him to demand an apology

If he refuses,

kill him,

and send me his head

King of Kings, Khosrau Parviz - God of Persia

Locusts and fried onions,

is a delicacy most favoured by the Arab aristocrats,

let alone the Arab bedouin, who wears the same pair of clothes everyday,

who wanders in the desert and eats dry barley bread

The Bedouin!

He tends to a camels back and dares to be insolent to his superiors!

He neglects the fact that,

the honourable,

Khosrau Parviz, the Sovereign of Persia,

is a lion, whom the Romans tremble at the very mention of his name before them!

Now tell me in detail what happened

About the prophet of the Muslims?

Did you say 'prophet'?

He sent a letter in which he said,

"I submit and you too submit,

and Allah shall give you double the reward

But if you refuse, then you will bear the sin of the Magians"

But our king tore up,

the letter of the Arab prophet and burnt it in the fire

Then he sent the ashes back to him,

mixed with musk and amber

This is what happened

You go and rest,

and leave this problem of the illiterate Arab,

to the ruler, Bazan

Let Babawayh and Khusroo get ready to go to the city of Yathrib

Are they going to go to Yathrib without a letter to deliver to the illiterate Arab?

As for my letter,

it is the same letter written by the honourable god, Khosrau Parviz, King of Persia

Either that this Arab should take back his words and apologise

or to prepare to fight!

Peace be upon you, 0 Messenger of Allah





On one sid

stands this illiterate Arab,

his authority derived from the unseen and the sky

On the other side,

is Bazan and the Persian army

What about you?

Al-Harith,

King of Yemen

Hanging...between the earth...and the sky

Sowhat are yon going to do?

What can I do?

And what caul not do?

am to rule with an iron fist on this wooden throne,

I will only end up shattering it to pieces



That is what will happen...

if not for the fact that you've,

inherited the throne

We have just started this game of power

Be careful

And make sure you don't...



come out of it defeated

Neither you,

nor your children,

each one of them inheriting it,

one after the other



He hid as if by magic

Hit him! Hit him!

Throw stones at him!

Go away!

Get out of here!

Hurry and leave!

We don't want you here!

Leave! Go away!

juny



Don't do that!

Don't hurt them!

What happened to you?

Run!

What happened to you?

You're wounded

Salamah! Salamah!

What happened ?

The child ren from the next block were hitting us,

and your brother Salim got hurt

Where is he?

In the alley at the back, with the madman

I know you don't get along with those boys

If they're bothering you,

don't go near them next time

Dont you see that they control the whole block?

They were the ones who killed my father

They killed him?

Then they made my uncle marry a blind girl,

from their tribe, as a retribution for my father's blood

Who's your uncle?

'Ibn Udayy

He too is a bully

He says, "If your sister Salamah doesnt accept Ibn Akhnas as her husband,

then your fathers blood remains unavenged"

He is the head of our family

The tribe who killed my father bullies him,

And he, in turn, bullies me and my sister, Salamah

My master prohibits us from bullying,

and from being unjust to any creature,

and warns us also,

against assisting those who are unjust

My master's name is Muhammad

Have you ever heard his name?

Muhammad ?



Have you come home Uways?

Peace be upon you, mother

And on you be peace too

We've got a guest

Did you say a guest?

Yes mother

My mother is blind but she sees with her heart

Won't you greet her?

His name is Salim

Peace be upon you

And on you be peace too Salim

Welcome!

On the way here, I saw two birds in the sky

One was following the other

As soon as one flew up to the sky,

the other did the same,

and when he plunged downwards,

his friend followed close behind

So I took that to be a good omen

Why don't you find someone else who'll interpret these things for you

I am looking for my brother, Salim



Once again I have forgotten to great you

Hello

Hello

Is my brother Salim here?



Your brother is our guest

Is he staying for dinner?

Yes, he'll be staying for dinner

Well, Salim and I are one,

and I have to be wherever he is

We have a new guest, mother!

Good

And this is the rug for Uways's mother

I'll be back soon, while you all have your meal

My mother has very interesting stories to tell

She's a very knowledgeable woman

Where has he gone?

To the roof

Why?

When the Prophet's mu'azzin Bilal al-Habashi makes the call for prayer,

he likes to listen

He's fasting

He'll hear the voice of the mu'azzin in Yathrib,

all the way from here?

rom Yemen

rszgnKGiinn-'

Has Uways met the Messenger of Allah?

No, never

He's never left Yemen in his life

Why? Isn't he supposed to be a devout follower of the Prophet?

So what's stopping him from going to Yathrib to meet him

Because he doesnt have anyone with whom he can leave his,

old and blind mother,

during his absence

If my eyesight returned to me, and I was able to see clearly,

I too would gotoYathrib,

and kiss the ground before the Prophet’s feet

But Uways tells me that he knows everything about the Messenger of Allah

He may never get to go to Yathrib,

but he knows how the Prophet walks,

how he stand

how he sits



He sees his smile,

hears his words,

knows what he wears

What happened ?

knows what he wears

Did the dish break?

No

I managed to catch it in time

In our house, we have everything and nothing at the same time



Can you see, my daughter?

