Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Abdullah, and his kunya was Abu Musa. He was better known by his kunya. His father was Qays and his mother was Tayyibah. Little is known about his life before Islam. It is known only that he was a resident of Yemen. Since he belonged to the Ash‘ar tribe there, he became famous as al-Ash‘ari. Hazrat Abu Musa learned of Islam, came from Yemen to Makkah, and pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He established friendly relations with the Abd Shams clan of Makkah. After staying in Makkah for some time, he returned to Yemen to invite his countrymen to Islam. Hazrat Abu Musa was one of the influential leaders of his clan. Its people responded to the call very quickly and in large numbers. Accompanied by a group of nearly fifty Muslims, he set out by sea from Yemen to go to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Because of unfavorable conditions at sea, the group was carried to Abyssinia instead of the Hijaz. Meanwhile, Hazrat Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib and his companions, who were still in Abyssinia, had set out for Madinah. Abu Musa and his group joined this caravan and proceeded toward Madinah. They reached Madinah just as the Muslim army, under the leadership of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), was returning after completing the conquest of Khaybar. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gave Abu Musa and all his companions a share of the spoils of Khaybar. Hazrat Abu Musa took part in the Conquest of Makkah and the Battle of Hunayn. After fleeing from the field of Hunayn, the Banu Hawazin assembled in the valley of Awtas. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a detachment under the command of Hazrat Abu Amir to destroy them completely. When they reached Awtas, they killed the Hawazin chief, Duraid ibn al-Simmah, and scattered his people. By chance, however, Abu Amir was severely wounded by an arrow shot by a polytheist named Hashimi. Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari pursued and killed that polytheist. Before his death, Hazrat Abu Amir appointed Abu Musa as his successor and requested him, saying, “Brother, convey my final greetings to the Messenger of Allah and ask him to pray for my forgiveness.” Abu Amir breathed his last. Abu Musa returned to Madinah with his army and informed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) of Abu Amir’s final instructions. The Messenger had water brought, performed ablution, and prayed for Abu Amir’s forgiveness. Abu Musa requested, “O Messenger of Allah, pray for me as well.” The Messenger said, “O Allah, forgive the sins of Abdullah ibn Qays and grant him entry into Paradise with honor on the Day of Resurrection.” In the ninth year after the Hijrah, preparations were under way for the expedition to Tabuk. Abu Musa’s companions sent him to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to request mounts for them. When Abu Musa arrived, the Messenger of Allah was agitated for some reason. Not realizing this, Abu Musa said, “O Messenger of Allah, my companions have sent me to ask you to provide them with mounts.” The Messenger was seated. In an agitated voice he exclaimed, “By Allah, I will not give you any mounts.” Abu Musa became frightened, wondering whether he had committed some discourtesy. He returned deeply saddened and conveyed the bad news to his companions. But before he could even steady himself, Bilal came running and called, “Abdullah ibn Qays, where are you? Come—the Messenger of Allah is calling you.” He went with Bilal to the presence of the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger pointed toward two tethered camels nearby and said, “Take these two to your companions.” Hazrat Abu Musa returned to his people with the two camels and said, “The Messenger of Allah has given you these two camels as mounts. However, some of you must come with me to someone who heard the Messenger of Allah’s earlier words, so that you do not think that what I said before was something I invented.” They said, “By Allah, we believe you to be truthful. But since you say so, let us go.” Thus, taking some of them with him, he proved the truth of his earlier statement. After returning from Tabuk, two prominent men of the Ash‘ar tribe once went with Hazrat Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari to the Messenger of Allah. They expressed their desire to obtain some office. The Messenger was using a tooth-stick. On hearing them, he stopped using it. Turning to Abu Musa, he said, “Abu Musa, Abu Musa.” Abu Musa replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I did not know what was in their hearts. I did not know that they would express a desire for office.” The Messenger said, “If anyone seeks an office for himself, I will never appoint him to it. But, Abu Musa, go to Yemen. I appoint you its governor.” Since ancient times, Yemen had been divided into two regions: Upper Yemen and Lower Yemen. Hazrat Mu‘adh ibn Jabal was placed in charge of Upper Yemen and Abu Musa of Lower Yemen. As he bade them farewell, the Messenger said to them, “Treat the people of Yemen gently; do not be harsh with them. Keep people happy and do not drive them away. Live together in harmony.” Because Yemen was his homeland, Hazrat Abu Musa had considerable influence over its people from the beginning. He therefore discharged his responsibilities efficiently. He had a close personal friendship with the neighboring governor, Hazrat Mu‘adh. From time to time they would meet at the border and exchange views on various matters. In the tenth year after the Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah performed Hajj. Hazrat Abu Musa came from Yemen and joined him for Hajj. The Messenger asked him, “Abdullah ibn Qays, have you come intending to perform Hajj?” He replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” The Messenger asked, “What was your intention?” He said, “I said that my intention would be the same as the intention of the Messenger of Allah.” The Messenger again asked, “Have you brought a sacrificial animal with you?” He replied, “No.” The Messenger instructed him, “After performing tawaf and sa‘i, leave the state of ihram.” (Sahih al-Bukhari.) It should be noted that the Messenger performed Hajj al-Qiran, and for Hajj al-Qiran it is necessary to bring a sacrificial animal. After Hajj, Abu Musa returned to Yemen. Meanwhile, a false prophet named al-Aswad al-Ansi claimed prophethood and rebelled. Hazrat Mu‘adh ibn Jabal was even compelled to leave for Marib, Abu Musa’s capital. They could not remain there long either, and eventually took refuge in Hadramawt. Although Ibn Maktuh al-Muradi killed al-Aswad al-Ansi, the rebellion rose again after the death of the Messenger of Allah. Thereafter, the first Caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), sent an army from Madinah and suppressed the rebellion. The two governors of Yemen returned to their respective posts and responsibilities. Hazrat Abu Musa returned from Hadramawt to his station in Hadramawt, and during the early period of the second Caliph’s caliphate he continued to discharge his duties with great success. When campaigns began in various regions during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him), eager to participate in jihad, resigned his position as governor and joined the army of Hazrat Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas as a soldier. In the seventeenth year after the Hijrah, on the orders of Commander Sa‘d, he conquered Nisibis. That same year, the governor of Basra, al-Mughira ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him), was removed and Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) was appointed in his place. Khuzistan lay adjacent to the borders of Basra and was still under Iranian control. In the sixteenth year after the Hijrah, Hazrat al-Mughira (may Allah be pleased with him) conducted a military campaign in Ahwaz to conquer Khuzistan. The chief of Ahwaz made peace with al-Mughira in return for paying a small annual tax, and al-Mughira withdrew. In the seventeenth year, when Abu Musa assumed responsibility in place of al-Mughira, the people of Ahwaz stopped paying the tax and rebelled. Abu Musa was forced to send troops, conquer Ahwaz, and continue the campaign as far as Manadhir. The distinguished officer Hazrat Muhajir ibn Ziyad (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred at one stage of this campaign. The enemy separated his head from his body and hung it from the dome of the fortress. Abu Musa appointed Hazrat Rabi‘, the brother of Hazrat Muhajir, to conquer Manadhir, and Rabi‘ succeeded. Meanwhile, Abu Musa laid siege to Susa. The townspeople took refuge in the fortress. Eventually their leader reached an agreement with Abu Musa on the condition that one hundred members of his clan would be spared. The leader presented one hundred people one by one, and Abu Musa released them according to the agreement. Unfortunately, the leader forgot to put forward his own name, and he was killed in accordance with the terms of the treaty. After the siege of Susa, Abu Musa besieged Ramhormuz, and peace was concluded with its people on the condition that they pay an annual tax of eight hundred thousand dirhams. Driven from all sides, the commander of the Iranian emperor, Hormuzan, had taken refuge in the strong fortress of Shushtar. Abu Musa was maintaining the siege of the city, but every attempt to capture it failed. One day, unexpectedly, a man secretly left the city and came to Abu Musa’s camp. He proposed that, if his safety were guaranteed, he would bring about the city’s fall. His condition was accepted. He took with him an Arab named Ashras. Covering his head and face with a cloak, Ashras followed the man like a servant. They entered the city by the river and secret tunnels, passed through drains and narrow streets, and reached Hormuzan’s private palace. Ashras secretly observed the city’s entire situation, then secretly returned to Abu Musa and submitted a detailed report. Thereafter, on Abu Musa’s orders, Ashras took two hundred daring soldiers, launched a sudden attack, killed the gatekeepers, and opened the gate. Abu Musa and all his soldiers were waiting at the entrance. As soon as the gate opened, all the soldiers entered the city together, and an uproar broke out. Hormuzan fled to the fortress. When the Muslim army reached the fortress, Hormuzan climbed onto its dome and announced that he was willing to surrender. His conditions were accepted, and he was sent with Hazrat to Madinah, the seat of the caliphate. After the conquest of Shushtar, the Muslim army under Abu Musa’s command besieged Jundishapur. The siege continued for some time. One day, the townspeople suddenly opened the city gates. They were calmly occupied with their usual work. The Muslim army was astonished to enter the city and find them so unconcerned. When questioned, they said, “Why, we have been granted security on the condition of paying jizyah.” On investigation it became known that a slave of the Muslim army had secretly concluded this security agreement by himself. The commander, Abu Musa, refused to recognize the slave’s agreement. The townspeople said, “We do not know who is a slave and who is free.” Eventually the matter was brought before the Caliph in Madinah. The Caliph declared, “A Muslim’s slave is also a Muslim. Those whom he has granted aman, all Muslims have granted aman.” Thus, under Abu Musa’s leadership, the foundations of Islam were firmly established throughout Khuzistan, and at the same time Basra, his station, was freed from the enemy’s threat. After the fall of Khuzistan, in the twenty-first year after the Hijrah, the Iranians prepared for a final battle at Nahavand. The Caliph sent Nu‘man ibn Muqarrin to Nahavand with a large army and ordered Abu Musa to assist him. On receiving the Caliph’s order, Abu Musa reached Nahavand with a large army. In this battle as well, the Iranian army suffered a crushing defeat. After conquering Khuzistan, Abu Musa requested the Caliph to annex the conquered territory to Basra. The people of Kufa, meanwhile, also demanded from their governor, Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him), that it be annexed to Kufa. The Caliph supported Abu Musa’s demand and annexed the conquered territory to Basra. The people of Kufa became angry with Ammar when their demand was not fulfilled. Finally, in accordance with their request, the Caliph removed Ammar and appointed Abu Musa governor of Kufa in the twenty-second year after the Hijrah. But one year later, in the twenty-third year, he was transferred back to Basra. That same year, a man named Dabbah brought the following accusations against Abu Musa before the Caliph:

1. Abu Musa personally took sixty sons of chiefs from among the prisoners of war.

2. He entrusted all the responsibilities of government to Ziyad ibn Sumayyah, and in reality Ziyad is now the absolute master of everything.

3. He gave the poet Hutay’ah a gift of one thousand dirhams.

4. A slave woman of his named Aqliyya is given excellent food twice a day, whereas ordinary people cannot eat such food.

Hazrat Umar wrote the accusations with his own hand. He summoned Abu Musa to Madinah and questioned him. He conducted the proper investigation to establish the truth or falsity of the accusations. The first accusation was proved false. In response to the second, he said that Ziyad was a brilliant politician and an able administrator. “I appointed him as an adviser.” The Caliph summoned Ziyad and examined him, finding him to be a capable man. He ordered that Ziyad be retained in his position. In response to the third accusation, he said, “I gave Hutay’ah a gift from my own money so that he would not satirize or slander me.” But he could provide no answer to the fourth accusation. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) rebuked him somewhat and let him go. (al-Tabari)

That same year, the twenty-third year after the Hijrah, Abu Musa campaigned in Isfahan and brought the region into the Islamic caliphate. After completing the conquest of Isfahan and returning, he was transferred that same year from Basra to Kufa. The people of Basra were suffering severely from lack of water. The matter was brought before the Caliph, who ordered that a canal be cut from the Tigris River and brought to the city of Basra. Under Abu Musa’s leadership, a canal ten miles long was dug, relieving the people of Basra’s water shortage. In history, this canal became famous as the Nahr Abi Musa. In the twenty-third year after the Hijrah, during the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, the second Caliph, Umar, was martyred. After Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) assumed the caliphate, he made many changes to the administrative structure. Abu Musa, however, remained governor of Basra until the twenty-ninth year after the Hijrah. In that year the Kurds rebelled. Abu Musa went to the mosque and delivered an impassioned speech about jihad against them. In the speech he described the merit of walking on foot in the path of Allah. As a result, some mujahideen prepared to travel on foot even though they had horses. Abu Musa’s critics said to them, “We should not be in such a hurry. Let us see how our commander, Abu Musa, travels.” Abu Musa also rode out on horseback. The mujahideen seized the reins of his horse and protested. In fact, Abu Musa’s speech did not mean that those who had horses should not use them. The time, however, was one of turmoil and conspiracy. The troublemakers went to Madinah over this minor incident and demanded his removal. The Caliph Uthman removed him. In the thirty-fourth year after the Hijrah, when the people of Kufa requested the replacement of Sa‘id ibn al-As, Caliph Uthman again appointed Abu Musa governor of Kufa. At that time, intense intrigue and conspiracy were spreading throughout the caliphate. The Messenger of Allah had foretold matters concerning Abu Musa. Therefore, in his speeches he would continually remind the people of Kufa of this prophecy and advise them to keep away from every form of discord. In the thirty-fifth year after the Hijrah, after the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Ali’s becoming caliph, that discord came into the open. Demanding retaliation for the blood of the third Caliph, Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), Hazrat A’ishah, Talhah, and al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them) set out from Makkah toward Basra. To oppose them, Caliph Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived at a place called Dhi Qar. He sent Hazrat Hasan to Kufa with Ammar ibn Yasir. When Hazrat Hasan reached Kufa, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari was delivering a speech to a huge gathering in the Kufa Mosque, advising the people to stay away from this discord. Hazrat Hasan appeared there, and some verbal dispute took place between him and Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him). Abu Musa quietly descended from the mosque’s pulpit and, without offering any resistance, went straight to an unknown village in Syria, where he lived. Thus he maintained complete neutrality in the civil war. At Siffin, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) declared a truce on the condition that the matter would be settled by two impartial judges, one appointed by each side. Both parties would accept their joint decision. Ali’s side appointed Abu Musa as judge, while Mu‘awiyah’s side appointed Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him). Both sides gathered at a place called Dumat al-Jandal. They held lengthy discussions about the matter. Eventually they decided that, for the welfare of the Ummah, both Ali and Mu‘awiyah should be removed from the caliphate and that the council of shura should elect a third person as caliph. They appeared before the people to announce their decision. At the request of Amr ibn al-As, Abu Musa rose first to announce the decision; Abu Musa then departed from his previous decision and declared Hazrat Mu‘awiyah caliph. Abu Musa was stunned.

In reality, Abu Musa was extremely simple and straightforward by nature. He did not know what deception and political intrigue were. For this reason, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had objected to his appointment as a judge. But under pressure from his supporters, he too accepted it. Having been defeated in Amr ibn al-As’s web of political strategy, Abu Musa was so consumed by remorse that he immediately set out for Makkah. He never again took part in any such matter. There are differing opinions about the year and place of his death. Some say he died in Makkah, while others say he died in Kufa. The most widely accepted view, however, is that he died in Makkah. Likewise, there are several opinions concerning the year of his death: 42, 44, and 52 after the Hijrah. The well-known view is that he died in 44 after the Hijrah. (Tadhkirat al-Huffaz)

Hazrat Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) remained extremely careful to observe the commands and prohibitions of the Messenger of Allah until the end of his life. Even when his condition became critical and he lost consciousness, the women began to wail. At that terrible moment, he briefly regained consciousness and exclaimed, “The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) declared himself free of responsibility from such wailing women.” Poverty had been his constant companion in the early part of his life, but his later life passed in prosperity. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had fixed an allowance for him.

Hazrat Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) was among those distinguished Companions who were fortunate to enjoy the special closeness of the Messenger of Allah. He was one of the six people who were permitted to issue fatwas during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah. (Tadhkirat al-Huffaz.) A Tabi‘i named al-Aswad said, “In Kufa, I have never seen anyone more knowledgeable than Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Abu Musa.” Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, “Abu Musa is dyed in the color of knowledge from head to foot.” He always kept the company of learned people and discussed various matters with them. These discussions sometimes reached the level of debate and disputation. He especially engaged in debate with Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud and Mu‘adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with them). Once, Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) and Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) disputed a matter concerning tayammum. Imam al-Bukhari recorded this debate in the chapter on tayammum. Abu Musa was not merely thirsty for knowledge; he made every possible effort to disseminate and spread it. He believed that whatever knowledge a person possessed, it was obligatory to convey it to others. Once, in a sermon, he said that a person to whom Allah had granted knowledge should teach it to his brothers. But concerning a matter about which he had no knowledge, he should not let a single word leave his mouth. His methods of teaching were also varied. Besides the regular study circles, he would sometimes gather people and address them. If he encountered a few people somewhere along the road, he would convey one or two sayings of the Messenger of Allah to them. He was very gentle in teaching. If someone, out of ignorance, asked a foolish question, he did not become agitated; he explained it to him in an extremely soft tone.

Abu Musa’s relationship with the Holy Qur’an was extremely deep. He spent almost every moment of night and day reciting the Qur’an and teaching it. Once, while he was governor of Yemen, Mu‘adh ibn Jabal asked him, “How do you recite the Qur’an?” He replied, “Whenever I find an opportunity, I recite a little, both at night and during the day.” He recited the Qur’an in a melodious voice. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say, “Abu Musa has been granted a portion of the melody of David (peace be upon him).”

The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) liked his recitation very much. Whenever he heard Abu Musa reciting the Qur’an, he would stop. Once, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was going somewhere accompanied by Hazrat A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). On hearing Abu Musa’s recitation along the way, he stopped there. After listening for a while, he proceeded onward. Once, Abu Musa was reciting the Qur’an aloud during the ‘Isha prayer. Hearing his melodious voice, the Mothers of the Believers came to the curtain of their chambers and listened to the recitation. When he learned of this in the morning, he said, “Had I known, I would have recited in an even more captivating voice and made them lovers of the Qur’an.” It was because of this exceptional beauty of recitation that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent him to Yemen along with Mu‘adh ibn Jabal to teach the Qur’an to new Muslims. His contribution to the service of Hadith was no less than his contribution to the Holy Qur’an. He had an independent Hadith study circle in Kufa, through which many great scholars of Hadith were produced. The number of Hadiths narrated by him is 360. Of these, 50 are agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim, while al-Bukhari alone narrated 45 and Muslim alone 25. Despite his extensive knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith, he was conscious of his own mistakes. Likewise, he valued the knowledge of others. Once, he issued a fatwa concerning a matter of inheritance. The person who had asked for the fatwa also consulted Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud. Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud gave a different ruling. Abu Musa acknowledged his own mistake and remarked, “As long as Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud is alive, you should not come to me.” The life of Hazrat Abu Musa was a living reflection of the blessed life of the Messenger. He always tried to imitate and follow exactly every action, manner, and saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Once, he was traveling from Makkah to Madinah. Along the way, during the ‘Isha prayer, he performed two rak‘ahs. Then he stood again and performed one rak‘ah by reciting one hundred verses from Surah al-Nisa. When people objected, he said, “I always try to place my feet wherever the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his, and to do exactly what he did.”

Besides the fasts of Ramadan, he would also observe voluntary fasts because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had observed them. He regularly fasted on Ashura and urged people to do so. He was extremely devoted not only to the Sunnah but also to recommended practices. Slaughtering the sacrificial animal with one’s own hand is a recommended practice. For this reason alone, he would even instruct his own daughters to slaughter the animal with their own hands.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed that when a person went to someone’s house, he should seek permission before entering. If permission was not granted even after asking three times, he should return. Once, Abu Musa went to meet Caliph Umar. He asked permission three times, one after another, but the Caliph was occupied with another matter and could not respond. Abu Musa returned. On another occasion, the Caliph asked, “Why did Abu Musa return?” He replied, “I received no response after asking permission three times, so I returned.” He then narrated to him the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah concerning this matter. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Bring a witness who has heard this Hadith from someone other than you.” Trembling with fear, Abu Musa went to a gathering of the Ansar. Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, who was present there, had also heard the Hadith. He appeared before Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and testified. Al-Sha‘bi said, “Knowledge is acquired from six people: Umar, Ali, Ubayy, Ibn Mas‘ud, Zayd, and Abu Musa.”

Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him governor of Basra and sent him there. When he reached Basra and addressed the assembled people, he said, “The Commander of the Believers has sent me to you. I will teach you the Book of your Lord and the Sunnah of His Prophet, and I will clean and maintain your roads and streets for your welfare.” The people were astonished to hear this speech. Educating the people culturally and teaching them the religion could fall within the ruler’s responsibilities. But how could he take responsibility for cleaning their roads and streets? The matter seemed extremely strange to them. Therefore, Hazrat Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) remarked about him, “No better rider has ever come to the people of Basra.” (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul.) The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say about him, “Abu Musa is the leader of the horsemen.”

The welfare of the Ummah was the greatest concern before Hazrat Abu Musa. For this reason, throughout his life he trampled underfoot every personal gain and opportunity. While Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) were at war, Mu‘awiyah once told Abu Musa that if he supported Mu‘awiyah, he would appoint his two sons governors of Basra and Kufa respectively and would also look after his interests and privileges. In reply, Abu Musa wrote, “You have written to me about a matter of the greatest importance concerning the Ummah of Muhammad. I have no need of the thing you have offered me.”

Modesty and shame are part of faith. This quality was present in Abu Musa to perfection. Even when sleeping at night, he would wear a special type of clothing so that his private parts would not become exposed. Once, he saw some people bathing naked in the water. He said, “Although repeatedly coming to life in my mind is pleasing to me, I do not like this act.”

Suhaib ibn Sinan al-Rumi (RA)

His name was Suhaib, and his kunya was Abu Yahya. His father was Sinan and his mother was Salma bint Qa’id. His father was descended from the Arab Banu Numayr, while his mother belonged to the Banu Tamim. He was called al-Rumi, or the Roman, though in fact he was not a Roman. He was an Arab.

Approximately two decades before the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) received prophethood, his father, Sinan ibn Malik, was the governor of the ancient city of Ubulla in Basra, representing the Persian emperor. Suhaib was his father’s dearest child. Once, his mother took Suhaib, along with some other people and an armed escort, to visit a village called Saniyya in Iraq. Suddenly, one night, the Roman army launched a surprise attack on the village, carrying out widespread killing and looting. They captured the women and children and turned them into slaves. The child Suhaib was among the captives. He was then no more than five years old.

Suhaib was sold in one of Rome’s slave markets. He passed continually from the hands of one master to another. Such was the fate of slaves in Roman society at that time. In this way, he had the opportunity to enter deeply into Roman society from within and to witness at close hand the obscenity and sinful practices occurring within it.

Suhaib was raised in the land of Rome and reached adulthood there. He forgot the Arabic language, or came close to forgetting it. Yet he never forgot for a single day that he was a son of the desert Arabs. He was always counting the days until he would be freed from the chains of slavery and reunited with his tribe in Arabia. His longing grew stronger on the day he heard a Christian kahin (soothsayer) say: “The time is approaching when a prophet will arise in Makkah, in the Arabian Peninsula. He will affirm the prophethood of Jesus, son of Mary, and lead people from darkness into light.”

Suhaib waited for an opportunity. It came at last. One day he escaped by deceiving his master and made his way to Makkah. Because of his golden hair and speech impediment, the people of Makkah began calling him Suhaib al-Rumi. In Makkah, he entered into a partnership with the prominent Quraysh leader Abdullah ibn Jud’an and began conducting business with him. He achieved remarkable success in trade. According to another account, the Arab Banu Kalb purchased him and brought him to Makkah. Abdullah ibn Juh’an purchased him from them and set him free.

Amid the thousands of preoccupations of his business and trade in Makkah, Suhaib never forgot for a moment the prophecy of that Christian kahin. Whenever he remembered it, he would say to himself: When will it happen? He did not have to wait this way for very long.

One day, upon returning from a journey, he heard that Muhammad ibn Abdullah had received prophethood. He was calling people to believe in the One God, encouraging them to uphold justice and excellence, and instructing them to refrain from wrongdoing and obscenity. Suhaib asked people, “Is this the same person who is called al-Amin?” They replied, “Yes.” He asked where he lived. He was told, “He is staying at the house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam, near Mount Safa. But be careful that none of the Quraysh sees you with him. If they see you with Muhammad, they will treat you just as they have treated us. You are a foreigner, and there is no one here to protect you. Your tribe and clan are not here either.”

Suhaib proceeded very cautiously toward Dar al-Arqam. When he reached the door of al-Arqam’s house, he saw Ammar ibn Yasir standing there. They already knew each other. After hesitating for a moment, he approached him and asked, “Ammar, are you here?”

Ammar asked in return, “Rather, you tell me—why have you come?” Suhaib replied, “I want to meet this man and hear some of what he says.”

Ammar said, “That is my purpose as well.” Suhaib said, “Then let us enter in the name of Allah.”

The two of them reached the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) together and listened to him. Their hearts became illuminated by the light of faith. Together they extended their hands toward the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and recited the declaration of faith. That day they remained in the company of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), listening to his counsel-filled words. When the commotion of the people ceased deep into the night, they quietly left the Messenger of Allah’s (PBUH) presence in the darkness and set off for their respective lodgings. More than thirty Companions had accepted Islam before Suhaib. Most of them had concealed their conversion out of fear of the Quraysh. Although Suhaib was a foreigner and had no relatives or friends in Makkah, he did not conceal his conversion. He openly declared that he had accepted Islam. Like Bilal, Ammar, Sumayyah, Khabbab and others, he too became a victim of the Quraysh’s brutal persecution. He continued to endure every torment with great patience. He knew that the road to Paradise was not strewn with flowers.

When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) resolved to migrate, Suhaib learned of it. He firmly believed that he would be the third of the “three”—that is, the Messenger (PBUH), Abu Bakr and Suhaib. But this did not happen because of the Quraysh’s vigilant guards. The Quraysh kept watch over him so that he could not leave Makkah with his considerable wealth.

After the Messenger of Allah’s migration, Suhaib waited for an opportunity. The Quraysh, however, did not let him out of their sight. At last, he resorted to a stratagem.

On an intensely cold night, he began repeatedly going outside the house to relieve himself. No sooner had he returned once than he went out again. The Quraysh guards said among themselves that Lat and Uzza had upset his stomach. They felt somewhat reassured, returned to the house, and went to bed. Taking advantage of this, Suhaib left the house and set out toward Madinah.

Suhaib had barely gone a short distance from Makkah when the guards discovered what had happened. They quickly mounted swift horses and pursued him. Sensing their approach, Suhaib climbed a high hill, took out his bow and arrows, and addressed them: “O Quraysh! You know that I am the best archer and marksman among you. By Allah, you will not reach me until I have killed each of you with every arrow I possess. And then I still have my sword.” One of the Quraysh said, “By Allah, we will not allow you to save your life and take your wealth with you. You came to Makkah empty-handed. It was only after arriving here that you acquired all this wealth.”

