Last Years
According to Watt, after 627 there is no record of Ibn Ubayy "actively opposing Muhammad or intriguing against him". In 628, Ibn Ubayy participated in the march to Hudaybiyya. According to Rudi Paret, Muhammad's "most dangerous rival" was now on Muhammad's side.
In 630, when Muhammad's launching a campaign against the Byzantine Empire during a time of drought and food shortage created serious discontent in Medina, Ibn Ubayy expressed his sympathy for those criticizing the expedition as untimely. As the army assembled, Ibn Ubayy's troops formed a separate camp and turned back to Medina when Muhammad's forces set out. This possibly happened with Muhammad's consent, because of Ibn Ubayy's ill health. After Muhammad's return, those criticizing the campaign and had remained behing were chided in Surah 9:81.
Ibn Ubayy died two months after Muhammad's return, in 631. Despite the various conflicts between the two men, Muhammad did not show signs of vindictiveness towards Ibn Ubayy, when he attended his funeral and prayed above his grave. With Ibn Ubayy died the faction of the Munafiqun, as "there was no one left possessed of power or influence."
Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy left behind several daughters and a son also called Abd-Allah, all of whom became devout Muslims.
Read more about this topic: Abd-Allah Ibn Ubayy
Famous quotes containing the word years:
“For some years now, there has been proof that the devastating effects of the traumatization of children take their inevitable toll on society—a fact that we are still forbidden to recognize. This knowledge concerns every single one of us, and—if disseminated widely enough—should lead to fundamental changes in society; above all, to a halt in the blind escalation of violence.”
—Alice Miller (20th century)
“The knave of a thousand years ago seems a fine old fellow full of spirit and fun, little malice in his soul; whereas, the knave of to-day seems a sour-visaged wight, with nothing to redeem him.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)