I've lost my eyesight but I've been preptiring this room for her

He wanted to give everything away to the poor,

but I didn't let him

I keep this lamp lit every evening until morning,

in the hope that Uways's eyes will fall on the room,

and that he might feel sorry for his mother and help her find him a bride to marry

And has he found a bride yet?

He has come back

I'm here mother

My brother Bilal's ac/Zraan,

he again said as ad instead of as/i/iad



And /la'aa, instead of /iayy

That man is crazy

Be quiet! The only one who's crazy is the one claiming that Uways is crazy

Come and see what's happening here

Hurry! Come!

Hasten to me!

This is a unique opportunity

Only 10 dirhams,

made of the finest quality wool

Come and buy this rug

10 dirhams only

10 dirhams no more

Come on! Don't any of you want to buy it for 10 dirhams?

It's a beautiful rug of quality wool,

take it for 10 dirhams!

How much did you say?

I have been calling out loudly 10 dirhams,

and you are asking me how muc

10 dirhams, no more

It's been delicately woven by this old Jubayr himself

Wouldn't you like to buy it?

Yes, I II buy it

Good

I'll come back just now with the 10 dirhams

Not so fast, young man

You can kiss this rug,

only when Jubayr can hear the coins jingle in front of him

Go

Listen to what I have to tell you, young man

My grandfather left me a very good piece of advice

He told me: If you want to see God, then close your eyes

And if you want to hear his voice, then block your ears

Your grandfather gives eloquent advice

Since when did your father become a weaver?

I've seen that rug before

Doesn't it belong to one of the camel-herders?



I don't know

When my father came home last night, he had it with him

But I don't know where from



It's woven from the finest wool, buy it for only 10 dirhams!

10 dirhams, no more

You've come back? Very good

Go!





Would you like a drink, mother?

Hey, tramp!

Who's that?

Are you a camel herder or a date-seller?

He's a camel herder who sells dates,

And a date-seller who herds camels, what's it to you?

What does he want?



What do you want?

Are you looking for something?

Thieves

He wanders the markets and sees thieves everywhere

Who are yon?

And what do you want?

I belong to the regiment of al-Harith, aunty

My name is Ibn Akhnas

Can you not see me?

Are these for sale?

Did you like it?

Yes, it's delicious

Yes, they are delicious, but they're for sale,

not otherwise

Go! Go!

Go you animal!

What's wrong with you?



Which is the way to Yathrib?

This way here







Hit it hard!



0 ironmonger,

do you know Muhammad?

And who are you two?

Envoys of Bazan, from Yemen

Where are your sons, your women and your men?

Where are all the people? The inhabitants of Yathrib?

Your town is like a ghost town, 0 ironmonger

It's noon time, and the people are all at the mosque

Are you not a Muslim?

No, no I am not

You're not?

You mean you're not a Muslim and yet you make weapons for Muhammad's army?

He makes weapons to earn a living

I make them but I don't take a charge for them from him

I would make Muhammad a thousand sheaves of arrows for a single smile from him

I love Muhammad!

If the thieves of Yemen could only see this market!

They would ravage the entire market with all its contents!

It’s just open without even a warden

The people here are ashamed in front of Muhammad

He frowns upon stealing and forbids it

What is this place?

This is the mosque of the Prophet

Let this Prophet come then, so we can see for ourselves what people say about his beauty

Perhaps you'd like to see that which he bestows on this ironmonger for the weapons he makes

Are these people the followers of that illiterate Arab?

A handful of bedouins! Mere desert nomads!

Isn't he coming?

He'll come when he's finished praying

What's happening?

Why isn't he coming out?

Can t you see him?

He's the one wearing the pure white robe

They're all wearing white robes

They're all wearing white robes



Peace be upon you

Greetings to you, 0 Arab

Are you the Arab who is claiming prophethood ?

 am

I am from Persia,

and am one of the companions of the Prophet

We are envoys of Prince Bazaan, the ruler of Yemen,

And we have brought a letter for the Prophet from the King of Iran, Khosran Parviz

Just like that?

Without a formal reception?



A letter from King Khosrau Parviz to you...

Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah



My master, the Messenger of Allah, refuses for anyone to bow before him

He says that in his letter, your prince has written,

that he must either repent and apologise for inviting Khosrau Parviz to embrace Islam,

or be prepared to fight

The Prophet would be honoured to have you as his guests tonight,

and he will reply to the letter first thing tomorrow morning

am only accompanying you some of the way

I will not return to Yemen now

This is a dangerous desert

The wild beasts and predators here will kill you

My Lord is kind and merciful

What will I say to Bazaan when he asks me about you?

Shall I tell him that you've embraced Islam?

If he asks then tell him that Babawayh perished and died,

that a wolf ate him in the desert,

I dont know, tell him whatever you want say

On the one hand we hold fast to our religion and faith

And on the other hand we lose our houses

I actually dont understand why the Prophet accepted the terms of the Treaty of Hudayhiyya!

If houses and wealth were to last forever, they wouldnt have come to you, anyway

You have to choose the Everlasting Abod

over this transient life

VJe ci id nt get anything out of this Treaty of Hudaybiyya except to be driven out of our homes

They neither let us enter Makkah,

nor can we go to Yathril)

We're just stuck in this desert

If you were in your house, you would have been imprisoned within its four walls,

for the rest of your life,

without the freedom of being able to go out and meet each other,

or to be welcomed as guests in their homes

You have gained everything with nothing to lose

I just cannot accept that if the new converts enter Yathrib,

then the Prophet has to send them back to the Quraysh

The Messenger of Allah Muhammad only acts according to revelation from Allah

Do you think that Allah, the most High, will turn away and leave us?