Suhaib said, “If I hand over my wealth to you, will you leave me alone?” They replied, “Yes.”

Suhaib took them with him to his house in Makkah and handed over his wealth to them. The Quraysh then let him proceed. Thus Suhaib abandoned everything for the sake of the faith and came to Madinah. He did not grieve in the least over the hard-earned wealth he had left behind. Whenever he became tired on the journey, remembering that he would meet the Messenger (PBUH) dispelled all his weariness, and he resumed his journey. In this way he reached Quba. The Messenger (PBUH) was then staying at the house of Kulthum ibn al-Hidam in Quba. Seeing him arrive, the Messenger (PBUH) exclaimed joyfully, “Abu Yahya, your transaction has proved profitable!” He said this three times. Suhaib’s face shone with happiness. He exclaimed, “By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, no one reached you before me. Surely Gabriel has informed you of this.” Indeed, the transaction had proved profitable. In confirmation, Gabriel arrived with revelation: “And among the people is he who sells himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is Most Kind to His servants.”

In Madinah, Suhaib became the guest of Sa’d ibn Khuthaymah, and a bond of brotherhood was established between him and al-Harith ibn al-Simmah al-Ansari.

Suhaib was a skilled archer. He accompanied the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in every battle, including Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. In his old age, he would recount the stories of these battles and campaigns to gatherings of people in an engaging manner.

Regarding his companionship with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), he himself would say: “I was present in every scene and every circumstance of the Messenger of Allah’s (PBUH) life. Whenever he accepted a pledge, I was present. I took part in his smaller expeditions. In every battle he fought, from beginning to end, I fought at his right or left. Whenever and wherever the Muslims became afraid of an enemy from behind or in front, I was always with them. We never allowed the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) to stand between us and the enemy. In this way, the Messenger (PBUH) went to the presence of his Lord.” (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul, p. 130)

Umar (RA) held Suhaib in very high regard and loved him deeply. Before his death, he left instructions that Suhaib should lead his funeral prayer. Until the members of the shura announced the name of the new caliph, Suhaib was to continue carrying out the responsibilities of the caliphate. After Umar’s (RA) death, he performed this duty with great competence for three days.

He died in Madinah in 38 AH at the age of seventy-two. He was buried in Madinah’s Baqi cemetery.

Suhaib (RA) had the opportunity to spend a great part of his life in the company of the Pure Messenger. He would say: “I was blessed to enjoy the companionship of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) even before revelation was sent down.” For this reason, all virtuous qualities were gathered in him. Along with good character and self-respect, his presence of mind, humor and other qualities further enhanced the charm of his character.

He was hospitable and generous, and open-handed toward the poor and needy. At times, people thought he was extremely extravagant. Once Umar (RA) said to him, “I do not approve of certain things about you. First, your kunya is Abu Yahya. There was a prophet by this name, yet you have no child by that name. Second, you are very extravagant. Third, you claim to be an Arab.” He replied, “I did not choose this kunya myself; it was chosen by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). As for extravagance, the basis of my conduct is the Messenger of Allah’s (PBUH) saying: ‘Those who feed people and return greetings are the best among you.’ As for the third accusation, the answer is that I truly am an Arab. In childhood, the Romans carried me away, separated me from my tribe and turned me into a slave. For this reason, I forgot my tribe and clan.”

Suhaib had a medium build—not tall and not short. His face was radiant and his hair thick. In old age, he used henna to dye his hair. He had some stiffness and stammering in his tongue. Once, he was calling his servant Yuhnas, but it sounded as though he was saying “nas.” Nas means people. Hearing the call, Umar exclaimed, “Why is the man calling people in this way, saying ‘nas’?” Umm Salamah (RA) said, “By ‘nas’ he is not referring to people; he is calling his servant Yuhnas. Because of the stiffness of his tongue, he cannot pronounce the name properly.”

Ammar ibn Yasir (RA)

His name was Ammar, and his kunya was Abu al-Yaqzan. His father was Yasir and his mother was Sumayyah. His father was descended from Qahtan, and his original home was Yemen. One of his brothers went missing. In search of him, Yasir reached Makkah with his other two brothers, Harith and Malik. Although the other two brothers returned to Yemen, Yasir remained alone in Makkah. After entering into an alliance with the Banu Makhzum of Makkah, he married a slave woman named Sumayyah, belonging to Abu Hudhayfah al-Makhzumi. Ammar was born from this Sumayyah. Abu Hudhayfah set Ammar free while he was still a child, and the two maintained a father-and-son relationship for the rest of their lives.

Ammar and Suhaib ibn Sinan accepted Islam at the same time. Ammar said: “I saw Suhaib standing at the door of al-Arqam’s house and asked him, ‘What is your purpose?’ He replied, ‘You tell me your purpose first.’ I said, ‘I want to meet Muhammad and hear some of what he says.’ He said, ‘That is my purpose as well.’ Then the two of us accepted Islam together.” Yasir, Ammar’s father, also accepted Islam either with Ammar or shortly before or after him.

After accepting Islam, Ammar found that, besides Abu Bakr, five men and two women had accepted Islam before him. This means only that these few had publicly declared their conversion at that time. Otherwise, according to authentic reports, more than thirty Companions had accepted Islam before Ammar. Most of them, however, concealed their conversion out of fear of the unbelievers.

Makkah was not Ammar’s birthplace. He had no family there, strictly speaking. Nor did he possess worldly nobility or power. Moreover, his mother, Sumayyah, had not yet been freed from slavery to the Banu Makhzum. In such circumstances, he accepted Islam and, driven by the fervor of faith, could not keep it secret even for a day. He made it known to everyone. Finding him vulnerable, the polytheists of Makkah began inflicting various forms of torture on him and his family. In the intense midday heat, he would be laid flat on burning stones, and his body would be scorched with red-hot iron. Yet all the persecution and torture of the polytheists was defeated by Ammar’s strength of faith.

Ammar’s mother, Sumayyah, was brutally martyred by the wicked Abu Jahl with his spear. Sumayyah (RA) was the first martyr in the history of Islam. Ammar’s father, Yasir, and his brother, Abdullah, also attained martyrdom after suffering persecution at the hands of the polytheists. One day, the polytheists laid Ammar on burning embers. At that moment, the Messenger (PBUH) arrived. Placing a blessed hand on Ammar’s head with a troubled heart, he said, “O fire, become cool for Ammar as you became for Ibrahim.” Whenever the Messenger (PBUH) passed by the house of Ammar’s family and saw them being tortured, he would console them. One day he said, “O members of Ammar’s family, glad tidings for you. Paradise awaits you.” Once Ammar complained to the Messenger of Allah about this unbearable oppression and persecution. The Messenger (PBUH) said, “Be patient, be patient.” Then he supplicated, “O Allah, forgive the people of the family of Yasir.”

One day, the polytheists held him under water for so long that he lost consciousness. In that state, the enemies forced him to make whatever statements they wanted through his own mouth. When he regained consciousness, he became tormented by remorse. Weeping, he came to the presence of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). The Messenger (PBUH) asked, “Ammar, what has happened?” Ammar replied, “Today I was not released until I said something bad about you and something good about their deities.” The Messenger (PBUH) asked, “What does your heart say?” “My heart is full of faith.” The beloved Prophet (PBUH) gently wiped the tears from his eyes and said, “There is no harm. If you face such a situation again, do the same again.” Then he recited the following verse from Surah al-Nahl: “Whoever disbelieves after believing—except those who are compelled while their hearts remain firm in faith—there is no blame upon them.” (al-Nahl 16:14)

Once Sa’id ibn Jubayr (RA) asked Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA), “Did the Quraysh persecute the Muslims so severely that they were forced to abandon their faith?” He replied, “By Allah, yes. The Quraysh would beat them and deprive them of food. They would become so weak that they could scarcely stand or sit. In that condition, the Quraysh would force them to make statements against what was in their hearts. Ammar was one of those persecuted Muslims.”

There is disagreement among scholars of the Prophetic biography as to whether Ammar migrated to Abyssinia. Some have said that he accompanied the second caravan bound for Abyssinia. When the command to migrate to Madinah came, he migrated there and became the guest of al-Mubashshir ibn al-Mundhir. The Messenger (PBUH) established a bond of brotherhood between him and Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman al-Ansari, and granted him a plot of land for permanent residence.

Six or seven months after the migration, the foundations of the mosque in Madinah were laid. The Messenger (PBUH) himself took part in building the mosque. Ammar also participated actively in its construction. He carried bricks on his head and recited these lines: “Nahnu al-Muslimun nabni al-masajid—we are Muslims; we build mosques.” Abu Sa’id said, “We were carrying one brick at a time, while Ammar carried two.” Once Ammar passed by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). The Messenger lovingly brushed the dust from his head and said, “Alas, Ammar! A rebellious group will kill you. You will call them toward Allah, while they will call you toward Hell.” Once someone placed such a heavy load on his head that the people cried out, “Ammar will die, Ammar will die!” The Messenger (PBUH) came forward, removed the bricks from Ammar’s head and threw them away.

Ammar took part in every battle fought from Badr to Tabuk. He also proved himself a courageous warrior in most of the bloody conflicts fought during the time of Abu Bakr (RA). Abdullah ibn Umar said, “In the Battle of Yamamah, one of Ammar’s ears was severed from his body and fell to the ground, still twitching. Despite this, he continued launching attack after attack recklessly. Wherever he went, the ranks of the unbelievers were torn apart. Once the Muslim army was on the verge of scattering. Standing beside a rock in the middle of a vast field, Ammar began shouting: ‘O Muslim fighters! Are you fleeing from Paradise? I am Ammar ibn Yasir. Come, come to me!’ This call worked like magic among the Muslim army. They stood their ground again and snatched victory.”

In 20 AH, the second caliph, Umar (RA), appointed him governor of Kufa. He carried out this responsibility with great competence for one year and nine months. During this period, the people of Basra asked the caliph to place some newly conquered territories under Basra. Some leaders of Kufa requested their amir, Ammar, to persuade the caliph to assign those territories to Kufa. Ammar, however, did not wish to become involved in this dispute. The leaders of Kufa became angry. One of them even insulted him by calling him “one-eared.” In reply, he expressed his sadness and said, “Alas, you have insulted my dearest and best ear—the ear that was cut off in the path of Allah.”

Because of this matter, some leaders of Kufa accused him of being incompetent in administration. The caliph dismissed him. The day after his dismissal, the caliph summoned him and asked him to tell the truth. He replied, “I was not happy when I was appointed previously, nor am I displeased now that I have been dismissed.”

During the caliphate of the third caliph, Uthman (RA), when unrest and discontent were raging everywhere, the caliph formed an investigative commission in 35 AH to determine their causes. Ammar was one of the members of this commission. He was assigned to investigate Egypt, the main center of the unrest. He went to Egypt.

The other members of the commission returned very quickly and submitted reports on their respective areas. Ammar, however, took much longer than expected to return. Meanwhile, various rumors and notions about him spread in Madinah, the seat of the caliphate. When he returned from Egypt, he appeared to have been influenced by those creating rebellion and disorder. At public meetings and gatherings, he began sharply criticizing Uthman’s administration and the various actions of the provincial governors. As a result, disputes arose with the caliph’s supporters. Once, Uthman’s servants beat him so severely that his entire body became swollen. One of his ribs was badly injured. The Banu Makhzum had an alliance with him dating from the Age of Ignorance. They went to the caliph’s court and threatened that if Ammar did not survive these injuries, they would certainly take revenge. (Al-Isti‘ab) Incidents of this kind continued to increase. When the troublemakers advanced upon Madinah, Uthman (RA) sent Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas to Ammar, asking him to use his influence to send them back. Ammar refused. (Tabari)

Uthman (RA) was martyred, and the responsibility of the caliphate fell upon Ali. Aishah, Talhah, Zubayr and others set out toward Basra, demanding revenge for Uthman’s blood. To win the people of Kufa to his side, Ali sent Ammar to Kufa with Imam Hasan. When Ammar reached Kufa, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (RA) was delivering a speech to a public gathering in Kufa’s congregational mosque. Hasan first, and then Ammar, had him brought down from the pulpit and delivered speeches, succeeding in securing the people of Kufa’s support for Ali (RA). The next morning, an army of approximately nine thousand five hundred soldiers gathered beside Ammar to fight on Ali’s side.

In 36 AH, during the month of Jumada al-Akhirah, the forces of Ali and Aishah faced each other at a place called Ziqār near Basra. Ammar joined the battle with the army of Kufa. At the very beginning of the battle, when Zubayr saw that Ammar was fighting on Ali’s side, he remembered the Messenger of Allah’s saying: “The truth is with Ammar; a rebellious group will kill him.” He realized his mistake and withdrew from the battle. Ammar was firmly convinced that he was on the side of truth in this war. He therefore fought with great courage and was victorious. This battle is known in history as the Battle of the Camel.

After the Battle of the Camel, the Battle of Siffin took place between Ali and Muawiyah. Ammar again joined the battle on Ali’s side. He was then ninety-one years old, or, according to another opinion, ninety-three. Even at this advanced age, the inspiration of jihad did not allow him to remain at home. He had become certain that the truth was on Ali’s (RA) side. Thus, even at this age, he fought with heroic valor like a lion. Wherever he attacked, the opposing ranks scattered. Once, he noticed Amr ibn al-As, the standard-bearer of the opposing army. He said, “I fought this standard-bearer three times alongside the Messenger of Allah. This is my fourth battle with him. By Allah, even if he defeats me and drives me as far as a place called Hajar, I will still believe that we are upon the truth and they are upon falsehood.” (Tabaqat 1/185)

To urge the people to join Ali’s (RA) side in the Battle of Siffin, he would say: “O people, set out with me to fight those who claim that they are avenging Uthman’s blood. By Allah, avenging his blood is not their purpose. Rather, they are enjoying the pleasures of this world and want to enjoy even more of them. …… They have made no contribution in the early period of Islam on the basis of which they can claim the obedience of the Muslim ummah. They have no right to lead the Muslim ummah. Their hearts contain none of the fear of Allah that would enable them to follow the truth. They are deceiving people by speaking of avenging Uthman’s blood. Their only aim is to become tyrannical kings.” (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul/216)

The Battle of Siffin was then underway. One evening, Ammar drank a few sips of milk and said, ‘The Messenger (SA) told me that milk would be my last food. Then—today I shall meet my friends; today I shall meet Muhammad (SA) and his Companions.’ Saying this, he joined the ranks of the soldiers. Then he launched a fierce attack on the enemy camp. The Prophet’s (SA) prophecy concerning Ammar, and his great excellence and status, were known to them. However, many among them were recent converts who knew little about Ammar. One of them, Ibn al-Ghabiyah, shot an arrow that first brought Ammar to the ground. Then another Syrian man severed his head from his body with a sword.

After Ammar was martyred, both killers began quarrelling, each claiming sole credit for the deed. While arguing, they came before Muawiyah (RA). Amr ibn al-As happened to be present there as well. Seeing the matter, he said, ‘By Allah, these two are quarrelling over Hell.’ Amir Muawiyah felt somewhat offended and said, ‘Amr, what are you saying? Are you saying this about those who are giving their lives for us?’ Amr replied, ‘By Allah, it is true. How much better it would have been if I had died twenty years ago.’

After the martyrdom of Ammar (RA), Amr ibn al-As became extremely disturbed. He prepared to withdraw from the conflict. But Muawiyah consoled him, saying that we were not Ammar’s killers; rather, those who had brought him out of his home and brought him to this battlefield were, in reality, his killers. (Tabaqat)

The martyrdom of Ammar settled the question of truth and falsehood. Khuzaymah ibn Thabit (RA) had taken part in the Battles of the Camel and Siffin, but he had not drawn his sword for either side. After Ammar’s martyrdom, he understood that he should support Ali. He now drew his sword, charged Muawiyah’s (RA) forces, and was martyred. Thus, those Companions who had been wavering amid doubts and hesitation also cast aside all hesitation and supported Ali (RA).

When Ali (RA) heard of the martyrdom of his beloved companion Ammar (RA), he sadly exclaimed, “May Allah have mercy on him on the day Ammar accepted Islam, may Allah have mercy on him on the day he was martyred, and may Allah have mercy on him on the day he is resurrected. I saw him with the Messenger of Allah at a time when only four or five Companions had been blessed to declare their faith. None of the Companions of the earliest period can doubt his forgiveness. Ammar and truth were inseparably bound together. His killer is certainly destined for Hell.”

Ali (RA) then ordered that Ammar be shrouded and buried. Ali led the funeral prayer and ordered that Ammar be buried in the bloodstained clothes he was wearing. This occurred in 87 AH. Ammar was the first Companion of the Messenger of Allah (SA) to be buried in the soil of Kufa.

Ammar (RA) was extremely God-fearing. Because of his taqwa and fear of Allah, he always remained quiet and spoke very little. He constantly sought Allah’s refuge from tribulation and discord. Yet Allah tested him through the greatest tribulation and made him a successful supporter of the truth.

He was the very embodiment of humility and gentleness. The earth was his comfortable bed. Even while serving as governor, he lived an extremely simple life. He did his own shopping in the markets and carried everything on his own back. He performed all tasks with his own hands. Ibn Abi al-Hujayl, a contemporary of Ammar, said, ‘I saw Ammar, the governor of Kufa, buy some cucumbers in Kufa. He then tied them together with a rope, hoisted them onto his back, and set off home.’ (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul—211)

The fundamental motivation behind every act of Ammar (RA) was Allah’s pleasure. On the way to the Battle of Siffin, he repeatedly said, “O Allah, if I knew that You would be pleased if I gave my life by jumping from a mountain, leaping into a fire, or drowning in water, I would please You in that way. I am going to battle. My sole purpose is Your pleasure. I hope You will not allow this purpose of mine to fail.” (Tabaqat) Concerning his noble character and firm faith, the Messenger (SA) himself said, ‘Faith has become completely intermingled with Ammar’s veins and arteries.’ The Messenger (SA) would take pride in Ammar’s faith before the other Companions. Once, a misunderstanding arose between the renowned commander Khalid ibn al-Walid and Ammar over some matter. When the matter was brought to the attention of the Messenger of Allah, he said, ‘Allah will be hostile to whoever is hostile to Ammar, and Allah will envy whoever envies Ammar.’ Another hadith says: ‘After me, follow Abu Bakr and Umar. Take guidance from Ammar’s path and way.’

Ammar (RA) found special delight in worshipping Allah. He spent the entire night remembering Allah and never allowed a prayer to lapse under any circumstances. Once, while travelling, he needed to perform ghusl. Despite making every effort, he could not find water. He remembered that earth could replace water. Instead of bathing, he covered his entire body with dust and performed the prayer. On returning from the journey, he related the matter to the Messenger of Allah (SA), who said, ‘In such a situation, tayammum alone is sufficient.’

The renowned Companion Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (RA) was called ‘Sirru Rasulillah’—the possessor of all the Messenger of Allah’s (SA) secret knowledge. When he was at the threshold between life and death, he was asked, ‘When the people become divided, with whom do you instruct us to remain?’ He replied, ‘Remain with Ibn Sumayyah. He will never deviate from the truth as long as he lives.’ These were the final words of the great Companion Hudhayfah. (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul—212)

He narrated a number of hadiths from the Messenger (SA). Many Tabi‘un, along with Companions such as Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari, Abdullah ibn Abbas, and Abdullah ibn Ja‘far, narrated hadiths from him.

Uthman ibn Maz‘un (RA)

His name was Uthman and his kunya was Abu Sa’ib. His father was Maz‘un and his mother was Sukhaillah bint Unays. Even in the Age of Ignorance, he possessed an exceptionally pure and virtuous nature. A large number of people of that age were accustomed to drinking wine, but he never touched it even once. He would say to those who drank wine, ‘What benefit is there in drinking something that causes a person to lose his reason, become a laughingstock for the lowest people, and lose all distinction between mother and sister while intoxicated?’

His heart too was exceptionally pure. The invitation of the Messenger of Allah (SA) affected him very quickly. According to the authors of the seerah, only thirteen people accepted Islam before him. He was the fourteenth Muslim. A narration from Ibn Sa‘d states that, even before the Messenger of Allah (SA) took refuge in the house of al-Arqam, Uthman ibn Maz‘un, Ubaydah ibn al-Harith, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Abu Salamah Abd al-Asad, and Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah accepted Islam together. He was the first Muhajir to die a natural death in Madinah and the first Muslim buried in the Baqi cemetery of Madinah.

In the fifth year of prophethood, a group of the earliest Muslims migrated to Abyssinia with the permission of the Messenger of Allah (SA). Uthman ibn Maz‘un was the leader of this group of emigrants. His son Sa’ib was also with them. After staying in Abyssinia for some time, they received news that the entire Quraysh clan of Makkah had accepted Islam. He set out joyfully for Makkah. When he neared Makkah and realized that the news was unfounded, he became extremely distressed. Returning to such a distant land was difficult, yet entering Makkah was unsafe. Gradually, all his companions returned to Makkah with the assistance of their respective polytheist relatives, and he too entered Makkah under the protection of Walid ibn al-Mughirah. Through Walid ibn al-Mughirah’s influence, Uthman ibn Maz‘un was spared physical persecution, but he could not feel happy seeing the oppression inflicted on the Messenger (SA) and the other Companions. One day he reproached himself, saying, ‘Alas! My relatives, friends, and tribesmen are enduring various kinds of oppression while I am living comfortably with the help of a polytheist. By Allah, this is a grave weakness in my own being.’

This thought left him deeply troubled. He began to be tormented by a sense of guilt. He went to Walid and said, ‘O Abu Abdi Shams, you are fulfilling your responsibility properly. I have lived under your protection all this time, but now I consider it better to remain under the protection of Allah and His Messenger. The example of Allah’s Messenger and his Companions is sufficient for me.’ Walid said, ‘Perhaps someone has harmed you.’ He replied, ‘No. The truth is that I now need no one’s help besides Allah’s. Come with me to the Ka‘bah now and, just as you announced that you were granting me protection, announce that you are withdrawing it.’ At his insistence, Walid announced a public assembly in the precinct of the Ka‘bah. Uthman then stood and affirmed Walid’s words, saying, ‘Friends, I have found Walid true to his promise and compassionate. Since we now prefer no one’s assistance except Allah’s and His Messenger’s, I myself have removed the burden of Walid’s favor and kindness from my shoulders.’

After this announcement, Uthman ibn Maz‘un went with Labid ibn Rabi‘ah to an assembly of the Quraysh. Labid was a famous poet of Arabia at that time. As soon as he arrived, the poetry gathering began. Labid started reciting his qasidah. When he reached the line, ‘Ala kullu shay’in ma khalallaha batilun’—‘Indeed, everything besides Allah is false’—Uthman suddenly exclaimed, ‘You have spoken the truth.’ But when Labid recited the second line, ‘Wa kullu na‘imin la mahala ta’ilun’—‘And every blessing will certainly perish’—Uthman objected, saying, ‘You have lied.’ Everyone present in the assembly glared at him angrily. They asked Labid to recite the verse again. Labid recited it once more, and Uthman again declared the first line true and the second false, saying, ‘You have lied. The blessings and delights of Paradise will never perish.’ Hearing this, Labid became somewhat angry and said, ‘People of Quraysh, your assembly has never been in such a state before.’ This provocative remark caused the entire gathering to erupt in anger. Meanwhile, a wretched man approached Uthman and struck him forcefully in the face. The blow caused blood to collect in one of his eyes, turning it black. The people said, ‘Uthman, you were living quite well under Walid’s protection, and your eye too was safe from such harm.’ He replied, ‘Allah’s protection is the safest and most honorable. My eye that is still sound is also eager to share the suffering of its companion.’ Walid asked, ‘Do you wish to return to my protection?’ He replied, ‘Allah’s protection is sufficient now.’ His feelings at that time are wonderfully expressed in a qasidah he composed himself. Ali also beautifully presented this incident concerning Uthman in one of his poems. (See Hayatus Sahabah, vol. 1)

Thus, for a long time, Uthman patiently endured the various forms of persecution and oppression in Makkah. Then the Messenger of Allah (SA) permitted all the Companions to migrate to Madinah. Uthman ibn Maz‘un migrated from Makkah to Madinah with his two brothers, Qudamah ibn Maz‘un and Abdullah ibn Maz‘un, his son Sa’ib ibn Uthman, and all the other members of his family. Uthman did not leave a single member of his clan in Makkah. Upon reaching Madinah, he became the guest of Abdullah ibn Salamah al-Ajlani (RA).

Upon reaching Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (SA) granted Uthman and his brothers a spacious tract of land for permanent residence and established a bond of brotherhood between him and Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan.

The first clash between truth and falsehood took place on the field of Badr. He took part in this battle. Immediately after returning from the battle, he fell ill. Despite receiving extensive care from his Ansari brother and his wife and family,

they could not save him from death. Thirty months after the Hijrah, Uthman ibn Maz‘un passed away in Madinah.

Umm al-Ala al-Ansariyyah, in whose house Uthman died, said: After he was bathed and shrouded and the funeral bier had been prepared, the Messenger (SA) came. I began saying, ‘Abu Sa’ib, may Allah’s mercy descend upon you. I testify that Allah will honor you.’ The Messenger (SA) asked, ‘How do you know that Allah will honor him?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, if not him, then whom will He honor?’ The Messenger (SA) said, ‘Uthman possessed firm faith. I hope that good will come to him. But by Allah, even though I am Allah’s Messenger, I do not know what my own end will be.’

The Messenger (SA) was deeply grieved by the death of Uthman ibn Maz‘un. He bent down and kissed his forehead three times. The Messenger of Allah’s (SA) tears soaked both of Uthman’s cheeks. Then he raised his head and, in a tearful voice, said, ‘Abu Sa’ib, I am parting from you. May Allah have mercy on you! You left this world in such a way that you took nothing from it, and the world could take nothing from you.’

Even after Uthman’s (RA) death, the Messenger (SA) did not forget him. When the Messenger of Allah’s (SA) daughter Ruqayyah died, he addressed his daughter, saying, ‘Go and join our finest predecessor, Uthman ibn Maz‘un.’

When Uthman ibn Maz‘un died, there was no designated cemetery for Muslims in Madinah. After Uthman’s death, the Messenger (SA) selected a place called Baqi in Madinah as a cemetery. He was the first of the Messenger of Allah’s (SA) Companions to be buried there. The Messenger (SA) himself led the funeral prayer and stood beside the grave to supervise the burial. Then he planted something on the grave as a marker and said, ‘When someone dies now, he will be buried nearby.’

Uthman’s character was of an exceptionally high standard. Even in the Age of Ignorance, he detested wine. Modesty was one of his natural qualities.