Have conviction that Allah and His Prophet care more about us than oui fathers and mothers

You will understand all this soon

Attack them!

Quick! Attack them!

The Quraysh! The Quraysh!

0 Abdullah! Wheres Abdullah?



All new muslims, listen to me very carefully

Our brothers are on the way here right now

If you want to remain safe, you must do as you're commanded

Women and children must stand here, and men there!

What's happening there?

Let's go and see

You, take off everything you have and place it here

Take off all your jewellery

Even the one on your chest

Quick!

Hurry up! Quick!











Stop right there! Stop!



I had to kill him



tell him that Babawayh died

Tell Prince Bazaan..

Tell him that he perished in the desert

Tell him...

Tell him that ferocious predators,

attacked him and ate him

I will tell him

Babawayh! Babawayh! Babawayh!

I wish you had died before embracing the religion of Muhammad

ive me the letter





Take it and read it out loud,

so everyone here can hear what’s in it

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah,

to Bazaan, the Iranian Prince in Yemen

Know that King Khosrau Parviz has been killed in Iran by his own son Siroes,

on Tuesday the 1 Oth of Jumada al-Uwki

He has been killed!

Khosrau Parviz,

the King of Persia!

We must find a way out immediately

Our country Yemen,

has witnessed an influx of people to Muhammad's religion

And yon know full well, my Prince, that Muhammad,

invited the King of Yemen to embrace his religion



He had the audacity to invite the King of Persia to embrace his relicjion

So what if,

he invites the King of Yemen,

al-Harith ibn ' Allal al-Hainiri to join him!

But do you have a way out of this situation?

Hai it h,

what this illiterate man is saying,

about the death of the Great Khosrau, King of Persia,

is a great insult to all of us

And it must never be forgiven

Listen!

am going to do something that none before me has ever done

I will make this Arab,

prepare an army,

and come out from Yathrib to Yemen

And we, on our side,

will be well prepared to destroy

him and his army,

as soon as they approach us



By the command of Bazaan, the Persian ruler of Yemen,

No Yemenis are allowed to embrace the relicjion of Muhammad, the Arab

Anyone found to practice this religion in these lands will no longer enjoy its safety and protection

They will be killed with the sword and burned alive



I can’t see him anywhere, Salamah

He didn't sleep in his house last night

I hope he sleeps in his house tonight

Are you followers of Muhammad ?

Yes, I am, why? Is it a sin?

And you?

I wish I was

And who are you to ask?

I am a hunter

Is this gazelle hiding from me?

A hunter?



You soldier!

Command them to stop!

Immediately Sir!

Let's continue

Greetings soldiers of Harith, the King of Yemen!

Where are your camels?



My camels?

Ibn Akhnas told us that you are a camel herder, isn't that so?

I don't even own a goat, so how can I have camels?

What's your occupation then?

I'm a beggar



And what do you want in return for this coin?

Will you tell us if we ask you?

I heard what happened to the new converts to Islam,

and I know about the one whom you are looking for,

so if I tell you what I know,

will you give me all the money that you have

How about if we give you a cloak worth eighteen dirhams?

What? A cloak worth eighteen dirhams?

How will Jubayr ever wear a cloak worth eighteen dirhams?

Ain I hearing right?

It's a pity that a man of your stature should have to wear such torn clothes

I haven't eaten food for six months

How would I buy a cloak?

Really? How do you survive then?



Air?

Sorry for my lack of etiquette, but I have to look after myself

Your apology is accepted

This camel-herder doesn't sleep in his house at night

Peace be on you

Uways!

Move!

Salim, look after my mother

Your father is dressed like a bridegroom,

do you think he's stolen the cloak?

I wish he'd stolen it

We have whipped them,

we have destroyed their belongings,

we've burned down their houses,

now what do we do?

0 King of Yemen

Where is the army of Muhammad ?

Does Mohammad even have,

an army and soldiers?

Yes,

he has an army and soldiers

He has fought in quite a few battles,

and has won all of them

Then why does he not come to the aid of his followers,

so that we can teach him the art of war, and make him taste total defeat

Who do you think this prophet is?

He is a man from the tribe of Quraysh, and it is said that he is illiterate

And he used to work as a trader

So he is a trader

Then he rose, became successful and took control

How did the seat of power come to be established for him?

When termites ate the pages of poetry hung inside the Ka'ba that the Quraysh had composed, defaming Muhammad



The Quraysh decided to boycott the Muslims and banished them to the desert

They agreed to neither marry them to their women,

or to trade with them

They wrote the terms of this agreement and hung it on the walls of the Ka ba



And after that?



This Muhammad, who was employed by others to take trade caravans on their behalf,

came to them saying: "The termites have eaten your paper"



And had they actually eaten it?

Yes, they ate it



So where is then,

the leader of the Muslims in Yemen?

Of the Muslims?

Yes, doesn't this group have a leader or general?

A leader? No

However...

there is someone like this amongst them

and if you were to talk to him, he would answer you

And how do you know all this?

Women know certain things,

that would take men a long time to find out

What is it you wish to say ?

That is often the case

A story of a beautiful young girl,

and a young man who wanders in the deserts and wilderness

The story of this infatuated girl is the talk of the town

Their story reminds them of, the story of the Queen of Sheba who was in love with Prophet Solomon

This young man...

is the Solomon of his time

Who is he!

Get up!

Come on!



Do you know what you've done, you treacherous man!

Get up!

I said get up!

Get up you trecherous man!

That's enough

He stinks

He smells of camels

Pour water on him in the city square,

a hundred buckets of it!

The palace of Bazan,

is not a place for camel herders





Uways

Uways

Salaniah

You finally looked at me

I forgot to greet you first, once again

Peace be upon you



I wish Muhammad could come here and see how frail youve become, Uways

Even if Muhammad doesnt see...

Muhammad's God sees

Is this actually what Muhammad wants, or what Muhammad's God wills?

Muhammad does not will anything...

except that it is the will of Allah

Do you want your mother to mourn over you?

Do you not see how much you are suffering and enduring?

Verily suffering,

is the sustenance of those who love God,

and yearn for Him

You said that Muhammad eats and walks in the markets,

and that he has wives,

and children too

But not Uways,

the son of a mother,

who longs to get him married

What's the matter?

You are to be found wherever the camel herder is,

but the camel herder,

doesn't follow you wherever you go

Tell me, what is it you want from him?

What is it that you want from him 1

You! Tramp!

Get the people out of here

Hurry up!

Go! Get out of here immediately!

And you!

Listen to these words first,

then go

You have to obey your uncle, lbn 'Udayy

He's the head of your family, and is like your father

Do you want the blood of your father to have been lost in vain?

Come on, move!

Come on!

Come on people! We have finished!

Get back to your work! Hurry!

His freedom is in my hands,



but I will let him go

as a favour to you

Surely Uways,

wouldn’t want freedom in exchange for Salamah's imprisonment!

Are you coining with me,

or going without me?

I am neither coining nor going,

I will stay exactly where Uways wants me to be









* 4

I know,

that your heart yearns for Yemen

Does your heart not yearn for Makkali too?

As for Mecca,

as long as the Quraysh are there, no one dare long for it

They harass us, threaten us and kill us

If any of us got pregnant,

we would be frightened to give birth to a girl,

fearful that the Quraysh would bury her alive

What do we do?

We have come to this place so that we can be safe from the infidels,

but they attack us even here!

Makkah

Makkah

And who would not long for it ?

What do you miss most about Yemen?

Its pleasant breeze,

and the abundance of bounties there

It's tall trees

It was named Yemen because it is a place of good omen

But are the Muslims safe there?

Thats what I keep thinking about these days

Frankly, I'm worried

Why

Do the Quraysh have any authority in your country?

There is a ruler in Yenie

who may even be worse than the infidels of the Qnraysh

You don't know Bazaan

He is a bold warrior,

but hes arrogant, and greedy for power

He would not hesitate to do whatever is necessary to please Khosrau,

and be promoted by him as a result

There is no doubt that if he was to find me,

he would cut me into pieces

Allah is the only One who knows what the Muslims in Yemen are far ing right now

Whoever wakes up and goes to sleep,

and does not care about ttie condition of fellow Muslims,



is not a Muslim



These are the words of the Prophet

You are a new convert to Islam,

and how well you adhere to his teachings

The star of Canopus

j \1 f





Has your wound healed?

And will you be able to walk?

Or are you bored of our company,

My wound has not yet healed,

and have decided to leave our camp?

niy legs are still too weak,

and I haven't become bored of your company,

but I do have to go

To where ?

I do not know

Why don't you let your heart lead you to wherever it wants to go

am nothing but a soldier

They trained us to silence the voice of the heart,

and they trained us to obey,

all of their orders without question or discussion

You seem disturbed and confused

What happened ?

What have you seen?

saw how they are all humans,

equal to each other with no distinction between them

No one is superior to anybody else,

neither among the soldiers,

nor the clergymen, nor the elite

•>»

The leader walks alongside the soldier, shoulder to shoulder,

and the rich man sits with the poor

And Salman was there

He's a non-Arab

And Bilal was there too

A black man from Abyssinia

In my whole life, I've never seen or heard of a king who cannot be distinguished,

from the rest of his entourage in a single glance



He even resembles them in his style of dressing



However, more important than all that

is that he has shown me a great secret

If he is right,

then this world will be transformed into another

He is the word of Allah on this earth

He is the leader of the hearts and souls

I used to be a businessman before

I would travel to the west as far as Syria and the Roman Empire

And I would even travel east until,

I had reached Persia

Injustice, corruption and immorality were r

Suddenly there was a flash of light,

in that dark and cruel desert

Its light is eternal and it will remain until the end of this world

He is a businessman like you and the general of an army like me

Here we are sitting in the middle of the desert

Maybe Allah brought me to you that I may be guided by your words to the right path

Indeed the outskirts of Makkah

have become full of people like us

That’s because of your prophet's cleverness

A small pond can become a cjreat lake when it comes into contact with a river

These ignorant Qurayshis are suffering loss because of what Muhammad devised

You have witnessed Muhammad and seen his actions

Won't you describe to me who he looks like?

oesn't look like anyone but himself



You have not stopped praying and worshipping,

even while you have been in prison

Is it your master who commands you to do so,

or would you pray even if you were tied up with iron chains?