He had a deep inclination toward asceticism. Once he wished to destroy his carnal desires and become a desert-dwelling monk, renouncing worldly life. But when the Messenger (SA) learned of this, he prevented him from pursuing the aim. He said, ‘Am I not the best example for you? I have relations with my wife, eat meat, fast, and also break my fast. Castration is the castration of my ummah. Therefore, whoever castrates himself or is castrated does not belong to my ummah.’

Worship and spending the night in prayer were his favorite activities. He would pray throughout the night and fast on most days of the year. He had designated one room in his house for worship. He would observe i‘tikaf there day and night. One day, the Messenger (SA), holding the threshold of this room, said two or three times, ‘Uthman, Allah did not send me for asceticism. Among all religions, Allah loves the straightforward, orthodox religion most.’

His intense eagerness for worship made him neglectful toward his wife and children. One day his wife came to the Prophet’s household. Seeing her unkempt clothing and appearance, one of the Prophet’s (SA) wives asked her:

‘Why are you in this condition? Your husband is one of the wealthy men among the Quraysh.’ She replied, ‘What connection do I have with him? He prays all night and fasts during the day.’ The Mothers of the Believers brought the matter to the attention of the Messenger of Allah (SA). The Messenger (SA) immediately hurried to the house of Uthman ibn Maz‘un and called him, saying, ‘Uthman, is my own life not an example for you?’ Uthman replied, ‘May my parents be sacrificed for you.’ The Messenger (SA) said, ‘You spend the whole night in worship and fast on most days.’ He replied, ‘Yes, I do that.’ He was told, ‘Do not do so. Your eyes, your body, and your family have rights over you. Pray, rest, fast, and break your fast.’ After this guidance, his wife came to the Prophet’s household one day. This time she appeared adorned like a newlywed bride, and fragrance spread from her body.

After Khadijah (RA) passed away, the wife of Uthman ibn Maz‘un, Khawlah bint Hakim, presented the marriage proposals concerning Aishah and Sawdah to the Messenger of Allah (SA). It was chiefly through her mediation that these two marriages of the Messenger of Allah (SA) took place. (Hayatus Sahabah—2/653)

Abdullah ibn Umar (RA)

His name was Abdullah and his kunya was Abu Abd al-Rahman. His father was Umar ibn al-Khattab and his mother was Zaynab. According to the soundest account, he was fourteen years old at the time of the Battle of Uhud in the third year AH. Accordingly, he was born in the second year of prophethood. When Umar accepted Islam in the sixth year of prophethood, Abdullah was approximately five years old.

From the time he became capable of understanding, Abdullah saw his home illuminated by the light of Islam. He grew up in an Islamic environment. According to some reports, he accepted Islam before his father. However, the correct view is that he was young when his father accepted Islam. As a minor child, he followed his father’s religion.

Umar (RA), distressed by the persecution of the disbelievers, migrated from Makkah to Madinah with his family. Abdullah also went to Madinah with his father. After the Hijrah, the first clash between truth and falsehood occurred on the field of Badr. Ibn Umar was then a thirteen-year-old boy. He requested to join the jihad, but the Messenger of Allah (SA) rejected his request because he had not reached the age for jihad. One year later, the Battle of Uhud came. This time he presented himself, but for the same reason he again failed to obtain the Messenger of Allah’s (SA) permission. Two years later, in the fifth year AH, the Battle of the Trench took place. Abdullah was fifteen. This was the first time he received the Messenger of Allah’s permission to go to jihad.

During the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah in the sixth year AH, he accompanied the Messenger of Allah (SA) and attained the blessing of participating in the Pledge of Ridwan. By coincidence, he attained this honor before his father, Umar (RA). On that day, Umar had sent him to bring a horse from an Ansari. As he set out, he heard that the Messenger of Allah (SA) was taking the pledge from the Companions. He ran over and was the first to pledge allegiance at the Messenger of Allah’s (SA) hand.

He also took part in the expedition of Khaybar. He was one of the narrators of the rulings concerning the lawful and unlawful matters that the Messenger (SA) announced during this journey. (Bukhari)

At the time of the conquest of Makkah, Ibn Umar was a twenty-year-old youth. He took part in the expedition alongside the other mujahideen. His weapons were a swift horse and a heavy spear. He wore a single cloak. One day at that time, he was cutting grass for his horse with his own hands when the Messenger (SA) saw him and called out, ‘Abdullah, Abdullah.’ After the conquest of Makkah, he entered the Ka‘bah behind the Messenger of Allah. He said, ‘Usamah ibn Zayd, Uthman ibn Talhah, and Bilal ibn Rabah entered first with the Messenger of Allah (SA). Then I was the first to enter the interior of the Ka‘bah.’

After the conquest of Makkah, he also took part in the expedition of Hunayn and the siege of Ta’if. Along with countless Muslims, Ibn Umar accompanied the Messenger of Allah (SA) on his Farewell Hajj and performed the Hajj.

The expedition of Tabuk was conducted in the ninth year AH. The Messenger (SA) set out for Tabuk with thirty thousand mujahideen. Ibn Umar was one of the members of this army. In short, from the Battle of the Trench until the final day of the Messenger of Allah’s (SA) life, he took part in all the important expeditions and events.

During the period of the first Caliph, Ibn Umar is not seen to have been involved in any notable activity. Alternatively, even if he was involved, little about it is found in history.

However, during the era of the second Caliph, history records his presence as an ordinary soldier in several expeditions. He took part in the Battle of Nahawand and fell ill. He took part in the expeditions to Syria and Egypt and fell ill. History records his participation in the expeditions to Syria and Egypt. However, no notable contribution by him in these expeditions is known. During this period, he also appears absent from the state’s administrative activities. The reason was probably that Caliph Umar (RA) did not like his close relatives to become involved in any special work of the caliphate. Nevertheless, whenever any question arose concerning the benefit or harm of the Muslim ummah, he willingly accepted all his father’s sternness. As an example, when Caliph Umar (RA) was approaching death, Ibn Umar heard from his sister, the Mother of the Believers Hafsah (RA), that Umar (RA) did not wish to appoint anyone as his successor. Ibn Umar thought about the future problems of the ummah in his father’s absence. Trembling with fear, he appeared before his father and courageously said, ‘I hear various things from the people and have come to inform you of them. They think that you do not wish to appoint anyone as your successor.’ He continued, ‘Suppose a shepherd tends your camels and goats. If he leaves the herd in the field and comes to you, what would his outcome be? Caring for people is an even more difficult task.’ These reasoned words pleased Caliph Umar. After thinking for a while, he said, ‘Allah Himself is the guardian of His flock.’ In the end, he entrusted the responsibility of selecting the next Caliph to a group of senior Companions.

After his father’s death, Ibn Umar is first seen at the council convened to select the Caliph. Umar had instructed that, regarding the selection of the next Caliph, Abdullah should serve only as an adviser. He must not be made Caliph.

During Caliph Uthman’s reign, he had the opportunity to participate in administrative affairs. However, he never sought any unlawful benefit. Caliph Uthman (RA) offered him the position of judge. He declined, saying, “I neither judge between two people nor lead two people in prayer. For the Messenger (SA) said, ‘Judges are of three types: first, the ignorant; their abode is Hell. Second, the worldly scholar; he too is destined for Hell. Third, those who exercise ijtihad and reach the correct decision; for them there is neither punishment nor reward.’” The Caliph said, “Your father also used to adjudicate.” He replied, “That is true. But whenever he faced a problem, he went to the Messenger of Allah (SA). When the Messenger (SA) was unable to reach a decision, he sought the help of Jibril. But to whom can I turn now? For Allah’s sake, relieve me of this duty.” The Caliph released him, but took a pledge from him that he would not disclose this matter to anyone else. The Caliph knew that if people learned that Ibn Umar had refused the office of judge, no other upright person would be found for the position. Everyone would follow Ibn Umar’s example.

Although he stayed away from the administrative responsibilities of the caliphate, he never stayed away from jihad in the path of Allah. Whenever the call to jihad came, he responded. In 27 AH, he took part in the campaign to Africa (Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco). In 30 AH, he joined Sa‘id ibn al-‘As in the campaigns to Khurasan and Tabaristan. But after internal turmoil and fitnah and discord began, he withdrew into complete seclusion. He took no further part in any affairs of the caliphate. After the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (RA), people urged him to accept the caliphate. He firmly refused. They threatened to kill him, but he was not disturbed in the least and remained steadfast in his decision.

There is disagreement regarding which of the two—Ali or Mu‘awiyah (RA)—whose caliphate he accepted. Ibn Hajar says, “Ibn Umar believed that one should not pledge allegiance to anyone until the people reached a consensus regarding him. From this perspective, he did not pledge allegiance to Ali (RA). However, according to a narration in al-Mustadrak, he pledged allegiance to Ali (RA) on the condition that he would not become involved with Ali in civil war. Ali approved this condition. Not a drop of Muslim blood was shed by his hand. Nevertheless, until the end of his life he felt intense remorse for not joining Ali’s side.”

After the Battle of Siffin, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari and ‘Amr ibn al-‘As were appointed arbiters by the two sides. Abu Musa proposed Abdullah ibn Umar as caliph to his opponent. But ‘Amr ibn al-‘As rejected the proposal. Ibn Umar, along with other Muslims, was present at Dumat al-Jandal to hear the decision of the two arbiters.

After the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali, he accepted Amir Mu‘awiyah’s caliphate. He participated in various campaigns during his reign, including the campaign to Constantinople.

After Amir Mu‘awiyah (RA), Yazid assumed responsibility for the caliphate. To escape the fitnah caused by division within the Muslim ummah, he pledged allegiance to him. He remarked, “If it is good, we will be happy; and if it is evil, we will remain patient.” Some time later, when the people of Madinah withdrew their allegiance to Yazid, he called his family members and said, “I have pledged allegiance to Yazid to obey Allah and His Messenger. None of you should break this pledge. If anyone does, the sword will decide between me and him.” In his view, annulling or withdrawing this pledge amounted to a kind of deception, for the Shariah prescribes a severe punishment for deception. He did not pledge allegiance to Yazid out of greed.

After Yazid’s death, his son Mu‘awiyah II became caliph. He administered the caliphate for only three months. After his death, Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (RA) declared himself caliph in Makkah. The people of Iraq, the Hijaz, and Yemen pledged allegiance to him. On the other hand, Marwan claimed the caliphate and secured the allegiance of the people of Syria. Although most regions of the Islamic caliphate at that time supported Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, Abdullah ibn Umar paid not the slightest attention to his claim. While the two opposing groups were fighting over the caliphate, someone told Ibn Umar that Allah had commanded jihad to prevent fitnah. He replied, “When there was fitnah, we waged jihad. The fitnah then was that the disbelievers would not allow Muslims to worship Allah. Today’s civil war is not jihad; it is a suicidal struggle for kingship.” However, when Hajjaj ibn Yusuf attacked Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr in Makkah and destroyed part of the Ka‘bah, he expressed intense displeasure and condemnation.

When allegiance was pledged to Abdul Malik as caliph, Ibn Umar also sent a written pledge. It read: “Upon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger, I and my son pledge to obey Amir al-Mu’minin Abdul Malik to the best of our ability.” Abdul Malik held Ibn Umar in great respect and followed him in observing the commands of the Shariah. During Hajj, he would issue instructions to follow Ibn Umar concerning the performance of the rites at the sacred corners.

He died in 74 AH at the age of eighty-three or eighty-four. During Hajj, the poisoned tip of a spear wielded by a man pierced his foot. The poison ultimately caused his death. It is generally believed that this did not happen merely by chance, but that Hajjaj had a hand in it. For Ibn Umar had severely rebuked Hajjaj for attacking Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr at the Ka‘bah. Hajjaj became enraged, and thereafter, at his instigation, a Syrian soldier wounded him in this manner. Ibn Hajar, however, said that Abdul Malik had instructed Hajjaj not to enter into conflict with Ibn Umar. This instruction was extremely distressing to Hajjaj, so he removed Ibn Umar from the world by this alternative means.

Ibn Sa‘d narrates that once, during a sermon, Hajjaj accused Ibn al-Zubayr of distorting the Word of Allah. Ibn Umar immediately protested, saying, “You have lied. Ibn al-Zubayr had no such power, nor do you have any grounds to make such an accusation.” Hajjaj could not easily tolerate such a forceful protest in a public gathering. Yet he did not dare behave discourteously toward Ibn Umar openly. Thus he resorted to such a secret conspiracy.

Another report states that one day Hajjaj delivered such a long sermon that the time for the Asr prayer became short. Ibn Umar, annoyed, exclaimed, “The sun cannot wait for you.” In any case, for various reasons the tyrant Hajjaj could not tolerate Ibn Umar, a soldier of truth. Thus he arranged to remove him from the world in this way.

When Ibn Umar was bedridden from the effects of the poison, Hajjaj went to visit him. After exchanging greetings, Hajjaj said, “If I could identify the culprit, I would cut off his neck.” Ibn Umar replied, “You did everything yourself, and then say that you would kill the culprit if you found him.” After hearing such an unwelcome truth to his face, Hajjaj fell silent.

Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar had a fervent desire to breathe his last in Madinah Munawwarah. When his condition began to deteriorate, he prayed, “O Allah, do not let me die in Makkah.” He instructed his son Salim, “If I die in Makkah, bury me somewhere outside the Haram of Makkah. I do not think it fitting to be buried in the land from which I migrated.” A few days after giving this instruction to his son Salim, he passed from this world.

After his death, people wanted to bury his body outside the Haram in accordance with his instructions. But Hajjaj prevented them. He himself led the funeral prayer and buried him in the cemetery known as Fakh.

The companionship of the Messenger of Allah (SA) in every circumstance—during travel and residence, at home and away from home—along with the education and training of Hazrat al-Faruq al-A‘zam and, above all, his own inquisitiveness, turned him into an ocean of Islamic knowledge. He possessed profound knowledge of the Qur’an, Hadith, fiqh, and other disciplines. In those days, Ibn Umar was one of the eminent scholars of Madinah who were described as the “Majma‘ al-Bahrayn,” the meeting point of the two seas of knowledge and practice.

He had a tremendous attraction to reciting the Holy Qur’an. He spent a substantial part of his life studying its surahs and verses. He spent fourteen years studying only Surah al-Baqarah. This gives some idea of how much effort and time he devoted to understanding the Qur’an. This exceptional attraction to the Qur’an created in him an unparalleled ability to interpret and explain it. His capacity to understand the Qur’an developed at the very beginning of his youth. For this reason, he was seen attending the Messenger of Allah’s (SA) gatherings alongside the senior Companions.

After the Qur’an comes Hadith. Ibn Umar was a first-rank preserver of Hadith. The number of hadiths he narrated was 1,630 (one thousand six hundred and thirty). Of these, 170 were agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim; 81 were narrated exclusively by al-Bukhari and 31 exclusively by Muslim. He had an intense desire to know every word and deed of the Messenger of Allah (SA). Whenever he was away from the Messenger’s company, he learned from those who had attended upon him what the Messenger (SA) had said and done during that time, and preserved it in his memory. If he learned of a new statement unknown to him, he would immediately go to the Messenger (SA), or to the first narrator, to verify its authenticity. This inquisitive mind turned Ibn Umar into a vast ocean of Hadith knowledge. Unless he remembered every letter of a saying issued from the Messenger’s lips, he would not narrate it. His contemporaries said, “Among the Companions, no one was more careful than Ibn Umar regarding additions or omissions in narrating the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (SA).”

A vast portion of the knowledge of Hadith was transmitted through Hazrat Ibn Umar. He lived for more than sixty years after the death of the Messenger of Allah (SA). Throughout this long period, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the study of religious knowledge. Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri said, “No matter concerning the Messenger of Allah (SA) and his Companions was unknown to Ibn Umar.” Fearing that this pursuit of knowledge might be interrupted, he still did not accept any government office. His permanent circle of study was in Madinah. During the Hajj season, he issued fatwas. He also visited people’s homes to teach them Hadith. It is related that one day he went to the house of Abdullah ibn Muti‘. Abdullah offered him a seat. After sitting, Ibn Umar said, “I have come to you at this time to narrate a hadith to you. The Messenger (SA) said, ‘Whoever remains apart from obedience to the amir will rise on the Day of Resurrection without any proof in his favor. And whoever dies separated from the community has died the death of the Age of Ignorance.’”

He was extremely afraid of adding to or omitting anything when narrating the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (SA). For this reason, he narrated very few hadiths. Imam al-Sha‘bi said, “I sat with Abdullah ibn Umar for a year, yet during that time he narrated no hadith to me.” This was not because he considered narrating hadith bad or deliberately narrated little; rather, he regarded it as something that should be done only when necessary. He disliked altering the wording.

Because of his exceptional caution in narrating Hadith, the hadiths transmitted by him were considered the most reliable by the muhaddiths. Whenever Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri found Ibn Umar’s hadith on a matter, he felt no need for anyone else’s narration. In the chain of Hadith transmission, the chain “Malik, from Nafi‘, from Ibn Umar” is called by the muhaddiths the “Silsilat al-Dhahab,” or golden chain. Ibn Umar spent about fifteen years in the company of the Messenger of Allah (SA). He witnessed the entire periods of Abu Bakr and Umar, and spent nearly thirty years in Umar’s company. The second person in this chain, Nafi‘, was Ibn Umar’s slave and served his master for nearly thirty years. The third was Imam Malik, who had the opportunity to sit in the circle of lessons of his teacher Nafi‘ for ten or twelve years.

Besides the Messenger of Allah (SA), Ibn Umar also acquired knowledge from such eminent Companions as Abu Bakr, Uthman, Ali, Zayd ibn Thabit, Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, Bilal, Suhayb, Rafi‘, Aishah, and Hafsah (RA).

The life of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar was a living reflection of the life of the Messenger of Allah (SA). Hazrat Abu Huzaifah used to say, “After the death of the Messenger of Allah (SA), every person changed in one way or another, but no change occurred in Umar or his son Abdullah.” Nafi‘, Ibn Umar’s close personal servant, would tell his Tabi‘i students, “If Ibn Umar were alive in this age, then seeing his strictness in following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (SA), you would say, ‘The man is insane.’” He lived for nearly eighty-five years and pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (SA) in childhood. At the end of his life he said, “From the time I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (SA) until this day, I have neither broken it nor altered it.” He followed not only the Messenger’s acts of worship but also every aspect of his conduct, including his human habits and daily practices. For example, during the Hajj journey, wherever the Messenger (SA) spent the night, he too would later spend the night there. Wherever the Messenger (SA) prayed, he would pray there. He traveled along the roads used by the Messenger (SA). He even performed ablution and bathing in the places where the Messenger (SA) had done so. In short, he followed every step of the Messenger of Allah (SA) exactly. People regarded each of his words and deeds as, in reality, the words and deeds of the Messenger of Allah (SA). Since people followed him, whenever he was unable for a personal reason to follow the Sunnah in a particular matter, he would clearly say, “This is not the action or practice of the Messenger of Allah (SA); I have done this because of a special excuse.” Thus people were not misled. Hazrat Aishah (RA) said regarding his adherence to the Sunnah, “No one followed the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (SA) as Ibn Umar did.”

His deep understanding and study of religion had reached perfection. He spent his entire life pursuing knowledge and issuing fatwas. He was one of Madinah’s renowned Companion-muftis. The foremost Islamic experts of his era sought solutions to various legal questions from him. Even eminent Tabi‘is such as Sa‘id ibn Jubayr sought answers to various questions from him. Later, the Maliki school was essentially developed on the basis of these fatwas of Ibn Umar. Imam Malik said, “Ibn Umar was one of the imams of religion. If his fatwas were collected, they would form a large volume.” He exercised extreme caution when issuing fatwas. Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr said, “Ibn Umar was especially cautious both in his fatwas and in his practice. Just as he spoke only after deep thought, he also acted only after careful consideration.”

Apart from religious knowledge, Ibn Umar does not appear to have had any particular interest in the branches of knowledge current among the Arabs of that time, such as poetry, astrology, and eloquence. The likely reason is that he did not consider it appropriate to spend time studying any knowledge other than religious knowledge.

It is true that, in general, the character of the Messenger of Allah (SA) left its mark on all the Companions, but the impression on Ibn Umar was somewhat deeper. The character and disposition of the Messenger of Allah (SA) were clearly reflected in every word and action of his.

Allah Almighty said in praise of the Companions in the Holy Qur’an, “When Allah is mentioned, their hearts tremble with fear.” This state had fully developed in Ibn Umar. Once, this verse was recited before him: “How will it be when We bring a witness from every nation?” On hearing it, Ibn Umar wept so profusely that his beard became wet with tears, and the people around him were also moved.

Ibn Umar was a great worshipper and one who spent much of the night in worship. Most of the night he devoted to worship. His servant Nafi‘ said that he would pray throughout the night. At the time of true dawn, he would ask me, “Has morning come?” If I said yes, he would spend a little longer seeking forgiveness until it became slightly brighter. If I said no, he would stand again in prayer. He experienced an otherworldly delight in reciting the Qur’an. He did not neglect even minor acts of worship. He performed fresh ablution for every prayer. On his way to the mosque, he walked slowly so that the number of his steps would increase and he would earn more reward.

Ibn Umar was a living example of zuhd and taqwa. He was the unmatched ascetic and God-fearing man of his age. Hazrat Jabir (RA) used to say, “Among us, there was no one besides Ibn Umar whom the splendor of the world could attract.” The quality of taqwa had predominated in him from childhood. Seeing this nature of taqwa in him, the Messenger (SA) said, “Rajul al-Salih—the righteous servant.”

He was extremely generous. He always gave his most beloved possessions in the path of Allah. Whenever a male or female slave pleased him, he would set that person free. He would distribute a thousand dirhams in a single sitting. He freed so many slaves that the number he emancipated exceeded one thousand. Once, he set out for Hajj riding a very beautiful camel. He was greatly impressed by the camel’s gait. Suddenly he dismounted, removed the baggage from its back, and ordered that it be added to the sacrificial animals. Ayyub ibn Wa’il al-Rasibi says, “One day Ibn Umar received four thousand dirhams and a velvet cloak. The next day, Ibn Wa’il saw Ibn Umar buying fodder on credit from the market for his riding animal. He immediately went to Ibn Umar’s house and asked his family, ‘Did Ibn Umar not receive four thousand dirhams and a velvet cloak yesterday?’ They replied, ‘Yes.’ Ibn Wa’il said, ‘Today I saw him buying animal fodder on credit from the market.’ They said, ‘He distributed it all before the night was over.’ Then he went out with the cloak over his shoulder. When he returned home, I saw that it too was gone. When asked, he said, ‘I gave it to a poor person.’ Hearing this, Ibn Wa’il ran toward the market, clapping his hands. He stood on a high place and called out, ‘O community of merchants! What will you do with the world? Here is Ibn Umar: four thousand dirhams came into his hands, and he gave them all away. Then in the morning he bought animal fodder on credit.’

In this way, he was the living interpretation of the verse: “You will never attain righteousness until you spend from what you love.” He would not eat a meal without bringing one or two poor and needy people to share it. He would often rebuke his sons when they invited the wealthy to meals but did not invite the poor and needy with them. He would say, “You invite those whose stomachs are full and leave the hungry behind.”

He was a successful businessman. He also owned cultivable land and received an allowance from the public treasury. Yet he consumed very little himself and gave everything away. Once, a friend presented him with a full vessel. He asked, “What is this?” His friend replied, “It is medicine. I brought it for you from Iraq.” He asked again, “What are its properties?” His friend said, “It improves digestion!” He replied, “Yet for forty years I have not eaten to my fill.” Was he miserly or poor? No, history does not say so. He did this only to express sympathy and compassion for the Messenger of Allah (SA) and his father, Umar ibn al-Khattab.

He had a profound love for the Messenger of Allah (SA). When the beloved Prophet passed away, his heart was shattered. Whenever he remembered the words of the Messenger of Allah (SA), he would burst into tears. Whenever he returned to Madinah from a journey, he would go to the blessed Rawdah and offer salutations. Because of his love for the Messenger of Allah (SA), he also deeply loved the Prophet’s family. Once, an Iraqi Bedouin asked him about the expiation for killing a mosquito. He told his companions, “Look at this man. He asks about the expiation for the blood of a mosquito, while they themselves martyred Husayn, the beloved grandson of the Prophet.” Because of his love for the Messenger (SA), he also loved the city of Madinah dearly. Despite every sorrow and hardship, he never considered leaving Madinah.

Hazrat Ibn Umar (RA) always refrained from every act that might create division within the Muslim ummah. He was truthful, but at times he remained silent when he saw a possibility of harm to the Muslim ummah. Once, Amir Mu‘awiyah (RA) claimed, “Who has a greater right to the caliphate than I?” Ibn Umar was about to answer, but refrained out of fear of fitnah and discord. He remained silent. Similarly, at Mina he prayed four rak‘ahs behind Caliph Uthman, although he believed that, according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (SA), Abu Bakr, and Umar, the prayer there should be shortened. Yet when he prayed alone, he prayed only two rak‘ahs. He prayed four rak‘ahs behind Uthman for fear of causing division. He used to say, “Creating division is an evil act.” He also said, “Even if the entire Ummah of Muhammad accepts me as caliph and only two people refuse, I will still not fight them.”

It was out of fear of causing division that he pledged allegiance to all the caliphs. During that age of fitnah and discord, he prayed behind every amir and paid zakat to them. However, this obedience remained limited to the bounds of religion. Thus, although he initially prayed behind Hajjaj, when Hajjaj began delaying the prayer, he stopped praying behind him. He even left Makkah and moved to Madinah.

Ibn Umar was never afraid to speak the truth. He criticized the Umayyad rulers to their faces. Once, Hajjaj was delivering a sermon. Addressing him, Ibn Umar said, “This man is an enemy of Allah. He has violated the sanctity of the Haram of Makkah, destroyed the House of Allah, and killed Allah’s beloved servants.”

On another occasion, Hajjaj made his sermon so long that the Asr prayer was delayed. Ibn Umar shouted, “The time for prayer is passing; finish your speech.” He said this three times. Then, addressing the people present, Ibn Umar said, “If I stand up, will you come with me?” They replied, “Yes.” Ibn Umar stood up. Hajjaj hurriedly descended from the pulpit and led the prayer. Later, Hajjaj asked Ibn Umar why he had done that. He replied, “We come to the mosque for prayer. When the time for prayer arrives, it should be led immediately. After that, you may babble as long as you wish.” Because of this forthrightness, the tyrannical rulers of the Banu Umayyah feared him greatly.

Islam abolished all practices and traits that cause people to be dishonored or honored without reason. Ibn Umar was a living example of this Islamic equality. He strongly disliked every behavior that could create distinctions within this equality. For this reason, he would not sit in places where people stood up to honor him. He upheld this equality in his treatment of his servants and male and female slaves. He taught them self-respect and had them eat while seated with him. He believed that failing to care for the food and clothing of slaves was a grave sin. Salim said that Ibn Umar never scolded a slave in his life except once. On one occasion, he struck a slave for some reason. He regretted it so deeply afterward that he set the slave free.