Indeed prayer prevents one from immorality and wrongdoing'

This is the advice of my master

So your master is Muhammad then;

the one who claims to be a prophet



Are you afraid of me now?

These are tears of longing for the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad,

and not from fear of yon

Have you ever seen Muhammad before?

No, never

And do you believe that he is true in his claim of prophethood ?

My uiu Ie, Usama al-Qarani,

who, in the year of the Elephant, exported wheat and barley to Yathrib

He told me that one night, a man from among the elite Jews,

mbed up onto the roof of his house,

and called out with a voice heard in the whole of Yathrib:

"I swear by God the Mighty,

that the star of Muhammad has risen,

and that Muhammad, the Prophet, has been born"

Surely,

the Jew knew about the signs of his birth,

from the Torah that they have

Well if the Jews attest to his prophethood,

there's no doubt that he's a prophet then, e

Are you a Persian?

How impudent you are!

How dare you question someone who is like a qod in our palace?

You must have heard from your own priests,

what I told you about the birth of Muhammad

Muhammad said that the Great Khosrau,

King of Persia,

has been killed

If Muhammad is a prophet,

who has knowledge of the unseen,

then why have messengers not come to us with news of his murder?

They are going to come



They have not come,



and they will not come!

If the messengers don't come to you,

with the news of Parviz's death,

then Muhammad can't be a prophet,

because prophets do not make mistakes or lie

But if the messengers come to you,

then he is,

the Messenger of Allah indeed, without doubt

I like his eloquent talk

I accept your statement

But...

they will never come

O Hanth!

be a witness,

that if a messenger comes from Persia with the news of King Khosrau's death,

then this man is free to go

But if messengers do not come,

then you will be sentenced to death on the gallows before everyone

Neither in the morning,

nor at noon,

nor at night, nor tomorrow,

nor the day after.

nobody is ever going to come!

No messenger is going to come!

The King of Kings is still alive and prospering!





They're coining

an't you hear?

't you hear?







Who are you people?



Why are you wearing black?

The week that has just passe

on Tuesday...

Tuesday?

Speak!

Khosrau Parviz,

the King of Persia,

has been killed



His son, Siroes, was the one who killed him



i.W

Tuesday...

was the tenth of Jumada al-UwIa, just as Muhammad predicted

What is this man?



A camel herder

And Muhammad ?

Whatever he is,

he knows the unseen

Only prophets of God,

have knowledge of the unseen, and that which is hidden from the rest of people

X

What shall we do with him?

He is free to go



And the rest of the prisoners?

All of them

They're all free to go

Gift them and their wives generously

Give their children new clothes to wear

We have been outcast and have no refuge,

and we fear evil from the new king

We have lost our god and protector, Khosrau

Many are the kings of Persi

who have tasted death in utter humiliation

But Persia...

lives on

Here, take it

Fresh bread

Take it along with you

Thank you

That's enough

Thank you

Will a single loaf be enough for you?

Yes, it'll be more than enough

Uways, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you

Don't be too frugal with your food on the way, in case you die of starvation,

and God forbid, that my donkey should die of thirst

Don't worry

Allah is Generous

Go in the safety of Allah

Salim

Look after my mother

You've already told me

You said: "Salim, my mother"

Uways's mother is my mother, and she's also Salamah's mother

Uways

Please stay here

Don't go Uways

sXl’MQ

I don't own anything in this world apart from that donkey

Don’t go and die in the desert

Don't ride on him, understand ?

He's old and weak, like his owner Jubayr

Be gentle with my poor donkey

Dont burden his back,

as his legs are not strong enough to support its weight

I just remembered something else

When you come back from Yathrib, be sure to bring back some musk, amber and perfumes

Don't forget to bring back gifts for old Jubayr

Don't forget me!

And pass on my greetings to the Messenger of Allah

Tell him to pray to Allah for me, for Allah to increase my sustenance,

and to give me more wealth

And tell him to admit me into Paradise when I dir1

First you lend him an old donkey, and then you demand a fortune in return!

Such demands would require you to give him a whole herd of camels

Where are you going, Uways?



Didn't you say that Muhammad is the prophet of mercy and kindness?

I wish that you were kind and merciful, like him

This is unfair, Uways

This is dreadfully rude of you

How can you be so crue

to leave Salamah alone and go away ?

Don't yon think it's cruel to be so unkind to poor Salamah?

How can you be so oblivious of Salamah's love for you?

It's impossible

How could you?

How could you ignore Salamah’s love for you, and leave

If only you knew O Salamah,

knew the extent of his love for the Prophet, you wouldn't find it so strange

uii|t’S 0

Do you think he'll come back?

He may come back from Yathrib,

but he will never stop loving the Prophet, ever









Where are you from?

Are you a Muslim?