Humility and gentleness were distinctive features of his character. He greatly disliked hearing himself praised. Once a man threw dust in his face. He then recited to him the Messenger of Allah’s (peace be upon him) hadith: “Throw dust in the face of those who praise others.” Without distinction, he greeted everyone, young and old alike. If he forgot to greet someone while walking, he would return and greet him. Even when he heard extremely harsh words, he would swallow them and give no reply. Once a man insulted him in abusive language. In reply, he merely said, “My brother and I are of very noble descent,” and then remained silent.

From the biography of Ibn Umar, we learn that he was financially very well-off. In a single gathering, he would distribute thousands of dirhams among the poor and needy. Yet the total value of the furnishings in his own house was not more than one hundred dirhams. Maymun ibn Mihran said, “I entered Ibn Umar’s house and calculated the value of the quilts, mattresses, bedding, and so forth. Altogether, it did not exceed one hundred dirhams.” Such was the simple and unostentatious life he led. He did his own work with his own hands. He did not like to accept anyone else’s help with his affairs.

When stipends were fixed for all the Companions during the caliphate of Umar, Ibn Umar’s stipend was fixed at two thousand five hundred dirhams, whereas Usama ibn Zayd’s was fixed at three thousand. Ibn Umar protested this disparity to his father, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), saying, “In no respect am I behind him, nor are you behind his father. So what is the reason for this disparity?” Umar replied, “You have spoken the truth. However, the Messenger (peace be upon him) loved his father more than your father, and loved him more than he loved you.” Upon hearing this reply, Ibn Umar fell silent.

His moral qualities and virtues cannot be expressed in this brief essay. A certain Tabi‘i once remarked about him, “If I were to testify that any person was an inhabitant of Paradise, I would certainly testify that Ibn Umar was one.”

Abdullah ibn Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Abdullah and his kunya was Abu Muhammad. His father was Jahsh and his mother was Umayma. He was related to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in several ways. His mother, Umayma bint Abd al-Muttalib, was the paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). His sister, the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh, was the wife of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Thus, he was both the Messenger’s maternal cousin and brother-in-law.

No historical information is available about the year of his birth. However, when he was martyred at the Battle of Uhud in the third year after the Hijrah, he was a little over forty years old. On this basis, it may be said that he was born in Makkah twenty-four or twenty-five years before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) received prophethood. In the pre-Islamic period, he was a halif—an ally bound by a pact—of Harb ibn Umayya. Some, however, have mentioned Banu Abd Shams as his halif. In reality, there is no contradiction between the two reports, because Harb ibn Umayya was a member of Banu Abd Shams.

Abdullah was one of the sabiqin ila al-Islam, those who accepted Islam in its earliest period. He embraced Islam even before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took refuge in Dar al-Arqam.

After accepting Islam, neither he nor his clan were spared the persecution of the Quraysh. For this reason, he migrated to Abyssinia twice. On the latter migration, all the members of his family accompanied him: his two brothers, Abu Ahmad and Ubaydullah; his three sisters, Zaynab, Umm Habiba, and Hamna; and Ubaydullah’s wife, Umm Habiba bint Abi Sufyan. After reaching Abyssinia, his brother Ubaydullah renounced Islam, adopted Christianity, and died there as an apostate.

Because of his apostasy, his wife Umm Habiba separated from him, and later the Messenger (peace be upon him) married her and granted her the status of a wife. (Al-Isabah 2/272) After staying in Abyssinia for some time, Abdullah returned to Makkah with the other members of his family. On returning, he found that all the members of his clan, Banu Ghanam, had accepted Islam. With the permission of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he took them all with him and migrated to Madinah. Before them, Abu Salama had migrated to Madinah. As mentioned earlier, every member of his clan had accepted Islam; he took all of them—young and old, men and women—and reached Madinah. He did not leave a single member of Banu Ghanam in Makkah.

A short while after they had set out from Makkah, the Quraysh leaders, including Utbah and Abu Jahl, came out of their homes and went toward the quarter of Banu Ghanam. Their purpose was to see who from the clan had left and who had remained. They found the entire quarter deserted. The doors of some houses were open, while others were locked. Seeing this, Utbah remarked, “The houses of Banu Jahsh are utterly desolate, mourning their inhabitants.” Hearing this, Abu Jahl entered the house of Abdullah ibn Jahsh and plundered its belongings as he pleased. Of all the houses in the quarter, Abdullah’s was the finest and most prosperous. When Abdullah mentioned Abu Jahl’s looting of his house to the Messenger of Allah, he consoled him, saying, “Abdullah, are you not pleased that in exchange Allah will grant you a house in Paradise?” He replied, “Certainly, O Messenger of Allah.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “That is what you shall receive.” Abdullah was delighted.

After reaching Madinah, Asim ibn Thabit al-Ansari gave shelter to Abdullah’s entire family. Later, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) established a bond of brotherhood between the two of them.

In Rajab of the second year after the Hijrah, the Messenger (peace be upon him) selected a group of eight Companions. Abdullah ibn Jahsh and Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas were among them. Addressing them all, the Messenger said, “I will appoint as your commander the one among you who is most able to endure hunger and thirst.” He then appointed Abdullah as their commander. Thus, he gained the distinction of becoming the first commander of a group of believers. The Messenger gave him a sealed letter containing directions for the journey and said, “Do not open this letter before two days have passed. Travel for two days, then open and read it, and act according to its instructions.”

Abdullah set out from Madinah with his companions. After traveling for two days, he opened and read the letter as instructed. It directed them to reach a place called Nakhlah, between Makkah and Ta’if, and learn about the movements and other circumstances of the Quraysh. He accepted this command with utmost devotion and reverence. Addressing his companions, he said, “My friends, I will carry out the order of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Whoever among you desires martyrdom may accompany me, and whoever does not wish this may return. I will compel no one.” Hearing this speech, all of them expressed their desire to accompany him. After reaching Nakhlah, they kept a close watch on the movements of the Quraysh. One day, a Quraysh trade caravan passed along this route. It consisted of four men: Amr ibn al-Hadrami, Hakam ibn Kaysan, Uthman ibn Abdullah, and Uthman’s brother Mughirah. They had goods such as hides and raisins with them.

Abdullah ibn Jahsh consulted his companions about whether to attack the caravan. That day was the last day of one of the sacred months. It should be noted that Dhu al-Qa‘dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab are the four sacred months. Since ancient times, the Arabs had regarded fighting and bloodshed during these months as forbidden. They considered that if they attacked the caravan that day, the attack would take place during a sacred month. On the other hand, if they waited until the next day, the caravan would enter the sacred precinct of Makkah. The sanctuary of Makkah is a place of safety for all; attacking them there would also be a forbidden act. After consultation, they decided to attack. They launched a surprise assault, killed the caravan leader Amr ibn al-Hadrami, captured Uthman ibn Abdullah and Hakam ibn Kaysan, and the other man escaped. They obtained a large amount of merchandise as booty. Abdullah ibn Jahsh set aside one-fifth of the booty for Allah and His Messenger and distributed the remaining four-fifths equally among his companions. At that time, no rules for distributing booty had yet been established. Nevertheless, Abdullah’s reasoning was correct. Later, in support of his decision, the Qur’anic verse concerning khumus, or one-fifth, was revealed.

Abdullah ibn Jahsh came to Madinah and presented himself before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with one-fifth of the booty. The Messenger refused to accept it. He said, “I did not command you to shed blood during a sacred month.”

Other Muslims also condemned Abdullah for this boldness and excess. The Quraysh began publicizing the incident widely. They proclaimed, “Muhammad’s Companions have made the sacred months lawful. By killing and shedding blood, they have dishonored these months.” Abdullah and his companions fell into grave difficulty. Fearing that they had disobeyed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they became terrified and were tormented by remorse. Finally, Allah Most High expressed approval of their action and revealed this verse of the Qur’an: “They ask you about fighting in the sacred month. Say: Fighting therein is a great offense. But to hinder people from the way of Allah, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and to expel its people from it are greater offenses in the sight of Allah. And persecution is worse than killing.” (Al-Baqarah 2:217)

After this Qur’anic verse was revealed, they breathed a sigh of relief. The Muslims came in groups to congratulate them and embrace them. The Messenger (peace be upon him) became pleased with them, accepted the share of booty from them, and released the two captives after receiving ransom for them.

In reality, this incident involving Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his companions was an important event in the lives of the Muslims. Their booty was the first booty of Islam; the man killed by them was the first polytheist killed by Muslims; the two men captured by them were the first captives taken by Muslims; the banner given to them was the first banner handed over by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); and the commander of this group, Abdullah ibn Jahsh, was the first commander to be addressed as Amir al-Mu’minin. Abdullah ibn Jahsh was also the first person to institute khumus regarding booty, and Allah Most High supported it by revealing revelation. (Al-Isti‘ab)

Abdullah ibn Jahsh participated in the Battles of Badr and Uhud. Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas narrated: The day before the Battle of Uhud, Abdullah and I supplicated. I said, “O Allah, let tomorrow’s enemy who fights us be extremely brave and fierce, so that I may kill him in Your path and take his weapons.” Hearing my supplication, Abdullah said, “Amin.” Then he raised his hands and supplicated: “O Allah, grant me an opponent who is extremely brave and quick-tempered. I will fight him in Your path. Let him kill me and cut off my nose and ears. When I meet You and You ask, ‘Abdullah, how were your nose and ears cut off?’ I will say, ‘For You and Your Messenger.’” It was as though he could see by supernatural vision that his wish was about to be fulfilled. Thus he repeatedly swore, saying, “O Allah, I swear by Your name that I will fight the enemy, and he will kill me, cut off my nose and ears, and disfigure me.” (Usd al-Ghabah)

In Shawwal of the third year after the Hijrah, fierce fighting began on the plain of Uhud. Abdullah ibn Jahsh attacked with such intensity that his sword broke into pieces. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave him a staff made from a date-palm branch. He continued fighting with it for a long time. At that point, a powerful blow from Abu al-Hakam ibn Akhnas al-Thaqafi fulfilled his wish for martyrdom. The polytheists mutilated his body, cutting off his nose and ears and threading them together on a string like a necklace. Seeing this, Sa‘d exclaimed, “By Allah, Abdullah’s supplication was better than mine.”

He lived for a little more than forty years. He was buried in the same grave as his maternal uncle, Sayyid al-Shuhada Hamzah.

When the Messenger (peace be upon him) appointed Abdullah commander and sent him on the Nakhlah expedition, he told his companions, “Although Abdullah ibn Jahsh is not the best person among you, he can endure the hardship of hunger and thirst better than anyone.” The love of Allah and His Messenger made him indifferent to everything in the world. His sole desire was to sacrifice his beloved life in the path of Allah, and that desire was fulfilled. He earned the honorable title al-Mujadda‘ fi Allah, “the one whose ears were cut off in the path of Allah.” During the Battle of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) consulted Abu Bakr, Umar, and Abdullah ibn Jahsh about the prisoners.

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Abdullah. His kunyas were Abu Muhammad, Abu Abd al-Rahman, and Abu Nusayr, though the first two were the most famous. His father was the renowned commander and diplomat Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him), and his mother was Rita bint Munabbih. It is reported that before Islam Abdullah’s name was al-As, meaning “sinner” or “disobedient.” Abu Zur‘ah mentioned in his history that at a funeral the Messenger (peace be upon him) asked him, “What is your name?” When he replied, “Al-As,” the Messenger said, “No; from today your name will be Abdullah.” From that day, al-As became Abdullah.

Ibn Sa‘d said that Abdullah accepted Islam before his father, Amr ibn al-As. Various sources state that Amr was only ten to twelve years older than his son Abdullah. According to al-Waqidi, however, the father was twenty years older than the son. (Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, Al-Isabah, Al-Isti‘ab) Both father and son migrated to Madinah before the conquest of Makkah. After accepting Islam, Abdullah spent most of his time in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Whatever came from the Messenger’s lips, whether he was angry or calm, Abdullah wrote down. Some Companions urged him not to do this, saying that words uttered by the Messenger in a state of agitation should not be written. He raised the matter with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who said, “You may write down everything I say. I say nothing except the truth.” (Musnad Ahmad, Al-Isti‘ab) The Messenger (peace be upon him) loved Abdullah more than he loved his father, Amr, and held him in particularly high regard.

Nearly all the extra time Abdullah had after spending time in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was devoted to fasting by day and worshipping at night. Gradually, he became so deeply accustomed to this that he grew detached from his wife, family, and everything of the world. In this state, his father came to the Messenger and complained about his son’s abnormal ascetic life. The Messenger (peace be upon him) summoned Abdullah and instructed him to obey his father. He said, “Abdullah, fast and break your fast; pray and rest; and fulfill the rights of your wife and family. This is my way. Whoever rejects my way is not counted among my community.”

Abdullah participated in all the battles fought during the era of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). During campaigns, he generally arranged riding animals and was entrusted with transporting supplies. Once a man asked him, “Abu Muhammad, in the place where we live, dirhams and dinars are not used. Domestic animals and livestock are our chief wealth. We buy and sell camels in exchange for goats. Is there any objection to this?” He replied, “Once the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered the formation of a mounted force. I distributed all the camels I had, one after another. Yet some people remained without mounts. I went to the Messenger and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, even after distributing all the camels I had, a group of people remains.’ He instructed me, ‘Buy some camels, promising to give two or three camels in charity in exchange for one camel.’ I accordingly gathered the camels that were needed.” (Darqutni)

He fought with great bravery in the Battle of Yarmuk. In that battle, his father, Amr ibn al-As, placed the banner of command in Abdullah’s hands.

At Siffin, Amr ibn al-As was on the side of Muawiyah. He compelled his son Abdullah to join Muawiyah’s army. In reality, Abdullah intensely detested this civil war. Therefore, although he joined Muawiyah’s side, he did not actually take part in the fighting in any way. He repeatedly urged his father to stay away from this self-destructive war. (Tadhkirat al-Huffaz)

Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) joined Ali’s side at Siffin and was martyred. Ammar’s martyrdom reminded Abdullah of a statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He asked his father, Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him), “Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah say, ‘Alas, the rebellious group will kill Ibn Sumayya (Ammar)’?” Hearing this, Amr ibn al-As looked toward Muawiyah and said, “Are you not hearing what Abdullah is saying?” Explaining Abdullah’s words, Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “He always brings one problem after another. Did we kill Ammar? In reality, responsibility for his death lies with those who brought him out of his home and brought him here with them.” (Musnad Ahmad)

Two men attacked and killed Ammar at the same time. They came before Muawiyah, quarrelling and each claiming sole credit for the deed. By coincidence, Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) was present there. Hearing their dispute, he said, “One of you should willingly accept the claim of his opponent, because I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say that a rebellious group would kill Ammar.” According to another report, he said to Muawiyah, “Give the killer of Ammar the glad tidings of Hell.” Hearing this, Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), annoyed, said to his father, “Amr, will you not remove this mad son of yours from before me?” Then he himself asked Abdullah, “If that is so, why are you with me?” Abdullah replied, “Because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) instructed me to remain obedient to my father for as long as I live.”

Although his hands were not stained by this self-destructive war at Siffin, he remained tormented by remorse for having taken part in it. He would often say, “Alas, if only I had died ten years before this!” Because he had supported Muawiyah and held his banner, he spent his entire life in repentance and seeking forgiveness. (Al-Isti‘ab)

Raja’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once I was sitting with a group of people in the Prophet’s Mosque. Abdullah ibn Amr and Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri were also present. Seeing Imam Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) arrive, Abdullah said, “Shall I tell you something about this man?” They replied, “Why would you not?” He said, “I have not spoken with him since the Battle of Siffin, although his pleasure is dearer to me than everything in the world.” Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri asked, “Would you like to go to him and defend yourself?” He replied, “Yes.” The next day Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri accompanied him to Husayn’s house. At first Husayn hesitated to grant them an audience, but later agreed because of Abdullah’s insistence. Explaining the circumstances of his participation at Siffin, Abdullah said, “In accordance with the Messenger of Allah’s (peace be upon him) instruction, I did not unsheathe my sword, wound anyone with a spear, or shoot a single arrow.” (Usd al-Ghabah)

In knowledge and distinction, Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) held a special position among all the Companions. Besides his mother tongue, Arabic, he was proficient in Hebrew. He had studied the Torah and the Gospel deeply. He said, “I dreamed that I had honey in one hand and fat in the other, and that I was licking and eating them.” I told the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about this dream. He said, “You will study two books: the Torah and the Qur’an.” (Al-Isabah)

Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) collected a large portion of the sayings spoken by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He named his collection al-Sadiqah. When someone asked him about a matter and he did not recall anything about it, he would consult al-Sadiqah and answer from it. (Musnad Ahmad) This collection was extremely dear to him. Mujahid said: Once I took out a book from beneath his bed and began looking through it. He forbade me. I said, “You do not usually forbid me anything. Why are you doing so today?” He replied, “This is the book of truth that I alone heard and collected from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).” He also said, “If this book, the Holy Qur’an, and that estate at Wahaaj were given to me, I would need nothing else in the world.”

The number of hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr was seven hundred. Of these, seventeen were agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim; eight were narrated exclusively by al-Bukhari, and twenty exclusively by Muslim. (Tahdhib)

The circle of Abdullah’s hadith lessons was very extensive. People came from distant places to attend his lessons and hear hadith. Moreover, wherever he went, large gatherings of knowledge-seekers formed around him. A Nakha‘i shaykh narrated: “Once I performed the congregational prayer in the mosque of Iliya. A man came and stood beside me. After the prayer, people gathered around him from every direction and sat close to him. Upon asking, I learned that he was Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As.”

Abdullah deeply loved his students. He was also profoundly respectful toward the scholars of his time. Once Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was mentioned in his presence. He said, “You have mentioned a man whom I have loved ever since the day the Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘Acquire Qur’anic knowledge from four people,’ and mentioned Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud first.”

Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated hadith from a large number of Companions, including Umar, Abu Darda, Muadh, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, and his father Amr. Abu Nu‘aym said, “Among the Companions, Ibn Umar, Abu Umamah, al-Miswar, Sa’ib ibn Yazid, and Abu al-Tufayl, as well as many eminent Tabi‘is, narrated hadith from him.” (Al-Isabah)

Abdullah ibn Amr was particularly renowned for taqwa, piety, and abundant worship. History has bestowed upon him such titles as one who prayed, repented, and devoted himself to worship. Just as his father Amr was a master of intelligence, cleverness, and strategy, he was a foremost figure among the devout, ascetic, and outspoken. His entire life was spent in worship. Whenever any portion of the Quran was revealed, he memorized it. When the revelation of the Quran was complete, he became a hafiz of the entire Quran. He was always seen in the front ranks on the battlefield of jihad. Again, when armed jihad ended, he would be seen in the mosque—fasting by day and devoted to worship at night. He remained immersed in reciting the Quran and tasbih, or in tawbah and istighfar. In short, whenever there was no call to jihad, he remained absorbed in sawm, salah, and recitation twenty-four hours a day.

By nature, he was inclined toward ruhbaniyyah, or asceticism. Once the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) called him and said, “Abdullah, I have learned that you have resolved to spend your entire life fasting during the day and worshiping at night.” He said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “You do not have the strength for that. Fast, but also break your fast, and pray, but also rest. Fast only three days each month, for every good deed is rewarded tenfold.” He said, “I have greater strength than that.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Fast one day and break your fast for two days.” He again said, “I have greater strength than that.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Fast one day and break your fast one day. This is the practice of David (peace be upon him), and it is the best form of fasting.” He again said, “I can keep a better fast than this.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “There is no better fast than this.” On another occasion, the Messenger (peace be upon him) went to his house and said, “Your body, your eyes, your family, and your friends all have rights over you.”

Throughout his life he followed David (peace be upon him) in fasting and spent most of the night in worship. He was so eager to recite the Quran that he completed it once every three days. However, in his later life, so much worship became difficult for him. At times he would regretfully say, “Alas, if only I had accepted the rukhsah, or permission to reduce it, granted by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).” (Al-Isabah)

Seeing Abdullah’s indifference to worldly affairs, his father, Amr ibn al-As, would often complain about him to the Messenger of Allah. One day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took Abdullah’s hand and placed it in his father’s hand, saying, “Do what I tell you, and obey your father.” [Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul (Men Around the Messenger)] Abdullah obeyed his father throughout his life. Thus, at his father’s command, he went to Siffin on Muawiyah’s side.

Hazrat Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) received extensive property and many slaves through his ancestral inheritance. The fief called Wajh in Taif that he acquired was worth approximately one million dirhams. (Usud al-Ghabah) It was cultivated on his behalf. A dispute once arose over this fief with Anbasah ibn Sufyan. The matter nearly escalated into bloodshed on both sides. Abdullah’s brother, Hazrat Khalid ibn al-As, came to reason with him. He said to Khalid, “A person who is killed while protecting his property is a martyr—do you not remember this saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?” (Musnad Ahmad)

There is disagreement among the sira writers regarding the year and place of Hazrat Abdullah’s (may Allah be pleased with him) death. Historians have likewise disagreed about his age at death. Syria, Mecca, Taif, and Egypt have all been mentioned as the place of his death, while the years 65, 68, and 69 AH have been given as the year. According to the most famous view, however, he died in the Egyptian city of Fustat in 65 AH, at the age of seventy-two. At that time, fierce fighting was taking place between the forces of Marwan ibn al-Hakam and Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, so it was not possible to take his body to the public cemetery. He was buried at his residence. (Al-Isabah, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz)

Al-Miqdad ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Miqdad, and his kunyas were Abu al-Aswad, Abu Amr, and Abu Saeed. His father was Amr ibn Thalabah. The original home of his ancestors was Bahara. Ibn al-Kalbi narrates that Miqdad’s father, Amr, killed a man from his tribe and fled to Hadramawt out of fear of qisas, or retaliation, and entered into an alliance with Kindah. For this reason he was called al-Kindi. He married a woman of Hadramawt, and Miqdad was born to her. Miqdad grew up in Hadramawt. There he quarreled with a man named Abu Shammar ibn Hajar al-Kindi and severed one of his legs with a single sword strike. He then fled to Mecca. In Mecca he entered into an alliance with al-Aswad ibn Abd Yaghuth and lived with him. His relationship with al-Aswad became so warm and close that al-Aswad adopted Miqdad as his son. Thus he became known as Miqdad ibn al-Aswad (Miqdad, son of al-Aswad). Later, when the Quranic verse “Call them by their fathers’ names” was revealed, he adopted the name Miqdad ibn Amr (Miqdad, son of Amr) instead of al-Aswad. For this reason, history sometimes refers to him as Miqdad ibn Amr and sometimes as Miqdad ibn al-Aswad. (Al-Isabah, Usud al-Ghabah)

Not long after Miqdad took refuge in Mecca, the call to tawhid reached his ears. The invitation and preaching of the Noble Messenger introduced him to Islam. This was at a time when the staunch enemies of Islam were inflicting brutal torture on the Muslims. Out of fear of them, many people concealed their acceptance of Islam. But after embracing Islam, Miqdad did not consider it proper to conceal the truth. He was one of the first seven people who publicly declared their faith at that moment of extreme persecution. The other six were the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Abu Bakr, Ammar, his mother Sumayyah, Suhayb, and Bilal (may Allah be pleased with them). (Hayat al-Sahabah 1/218)

He married Dubayah bint al-Zubayr ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the cousin of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). It is narrated that one day he was sitting with Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. Suddenly Abd al-Rahman asked, “Miqdad, why are you not getting married?” Miqdad immediately replied candidly, “Why do you not marry your daughter to me?” Abd al-Rahman felt insulted by this remark. He became extremely angry and severely rebuked Miqdad. Miqdad went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and complained about Abd al-Rahman. The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “I myself will arrange your marriage.” He then married Miqdad to his cousin Dubayah. (Al-Isabah)

After publicly proclaiming Islam, calamities befell Miqdad. With the permission of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he migrated to Abyssinia. After staying there for some time, he returned to Mecca. By then, people were migrating to Medina in large numbers. Due to certain difficulties, he could not migrate to Medina. He even remained in Mecca after the Messenger of Allah’s migration to Medina. When a temporary conflict arose between Mecca and Medina, he and Utbah ibn Ghazwan set out toward Medina as members of a Quraysh advance reconnaissance party. The commander of this force was Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl. On the way, they had a minor clash with a group of mujahids from Medina. The leader, or amir, of this Muslim group was Hazrat Ubaydah ibn al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him). Taking advantage of the opportunity, Miqdad and Utbah ibn Ghazwan joined the Muslim mujahids and reached Medina with them. In Medina they became guests of Hazrat Kulthum ibn al-Hidam. (Usud al-Ghabah) At the request of Hazrat Ubayy ibn Kab (may Allah be pleased with him), Miqdad expressed his desire to live among Banu Adilah (according to another view, Jadilah), so the Messenger (peace be upon him) granted him a plot of land in that area.

In the second year AH, the first direct military confrontation between shirk and tawhid began. That same year, the Quraysh army arrived at the plain of Badr. This was the first test for the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He sought their counsel on the matter and wished to test their faith. Hazrat Siddiq Akbar, Faruq Azam, and other Companions delivered speeches expressing their desire to set a rare example of sacrifice and selflessness. Hazrat Miqdad was also present at this gathering. He delivered an emotional speech, assuring the Messenger (peace be upon him): “O Messenger of Allah, proceed to carry out the command Allah has given you. We are with you. By Allah, we will not say to you what the Children of Israel said to their prophet Moses: ‘You and your Lord go and fight, while we remain sitting here.’ Rather, we will say to you: ‘You and your Lord go and fight them, and we too will fight them alongside you.’ By the One who sent you with the truth, if you take us as far as Bark al-Ghimad, we will go with you and fight your enemy. We will fight on your right, your left, before you, and behind you—from every direction—until Allah grants you victory.” (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul) Hearing this emotional speech, the blessed face of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) shone with joy.

The Battle of Badr began. Among the Muslim mujahids, only three were cavalrymen: Miqdad ibn Amr, Murthid ibn Abi Murthid, and al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam. All the others were infantrymen or rode camels. According to several reports, however, Miqdad was the only mounted mujahid in this battle. For this reason it was said, “Miqdad was the first to make his horse run in the path of Allah.”

Besides Badr, he participated in all the major battles, including Uhud and the Trench, displaying the utmost courage. In 20 AH, Hazrat Amr ibn al-As led the campaign to Egypt. He requested additional military assistance from the capital, Medina. Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent ten thousand soldiers and four officers. Miqdad ibn Amr was one of the four. In a letter, the Caliph informed Amr ibn al-As, “Each of these four men is equal to ten thousand soldiers of the enemy.” After these soldiers joined the campaign, the banner of Islam was raised throughout Egypt in a very short time.