I follow Judaism, the religion of my father

My father was the only Jew who fought with Muhammad

He was one of the rabbis,

who had read about the signs of the birth of Jesus and Muhammad in the Torah

I have heard Muhammad say about my father:

"He is the best man from the Jewish community"

If only the Jews had protected,

the Torah and the Evangel after it from distortion,

and if only they hadn't interpreted it to their own advantage,

their hearts would have opened,

towhat has been said about them therei

and they would've not hesitated in affirming Muhammad's prophethood,

and they would have all embraced Islam

From your words, it seems to me that you are a Muslim

You speak like my friend 'Amr who was martyred

He was from the tribe of Aws

He got to enter Paradise even though he had never even prayed to Allah

What, he had never even prayed two units of prayer?

He wasn't a Muslim,

but on the day of the Battle of Uhud, he came out clad in armour, and ready to fight,

with his sword in one hand and his spear in the other

Then he mounted his horse and charged towards the battlefield

He dove into the ranks of the enemy and began to attack right in their midst

He killed so many of them, until he was finally killed

And when the Prophet heard about what my friend 'Amr had done,

he told his companions: "This1Amr is among those who will enter Paradise

It's not long now

were almost at the Prophet's mosque

I doubt he's there at this time, though

Excuse me! Move aside!

Open the way! Excuse me1

Peace be upon you,

0 Messenger of Allah

He's not here. Are you staying here?

I'll wait here until noon

Tell me, my Yemeni friend;

I told you about my father and my friend,

so does that mean I'm a Muslim?

Relationship is not what avails, even if you're the son of a prophet

No man is superior to another, except through piety

So I'm not a Muslim?

Look inside your heart

If your heart throbs with love for Muhammad,

then you are a Muslim

I love him

I swear by Allah that I love him

What an impossible condition you placed on llways, Aunty

Yathrib is far, let alone the thirst, the heat, and the dehydration

You want him to go there and be back by sundown, is that reasonable?

If I didn't oblige him to return,

he would remain there a whole month or even longer

He would be gripped by Muhammad's beauty and would forget about me

I made him promise to return at noon,

only so that he doesn’t overstay the



Do you think he'll return?

I hope that he adorns his eyes and enlightens his heart,

by looking at the Prophet, so that he can return to me fulfilled,

and in turn adorn my eyes and bring joy to my heart,

by letting me see him mar ne



0 desert wondered

Hey! Can't you hear me?

I am Abu Samra al-Ju'fi, if you don't know me

am the chief of the tribe of Jo'fa, and these are my sons

Are you from Yemen?

Yes, everyone stares at me the same way as yon,

but what can I do?

My sons here, Aziz and Samra,

are riding camels as you can see,

and me, the chief of our clan Jo'fa,

am riding this donkey

And the reason for that is that Ive had a pus filled abscess on my hand for years,

and I can t hold the reins of neither a horse nor a camel,

that's why I ride on a donkey

Tell me,

have you seen the Messenger of Allah?

I have come from Yemen especially to see the Prophet, that he may cure this affliction I have on my hand

Come on donkey! Go!

Who is that Bedouin?

By the way, 0 bedouin, did you ask the price of dates in the market of Yathrib ?



Recite

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merc iful

That must be Qays

I have to go

Abu Samra and his sons must have returned from Yathrib

Hear me!

What I told my friends before, I will tell you once again

0 lovers of Muhammad, listen carefully

When we entered the city of the Prophet,

he was not present there

I don't know if the Muslims had offered their noon prayer or not,

but Muhammad was not in the city, for sure

However, as the sun began to decline after noon,

the sun of the Prophet rose bright

as he returned to Yathrib

No sooner did his blessed feet reach the threshold of the mosque, than he said,

”1 see a light filling this place,

and I smell a beautiful fragrance",

The Prophet exclaimed,

"Verily...

Verily the light of Uways al-Qarani as remained behind for us after he has left",

then he turned his face towards Yemen,

and he said,

"Yes, this is my brother,

Uways al-Qarni,

he is Uways al-Qarni"

The Prophet looked longingly towards Yemen and said,

"I am listening out for the melodies (of his voice) wafting to us from Yemen"

I, Abu Samra al-Jo'fi, have decided that we will find him

He is an honour for us

We will spend days and nights looking for him until we find him

He is a source of pride for us Yemenis

We must revere him with high regard, and treat him with great respect

Go and tell him, 'I know Uways and will show you his house'

Now, another matter, another story

Then the Prophet looked at my son, Aziz, and asked him,

'What is your name 0 youth?1

So my son replied, saying, 'Aziz' (the Mighty)

The Prophet said, 'Might is Allah's, the One and Only without any partner'

Then he tapped him on the shoulder and said,

'Abdur Rahman is your name from now on'

And now people,

look at where my pus-filled boil was

Where is that abscess that I suffered from for years and years?

Where is it?

The doctors were all incapable of curing it,

except the Messenger of Allah

He looked at the abscess on my hand,

then he touched it with the handle of the staff in his hand

And before I had even returned to Yemen from Yathrib, it had disappeared

My afflicted hand is now even better than the other one

Verily, my sons, my family, my clan, my status, my reputation and everything I own,

may it all be sacrificed for Muhammad! At Muhammad's disposal!

What do you want my son

I want to take you to Uways's house







Greetings, a hundred greetings of peace be upon Uways al-Qarni

And upon you be peace

What celebration is this?