The polytheists of Mecca crucified Hazrat Khubayb (may Allah be pleased with him) and killed him. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent al-Zubayr and Miqdad to bring Khubayb’s body down from the cross under cover of night. When they had taken the body down, placed it on a horse, and set out, the Quraysh discovered them and pursued them. (Hayat al-Sahabah)

Hazrat Miqdad had a very large abdomen. As a result, he suffered greatly in his old age. To relieve his distress, one of his Roman slaves performed surgery on his abdomen, but it was unsuccessful. In this condition, he died in 33 AH at a place called Juruf, three miles from Medina. Amir al-Muminin Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) led his funeral prayer. He was buried in Medina’s Baqi Cemetery. He was approximately seventy years old at the time of his death.

The finest moral qualities developed in Hazrat Miqdad. During the Battle of Badr, the sincerity and truthful emotion he displayed made the entire community of the Companions envy him. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, “Alas! If only I had been old enough to participate in the Battle of Badr then, and Miqdad’s words had come from my mouth.” Hazrat Abdullah ibn Masud said, “I was with Miqdad at the Battle of Badr. Being with him in that battle is so dear to me that, compared with it, everything in the world is utterly worthless.” The extreme poverty and hardship at the beginning of Islam made him highly patient and realistic. He said, “When I came to Medina after migrating, I had no settled place to live or food to eat. Hunger had reduced me to the brink of death. At last, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave me and my two companions lodging in the house of his host, Kulthum ibn al-Hidam. At that time the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) possessed only four she-goats. We all lived by drinking the milk of those goats. One night the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went somewhere outside and was late returning. I thought that perhaps an Ansari had invited him and that he would return after eating. As soon as this thought occurred to me, I got up and drank in one gulp the milk kept for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). But immediately afterward I realized that if my assumption was wrong, I would be terribly embarrassed. While I was in this state of uncertainty, the Messenger (peace be upon him) returned and went straight toward the place where the milk was kept. He saw that the cup was empty. I became tormented by shame and remorse over my mistake. In particular, when he raised his hand to say something, my fear knew no bounds. I thought that a curse from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would now ruin both my worldly life and my Hereafter. But I heard him say, ‘Allahumma atimhu man atamani wa asqi man saqani’—O Allah, feed the one who fed me, and give drink to the one who gave me drink. This supplication gave me courage. I went to the goats, hoping to find some milk in one of their udders. But by Allah’s boundless power, whichever goat’s udder I touched, I found it full of milk. I milked them abundantly and presented it to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He asked, ‘Have you all drunk?’ I replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, please drink first, and then I will tell you everything.’ The Messenger (peace be upon him) drank his fill. Remembering my earlier mistake and remorse, I suddenly laughed. He asked, ‘Abu al-Aswad, why are you laughing?’ I told him everything. After hearing it all, he said, ‘This was Allah’s mercy. Why did you not wake your two companions? They too would have received this blessing.’”

Hazrat Miqdad was extremely discerning and intelligent. His insight and intelligence are evident in many circumstances and events. One of his companions relates that one day we were sitting with Miqdad when a tabi’i addressed him, saying, “How fortunate are your two eyes, blessed to have seen the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). By Allah, I greatly long to see what you saw and to be present at the scenes and events in which you were present.” Hearing this, Miqdad became very angry with the man. The people said, “Why become so upset?” He replied, “To abandon the present and wish for the past is futile, because he does not know what his role would have been had he lived then. By Allah, many of the people who lived in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ended up in Hell because they did not believe. Does he know which group he would have belonged to? Should he not thank Allah for saving him from such a danger and making him a believer in Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him)?”

One day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) appointed him commander of a group. When he returned, the Messenger (peace be upon him) asked, “How did you find leadership?” He gave a profoundly honest answer: “I felt myself above everyone and the others beneath me. By Him who sent you with the truth, after today I will never command even two people.” He did not try to conceal his weakness or hide the truth. He would frequently repeat this hadith of the Messenger of Allah: “The one who is saved from fitnah is truly fortunate.”

He loved the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) more than his own life. He possessed an overwhelming sense of responsibility for protecting the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Whenever any commotion arose in Medina, he could be seen armed and mounted at the door of the Messenger of Allah’s residence. He was also extremely strict in ensuring the proper implementation of Islam’s rules and regulations. Just as he was vigilant against Islam’s open enemies, he was intensely alert to even slight negligence or mistakes regarding Islam among his own friends. Once he set out on an expedition with a small force. The enemy surrounded them. The commander ordered that no member of the force was to be spared that day from tending his mount. But one mujahid did not know of the order and acted contrary to it. For this he received from the commander a punishment greater than what he deserved. The mujahid was crying when Miqdad passed by. He asked about the matter and learned what had happened. Then he took him by the right hand, led him to the commander, and argued with the commander until he forced him to acknowledge his error. He said to the commander, “Free yourself of liability by giving the man the opportunity to claim qisas.” The commander accepted Miqdad’s words. The man, however, forgave the commander. In this way, he always acted as a vigilant guardian of the honor and dignity of the religion. He would often say, “Allah has commanded me to love you and has also informed me that He loves you.” Thus he was blessed with the love of Allah and His Messenger.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Every prophet was given seven trusted companions and viziers, but I have been given fourteen. They are Hamzah, Jafar, Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, Hasan, Husayn, Abdullah ibn Masud, Salman, Ammar, Hudhayfah, Abu Jafar, Miqdad, and Bilal.”

He strongly disliked flattery and praise. Once, while in Hazrat Uthman’s (may Allah be pleased with him) presence, some people began praising Miqdad to his face. He became so displeased that he threw dust in their faces. Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed, “Miqdad, what is happening?” He replied, “The Messenger of Allah instructed us: ‘Throw dust in the face of the praiser.’”

His principal occupation was commerce. In addition, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) granted him some land in the Khaybar region. Later, Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) purchased it from Miqdad’s heirs for one hundred thousand dirhams.

Miqdad’s wife, Dubayah, relates that once Miqdad went to a secluded place in Baqi to relieve himself. While he was doing so, he saw a mouse bringing a dinar out of its hole. In this way the mouse brought out a total of seventeen dinars. He collected them, took them to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and related what had happened. The Messenger (peace be upon him) asked whether he had put his hand into the hole. When he replied that he had not, the Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “May Allah bless this wealth of yours. No zakat is due on it.” (Hayat al-Sahabah 3/645)

Hazrat Miqdad (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated a number of hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Ali, Anas, Ubaydullah ibn Adi, Hammam ibn al-Harith, Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, and other Companions narrated hadiths from him.

Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Amr, and his kunyas were Abu Abdullah and Abu Muhammad. His father was al-As and his mother was Nabighah. Through his ancestor Kab ibn Luayy, his lineage joined that of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

Even in the Age of Ignorance, Amr ibn al-As’s clan, Banu Sahm, was renowned as a noble clan. The responsibility of arbitrating the disputes and quarrels of the Quraysh was entrusted to this clan. Little information is available about his birth and childhood. Until he accepted Islam, he was a staunch enemy of Islam. Aligning himself with the Quraysh leaders, he showed tremendous enthusiasm in opposing Islam and the Muslims.

It is reported that he was one of the three principal men among the Quraysh who were the bitterest enemies of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah would supplicate against them, and in response Allah revealed this verse: “You have no say in the matter, whether He turns to them in mercy or punishes them, for they are wrongdoers.” (Al Imran 3:128) The Messenger of Allah understood that he was being prohibited from invoking curses against them, so he left the matter to Allah. One of these three later became the great commander of Islam, one of Arabia’s foremost cunning diplomats, and the liberator of the people of Egypt: Hazrat Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him). (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul, p. 614)

Amr ibn al-As was the most enthusiastic member of the first group of Muslims to go to Abyssinia. He spoke with the king and various members of the royal court and made every possible effort to win them over to expel the Muslims from Abyssinia. He even delivered an inflammatory speech at the king’s court, accusing the Muslims of apostasy. But all his efforts failed.

In the Battle of the Trench, nearly all the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula joined forces with the Quraysh and appeared on the outskirts of Medina to annihilate the Muslims. Amr was again one of the leading men on the Quraysh side. After the Trench, something happened to him from somewhere, and even this staunch enemy of Islam underwent a change of heart. He began reflecting on Islam’s call and message. He himself said, “As a result of this reflection, the essence of Islam gradually became clear to me. Little by little I began distancing myself from opposition to the Muslims. When the Quraysh leaders realized this, they sent a man to me. He began arguing with me. I said to him, ‘Tell me, are we upon the truth, or are the Persians and Romans?’ He said, ‘We are.’ I asked, ‘Who possesses happiness, wealth, and prosperity—them or us?’ He said, ‘They do.’ I said, ‘If there is no life after this life, what benefit is our life based on truth? Even in this world we are in a more miserable condition than those who follow falsehood, and in the Hereafter there is no prospect of our receiving any reward. For this reason, Muhammad’s teaching—that after death there will be another world, where each person will receive the result of his deeds—seems entirely correct and acceptable to me.” After the Trench, he became fully convinced of the Messenger of Allah’s success. He understood that Islam had emerged in order to become victorious. This conviction encouraged him to accept Islam.

He said, “After returning to Mecca from the Battle of the Trench, I summoned my closest relatives and friends and told them, ‘Know that Muhammad’s message will prevail over all others—there is no doubt about this. I have a carefully considered opinion, and I want to know how you will receive it.’ I said, ‘Come, let us go and stay with the Negus. If Muhammad defeats us, we will remain with the Negus. If our people are victorious, then we are the superior nation, and in that case the Negus will treat us well.’ Everyone accepted my opinion. We then discussed what gift we could take for the Negus. The most valuable gift we had to offer was leather from our land. We took a quantity of leather and arrived in Abyssinia.”

As we were going to the Negus’s court, Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri also arrived there. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had sent him from Medina for a particular purpose to Hazrat Jafar ibn Abi Talib. Jafar ibn Abi Talib was still staying in Abyssinia. After a short while, Amr left the Negus’s court. We decided to ask the Negus to hand Amr over to us. If he responded to our request and handed him over, we would kill him. In this way the Quraysh would understand that we had taken revenge by killing Muhammad’s envoy. After making this decision, I entered the Negus’s court. I bowed to him according to custom and presented our gifts before him. He was very pleased with the gifts.

Then I said, “The person who has just left your court is an envoy of our bitterest enemy. If you hand him over to us, we will kill him.” At my request, the Negus exploded in anger. Seeing that matters had taken a serious turn, I humbly said, “Had I known that this request would anger you so greatly, I would not have made it.” The Negus said, “Do you want me to hand over to you for execution the envoy of the man to whom the ‘Greatest Namus’ has come—the same one who came to Moses (peace be upon him)?’ I said, ‘Is he truly such a person?’ He said, ‘Amr, your condition is truly pitiful. Listen to me: obey him. By Allah, he is indeed on the truth. He will triumph over his opponents, just as Moses triumphed over Pharaoh and his people and armies.’ I said, ‘Then accept my bay‘ah, my oath of allegiance, to him on his behalf.’ He extended his hand, and I pledged allegiance to Islam at his hand. I returned to my companions, but by then a revolution had taken place in my thinking. I revealed nothing of it to them.

I set out from Abyssinia to pledge allegiance at the hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). On the way, I met Khalid ibn al-Walid. He too was traveling from Makkah toward Madinah. I asked him, “Abu Sulayman, where are you going?” He replied, “By Allah, I am facing a grave trial. I am certain that this man is a Prophet. We should accept Islam without delay. How long will this hesitation and doubt continue?” I said, “I too am traveling for that very purpose.” Then the two of us went together to the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). As soon as he saw us both, his face shone with joy. Addressing the Companions, he said, “La-qad ramātkum Makkatu bi-falājati akbādihā”—“Makkah has cast its sharpest and most precious parts at you.” (Rijālun Hawla al-Rasūl)

First, Khalid ibn al-Walid pledged allegiance at the hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Then I came a little closer and said, “O Messenger of Allah! I too wish to pledge allegiance, but you must forgive all my previous sins.” He said, “Amr, pledge allegiance. Islam wipes away all sins committed before it, and emigration likewise erases all previous offenses.” I pledged allegiance at the hand of the Messenger of Allah and returned. This occurred at the beginning of the seventh year after the Hijrah, six months before the conquest of Khaybar. (Sīrat Ibn Hisham, vol. 2, pp. 276–278; al-Fath al-Rabbani, vol. 22; Musnad of Imam Ahmad; Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/157–160)

After accepting Islam, he returned to Makkah. After staying there for some time, he again migrated to Madinah. Amr ibn al-As was an extremist both before and after embracing Islam. Just as he had previously been determined to uproot Islam, after accepting Islam he was equally uncompromising regarding disbelief and polytheism. He said, “When I was a disbeliever, I was the greatest enemy of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Had I died then, Hell would have been my destination. After becoming Muslim, however, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) could never remain out of my sight.” After his acceptance of Islam, he took part in several battles, but little detail is known about his participation. History does record, however, that several small expeditions were conducted under his leadership.

Ibn Sa‘d says that after the conquest of Makkah, some people of Banu Quda‘ah united and planned to attack the Muslims. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent an army of three hundred mujahids against them under the command of Abu Ubaydah. He also sent an army of two hundred mujahids from Madinah to assist him, likewise under Abu Ubaydah’s command. Distinguished Companions such as Abu Bakr and Umar were also in this group. Together, they conducted the expedition under the leadership of Amr ibn al-As and defeated the enemy. In history, this expedition is known as the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil.

Most of the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula accepted Islam after the conquest of Makkah. Although some tribes embraced Islam, they could not rid themselves of superstitions nurtured over generations. They feared destroying idols and the centers of idol worship. Therefore, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent several forces in different directions to destroy these idols, so that the new Muslims’ hearts might be freed from idolatry. One such center was called Suwa‘. When the force reached it, the local people learned of its purpose and said, “You cannot destroy this center. It will defend itself.” Amr said, “Are you still drowning in such false beliefs and superstitions? How can something that can neither see nor hear defend itself?” He then completely destroyed the center. Seeing this, the faith of the local people grew stronger.

After the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent letters conveying the invitation to Islam to the kings and rulers around the Arabian Peninsula. The ruler of Oman accepted Islam upon receiving the letter. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed Amr as the wali of Oman. Amr remained in Oman until the death of the Messenger of Allah. (Futuh al-Buldan)

After Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became caliph, the fitnah and rebellion of false prophets and those who denied zakat raised their heads throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Amr ibn al-As was then in Oman. At the Caliph’s command, he proceeded from Oman toward Bahrain. On the way, he stayed as a guest of Qurrah ibn Hurayrah, the leader of Banu Amr. Qurrah treated him with great honor. At the time of departure, he said to Amr, “If zakat is collected, the Arabs will not accept anyone’s authority or leadership. If zakat collection is suspended, they will remain obedient and submissive. Therefore, zakat should be abolished.”

Amr said, “Qurrah, have you abandoned Islam? Are you trying to frighten me with the Arabs? By Allah, I will trample such people beneath horses’ hooves.” Later, Qurrah was brought to Madinah as a captive along with other rebels, and Amr secured his release. When Amr reached Madinah from Oman, Caliph Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him to suppress the rebellion of Banu Quda‘ah. Through his efforts, Banu Quda‘ah returned to Islam. When the rebellion had been suppressed, he returned to Oman.

In the thirteenth year after the Hijrah, Caliph Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent separate armies to various regions of Syria. He wrote to Amr, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed you wali of Oman, and therefore I sent you there a second time. Now I wish to entrust you with a responsibility that will benefit you in this world and the Hereafter.” In reply, Amr wrote, “I am one of Allah’s arrows, and you are a skilled archer. You have the right to shoot this arrow wherever you wish.” The Caliph removed him from Oman and appointed him to the Palestine sector.

The Muslim armies advanced into Syria from all directions. The Roman emperor sent separate armies to confront them. Eventually, the various Roman armies assembled at Ajnadayn. Amr ibn al-As advanced toward Ajnadayn from Palestine. Meanwhile, after completing the campaign in Busra, Khalid ibn al-Walid and Abu Ubaydah reached Ajnadayn to assist Amr. In the thirteenth year after the Hijrah, a fierce battle took place there between the Muslim and Roman armies. The Roman commander was killed, and the Romans suffered a humiliating defeat. At Ajnadayn, the Roman commander sent an Arab spy to gather information about the Muslim army. After touring the Muslim camp and observing it, the spy returned. The Roman commander asked him, “What news have you brought?” He revealed the truth, saying, “These people spend the night in worship and ride their horses on the battlefield by day. Even if their prince commits an offense, the law of the Shariah is enforced against him.” Hearing this, the commander remarked, “If they truly possess such qualities, then being buried in the earth is preferable to fighting them.”

Amr also took part in the campaign of Damascus with his two companions, Khalid and Abu Ubaydah, and was responsible for besieging Damascus’s Tuma Gate. After Damascus, the campaign of Fahl was conducted. In this campaign too, he successfully led a section of the Muslim army.

As a result of the Muslim army’s successive attacks, the Roman army continued to suffer humiliating defeats. Finally, at the Roman emperor’s command, the shattered Roman forces reorganized into a vast army of two hundred thousand men and assembled at a place called Yarmuk to offer the Muslims a final resistance. The Muslim army also reached Yarmuk under the leadership of Khalid, Amr, and Shurahbil ibn Hasanah. The Roman army, however, outnumbered the combined Muslim forces four to one. In this bloody battle of Yarmuk, Amr ibn al-As fought with extraordinary bravery and courage. The Roman army suffered a humiliating defeat, and the banner of Islam was raised high throughout Syria.

Even before Yarmuk, Amr ibn al-As had completed the campaigns to conquer parts of Palestine. After Yarmuk, he turned his attention to the campaign against Palestine’s largest city, Iliya, or Bayt al-Maqdis. He laid siege to Bayt al-Maqdis, and Abu Ubaydah also assisted him. He conquered Bayt al-Maqdis without any bloodshed. At the request of the people of Iliya, Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Madinah to Bayt al-Maqdis and concluded a historic treaty with them. Thus, for the first time, this glorious city came under Muslim rule.

In the very year Bayt al-Maqdis was conquered, a plague epidemic broke out throughout Syria, Iraq, and Egypt. Thousands of people fell victim to it. Amr ibn al-As advised the commander, Abu Ubaydah, to withdraw the troops from Syria and send them to a safe place. But Abu Ubaydah, who had profound faith in divine decree, rejected the advice. The plague eventually claimed his life as well. Before his death, he appointed Amr ibn al-As commander. Amr withdrew the army from the area afflicted by the plague.

After the conquest of Syria was completed, Amr sought Caliph Umar’s permission to campaign in Egypt. During the Age of Ignorance, Amr had traveled to Egypt for trade, and therefore he had experience of the country. Although the Caliph initially hesitated to grant his request, he ultimately gave permission. When Amr set out for Egypt with his small army, Caliph Umar sent a force under the leadership of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam to assist him.

Amr ibn al-As won successive victories in battles such as Babylon, al-Arish, Ayn Shams, and Fustat. He then requested Caliph Umar’s permission to advance toward Alexandria. After receiving permission, he entrusted responsibility for the conquered regions to Kharijah ibn Hudhafah and set out on the campaign to Alexandria. He besieged Alexandria. The forces of al-Muqawqis and the city’s inhabitants took refuge in fortified citadels and offered resistance. From time to time, they would come out of the citadels to launch surprise attacks and then return. Nearly two years passed in this state. Caliph Umar became concerned. He wrote to Amr, “You have been sitting in siege for two years, yet no result has appeared. It seems that, like the Romans, you too have become absorbed in luxury and pleasure and have forgotten your responsibilities and duties. When this letter reaches you, call the people together, deliver a sermon before them about jihad, and read my letter aloud to them. Then attack the enemy forces on Friday.”

In accordance with the Caliph’s instruction, he attacked the enemy forces, and within a very short time Alexandria came under the control of the Muslim army. He sent Mu‘awiyah ibn Hudayj to Madinah to convey the news of this victory to the Caliph. When Mu‘awiyah reached Madinah, it was afternoon. He went straight to the Prophet’s Mosque. When the Caliph heard of this, he immediately summoned him and asked, “Why did you go straight to the mosque instead of coming to my house?” Mu‘awiyah said, “I assumed that this was your time of rest.” The Caliph said, “Could I sleep during the day and thereby ruin my subjects?”

After the conquest of Alexandria, he conquered Barqah, Zuwailah, Tripoli, al-Maghrib, Sabra, and other regions one after another. After the conquest of Tripoli, he sent the Caliph the good news through a messenger. Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria were only nine days away from there. He requested permission from the Caliph to campaign in those regions. Concerned about maintaining peace and order in the conquered territories, the Caliph instructed him to suspend the campaign in western Africa. Thus, Amr ibn al-As’s African campaign came to an end.

After the conquest of Egypt was completed, Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him wali of Egypt. A short while later, Umar was martyred. Caliph Uthman also retained Amr in his former post. At this time, the people of Alexandria rebelled at Roman instigation. Amr ibn al-As suppressed the rebellion with great severity and, fearing future rebellions, demolished the defensive walls of Alexandria.

In the twenty-sixth year after the Hijrah, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) removed him from the post of wali of Egypt. al-Tabari says that Caliph Uthman would not remove anyone without a specific accusation against him. It is said that the reason for his removal was that, despite Egypt’s great fertility, the expected revenue was not collected during Amr’s tenure. This accusation had been made against him since the time of Umar, who had also written him a letter about it. The same accusation was made against him during Uthman’s caliphate. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to him about the matter, and Amr replied, “A cow cannot give more milk than it is capable of.” After this reply, Uthman relieved him of responsibility for the revenue and entrusted it to Abd Allah ibn Sa‘d. From then on, a disagreement arose between Amr and Abd Allah, and Egypt’s administration became largely paralyzed. In these circumstances, Uthman removed Amr and appointed Abd Allah wali of Egypt. (al-Tabari, Ibn al-Athir) According to another account, Amr was removed before the Alexandrian rebellion. When the rebellion broke out, Caliph Uthman appointed him to suppress it. After the rebellion was crushed, the Caliph wanted to assign him responsibility only for defense matters. He rejected this proposal, saying, “I will hold the horns while he milks the cow”—that cannot be. According to this account, he was removed in the twenty-fifth year after the Hijrah.

After being removed from the post of wali of Egypt, Amr ibn al-As came to Madinah. He became somewhat displeased with Uthman. After arriving in Madinah, he spoke with the Caliph, and this displeasure was apparent in their conversation. When he spoke with the Caliph, the revenue sent from Egypt had already reached him. It was greater than the revenue sent during Amr ibn al-As’s administration. The Caliph said, “Look, the cow has given more milk.” Amr immediately replied, “Yes, but the calf will remain hungry.” Even after this incident, Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) remained, as before, a well-wisher and loyal adviser of Caliph Uthman. When the rebels from Egypt reached Madinah, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Amr to reason with them. Using his former influence, he sent the rebels back. Moreover, whenever any problem arose before Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), he consulted Amr ibn al-As. Amr gave advice with great sincerity. When the conspiracy against Caliph Uthman reached its peak, he called a meeting of the shura council. Amr ibn al-As was one of its leading members. After consulting the shura, the Caliph specifically asked Amr for his opinion. He advised the Caliph to follow the footsteps of his two predecessors, Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them): to be gentle when necessary and firm when necessary.

After being removed from the post of wali of Egypt, he essentially withdrew from politics and went to live in Palestine. He did, however, travel to Madinah from time to time. When Caliph Uthman was besieged by the rebels, Amr ibn al-As was in Madinah. When he saw that the rebellion was beyond control, he left Madinah, saying, “Allah will disgrace whoever has a hand in Uthman’s murder, and whoever cannot help him should leave Madinah.” He left Madinah and went to Syria, but always kept informed about Madinah through messengers. Then Uthman was martyred and the Battle of the Camel took place, but Amr did not come out of his seclusion in Syria. He became involved in nothing.

A dispute began between Ali and Mu‘awiyah. Ali demanded allegiance from Mu‘awiyah. Mu‘awiyah consulted Amr ibn al-As. It is reported that Amr initially told Mu‘awiyah, “Under no circumstances will the Muslim ummah grant you the rank of Ali.” But later it became clear that in this conflict Amr ibn al-As fully sided with Mu‘awiyah. In the battle fought between the two sides at Siffin, Amr was the commander of Mu‘awiyah’s (may Allah be pleased with him) army. On Amr’s advice, when defeat was imminent, Mu‘awiyah hung Qur’ans on the tips of spears and proposed arbitration to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), compelling him to declare a truce. Thereafter, a two-member arbitration board was formed to resolve the dispute. Amr ibn al-As was Mu‘awiyah’s nominee, while Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) was Ali’s nominee.

After lengthy discussions on the matter, Amr and Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari came to Dumat al-Jandal to announce their decision. At the moment of the announcement, however, Amr departed from the earlier decision and, through a diplomatic maneuver, declared Mu‘awiyah caliph. At the same time, he induced his opponent, Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him), to announce Ali’s dismissal as well.

The possibility of resolving the self-destructive conflict within the Muslim ummah that had emerged through the formation of the arbitration board failed, according to historians, because of Amr’s political maneuvering. Conflict and war began again between the two sides. Amr invaded Egypt, defeated and killed Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, the governor of Egypt appointed by Ali, and took control of Egypt.

Then some members of the extremist Kharijite sect decided that, since the main cause of the Muslim ummah’s division was three men—Ali, Mu‘awiyah, and Amr—they must be removed from the world. Ibn Muljam, Barka ibn Abd Allah, and Amr ibn Bakr al-Tamimi were assigned this task. In accordance with the plan, on the appointed day and at the appointed time, they attacked the three men at different locations. Ali was martyred, while Mu‘awiyah survived with minor injuries. As Amr was ill, Kharijah ibn Hudhafah had gone out to lead the prayer in his place. The assassin mistook him for Amr ibn al-As, struck him, and killed him. Thus Amr also survived.

Amir Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Amr wali of Egypt. During his tenure as wali, some misunderstanding arose between him and Amir Mu‘awiyah, but through the mediation of a third party, an agreement was concluded between them, and he remained in the post of wali of Egypt. While serving as wali of Egypt, he fell ill in the forty-third year after the Hijrah—or, according to another view, in the forty-seventh or fifty-first year—and gave up hope of life. During the final days of his life, he was intensely tormented by remorse for his past mistakes.

When he was on his deathbed, Ibn Abbas came to visit him. After exchanging greetings, he asked, “Abu Abd Allah, how are you?” Amr replied, “About what are you asking? My worldly life has been built, but my religion has been ruined. Had it been the opposite, I am certain I would have succeeded. If the desire of my final life could bear fruit, I would certainly wish for it. If there were a way to flee and save myself, I would flee. But now I am suspended between heaven and earth like a mangonel stone. I can neither rise with my hands nor descend with my feet. Nephew, offer me some advice that may benefit me.” Ibn Abbas said, “Alas! Where is there time for that now? This nephew has grown old and has become your brother. If you ask me to weep now, I can weep.” Amr said, “I am now more than eighty years old, and you are making me despair of Allah’s mercy. O Allah, this Ibn Abbas is making me despair of Your mercy. Give me now the punishment by which You will be pleased.” Ibn Abbas said, “Abu Abd Allah, what you took was new, while what you are giving is old.” Amr said, “Ibn Abbas, what has happened to you? I say one thing, and you say the opposite?” (al-Isti‘ab)

Abd al-Rahman ibn Shammāsah says that he went to visit Amr ibn al-As on his deathbed. Amr turned toward the wall and began to weep. His son Abd Allah said, “Father, why are you crying? Did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) not give you such-and-such glad tidings?” He replied, “My finest possession is the testimony of La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah. Three periods of my life have passed. One period passed when I was a staunch enemy. My greatest desire was to kill the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) by any means. Then the second period of my life began. I accepted Islam by pledging allegiance at the hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). At that time, no person was dearer or more honored to me than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Because of my profound respect and awe, I could not look directly at him. If someone were now to ask me what his blessed face looked like, I could tell him nothing. Had I died then, I would have hoped for Paradise. Then came the third period of my life. During this time, I did various things, and I do not know what my condition will now be. When I die, let not the mourners accompany my funeral. At burial, let the earth be placed over me gradually. After the burial, remain beside my grave for as long as it takes to slaughter an animal and distribute its meat. Thus, in your presence, I may become familiar with the grave and prepare the answers to the questions of Allah’s Messenger.” (Muslim, Kitab al-Iman)

He instructed his son Abd Allah about how he should be buried after death. Then he became absorbed in remembrance and began saying, “O Allah, You commanded, but I disobeyed; You prohibited, but I disobeyed. I am not innocent enough to offer an excuse, nor am I powerful enough to prevail.” Then, reciting La ilaha illallah, he breathed his last. Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return. On the first of Shawwal in the forty-third year after the Hijrah, after the Eid al-Fitr prayer, his son Abd Allah led his funeral prayer. He was buried at a place in Egypt called al-Muqattam. His grave, beside Egypt’s first mosque, the Jami‘ Amr ibn al-As, which he built with his own hands, is still identifiable today. He was ninety years old at the time of his death.

After accepting Islam, most of Hazrat Amr ibn al-As’s life was spent on the field of jihad. For this reason, he had little time or opportunity to acquire and pursue knowledge. He experienced special joy and relish in reciting the Qur’an and recited it most beautifully. Although his life was spent on the field of jihad, he used whatever time he had to improve in knowledge and practice through the companionship of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He narrated thirty-nine hadiths, or sayings, of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Of these, three are muttafaq ‘alayh, narrated by both al-Bukhari and Muslim, while three were narrated exclusively by Muslim. Many Companions and Successors narrated hadiths from him.

Despite his involvement in jihad, Hazrat Amr ibn al-As also fulfilled the responsibility of teaching and delivering sermons and admonition. After the victory in the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil, he remained there to teach and train the new Muslims. After the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when some people’s attraction to the world increased, he urged people in his speeches to follow the example of the Messenger of Allah.

He also appreciated literature and was the finest prose writer of his age. Expressing profound ideas in few words, using beautiful similes, and adorning sentences and ideas were distinctive features of his writing. Many examples of his literary work have been preserved in historical books. In particular, during ‘Am al-Ramadah—the year in which a severe famine struck Arabia—Caliph Umar wrote to Amr, who was then in Egypt, instructing him to send grain, and Amr’s reply has been preserved as an outstanding example of literature. His eloquence also appeared in his sermons, letters, and various other writings.

A review of the entire life of Hazrat Amr ibn al-As shows that he passed through various stages of trial. He was not equally successful in all of them. In particular, a rational justification for some events in the final period of his life as a Companion cannot readily be found. The imams of the Islamic ummah have judged these roles in the final period of his life to be errors of ijtihad. Yet, apart from some controversial events of that period, like the other Companions, the companionship of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made his life as a whole pure and beautiful, like a flower.

The Messenger of Allah (SA) himself acknowledged the strength of faith of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (RA). He said, “People have accepted Islam, whereas ‘Amr ibn al-‘As has brought faith.” On another occasion he said, “The two sons of ‘As—Hisham and ‘Amr—have brought faith.” (Musnad Imam Ahmad) The truth of this statement becomes clear from an incident in his life. Once, the Noble Messenger (SA) sent word that ‘Amr should appear immediately, dressed and armed. ‘Amr appeared at once as instructed. The Messenger of Allah (SA) had performed ablution and looked up at him. Then lowering his gaze, he said, “I wish to appoint you as a commander and send you on a mission. God willing, you will remain safe and gain abundant spoils. You will also receive a share of those spoils.” ‘Amr immediately said, “O Messenger of Allah (SA), I did not accept Islam out of greed for wealth; rather, I accepted it from the pull of my heart.” The Messenger (SA) said, “Pure wealth is best for the truthful.” On another occasion the Messenger of Allah (SA) said, “‘Amr ibn al-‘As is one of the righteous men of Quraysh.” (Musnad Ahmad)

One day he was sitting in the shade of the Ka‘bah wall, teaching people hadith. He said, “The Messenger of Allah (SA) said: ‘Whoever has sincerely pledged allegiance to an imam should support him with all his strength.’” ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd Kabah, the narrator of this hadith, asked, “Did you hear this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (SA) himself?” Pointing to his ears and heart, ‘Amr said, “These two ears of mine heard it, and my heart preserved it.” Then ‘Abd al-Rahman said, “Your cousin Mu‘awiyah orders us to consume one another’s wealth unlawfully and to take lives unjustly.” Hearing this, ‘Amr remained silent. Then he said, “Obey whatever does not involve disobedience to Allah, and do not obey whatever involves disobedience.” This shows that he was truthful by nature.

The Noble Messenger (SA) loved ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (RA) for his work. Hasan (RA) said that a man asked ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, “Is a man whom the Messenger of Allah (SA) loved until his last breath not of good character?” He replied, “Who can doubt his good fortune?” The man said, “The Messenger of Allah (SA) loved you until his last breath.”

In knowledge, intelligence, and political wisdom, he was one of the foremost men of contemporary Arabia. Imam al-Sha‘bi used to say, “There were four diplomats in Islamic Arabia, and ‘Amr ibn al-‘As was one of them.” (Al-Isabah) In diplomacy, only Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah (RA) was his equal. His physique, conduct, and speech clearly showed that he had been born for leadership. It is reported that one day, when the Commander of the Believers, ‘Umar (RA), saw him approaching, he first smiled slightly and then said, “Abu ‘Abdullah should not walk upon the earth except as an amir or leader.” (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul, p. 618)

The Messenger of Allah (SA) acknowledged the soundness of his judgment. The Messenger (SA) told him, “You possess sound judgment in Islam.” (Kanz al-‘Ummal) When the great Faruq, ‘Umar (RA), saw a dull-witted person, he would say in amazement, “The Creator of this man and the creator of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As are the same Being!” (Al-Isabah)

Because of ‘Amr’s boundless intelligence and daring, the Noble Messenger (SA) entrusted him with many important expeditions. On some occasions he was appointed commander over Companions of such high rank as Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and Abu ‘Ubaydah (RA). Indeed, at every difficult moment faced by the Muslim ummah, he demonstrated the ability and intelligence of a commander or leader. Recognizing his competence, the discerning ruler ‘Umar (RA) appointed him governor of Palestine, Jordan, and then Egypt, and kept him in that position until the final day of his caliphate.

History refers to him as the “Fathih of Egypt”—the conqueror of Egypt. But he was not a conqueror in the sense implied by that word. In reality, he was the liberator of the Egyptians. He freed the people of Egypt from the Romans’ centuries-old slavery and chains and paved the way for the Islamic call throughout Africa.

Jihad in the path of Allah was a glorious chapter in the life of ‘Amr (RA). He stood alongside the renowned commander Khalid ibn al-Walid (RA) in every battle. He himself said that from the beginning, on the battlefield, the Messenger (SA) considered no one equal to Khalid and him. (Mustadrak) Whenever there was any possibility of danger in Madinah, he immediately drew his sword and stood ready. Once, for some reason, panic spread through Madinah. Salim, the freedman of Abu Hudhayfah, stood in the mosque of Madinah with a sword in his hand. ‘Amr also drew his sword and stood beside him. Later, during a sermon, the Noble Messenger (SA) said, “Why do you not seek the protection of Allah and His Messenger, and why do you not take ‘Amr and Salim as models?” (Al-Isabah)

‘Amr ibn al-‘As (RA) was extremely generous. He spent freely in the path of Allah. The Messenger of God (SA) himself acknowledged this more than once. ‘Alqamah ibn Ramthah al-Balawi narrated: The Messenger of Allah (SA) sent ‘Amr with an army to Bahrain, while he himself set out on another expedition. I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (SA) on that expedition. One day the Messenger (SA) became somewhat drowsy. When he awoke, he said, “May Allah have mercy on ‘Amr.” Those among us who bore this name each thought of the person they knew. He fell asleep a second and a third time, and each time, upon awakening, said the same words. We became impatient and asked, “Which ‘Amr are you referring to?” He said, “‘Amr ibn al-‘As.” We asked the reason. He said, “I remembered the time when I asked people for charity, and he brought a great deal of charity. When I asked him where he had obtained so much charity, he replied, ‘Allah has given it.’” On another occasion the Messenger (SA) said three times, “O Allah, forgive ‘Amr ibn al-‘As. When I asked him to give charity, he came bringing charity.”

Khalid ibn al-Walid (RA)

His name was Abu Sulayman Khalid, and his title was Sayf Allah (the Sword of Allah). His father was al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, and his mother was Lubabah al-Sughra, sister of Lubabah al-Kubra, the wife of the Mother of the Believers, Maymunah bint al-Harith, and of al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. The Messenger of Allah (SA) and al-‘Abbas (RA) were his maternal uncles. (Usd al-Ghabah, 2/93)

His family was among the most distinguished of the Quraysh in pre-Islamic Arabia. Two responsibilities, qubbah and ‘ayninnah—the management of the army and military camps—belonged to his family. At the rise of Islam, Khalid held these offices. (Al-Isti‘ab, 1/157) Just before the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, Khalid led the Quraysh party that had departed Makkah to observe the Muslims’ movements. At the Battle of Uhud, he fought the Muslim army bravely and turned the certain defeat of the polytheist army of Makkah into victory.

There are various reports concerning when Khalid accepted Islam. However, it is most widely held that he accepted Islam shortly before the conquest of Makkah.

‘Amr ibn al-‘As (RA) was traveling from Abyssinia to Madinah to accept Islam. On the way, he met another caravan heading toward Madinah. They too were traveling there for the same purpose. Khalid was with this second group. ‘Amr ibn al-‘As asked Khalid, “Where are you going?” Khalid replied, “By Allah, I am certain that this man is a prophet. How long will this continue? Come, let us go and accept Islam.” (Al-Isabah, 1/413; Musnad Ahmad) He arrived in Madinah and presented himself before the Messenger of Allah (SA). Khalid pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (SA) first, followed by ‘Amr ibn al-‘As. ‘Amr returned to Makkah, but Khalid remained in Madinah.

Khalid said, “After I accepted Islam, the Messenger of Allah (SA) told me, ‘I had seen signs of intelligence in you, and I hoped that this intelligence would ultimately lead you to goodness and well-being.’” Khalid said, “When I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, I asked him to pray that Allah forgive all the sins I had committed by obstructing the path of Allah. The Messenger (SA) said, ‘Islam erases all sins of the past.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I pledge allegiance on this very basis.’ He said, ‘O Allah, forgive all the offenses he committed by obstructing Your path.’” (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul, 284–285)

After he accepted Islam, the Messenger of Allah (SA) retained him in the hereditary military office he had held before Islam and employed his services. (Usd al-Ghabah, 2/93) Before Islam, he had been a bitter enemy of the Muslims; after accepting Islam, he became a formidable danger to the polytheists. In numerous battles, his sword shattered the unity of the polytheists.

After accepting Islam, Khalid (RA) first took part in the expedition of Mu’tah. As part of his missionary activities, the Messenger of Allah (SA) sent al-Harith ibn ‘Umayr al-Azdi with a letter to the ruler of Busra. Shurahbil ibn ‘Amr al-Ghassani killed al-Harith at a place called Mu’tah. To avenge this incident, the Messenger of Allah (SA) sent an army of two thousand soldiers under the command of Zayd ibn Harithah. The opposing Roman army numbered approximately two hundred thousand. Before Zayd ibn Harithah’s army departed from Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (SA) instructed them, “If Zayd is martyred in battle, Ja‘far will lead; if Ja‘far is martyred, ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah will lead. And if ‘Abdullah is also martyred, appoint one of your own as commander.”

They were three: Zayd, Ja‘far, and ‘Abdullah. They were the three heroes of the Mu’tah expedition in Syria. In this unequal battle, they displayed unparalleled bravery and courage and were martyred one after another. Finally, Khalid assumed command. After the successive martyrdoms of the three commanders, the Muslim army lost heart. Although Khalid could not defeat the enemy army, he rescued the Muslim army from destruction.

The Noble Messenger (SA) announced the martyrdom of the three commanders mentioned above and Khalid’s assumption of command in Madinah as follows:

“Zayd ibn Harithah took the banner and fought the enemy until he was martyred. Then Ja‘far took up the banner, fought, and was martyred. Then ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah took the banner and was also martyred. Thereafter, one of the swords of Allah took up the banner, and Allah granted victory through his hands.” (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul, 286) In this way he acquired the title Sayf Allah—the Sword of Allah. There are, however, differing views about the circumstances or time when he received this title. Another narration states that the Noble Messenger (SA) was staying at a certain place. Whenever someone passed by, he would ask, “Who is that?” The reply would be, “So-and-so.” At one point Khalid passed by. The Messenger (SA) asked, “Who is that?” He was told, “Khalid.” He said, “How excellent is Khalid, the servant of Allah. He is one of the swords of Allah.” This occurred after Mu’tah. (Usd al-Ghabah, 2/94; Al-Isabah, 1/413)

Khalid had joined the Mu’tah expedition as an ordinary soldier under the three commanders Zayd, Ja‘far, and ‘Abdullah. When the last of these three was martyred, Thabit ibn Aqram ran to the banner and held it aloft in his right hand so that no disorder would arise among the Muslim army. Holding the banner, he ran to Khalid and said, “Take the banner, O Abu Sulayman.” He knew very well that a new Muslim like Khalid had no right to lead an army that included the earliest Muhajirun and Ansar. With great respect, he said to Thabit ibn Aqram, “No, I cannot take the banner. You are the most deserving of it. You are senior in age and a Badri—that is, one who participated in the Battle of Badr.” Thabit replied, “Take it; you are more skilled than I am in warfare. I have raised this banner for you.” Then Thabit (RA) addressed the Muslim army and asked, “Are you willing to accept Khalid’s leadership?” They replied in unison, “Yes, we are willing.” (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul, 286–287) Khalid said, “In the Battle of Mu’tah, seven swords broke in my hand. In the end, one Yemeni sword remained intact.” (Usd al-Ghabah, 2/94)

He accompanied the Messenger of Allah (SA) during the conquest of Makkah. The Messenger (SA) placed him in charge of the right wing of the Muslim army. Although Makkah was conquered without bloodshed, several polytheists were killed by Khalid that day. He was entering Makkah from the direction of Qud’ar when he encountered a group of Makkan polytheists on the way. The polytheists began shooting arrows, and he responded by shooting arrows at them. Several polytheists were killed. For this, he had to account for his actions before the Messenger of Allah (SA). When the Messenger (SA) learned that the polytheists had launched the first attack, he accepted it as Allah’s will and remained silent.

He took part in the expedition of Hunayn. The Muslim army consisted of twelve thousand soldiers. The Noble Messenger (SA) divided the entire army into several tribal divisions. The Banu Sulaym tribe was at the forefront of the entire army, and its commanding officer was Khalid. He displayed tremendous courage and bravery in this battle and was wounded in several places on his body. The Messenger of Allah (SA) came to see him, blew over his wounds, and he quickly recovered. (Usd al-Ghabah, 2/95) In the expedition of Ta’if, Khalid was the commanding officer of the advance forces. He also participated in the expedition of Tabuk in the ninth year after the Hijrah. In this battle, the Messenger (SA) sent him with four hundred soldiers against Ukaidir ibn ‘Abd al-Malik, chief of Dumat al-Jandal. Khalid killed Ukaidir’s brother, captured Ukaidir, and brought him before the Messenger of Allah (SA).

In the ninth year after the Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah (SA) sent Khalid to the Banu Jadhimah tribe for missionary work. The Banu Jadhimah accepted Islam through Khalid’s invitation. However, because they unintentionally failed to express their acceptance in the proper words, Khalid misunderstood them. He ordered an attack, and many members of the tribe were killed or wounded. When the Messenger of Allah (SA) learned of the matter, he was deeply grieved. He raised his hands and prayed, “O Allah, I am completely free of responsibility for what Khalid has done.” He then sent ‘Ali and paid full compensation to them, even compensating them for their dogs that had been killed. (Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi; Usd al-Ghabah, 2/94)

After this incident, when Khalid returned to Madinah, a dispute arose between him and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf. At one point Khalid insulted ‘Abd al-Rahman. When the matter reached the ears of the Messenger of Allah (SA), he became angry and said to Khalid, “Do not insult my Companions. Even if one of you spends gold equal to the mountain of Uhud, he will never equal even a mudd—or half a mudd—of what they spent.” (Usd al-Ghabah, 2/95)

In the tenth year after the Hijrah, the Noble Messenger (SA) sent Khalid to the Banu ‘Abd al-Maddan tribe of Najran to invite them to Islam. Since Khalid had made a serious mistake by deciding hastily in the case of Banu Jadhimah, the Messenger (SA) gave him special instructions before his departure: “You will only invite them to Islam; under no circumstances will you raise the sword.” He followed these instructions to the letter. Through his invitation, the entire Banu ‘Abd al-Maddan tribe accepted Islam. Thus, for the first time, a soldier of the battlefield emerged as a true da‘i of Islam—a caller to Islam. He taught and trained all these new Muslims and brought them with him to the court of the Messenger of Allah (SA). In the same year, ‘Ali and Khalid (RA) were sent to convey the invitation of Islam to the people of Yemen. In response to their invitation, the people of Yemen accepted Islam.

One of the centers of idol worship among the Quraysh of pre-Islamic Arabia was al-‘Uzza. The Messenger of Allah (SA) sent Khalid to destroy the shrine. Upon reaching it, he demolished it while reciting these lines: “O ‘Uzza, you are not sacred; we reject you. I have seen that Allah has humiliated you.” (Usd al-Ghabah, 2/94)

With the death of the Noble Messenger (SA), a dangerous fitnah of apostates, false claimants to prophethood, and those who refused to pay zakat arose throughout the Arabian Peninsula. To crush these troublemakers, Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) prepared an army and mounted his horse to set out himself. However, the eminent Companions felt that the caliph should remain in Madinah, the seat of the caliphate, at that time. ‘Ali (RA) seized the reins of the caliph’s horse and asked, “Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, where are you going? I am saying to you what the Messenger of Allah (SA) told you on the day of Uhud: ‘O Abu Bakr, your sword has become unrestrained; do not cause us pain through yourself.’” The caliph abandoned his decision and remained in Madinah. He divided the entire army into eleven units and placed Khalid in charge of one of them. When sending Khalid away from Madinah, he said to him, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say concerning you: ‘Khalid is a sword of Allah, which Allah has unsheathed against the unbelievers and hypocrites. How excellent a servant of Allah Khalid is, and how excellent a brother of his tribe.’” (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul, 291)

Khalid set out from Madinah with his army. Before every expedition he would instruct his army: “Do not mistreat the farmers. Let them remain safe. However, if any of them comes out to fight against you, fight them.”

Khalid led an expedition against the false prophet Tulayhah. Fierce fighting was under way, and in every clash Tulayhah’s followers were being defeated. One day Tulayhah asked his close associates, “Why are we suffering such defeats?” They replied, “Because each of us wants his companion to die before him. On the other hand, every one of those we are fighting wants to die before his companion.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/693) Khalid killed Tulayhah’s companions and captured thirty of them and sent them to Madinah. He also led an expedition against Musaylimah al-Kadhdhab. The false prophet Musaylimah was killed by Wahshi, the man who had killed Hamzah (RA).

After eliminating the fitnah of the false prophets, Khalid advanced against those who refused to pay zakat and the apostates—those who had abandoned Islam. He first attacked the tribes of Asad and Ghatafan. Some of them were killed, some were captured, and the rest repented and returned to Islam. (Tarikh al-Khulafa, al-Suyuti, p. 72) Khalid was at the forefront of all the expeditions conducted against the apostates. Al-Tabari said, “All the victories achieved in the campaigns against the apostates were due to Khalid and the others.”

After suppressing the internal disorder, Khalid advanced toward Iraq. In the battles of Mazar, Qaysar, ‘Ayn al-Tamr, Amghishiyya, Hirah, Anbar, Aytayn Tamar, Dumat al-Jandal, Hasid, Khanafis, Sana, Bishr, Firad, and others, he displayed unparalleled courage and strategy and subdued the whole of Iraq. Khalid’s final battle with the Iraqis took place at Firad. The Muslim army stood on one bank of the Euphrates and the combined Iraqi army on the other. The Iraqis proposed, “Either cross over to this side, or give us the opportunity to cross to your side.” Khalid agreed and allowed them to cross. A fierce clash began between the two sides. The Muslim army surrounded the enemy on three sides. Behind them was the turbulent, wave-tossed Euphrates. They had no option but to drown if they retreated or fall beneath the swords of the Muslim soldiers if they advanced. Khalid trapped and crushed the entire enemy army in such a vice. After this battle, Khalid secretly went to perform Hajj.

While Khalid was fighting in Iraq, another Muslim army was engaged in conflict in Syria. As soon as Khalid’s campaign in Iraq ended, he received orders from the caliph’s court to join the army stationed in Syria. Khalid arrived at Busra from Iraq. The Islamic army had already been awaiting him there. As soon as he arrived, Khalid attacked Busra. The people of Busra saved their lives by concluding a peace treaty.

After completing the campaign at Busra, Khalid and Abu ‘Ubaydah reached Ajnadayn. ‘Amr ibn al-‘As had already been stationed there. A fierce battle took place in the thirteenth year after the Hijrah. Ajnadayn fell under Khalid’s control.

The Muslim army, under the command of General Abu ‘Ubaydah, had besieged Damascus from four directions. Khalid was placed in charge of one side. Even after three months of siege, no result was forthcoming. At that time, a son was born to the priest of Damascus. The city’s inhabitants drank wine and became absorbed in celebration of the birth. During wartime, Khalid scarcely slept at night. He remained busy at night with military arrangements and gathering information about the enemy. He learned of the condition of the people of Damascus and immediately decided to instruct his forces to rush to the city gate and attack as soon as they heard the takbir. Meanwhile, he selected several distinguished soldiers and entered the city with their help by means of ropes. They suddenly killed the gate guard, broke the lock, and began calling the takbir. As soon as the soldiers waiting outside heard the takbir, they entered together. The inhabitants were unconscious with sleep. Terrified by this surprise attack, they quickly decided to propose a treaty to General Abu ‘Ubaydah and opened the other gates of the city wall with their own hands. On one side Khalid entered as a victor, while on the other Abu ‘Ubaydah concluded a peace treaty. Although half the city had been taken by force, Abu ‘Ubaydah treated all the inhabitants equally in accordance with the terms of the treaty. (Tarikh Ibn al-Athir, 6/329)

Khalid also took part in the Battle of Fahl. In this battle he was commander of the advance forces. The Romans suffered a miserable defeat. After Fahl, Khalid and Abu ‘Ubaydah advanced toward Hims. At that time, Yazid ibn Abu Sufyan was responsible for the administration of Damascus. The Romans again began plotting to seize Damascus. Yazid resisted them. Fierce fighting was under way when Khalid suddenly appeared from the rear like a comet. Except for a small number of Roman soldiers, all were killed by Khalid’s army.

After hearing of the Roman army’s defeats on various fronts in Syria, the Roman ruler there eventually expressed a desire to conclude a peace treaty with the Muslims. But his councilors incited him to war, saying, “We will certainly prevent Abu Bakr’s cavalry from entering our land.” Under the leadership of General Mahan, they assembled a vast army of two hundred and forty thousand at Yarmuk. Their priests also emerged from seclusion and stirred the people in the name of religion. When Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) heard this, he remarked, “By Allah, I shall cure this provocation of their passions through Khalid.” Yes, on that day Khalid was the decisive remedy for the Romans’ great disease.

When Khalid arrived on the battlefield, he saw that the various commanders of the Muslim army were each directing their own soldiers separately. He delivered a brief address to the Muslim fighters. After praising Allah and His Messenger, he said: “Today is one of Allah’s days. There should be no pride or arrogance on this day. Be sincere in your jihad, and seek Allah’s pleasure through your deeds. Come, let us share the command. Let some of us be commanders today, some tomorrow, and some the day after tomorrow. In this way, all of you will become commanders. Leave this day to me.” Everyone accepted the proposal. (Rijalun Hawla al-Rasul, 295) He appointed one officer over each of the army’s thirty-eight—or thirty-six—divisions. That day he arranged the Muslim army in a manner the Arabs had never seen before.

After the Muslim army had taken up its respective positions at Yarmuk, Hazrat Khalid called the women and, for the first time, placed swords in their hands, instructing them: “Take up positions behind the Muslim mujahids. If you see anyone fleeing and retreating, kill him with these swords.” (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul, p. 295)

Amid these preparations, a Muslim mujahid said in a despairing voice, “How numerous the Romans are, and how few we are!” Khalid told him, “You are not correct. Rather, say that the Romans are few and the Muslims are many—not in terms of numbers. Armies increase through victory and decrease through defeat. By Allah, if my horse’s hoof had been sound, I would not have cared about their numerical superiority.” (Tarikh al-Ummah al-Islamiyyah, 1/193) It should be noted that, during the long journey, the hoof of Hazrat Khalid’s horse, ‘Askar, had been injured.

Just before the Battle of Yarmuk began, the Roman commander Mahan sent word through a messenger that he wished to speak directly with Khalid. Khalid agreed. The two commanders met face-to-face in the field between the two armies. The Roman commander said to Khalid, “We have learned that harsh labor and hunger drove you from your homeland and brought you here. If you wish, we can give each of you ten dinars, a suit of clothing, and some food. In return, you will go back home. Next year I will send similar things to you as well.” Khalid understood the insult concealed in the Roman commander’s words. Grinding his teeth in anger, he hurled back an appropriate reply: “Hunger did not drive us from our homeland and bring us here, as you said. Rather, we are a bloodthirsty people. We have learned that there is supposedly no blood on earth more alluring and sacred than Roman blood. So we have come out of desire for that blood.” Having flung these words at him, the great warrior Khalid tugged at his horse’s reins and returned straight to his army. Then, proclaiming ‘Allahu Akbar, Hayya Riyahal Jannah,’ he announced the beginning of the battle.