This is a party to celebrate the clan of Jo'fa

embracing monotheism

If you dont partake in the celebrations with us, the joyousness of the occasion will be lost

That's why we have come to give you these humble gifts

Honour us by accepting them

Since Uways has become an honorary member of our clan from today,

I proclaim that he is our chief and master, as long as Abu Samra lives and prospers

And so I,

proclaim before you all that fiom today,

Uways al-Qarni will be officially known as Uways al-Jo'fi

Everyone in Yemen now knows what the Messenger of Allah said about Uwaysal Jo'fi

And I, Abu Sanira al-Jo'fi,

am going to build a mosque by the name of Mosque of Uways al-Jo'fi

Actually let's build a mosque in the Prophet's name

Join in everyone! This is your celebration too

Who's next?







Are you going out tonight as well?

The moon is so low in the sky

Have you seen the desert?

Every hole in it looks like a bowl of milk

This is the night for worship and prayer, my mother

I will remain in the desert until dawn,

placing my face on the earth, prostrating to Allah









*



• W ’ A I



The sight of the moon tonight is diffeient to other nights





Are you expecting to find something?



I stopped expecting and hoping years ago

You told me that there's an Arab from Yathrib who claims to speak from revelation,

and predicted that a son would kill his father

Then a Yemeni man, adores the Qurayshi prophet wit hoot even having seen him

Then Bazaan, who has a mountain of arrogance and egotism within him,

but that never stopped him from taking a caravan to Yathrib to congratulate the Arab Prophet,

and profess Islam before him

And I,

al Hanth ibn 'Allai al Hannri



King of Yemen

So what's your role in this drama?

How your sharp tongue continues to belittle me time and time again,

and how often you continue to favour Bazaan over your husband, the king,

even though Bazaan is a Persian

How long I continue to admire strength over humiliation and disgrace,

for authoritativeness is more appealing

What do you want from me?

I want you to not be used as a doormat under other people's feet

Send a messenger to Persia,

with a message congratulating Siroes for securing the throne

Then dispatch some men towards Mecca,

and let them mingle among the* Ouraysh,

however;

before that, you should see to it,

that Bazaan is killed



Peace be upon you

And on you be peace too

May Allah safeguard you, young man

Keep an eye on the medicine I'm making for my mother, so it doesn't burn

Sure

Stay here until I finish weaving this last rug

Three rugs to compensate for that sick old donkey?

Is that too little?

Too little?

You didn't even ride on that donkey!

Uways



Yes, mother

[)ont neglect Jubayr's right by taking it lightly

This is,

This is more important than your prayer, my son

Repaying a debt is obligatory

Uways

you must fulfil others rights upon you

Of course, mother

I'll get the door

sXeMfi

Peace be upon you

Peace be upon Uways

VJe received news from Yathrib..

From Madina

They said,

that the Prophet has decided to conquer Makkah

A fierce war is going to break out

I am loyal to the Messenger of Allah,

for when he decides something, he gets what he wants

What else?

Prince Bazaan sends you his peace and best greet ings.

and invites you to his palace,

for he wants to go out to join them in Yathr, I mean Makkah, of course

And he wants to know how many horsemen, infantry, camels and horses

you will need under your command in the army

But Uways,

is nursing his ill and weak mother

Bazaau is still the ruler,

and can arrange for the best doctors to treat your mother

But when Uways is separated from his mother,

he will end up needing doctors more than her

Uways's mother can neither sleep nor eat in his absence

Abu Samra was also at the

Did he mention anything about building a mosque?

He said he would begin the mosque project,

after the Prophet conqners Makkah

You know Abu Samra well

He wants the people of Yemen to establish the congregational prayer,

and for you to be their imam

You all know me very well

I am not one to deceive or be hypocritical, or extravagant, or show off, or flaunt

That's why you have to believe whatever I tell you,

without me having to swear, why is this?

Because I only speak the truth, not hi ng else

My son, Abdur Rahman is a witness to the truth of my words

When the warriors from Muhammad's army appeared,

from behind the mountains surrounding Honourable Makkah,

Abu Sufyan asked, Who are these people?

They said, This is Muhammads army:

the muhajirs, the ansars, the close companions, the friends and honoured ones'

Abu Sufyan,

became worried and said,

itSl- HP’S!

'What a pity! 0 what a pity!

Muhammad s power has indeed become great

A great power!'

But a man said...

who was it who said it?

Oh yes, Ibn Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib said to him, '0 Abu Sufyan,

What did he say again?

He said this is not just power

Yes, he said, This is not just might,

this is prophethood and leadership over the entire creation!'

Have they come?

Welcome their arrival!

Welcome! Welcome!

Welcome! Greetings to you!



Uways!

It's our master Uways!

0 light of the eyes of all Yemenis!

Welcome!

Open the way for him!

Let him pass

Peace be upon you

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Wherever you may be sitting or standing, please rise up

Rise up!

Now please come forward a few steps

This is all that we need to do to get closer to Allah, even if it be only one step

And peace be upon you all

By Allah, you are right!

Uways?

When news of the Prophet's death (pbuh)came,

Uways was tending his camels in the desert,

at which point he told me that his mother had died at the same time too

Was that really the case?

Uways told me about his mother's prayer to Allah

to not keep her alive even a day longer than the Prophet in this world

Allah answered her prayer

Have we not reached yet ? Yemen is so far away!