The Roman army advanced with such terrifying force that the Arabs had never seen anything like it. Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl and Qaqa ibn Amr were responsible for the center of the Muslim army. Khalid ordered them to attack. Reciting lines of poetry, the two of them threw themselves upon the enemy forces. A full-scale battle began. Khalid ordered his entire army to attack. He penetrated the center of the Roman cavalry and infantry. Wherever he went, the Roman army was torn apart. Fierce fighting continued for an entire day and night. The next morning, Khalid was seen atop the Roman commander’s platform. According to al-Tabari, besides those killed on the battlefield, one hundred and twenty thousand Roman soldiers among those fleeing to the rear drowned in the Jordan River.

The battle was over. The next morning, Ikrimah and his son Amr ibn Ikrimah were found covered in wounds. Khalid placed Ikrimah’s head on his thigh and Amr’s head on his shin, stroked their heads, and dripped water into their mouths while saying, “Ibn al-Khattab”—that is, Umar—thought that we did not know how to attain martyrdom. Never!” Three thousand Muslim soldiers attained martyrdom in this battle. (Tarikh al-Ummah al-Islamiyyah, 1/193)

The extent to which Khalid ibn al-Walid’s personality influenced the Roman army can be understood from various incidents. The Battle of Yarmuk was underway. At one stage of the battle, a commander of the Roman army named Jarjah emerged from his camp. He wanted to speak directly with Khalid. Khalid gave him the time and opportunity. Jarjah said, “Khalid, tell me the truth; do not lie. A free and noble man does not lie. Did Allah give your Prophet a sword from heaven, which he gave to you, and has everyone against whom that sword was raised been defeated?”

Khalid: No.

Jarjah: Then why are you called ‘the Sword of Allah’?

Khalid: Allah sent His Messenger among us. Some of us believed in him, and some did not. At first, I belonged to the latter group. Then Allah turned my heart. I believed in His Messenger and pledged allegiance to him. The Messenger prayed for me. He told me, “You are one of Allah’s swords.” Thus I became ‘the Sword of Allah.’

Jarjah: To what do you call people?

Khalid: To the oneness of Allah and to Islam.

Jarjah: How? You are already ahead.

Khalid: We rose and sat with the Messenger of Allah. We witnessed his miracles and extraordinary deeds. If anyone saw what we saw and heard what we heard, he should certainly accept Islam readily. But you, who have neither seen him nor heard his words, yet have believed in the Unseen—the reward for you is greater, if you believe sincerely in Allah.”

Spurring his horse, Jarjah came and stood beside Khalid and said, “Khalid, teach me Islam.”

Jarjah accepted Islam and performed two rak‘ahs of prayer. These two rak‘ahs were the first and last prayers of his life. Then this newly Muslim Roman, longing for martyrdom, went with the Muslim army to fight the Romans. Allah fulfilled his wish. He was martyred. (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul, 299–301)

Upon hearing of the Roman army’s grievous defeat at Yarmuk, Heraclius retreated, leaving the city of Hims behind. As he departed, he said, “Salamun ‘alayki ya Suriyya, salaman la liqa’a ba‘dah”—“Farewell, Syria, a farewell after which there will be no further meeting.” After Yarmuk, Hazrat Khalid conquered Hadir.

After completing the Hadir campaign, Khalid proceeded toward ‘Qinnasrin.’ The people of Qinnasrin entered the fortress in advance to resist the Muslim army and shut its gates. Hazrat Khalid addressed them, saying, “Even if you seek refuge above the clouds, Allah will either raise me there as well or bring you down to us.” (Tarikh al-Ummah al-Islamiyyah, 2/4) Thinking of the fate of the people of Hims, the inhabitants of Qinnasrin concluded a peace treaty with Khalid.

Bayt al-Maqdis had been placed under siege. Khalid was among the commanding officers of the Muslim army in this siege. Finding no way out, the Christian inhabitants of Bayt al-Maqdis proposed a peace treaty. However, they insisted that Amir al-Mu’minin Umar himself sign the treaty with his own hand. To honor their request, Khalid came from Madinah to Syria. He summoned the officers of the Muslim army stationed in Syria to Jabiyah. Khalid arrived wearing extremely splendid clothing. As soon as the Caliph saw him, he dismounted, threw pebbles at Khalid, and said, “Have you changed your habits so quickly?” Khalid raised his weapon and said, “But my soldierly habits have not gone.” The Caliph said, “Then there is no fault.” In 17 AH, Abu Ubaydah and Khalid jointly suppressed the rebellion in Hims. With that, Roman rule, which had lasted for hundreds of years throughout Syria, came to an end.

The Caliph, Hazrat Umar, did not spare even such a great commander. He demoted Khalid from the position of commander to that of an ordinary soldier. Historians differ regarding the year of his dismissal. Some say that he was removed in 17 AH, after five years of Hazrat Umar’s caliphate had passed. According to some reports, Hazrat Umar dismissed him immediately after assuming the caliphate, while Hazrat Khalid was directing the battle on the field of Yarmuk.

Different people have narrated the incident of Hazrat Khalid’s dismissal in different ways. Some say that a terrible battle was raging at Yarmuk. At that time, a messenger of the new Caliph Umar arrived from Madinah on the battlefield with a letter. The letter contained two matters: news of Abu Bakr’s death and the appointment of Abu Ubaydah in place of Khalid, who was to be removed. After reading the letter, Khalid prayed for forgiveness for Abu Bakr and success for Umar. He then requested the bearer not to disclose the contents of the letter to anyone. Thus Khalid concealed the news of Abu Bakr’s death and Umar’s order, continued his command, and secured the inevitable victory. Then he went to Abu Ubaydah and honored him like an ordinary soldier. Abu Ubaydah initially thought this might be a joke. But moments later he understood that it was not a joke, but reality and truth. Khalid removed his clothing and placed it before Abu Ubaydah.

Some have narrated the aforementioned incident as follows: Hazrat Khalid’s expenditures sometimes exceeded the limits. He gave large sums of money to poets and writers. He gave ten thousand dirhams to the poet A‘shas ibn Qays. When Caliph Umar learned of this, he instructed Abu Ubaydah to ask Khalid from which source he had given the money. If it had come from the funds of the Muslim ummah, he had committed treachery or a breach of trust; if it had come from his personal wealth, he had been extravagant. According to some reports, Abu Ubaydah received the Caliph’s order on the battlefield of Yarmuk. When he asked Khalid, Khalid replied that he had given it from his personal wealth. Abu Ubaydah then read the Caliph’s order to him and, as an indication of his dismissal from the position of commander, removed the cap from Khalid’s head and lowered his turban onto his neck. Khalid merely remarked, “I have heard the Caliph’s order and accepted it. I am still ready to obey the instructions of my superior and continue serving.” The Caliph summoned him to Madinah. When he arrived there, his wealth was subjected to a rigorous audit, but no discrepancy was found. Thereafter, Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) announced publicly, “I did not remove Khalid because of distrust, anger, or any such reason.” (Ibn al-Athir, 2/418)

Besides the aforementioned incident, there were other reasons for Khalid’s removal. Khalid’s soldierly temperament was harsh. He acted according to his own wishes in every matter and did not consider it necessary to consult the Caliph. Nor did he regularly submit the army’s income and expenditure accounts to the Caliph’s court. Immediately after completing the Iraq campaign, he went to Makkah for Hajj without Caliph Abu Bakr’s permission. Hazrat Abu Bakr was extremely displeased by this. The Caliph repeatedly warned him. He replied to the Caliph, “Give me the opportunity to act according to my own wishes; otherwise I will resign from my responsibility myself.” Hazrat Umar had been displeased with Khalid’s conduct since the time of Abu Bakr. He repeatedly advised Abu Bakr to dismiss Khalid. Abu Bakr replied each time, “I cannot sheathe a sword that Allah has unsheathed.” After Umar assumed the caliphate, he tried to reform Khalid, but when this produced no result, he dismissed him.

In addition, history mentions a third reason behind his removal: among Muslims and non-Muslims alike, the belief arose that the victory of Islam depended essentially on Khalid’s military prowess. Caliph Umar was not at all pleased with this unfounded notion. By removing Khalid, he demonstrated the baselessness of that belief.

Whatever the circumstances and however the matter occurred, Hazrat Khalid’s role in this regard is remarkable. No comparable example of the loyalty, dedication, and faith he demonstrated can be found in history. He was able to do this because he believed that the positions of commander and ordinary soldier were equal. In every situation, he regarded fulfilling his duty toward Allah, the Messenger of Allah, and the religion in which he believed as an essential obligation. In his view, there was essentially no difference between a loyal commander and a loyal ordinary soldier. Therefore, he did not hesitate for a moment to relinquish the position of commander and serve equally as an ordinary soldier. For the same reason, after handing over command to Abu Ubaydah, he was able to say in an address to the ordinary soldiers: “Abu Ubaydah, the trustworthy one—the most trusted man of this ummah—has been appointed your commander.”

After Caliph Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) removed Khalid from the position of commander, he appointed him as a wali in various provinces. After some time, Khalid voluntarily relinquished this responsibility and began living permanently in Madinah. He died in Madinah in 21 or 22 AH after suffering illness for several days. According to many, he died in Hims; however, this does not seem correct, because various sources mention that Caliph Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) attended his funeral prayer. (Usud al-Ghabah, 2/96; al-Isabah, 1/415)

After Hazrat Khalid’s (may Allah be pleased with him) death, Caliph Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Women have become incapable of giving birth to a son like Khalid.” After Khalid’s death, the Caliph wept with profound anguish. People later learned that he had not wept in this way merely from grief over Khalid’s death. Rather, because the reason for Khalid’s removal had disappeared, he had wanted to appoint him commander again. Since death prevented him from fulfilling that wish, he wept so much. (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul, p. 305)

From the beginning to the end of his life, Hazrat Khalid spent his time on the battlefield of jihad. For this reason, he had very little opportunity and time to remain in the company of the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He himself said, “Being occupied with jihad deprived me of learning a large portion of the Qur’an.” (Al-Isabah, 1/415) Nevertheless, he was not deprived of the blessings and knowledge gained from the Prophetic company. After the Messenger’s death, he was one of the scholars and mufti Companions of Madinah. However, because of his soldierly temperament, he never sat on the seat of issuing fatwas. No more than two or three of his fatwas are known. (A‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in) He narrated a total of eighteen hadiths. Two of them are muttafaq ‘alayh, meaning they were narrated by both al-Bukhari and Muslim, while one was narrated exclusively by al-Bukhari.

Once, a dispute occurred between Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) and him. Khalid severely insulted him. Ammar also complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). After hearing the whole account, the Messenger remarked, “Whoever harbors hatred and enmity toward Ammar harbors hatred and enmity toward Allah.” These words had such an effect on Khalid that he immediately hurried to Ammar and made him pleased. Khalid himself said, “After rising from the presence of the Messenger of Allah, nothing was dearer to me than gaining Ammar’s satisfaction.” Hazrat Khalid’s devotion and love for the Noble Messenger were so intense that he could not tolerate anyone saying even the slightest discourteous word about him. Once, some gold came to the Messenger of Allah. He distributed it among the Najdi chiefs. Some Quraysh and Ansar objected. One man said, “O Muhammad, fear Allah.” The Messenger said, “If I disobey Allah, who will obey Allah?” At the man’s discourteous words, Khalid became furious. He said, “O Messenger of Allah, permit me to strike off his head.” The Messenger calmed him. (Bukhari)

The brightest and most glorious chapter of Hazrat Khalid’s life was ‘jihad fi sabilillah’—jihad in the path of Allah. He spent most of his life on the battlefield. Because of his heroic deeds and irresistible attraction to jihad, he received the title ‘the Sword of Allah’ from the Noble Messenger. He took part in nearly one hundred and twenty-five battles. Wherever he went, he returned victorious. The Noble Messenger had such confidence in him that whenever the banner came into his hands, he felt reassured. He inherited a large quantity of weapons as paternal property. After accepting Islam, he dedicated everything to the path of Allah. (Tabaqat) His friends and enemies commented about him, “He is a man who neither sleeps himself nor lets others sleep.” Khalid himself used to say, “A night that I could spend with a newlywed bride, or a night on which I was given the glad tidings of the birth of a son, is less dear to me than a freezing night on which I launch an attack at dawn upon the polytheists with a group of Muhajirs.”

One day, on his deathbed, he said regretfully, “I have taken part in more than a hundred battles. Every limb of my body bears one or two wounds from a sword, arrow, or spear. Yet today I am dying in bed, thrashing my legs like a fever-stricken camel.” As he spoke these words, tears streamed from both his eyes. (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul, 305–306; Usud al-Ghabah, 2/95)

Shortly before his death, he bequeathed his remaining property to Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). That remaining property consisted of nothing more than his horse and some weapons. Thus, even after death, he dedicated to the path of Allah the two things most dear to him during his lifetime.

The Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) praised him repeatedly on various occasions. One day during the conquest of Makkah, Khalid was seen at some distance. The Messenger said to Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), “Look, who is that?” He replied, “Khalid.” The Messenger said, “How excellent is this servant of Allah.” On another occasion he told the Companions, “Do not harm Khalid, for he is Allah’s sword wielded against the unbelievers.”

Once, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) to collect zakat. Ibn Jamil, Khalid, and Abbas—all three—refused to pay zakat. When the Messenger learned of this, he said, “Ibn Jamil was poor, and Allah made him wealthy. This is his recompense. But you have been excessive toward Khalid. He has dedicated all his weapons to the path of Allah. How can zakat be due on them? And Abbas? His responsibility is upon me. Do you not know that an uncle is like a father?” (Abu Dawud, 1/163)

Hazrat Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) was not merely a soldier; he was also a skilled da‘i of Islam—a caller to Islam. Observing the harm caused by his hasty decisions regarding Banu Juzaymah and Malik ibn Nuwayrah, the Messenger later advised him whenever sending him somewhere with responsibility: “Give only the call to Islam; do not raise the sword.” Likewise, when sending him to Yemen, he instructed him, “Do not initiate the fighting.” After receiving this guidance, there is no report that he committed any excess in any battle in which he participated. During the Messenger’s lifetime and after his death, he properly fulfilled the duty of a da‘i. After the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger sent various missions in all directions to call people to Islam, and Khalid led several of them. Banu Juzaymah and Banu Abd al-Maddan accepted Islam through his efforts. In the missionary work in Yemen, he assisted Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Through his efforts, the tribes of Banu Hawazin, Banu Sulaym, Banu Amir, and others, who had supported the false prophet Tulayhah al-Asadi, returned to Islam. In addition, countless people accepted Islam in response to his call at various times. Before every battle, he always invited the opposing side to Islam in accordance with Islamic practice. Even amid fierce fighting on the battlefield, he successfully fulfilled the role of a da‘i. The Roman soldier Jarjah at Yarmuk is vivid proof of this.

The whole story of Khalid’s life cannot be presented in a brief article. After Khalid’s death, Amir al-Mu’minin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) expressed his grief in these words, which we repeat as well: “May Allah have mercy on Abu Sulayman. What he had with Allah is better than what he had been in. Indeed, he lived praiseworthy and died fortunate.” (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul, p. 308)

Abdullah ibn Hudhafah al-Sahmi (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Abu Hudhafah Abdullah, and his father’s name was Hudhafah. He was a descendant of the Banu Sahm branch of the Quraysh tribe. He became Muslim in the early period of the Islamic call and remained in the company of the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) for a long time. Accompanied by his brother Qays ibn Hudhafah, he migrated to Abyssinia with the second caravan of emigrants bound for Abyssinia. (Al-Isti‘ab)

He participated with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in every battle except Badr. Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) referred to him as a ‘Badri,’ meaning one who participated in the Battle of Badr. However, Musa ibn Uqbah, Ibn Ishaq, and others did not refer to him as a ‘Badri.’ (Al-Isti‘ab)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed him commander of an expedition and sent him out. Before their departure, the Messenger instructed the soldiers under his command never to disobey him. After reaching the designated place, Hazrat Abdullah became extremely angry for some reason. He asked the soldiers, “Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) not instruct you to obey me?” They replied, “Yes, he did.” He said, “Gather firewood, light a fire, and jump into it.” The mujahids gathered firewood and lit a fire. Then, before jumping into it, they looked at one another. Some disagreed, saying, “We followed the Messenger of Allah only to be saved from the Fire, and now are we to give our lives in this fire?” While this debate continued, the fire went out. Abdullah’s anger also subsided. When they returned from the expedition, they informed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) of what had happened. The Messenger said, “Had you entered that fire, you would never have emerged from it. Obedience is obligatory only in matters permitted by Allah.” (Bukhari, Kitab al-Ahkam, Bab al-Sam‘i wa al-Ta‘ah; Hayatus Sahabah, 1/67)

The aforementioned incident has been narrated differently in some reports. According to those reports, Hazrat Abdullah’s instruction to jump into the fire was not a genuine command. He had merely joked with his soldiers. Hazrat Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the incident as follows: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent an army composed of Companions on an expedition. He appointed Abdullah ibn Hudhafah commander of the army. Abdullah was a humorous man. After traveling some distance, they stopped at a place. Abdullah asked the members of his army, “Were you not instructed to obey me?” They replied, “Yes.” He said, “If I give you an order, will you carry it out?” They replied, “Yes.” He said, “By virtue of my authority and your obligation to obey, I order you to jump into this fire.” Immediately upon receiving the order, some members of the army began preparing to jump in. Then he said, “Stop! I was only joking with you.” After the army returned to Madinah, the matter came to the attention of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He said, “If anyone commands you to disobey Allah, do not obey him.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/640)

In the sixth year AH, or according to another opinion, the seventh year, the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) decided to send envoys bearing letters inviting the neighboring kings, rulers, and governors to Islam. He also resolved to send envoys to the emperors of Rome and Persia, the two superpowers of the contemporary world. But the task was not easy. The Messenger was aware of its difficulties as well. The envoys were unfamiliar with the languages, cultures, and people of the countries to which they would go. There they would invite the kings and rulers of those lands to abandon their ancestral religions and accept Islam. Undoubtedly, this diplomatic mission was extremely risky. Perhaps those who went there would never return. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed the Companions to assemble. He stood to deliver a sermon. After praising Allah, he recited the testimony of faith. Then he said, “As for what follows: I have decided to send some of you to the non-Arab kings. Do not disagree with me as the Children of Israel disagreed with Jesus, son of Mary.”

The Companions said: O Messenger of Allah, we shall fulfill your wish. Send us wherever you wish.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) selected six Companions to carry letters of invitation to the kings and rulers of Arabia and Persia. One of these six was Abdullah ibn Hudhafa. He was selected to carry the message of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to the Persian emperor, Kisra.

Abdullah ibn Hudhafa completed his preparations for the journey, bade farewell to his wife and children, and set out. He traveled along varied routes over rugged and level terrain, entirely alone. Apart from Allah, he had no companion. After covering the long distance, he reached Persia. He informed the emperor’s courtiers that he had brought a letter for the emperor and requested permission to meet him. The matter reached the emperor’s ears, and he ordered his courtiers to prepare the court. Once it had been arranged, Persia’s prominent men were summoned there. Then Abdullah ibn Hudhafa was granted permission to enter.

The Messenger of Allah’s (peace be upon him) envoy, Abdullah ibn Hudhafa, entered Kisra’s royal court dressed as an ordinary Bedouin, wearing a thin ‘shamlah’ (a cloth wrapped around the body) and a thick ‘aba’ (a long tunic). He was tall, broad-shouldered, and well built. He was proud of Islam’s majesty and of his faith.

As soon as Kisra saw Abdullah enter, he ordered a courtier to take the letter from him. But Abdullah refused to hand it to the man and said: ‘No. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) instructed me to place the letter directly in your hands. I cannot disobey that instruction.’

Kisra told his men, ‘Leave him and let him come to me.’ Abdullah stepped forward and handed the letter to Kisra. Kisra summoned an Arabic-speaking secretary from Hira, told him to open the letter, and ordered him to read it. The letter began:

“In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful—from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Kisra, the emperor of Persia. Peace be upon those who follow guidance.”

On hearing just this much of the letter, Kisra exploded in anger; his eyes and face turned red and the veins in his neck swelled. The reason was that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had begun the letter with his own name—thus “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah” appeared before Kisra’s name. Kisra snatched the letter from the reader’s hand and tore it to pieces. He felt no need to learn what the letter said. He shouted: ‘He is my slave, and he has written to me like this?’ Then he ordered that Abdullah be taken out of the assembly. He was led away.

Abdullah ibn Hudhafa left Kisra’s court. He did not know what Allah had decreed for him. Would he be killed, or would he be set free? Various thoughts began to whirl through his mind. In an instant he cast off all his worries and said to himself: ‘By Allah, now that I have delivered the Messenger of Allah’s letter, whatever happens to me may happen. I do not care about anything.’ Saying this, he mounted his riding animal in Allah’s name and set off. Meanwhile, when Kisra’s anger had somewhat subsided, he ordered that Abdullah be brought back. But Abdullah could no longer be found. They searched everywhere but found no trace of him. Upon investigating the road toward the Arabian Peninsula, they learned that he had set out for his homeland. They could not catch him.

Hazrat Abdullah appeared before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and related Kisra’s conduct in detail. Hearing everything, the Messenger (peace be upon him) remarked: ‘May Allah tear his kingdom to pieces.’ (Al-Isti‘ab)

Meanwhile, Kisra wrote to his representative, the ruler of Yemen, Bazan: “Send two strong and powerful men from there to seize the man in the Hijaz who claims to be a prophet and bring him to me.” Bazan selected two men and sent them to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). They also carried a letter addressed to him from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). It instructed him to appear without delay at Kisra’s court with the bearers of the letter. Bazan further instructed the two men to gather various information about the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and report it to him upon their return.

The two men traveled from Yemen continuously, by night and day, until they reached Ta’if. There they encountered a Quraysh merchant caravan. They asked the merchants about Muhammad (peace be upon him) and learned that Muhammad was now in the city of Yathrib (Medina). When the Quraysh learned the purpose of the two men’s arrival, they returned to Mecca delighted. They gave the people of Mecca the good news: “Rejoice! Kisra has now risen against Muhammad. You will now be free from his harm.”

Meanwhile, the two men arrived in Medina. They met the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), placed Bazan’s letter in his hands, and said: “The emperor Kisra wrote to our king, Bazan, ordering him to send men to bring you. We have come to take you at his command. If you respond to our summons, we will speak to Kisra so that it may be good for you and he will not punish you in any way. But if you do not respond, then be careful, for you know his power and ability to destroy you and your people.”

When they had finished speaking, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) smiled gently and said: ‘Return today to your lodging, and come again tomorrow.’

The next day they appeared before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and asked: ‘Have you prepared to travel with us to meet Kisra?’ The Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “You will never see Kisra again. Allah has destroyed him. On such-and-such date in such-and-such month, his son, Shirawayh, killed him and seized the throne.” Hearing this, they stared at the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in astonishment, their eyes wide. They said:

“Have you considered what you are saying? Shall we write this to Bazan?”

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Yes. You will also write to him that my religion will reach the farthest limits of Kisra’s empire. If you accept Islam, authority over your people, together with everything under your rule, will be granted to you.”

The two men left the Messenger of Allah’s (peace be upon him) court, went straight to Bazan, and informed him of everything the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had said. Bazan remarked: “If what Muhammad has said is true, then he is certainly a prophet. If it is not true, we will teach him an appropriate lesson.”

While this discussion was taking place, Shirawayh’s letter arrived for Bazan. It read: “Thereafter, I have killed Kisra. He was killed to avenge my people. … When this letter reaches you, obtain pledges of allegiance to me from those around you.”

As soon as Bazan read Shirawayh’s letter, he threw it aside and declared himself a Muslim. Along with him, all the Persians in Yemen around him accepted Islam.

This is a brief account of the incident between Hazrat Abdullah ibn Hudhafa (may Allah be pleased with him) and Kisra, the emperor of Persia. The incident that took place between him and the Roman Caesar is even more remarkable. It occurred during the caliphate of the second Caliph, Hazrat Umar.

In 19 AH, Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent an army against the Romans. Abdullah ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi was also in this army. Caesar often heard many stories about the faith and bravery of the Muslim mujahids and their willingness to give their lives freely for Allah and His Messenger. He instructed his soldiers that whenever a Muslim soldier was captured, he should be brought alive to him. By Allah’s will, Hazrat Abdullah was captured by the Romans. The Romans presented him to their king and said: “This man is a Companion of Muhammad; he accepted his religion at the very beginning. He has been captured by us, and we have brought him before you.”

The Roman emperor looked at Abdullah ibn Hudhafa for a long while and said:

‘I wish to put a matter before you.’ Abdullah asked: ‘What is it?’

The emperor said: “I propose that you accept Christianity. If you do so, I will set you free and honor you.”

The captive Abdullah replied swiftly and firmly:

‘Alas! A thousand deaths are dearer to me than what you are calling me toward.’

The emperor said: ‘I consider you an intelligent man. If you accept my proposal, I will make you my partner in power, give you my daughter in marriage, and share this empire of mine with you.’

The shackled captive smiled and said: “By Allah, even if your entire empire, together with everything under the control of the Arabs, were given to me in exchange for abandoning Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) religion for a single moment, I would not do so.”

The emperor said: ‘Then I will kill you.’

The captive said: ‘You may do whatever you wish.’

On the emperor’s orders, the captive was hung on a cross and bound tightly. He was suspended by both hands and offered Christianity, but he refused. Then he was suspended by both feet and called upon to abandon Islam, but he firmly rejected it.

The emperor ordered his men to stop and instructed them to take him down from the cross. Then he had a huge cauldron brought and ordered oil to be poured into it. The oil was boiled over a fire. When it began to bubble furiously, two other Muslim prisoners were brought in. One of them was thrown into the boiling oil. As soon as he fell in, the flesh of his body was torn apart and separated from his bones.

The emperor turned to Abdullah and again called upon him to accept Christianity. This time Abdullah rejected it even more sternly than before. On the emperor’s orders, Abdullah was brought near the cauldron filled with boiling oil. Tears now appeared in Abdullah’s eyes. The men told the emperor, ‘The captive is crying now.’ The emperor thought that the captive had become frightened. He ordered, ‘Bring the captive to me.’ He was brought before him. Once again he rejected Christianity with disgust. The emperor then addressed Abdullah: ‘May you perish! Why are you crying, then?’ Abdullah replied: “I am crying because I am thinking that I will now be thrown into this cauldron and finished. Yet I wish I had as many lives as the number of hairs on my body, so that I could give them all in the path of Allah in this cauldron.”

Then the godless emperor said: ‘At least if you kiss my head, I will set you free.’

At first Abdullah also rejected this proposal. But he imposed a condition and said: ‘If the other Muslim prisoners are released along with me, I agree.’

The emperor said: ‘Yes, the others will also be released.’