We're almost there,

just beyond those hills

What happened to Uways?

It has been narrated that the Prophet said,

'Uways is a man of my community, and will die as a martyr,

and will be included in my intercession,

just like Rabia and M'udarr'

Uways must surely be longing for martyrdom



Yes my child

You know the Ali that you speak about? Is he the Caliph who rules in Kufa?

Yes, Ali is the Commander of the Faithful

Have we not reached yet Salmi?

I wish I had stayed in the hut

What little patience you have, 0 people of Kufa

Salmi,

I know that you're tired,

but this is Uways's house

We will pray the Dhuhr prayer here

We'll reach soon

Can't you talk about anything apart from Uways?

Do I mean nothing to you?

Where are you, son?

I'm coming!

Uways!



Father!

What happened ?

Over there!

I knew that you had finally come from the sound of your footsteps

Why have you taken so long?

Salamah

You?

Why?

J

Even if you've lost a hundred people, you can't still (jrieve like thi

But you went to look for him, to bring him back here, Salim

I couldn’t find him

I desperately looked for him everywhere:

Damascus, Madina,

and I have just come from Kufa

I didn't find him in any of these cities

I just couldn't find him

He told me once that disloyalty ruins the hearts of those who are in love

He is always travelling and wandering,

and won't rest until he meets his beloved

I told myself that maybe he missed the Prophet and went to Madina

But I didn't find him there

Is that your son?



Uways

His name is Uways

Uways

Ill spite of your burning thirst to see him,

how did you manage to go all the way to Madina and not see the Prophet?

So Uways said to me,

'I asked one of them once: how would you describe love?'

So he answered me, When you attain the state of love, you will know what it's like'

sXeMQ

I've become like you, in love with love itself

I roamed all of Kufa

People are preparing to fight £-

Kufa was swarming with soldiers,

and All had prepared to go out to Syria

Mu'awiya has gathered together an army, to take revenge for Uthman’s murder

I know that

Uways will never leave Ali alone

Perhaps,

he has gone to Siffeen

Siffeen?





Summon Dhil Qala' and Shiba here immediately



Any news?

Everyone is waiting for you to bring them news

I counted them myself,

exactly nine hundred and ninety nine people came from Kufa

Then why did All say 'a thousand men'

Did lie literally mean 'one thousand',

or was it just merely an expression?

What are you trying to say, lbn Nasr

A thousand men

If they have all come,

apart from one,

then the remaining one is worth a thousand men

When we leave this tent,

we will have only two choices before us

Either we go ahead with this bold plan and win ten thousand pure gold pieces in the process

Or we leave this tent, run away, forever to be hunted by Mu'awiya

The choice is yours, it’s a difficult choice indeed

Either we run away and become wandering outlaws in this world,

or we profit with ten thousand gold pieces for killing Ali

Now please tell me why they chose you to keep a lookout ?

I just can't fathom the extent of the Commander of the Faithful s concern with this one man

Ali isn't like Mu'awiya

may Allah never decree him to be sue h

However, if it wasn't for his piety,

he would be the shrewdest of people indeed

He sees what we do not see

This war is definitely not like previous such wars

It has been going on for some time now

The people of Kufa,

have pledged allegiance to Ali with their hands,

but their hearts have not done so

This man that we re waiting for,

is one of the companions of tlie Prophet

The Kufans don’t care about anything apart from their businesses and their wealth

We have had no news of Mu'awiya's army

These arrows, every single one of them,

must pierce the chest of Ali



How will we kill Ali?

He can annihilate our entire army if he wants to

If I was asked about the bravest men in Mu'awiya's army,

I certainly wouldn't count you two amongst them

Do you want to spend the rest of your lives hunted and on the run?



When everything is quiet,

in the midst of a fierce and raging battle,

I begin to worry

From now onwards, we've become the hitmen of Ash'ath ibn Qays al Kandi

We came to him in the first place to join the Iraqi army against Mu'awiya

They’ve gone in another direction

Who?

Aren't we waiting for just one man?

You're almost driving me insane

I don't understand

Everything you've done is insane

We've been waiting here for a very long tune,

and what's the point of that?

We are but men in longing

All's bravery itself will give ns the opportunity to fulfil our aim,

since he doesnt stay in his tent, but fights at the forefront of the battle,

unlike Mu’awiya

Do you see him

Yes, I see him

He's coming

But why on foot?

Peace be upon you both

And on you be peace

Who are you?

I am a slave of Allah

Which army are you headed for?

Wherever the army of Allah is

Wherever the army of Allah is?

And which side is He on right now?

And whic h side is He on right now?

Haven't you heard what the Prophet said,

All is with the truth, and the truth is with All,

wherever it may be'

Are" the words of the Prophet not the words of Allah?

Are the words of the Prophet not the words of Allah?

Who are you, 0 lover of All?

Who are you, O lover of All?

Uways al Oarni

Uways al-Qarni

I have come to kiss the feet of my master, All

You are exhausted, get on the horse

He is waiting for yon right now

He is waiting for you right now

Never

Pleasure lies in the struggle

I will walk to my master with my own two feet

When carrying out such an important task,

we must aim past everyone in his path

so that he does not return to (the battlefield of) Siffeen