Abdullah said: ‘I said to myself, there is no harm if the other Muslim prisoners are also released in exchange.’ He stepped toward the emperor and kissed his head. The Roman emperor ordered that the Muslim prisoners be gathered and handed over to Abdullah. The total number of prisoners was eighty.

When Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) returned to Medina, he related the incident in full to Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). The Caliph was overjoyed. Looking at the prisoners who were present, he said: ‘Every Muslim ought to kiss the head of Abdullah ibn Hudhafa, and I am beginning.’ Saying this, he stood up and kissed his head. (See: Hayatus Sahabah—1/302; Al-Isabah—2/296–97; Al-Isti‘ab; Suwarum min Hayatis Sahabah—1/51–56; Usud al-Ghabah—3/143)

After the conquest of Mecca, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent Khalid ibn al-Walid to the Banu Jadhimah tribe to invite them to Islam. Because of a misunderstanding, Khalid attacked them, and a number of them were killed or wounded. The Messenger (peace be upon him) was deeply grieved by this incident. He paid compensation for those who had been killed and also forgave Khalid. Ibn Ishaq says that when Khalid was criticized regarding the matter, he said: ‘I fought them only because Abdullah ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi had ordered it. He had said: If they refrain from accepting Islam, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has instructed you to fight them.’ (Sirat Ibn Hisham—2/430)

One day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sat on the pulpit and announced: “While I am sitting here, whoever among you asks any question will receive its answer.” Abdullah ibn Hudhafa stood up and asked: ‘Who is my father?’ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Your father is Hudhafa.’ (Al-Isabah—2/296) When his mother heard this, she said: ‘What a serious question you asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! God forbid—what would have become of me if he had said something else?’

Abdullah replied: “I was verifying the truth of my lineage. If he had attributed me to an Abyssinian slave, I would have accepted it.” (Al-Isti‘ab)

Several hadiths have been narrated from Hazrat Abdullah ibn Hudhafa. One of them was narrated by Bukhari. Among the notable people who narrated hadiths from him were Abu Wa’il, Sulayman, and Ibn Yasar.

Ibn Yunus says that Abdullah took part in the Egyptian campaign and passed away in Egypt during the caliphate of Hazrat Uthman. He was buried in Egypt. (Al-Isabah—2/296)

It is narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him): A man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) for some assistance, and he gave to him. Then another man asked, and he promised him something. Umar ibn al-Khattab stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allah! I was asked for assistance, and I gave it. I was asked again, and I gave again. Then I was asked once more, and I made a promise.” It seemed that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not like what he said. Abdullah ibn Hudhafa then stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allah, spend, and do not fear scarcity from the One who possesses the Throne.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘I have been commanded to do precisely this.’ (Hayatus Sahabah—2/145)

Ibn Asakir narrated from Zuhri: A complaint was made to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) against Abdullah: ‘He is a man who jokes and loves humor.’ He said: “Leave him, for he has a great heart. He greatly loves Allah and His Messenger.” (Hayatus Sahabah—2/321)

Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Khabbab, his kunya was Abu Abdullah, and his father’s name was Aratt. There is disagreement regarding his lineage. Some said he belonged to Banu Tamim, while others said he was descended from the Banu Khuza‘ah tribe. According to the sounder view, however, he belonged to Banu Tamim. (Sirat Ibn Hisham—1/254) In childhood he became bound in the chains of slavery. The story of his enslavement is related in history as follows:

A woman named Umm Anmar of the Banu Khuza‘ah tribe went to Mecca’s slave market. Her intention was to buy a healthy, vigorous, well-built slave who would be able to perform all her tasks. She carefully examined the faces of the slaves brought for sale. At last she selected a young slave who had not yet reached manhood. The slave was nevertheless in excellent health, and intelligence showed in his eyes and face. It was on seeing this that she chose him. After paying the price, she took the young slave with her.

After they had gone some distance, Umm Anmar turned to the slave and asked:

My boy, what is your name?

Khabbab.

Your father’s name?

Al-Aratt.

Where is your homeland?

Najd.

Then you are an inhabitant of Arabia?

Yes, a son of Banu Tamim.

How did you come to this slave market in Mecca?

A tribe somewhere in Arabia attacked our tribe, looted our livestock and birds, killed the men, and took the women and children captive, turning them into slaves. I am one of those captive children. I then changed hands and reached Mecca, and now I am in your possession.

Umm Anmar entrusted her slave to a Meccan craftsman so that he could teach him the art and techniques of swordmaking. Within a short time, this intelligent slave became skilled in the craft of making swords. Umm Anmar rented a shop, bought the craftsman’s tools and equipment, and put him to work making swords.

Within a short time, word of his honesty, dedication, trustworthiness, and skill in making swords spread throughout Mecca. People began crowding into his shop to buy the swords he made.

Though still young, Khabbab possessed the intelligence of the elderly and the wisdom of old men. During his free moments between tasks, he would reflect to himself on the catastrophe in which the Age of Ignorance was immersed from head to foot. He thought about the terrible ignorance and error in which the entire Arab nation was drowning, of which he himself was one of the most wretched victims. He pondered and would sometimes say unconsciously, ‘This night must surely have an end.’ In his heart he wished for a long life so that he might see that end.

Khabbab did not have to wait long. He heard that light was radiating from the face of a young man of Banu Hashim, Muhammad ibn Abdullah. He hurried there, listened to his words, and witnessed that radiance. Immediately he extended his hand and proclaimed: There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Thus he became the sixth Muslim in the world. For this reason he was called ‘the sixth of Islam.’ Mujahid, however, says: First the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) proclaimed Islam. Then, in order, Abu Bakr, Khabbab, Suhayb, Bilal, Ammar, and Ammar’s mother Sumayyah proclaimed Islam. According to this account, Khabbab was the third Muslim. (Usud al-Ghabah—2/98; Al-Isabah—1/426) When the Noble Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was secretly inviting people to Islam in the home of Hazrat al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam, Khabbab accepted Islam at that time.

From this point began the second chapter of Khabbab’s life: the chapter of enduring persecution and oppression with a smiling face for the sake of truth, and of risking his life to spread the truth. Khabbab did not conceal his acceptance of Islam from anyone. Within a short time, the news reached his mistress, Umm Anmar. She became mad with rage. Taking her brother Siba ibn Abd al-Uzza and a group of men from Banu Khuza‘ah with her, she went to Khabbab. He was then deeply absorbed in his work. Siba stepped forward and said:

We have heard something about you, but we did not believe it.

What is it?

We have heard that you have renounced your religion and become a follower of a young man from Banu Hashim.

I have not renounced my religion; rather, I have believed in the One Allah, who has no partner. I have abandoned your idol worship and testified that Muhammad is the servant and Messenger of Allah.

As soon as his words reached their ears, they pounced upon him. They began beating and crushing him with their fists and hands. They hurled all the hammers, iron sheets, and pieces from his shop at him. Khabbab lost consciousness and collapsed on the ground; his body became stained with blood.

Another incident occurred one day. Several Quraysh men went to Khabbab’s house to collect the swords they had ordered. Khabbab made swords and sold them in Mecca, and also sent them elsewhere. Because he was busy, he was rarely absent from home for long. But they did not find Khabbab at home. They waited for him. After a while Khabbab arrived. His face bore a bright, questioning expression. He sat down after asking the visitors how they were. They asked: Khabbab, have the swords been made?

A glow of happiness appeared on Khabbab’s face. He seemed to be thinking about something. At that moment he said unconsciously: ‘His matter is truly extraordinary.’

The men immediately asked: Whom are you talking about? We are asking whether the swords have been made.

Looking deeply at them, Khabbab said:

Have you seen him? Have you heard any of his words?

They looked at one another in amazement. One of them asked jokingly: Have you seen him?

Khabbab asked somewhat enigmatically: Whom are you talking about?

The man replied in an agitated voice: I am talking about the one you are talking about.

Khabbab did not let this opportunity to proclaim the truth pass. He said, “Yes, I have seen him and heard his words as well. I have seen the truth flowing from all around him, and light shining from his face.”

The newcomers now began to understand the matter. One of them shouted and asked:

“O slave of Umm Anmar! Whom are you talking about?” Khabbab calmly replied:

“My Arab brothers, who else could it be? Who among your people is there, besides him, from whom truth flows on every side and whose face shines with the radiance of light?”

“We think you are referring to Muhammad.” Khabbab nodded slightly and said joyfully:

“Yes, he is the Messenger of Allah sent to us. Allah has sent him to bring us from darkness into light.”

He did not know what else came from his mouth after he uttered these words, or what was said to him. As far as he could remember, when he regained consciousness several hours later, those men were gone. His body was numb with pain, and his entire body and clothing were covered in blood. The incident had taken place right in front of his house. Somehow he got up and went inside, bandaged his wounds, and began preparing himself for a new ordeal. (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul, p. 230)

In this way, Hazrat Khabbab came to hold a special place among those who suffered oppression and persecution for the sake of the faith. Khabbab was one of the foremost men among those who, despite their poverty and weakness, stood up against the arrogance and corruption of the Quraysh.

Like fire spreading through dry leaves, news of Khabbab’s acceptance of the new faith and his punishment quickly spread through the streets and alleys of Makkah. The people of Makkah were stunned by Khabbab’s audacity. Never before had they heard of anyone becoming a follower of Muhammad and publicly declaring it before the people in such a challenging tone.

Khabbab’s affair deeply disturbed the Quraysh leaders. They had never imagined that this slave blacksmith, without family standing or means, belonging to Umm Anmar, would have the audacity and courage to break away from their authority and denounce the religion of their worshipped gods and their forefathers. They thought that after such a beating he would perhaps become quiet and never again commit such foolishness.

The Quraysh’s expectation proved false. The opposite happened. Khabbab’s boldness increased the courage of his companions. They too became eager to announce publicly that they had accepted Islam. One after another, they began proclaiming the word of truth.

Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, Abu Jahl, and other Quraysh leaders gathered in the courtyard of the Kaaba. They discussed Muhammad’s movement. They saw that it was growing and gaining importance day by day, even hour by hour. Deciding to uproot it immediately rather than allow it to grow further, they resolved: from that day onward, every tribe would begin persecuting the followers of Muhammad belonging to that tribe. Either they would abandon their new faith or die.

Siba ibn Abdil-Uzza and his tribe were assigned the task of disciplining Khabbab. When the ground became scorching under the intense midday sun, they would drag Khabbab into the valley of Makkah. They would strip him completely and put an iron cuirass on him. He would become tormented by thirst in the intense heat, yet they would not give him a single drop of water. When he writhed in terrible thirst, they would say to him:

“What do you say about Muhammad?”

He would reply, “He is the servant and Messenger of Allah. He has come to us with the true and correct faith to take us from darkness into light.”

They would beat him again, punching and striking him. Then they would ask:

“What do you say about Lat and Uzza?” He would reply, “These two deaf and mute idols have no power to cause harm or bring benefit.”

They would again heat stones in a fire and lay him on them. Khabbab said, “One day they seized me. They lit a fire and heated stones, then laid me on one of them and one of them raised a foot onto my chest and pressed it down. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/292) He would lie there while the fat of both his shoulders melted and ran down. Imam al-Sha‘bi said that the flesh of his back would come away.”

His mistress, Umm Anmar, was no less savage than her brother Siba. One day, when she saw the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) standing in Khabbab’s shop and speaking with him, she became like a rabid dog. She would come to Khabbab’s shop every other day, heat an iron rod in Khabbab’s bellows, and press it against his head. He would writhe in intense agony until he lost consciousness.

One day, just as the iron was being heated and pressed against Khabbab’s head, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) happened to be passing along that road. Seeing Khabbab in this condition, he stopped. His heart melted with compassion. But what power did he have to do anything for him? Apart from praying for Khabbab and offering him some consolation, he could do nothing. Raising both hands toward the sky, he said with great emotion, “Allahumma unsur Khabbabana—O Allah, help our Khabbab.” (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul, p. 331)

Allah Most High accepted Khabbab’s curse against Umm Anmar. He witnessed its effect with his own eyes before the migration from Makkah to Madinah. A sudden pain began in Umm Anmar’s head, causing her to bark like a dog continually. Her sons went to various doctors for treatment. Every doctor said, “There is no medicine to cure this pain. However, applying heat to her head with iron heated in a fire may bring some relief.” They began heating an iron plate and applying it to her head.

During the caliphate of the Caliph Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Khabbab once went to see him. The Caliph treated him with great honor, seated him on a raised cushion, and said, “Apart from Bilal, there is no one more deserving than you to sit in this place.” Khabbab said, “How could he be my equal? Even among the polytheists he had many supporters; but besides Allah alone, there was no one to sympathize with me.” The Caliph wanted to know about the persecution he had suffered at the hands of the Quraysh. Khabbab felt reluctant to describe it. After the Caliph repeatedly urged him, he moved aside his robe and exposed his back. Seeing its horrific condition, the Caliph recoiled and asked, “How did this happen?”

Khabbab said, “The idolaters lit a fire. When it became embers, they stripped the clothes from my body. Then they forcibly dragged me over and laid me on it face up. Flesh fell away from the bones of my back. It was the melted fat from my back that extinguished that fire.” As a result, the skin of his back had become like that of a person suffering from vitiligo. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/292; Mustadrak; Sirat Ibn Hisham, notes, 1/343)

Along with physical torture, the Quraysh mocked, ridiculed, and derided him. They also appropriated money owed to him. Ibn Ishaq says: A Makkan unbeliever named al-As ibn Wa’il al-Sahmi bought some swords from him and still owed him money for them. Khabbab went to demand payment. He said, “O Khabbab, does your friend Muhammad—whose faith you follow—not claim that the inhabitants of Paradise will receive whatever gold, silver, clothing, or servants they desire?” Khabbab replied, “Yes, he does.” He said, “Khabbab, give me time until the Day of Resurrection; I will go there and pay you what I owe. By Allah, neither your friend Muhammad nor you are dearer to Allah than I am, nor will you receive greater fortune than I.” After this incident, Allah Most High revealed the following verses: “Have you seen him who rejects My signs and says, ‘I shall certainly be given wealth and children’? Has he seen the unseen, or has he taken a promise from the Most Merciful? No indeed! We shall record what he says and prolong his punishment. We shall inherit from him what he speaks of, and he will come to Us alone.” (Surah Maryam, 77–80)

One day Khabbab came to the service of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with several other persecuted companions like himself and spoke of their suffering and hardship. Khabbab said: When we told the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about our condition, he was lying in the shade of the Kaaba with a striped cloak beneath his head. We said, “O Messenger of Allah, will you not ask Allah to help and forgive us?”

Hearing us, the blessed face of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) became red. He sat up and said: “Many people before you were seized, a pit was dug for them, and they were buried in it up to half their bodies; then a saw was placed at the middle of their heads and they were split apart. Their flesh was scraped from their bones with iron combs. Yet they did not waver even slightly from their faith. Allah will certainly complete this faith. A day will come when a traveler will journey from Sana’a to Hadramaut, fearing no one but Allah. A wolf will then guard the flock of sheep. But you are becoming too impatient.” (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul, p. 231; Usud al-Ghabah, 2/98)

Khabbab and his companions listened attentively to this statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). They resolved to show the degree of patience and sacrifice—steadfastness and self-denial—that Allah and His Messenger loved. Thus their faith became even stronger.

Inhuman torture continued against Khabbab until Umm Anmar set him free. Imam al-Sha‘bi said, “Khabbab remained patient despite a hundred tortures. The oppression of the unbelievers did not weaken his resolve in the slightest.” While living in Makkah, he devoted all his time to worship and the work of calling people to the faith. He secretly visited the homes of those who still had not dared to disclose their acceptance of Islam and taught them the Quran. He secretly taught the Quran to Fatimah and Sa‘id, the sister and brother-in-law of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). On the day Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) set out with the intention of killing the Noble Messenger, then heard from Nu‘aym ibn Abdullah on the way that his sister and brother-in-law had accepted Islam and went to their home, Khabbab was teaching them the Quran. Sensing Umar’s arrival, he hid in a corner of Fatimah’s house. After Umar was transformed upon hearing the Quran, he said, “Take me to Muhammad.” Khabbab then emerged from his hiding place. He said to Umar, “O Umar, I hope that the Prophet of Allah’s supplication concerning you has been accepted. Yesterday I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) supplicate: ‘O Allah, strengthen Islam through one of these two men: Abu al-Hakam or Umar ibn al-Khattab.’” Umar said, “Khabbab, tell me where Muhammad is now. I want to go to him and accept Islam.” Khabbab said, “He is now staying with some of his companions in a house near Mount Safa.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/343, 345; Hayatus Sahabah, 1/297)

One day two Quraysh leaders, Aqra ibn Habis and Uyaynah ibn al-Fazari, came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and saw him sitting with weak believers and slaves such as Ammar, Suhayb, Bilal, and Khabbab. Ignoring everyone present, the two leaders took the Noble Messenger aside and said, “Representatives of the leading Arabs come to you. We cannot sit together with these slaves, so move them away from us.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) agreed to what they said. They said, “Then let the matter be written down immediately.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) called Ali and had paper and pen brought. Khabbab said: We were sitting a little distance away. At that moment Jibril (peace be upon him) came with these verses: “Do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure. You are not accountable for them, nor are they accountable for you; if you drive them away, you will be among the wrongdoers.” (Surah al-An‘am, 52–53)

Khabbab said: As soon as the above verses were revealed, the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) threw down the paper and pen and called us closer. When we approached, he greeted us. We sat with our knees touching those of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Immediately, Allah Most High revealed this verse:

“Keep yourself patiently with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure, and do not turn your eyes away from them, desiring the adornment of the worldly life.” (Surah al-Kahf, 28)

Khabbab said: From then on, whenever we sat with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he would not rise until we had risen. (Hayatus Sahabah, 2/475)

Khabbab patiently endured the Quraysh’s limitless persecution in Makkah for a long time, clinging to the soil of Makkah. At last, Allah Most High granted permission to migrate, and he migrated to Madinah. He did not migrate to escape persecution; rather, he migrated to attain Allah’s pleasure and approval. He used to say, “I migrated with the Messenger of Allah solely for Allah’s sake.” After he came to Madinah, the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) established a bond of brotherhood, or religious brotherhood, between him and Hazrat Khirash ibn Sammah—or, according to another view, Jibr ibn Utayk. (Usud al-Ghabah, 2/99)

After coming to Madinah, some peace and security entered Hazrat Khabbab’s life—peace and security from which he had been completely deprived. Here he had the opportunity to remain in close companionship with the Noble Messenger. He joined the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in all the battles, including Badr and Uhud. During the Battle of Uhud, he witnessed with his own eyes the fate of Siba, Umm Anmar’s brother. That day he was killed by Hazrat Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him).

Hazrat Khabbab’s entire life was afflicted by the blows of poverty. For some time before and after the advent of Islam, he earned his living by making swords. In the latter part of his life, he became quite prosperous. During the caliphates of Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Uthman, when stipends were fixed for all the Companions according to their respective status, Hazrat Khabbab began receiving a substantial allowance. A great deal of money accumulated in his hands. Yet his attitude toward that wealth was unusual. He left his dirhams and dinars in an open place. The needy and impoverished would take from it whatever they wished according to their needs. No permission was required. Despite all this, he was always afraid that Allah might call him to account for this wealth and that he might have to suffer punishment because of it.

A group of his companions said: “We went to visit Khabbab on his deathbed. Pointing to one side of his dilapidated house, he said to us, ‘There are eighty thousand dirhams here. By Allah, I have never closed off this place, nor have I forbidden any beggar from taking from it.’ Saying this, he began to sob. His friends asked him, ‘Why are you crying?’ He said, ‘My companions departed this world without receiving any reward for their deeds. I am still alive and have become the owner of so much wealth. I fear that this wealth may be the reward for my good deeds. That is why I cry in distress.’ Then tears flowed from both his eyes as he pointed to the expensive shroud purchased for him and said, ‘Look at this shroud of mine. But when the Messenger of Allah’s uncle, Hazrat Hamzah, attained martyrdom at Uhud, no cloth could be found for his shroud except a single sheet. When his head was covered with it, his feet were exposed, and when his feet were covered, his head was exposed.’”

In 37 AH, he fell ill in Kufah. Despite treatment, his illness grew worse day by day. He continued to suffer from it for a long time. In this condition he would sometimes say, “If the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had not forbidden wishing for death, I would pray for death.” (Al-Isabah, 1/416; Usud al-Ghabah, 2/99) There is disagreement among biographers regarding the year and place of his death and his age at death. According to the most well-known view, he died in Kufah in 39 AH, at the age of seventy-two, after the Battle of Siffin. He could not participate in the Battle of Siffin because of his illness. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) received news of his death while returning from Siffin, and he himself led the funeral prayer. The people of Kufah generally buried their dead within the city. Before his death, Hazrat Khabbab instructed that he be buried outside the city. In accordance with his instruction, he was buried outside Kufah. He was the first Companion to be buried outside the city of Kufah. (Usud al-Ghabah, 2/100)

After Hazrat Khabbab was buried, the Commander of the Believers, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), stood beside his grave and said: “May Allah have mercy on Khabbab. He accepted Islam eagerly, migrated in obedience, and spent his life as a mujahid. Allah does not cause the deeds of those who do good to go to waste.”

Hazrat Khabbab had an intense desire to know the words and deeds of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Sometimes he would secretly stay awake at night, observing the manner of his worship without his knowledge, and ask him about it in the morning. Once the Messenger (peace be upon him) prayed throughout the night, and Khabbab watched him secretly. In the morning he came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, may my parents be sacrificed for you. Last night you performed a prayer unlike any prayer you had ever performed before.” He replied, “Yes, it was a prayer of hope and fear. I asked Allah for three things; He granted two but did not grant one. One was that Allah should not destroy my community through famine. He accepted this. Another was that He should not give an alien enemy victory over my community. Allah accepted this too. The third was that one group of my community should not become the victim of the cruelty of another group. This was not accepted.” (Usud al-Ghabah, 2/99)

He narrated thirty-three (33) hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Of these, three are agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim, two were narrated exclusively by al-Bukhari, and one exclusively by Muslim. Among the notable Companions and Tabi‘un who narrated hadiths from him were his son Abdullah, Abu Umamah al-Bahili, Abu Ma‘mar, Abdullah ibn Shukhayr, Qays ibn Abi Hazim, Masruq ibn Ajda‘, Alqamah ibn Qays, and others.

The daughter of Hazrat Khabbab ibn al-Aratt narrated: “Once my father left for jihad. At the time of departure, he left us a single goat for our livelihood and said, ‘If you need to milk the goat, take it to the People of the Suffah.’ We took the goat to them and saw the Messenger (peace be upon him) sitting there. He tied up the goat and milked it. He said, ‘Bring me the largest vessel in your house.’ I brought the vessel used for kneading dough. He milked the goat into it, and it filled up. He handed the vessel full of milk to us and said, ‘Take it. Drink yourselves and give some to your neighbors. Whenever you need milk, bring the goat to me and have it milked.’ We would often have the goat milked by the hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). My father returned from jihad. Whenever he tried to milk the goat, its milk stopped. My mother said, ‘You have ruined the goat; previously we used to get enough milk to fill this vessel.’ He asked, ‘Who milked it?’ My mother replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).’ He said, ‘Did you consider me his equal? Whose hand is more blessed than his?’” (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/637)

Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Abu Abdullah Mughirah, and his father was Shu‘bah ibn Abi Amir. Besides Abu Abdullah, Abu Muhammad and Abu Isa were also his kunyas. He belonged to the Banu Thaqif tribe. His mother, Umamah bint Afqam, was the daughter of a man from the Banu Nasr ibn Muawiyah tribe. He accepted Islam in the fifth year AH, the year of the Battle of the Trench, and in that same year migrated from Makkah to Madinah and remained in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). (Al-Isabah, 3/452; Usud al-Ghabah, 4/406; Al-Isti‘ab)

Al-Bayhaqi narrated an incident concerning when Mughirah first met the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him). Mughirah said: The first day I met the Messenger of Allah, Abu Jahl and I were walking through a small alley in Makkah. At that moment we encountered the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Messenger (peace be upon him) said to Abu Jahl, “O Abu al-Hakam, come toward Allah and His Messenger.” Abu Jahl said, “O Muhammad! Will you not stop insulting our gods and objects of worship? Do you merely want us to testify that you have conveyed the message? Very well, we testify that you have conveyed it. By Allah, if I knew that what you say was true, we would follow you.”

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) left. Abu Jahl turned to me and began saying, “By Allah, I certainly know that what Muhammad says is true. But what prevents me from accepting it is this: Banu Qusay claimed, ‘The custodianship of the Kaaba belongs to us.’” We said, “Yes.” They said, “‘The supplying of water belongs to us.’” We said, “Yes.” They said, “‘The council belongs to us.’” We said, “Yes.” Then they said, “‘The war banner belongs to us.’” We said, “Yes.” They fed the people, and we also fed them. When we became their equal in this matter, they said, ‘We have a prophet.’ By Allah, I cannot accept that.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/84)

He accompanied the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the expedition to Hudaybiyyah and took part in the Pledge of Ridwan. The Quraysh obstructed their entry into Makkah. Urwah ibn Masud al-Thaqafi came on behalf of the Quraysh to negotiate with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). In accordance with a common Arab custom, he repeatedly reached toward the blessed beard of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while speaking. This was rude behavior in the eyes of the Muslims, and Mughirah was becoming agitated. Whenever Urwah extended his hand, Mughirah’s hand would instinctively move to the hilt of his sword. At one point his patience was exhausted. He said sternly, “Beware! Keep your hand under control.” Urwah turned and looked at him. Recognizing him, he said, “You deceiver! Did I not work on your behalf?” It should be noted that Urwah was Mughirah’s uncle. During the Age of Ignorance, Mughirah killed several people. This same Urwah ibn Masud paid the blood money for those who had been killed. Urwah was alluding to this incident. (Bukhari: Kitab al-Shuru‘, on Jihad and Reconciliation; Usud al-Ghabah, 4/406; Hayatus Sahabah, 1/102)

After Hudaybiyyah, he earned the distinction of participating in several expeditions. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent him and Abu Sufyan to Ta’if with a special force. They defeated the enemy forces with bravery and courage.

The Banu Thaqif tribe came to Madinah after accepting Islam, intending to pledge allegiance at the hands of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Al-Mughira was grazing camels on the outskirts of Madinah, and the people of Thaqif met him first. As soon as he saw them, Al-Mughira ran to convey the good news to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). On the way, he met Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and informed him. Abu Bakr swore him to secrecy and requested him, “Do not give the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) this good news before me. I want to be the first to inform him of the matter.” Al-Mughira honored his request. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was therefore the first to convey the good news to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Then Al-Mughira reached the people of Thaqif and taught them how to greet the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) according to Islamic etiquette. (Hayatus Sahabah 1/184)

He was present at the burial and shrouding of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) after his death. When the people had lowered the pure body of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) into the grave and climbed out, he suddenly deliberately dropped his ring into the grave. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) told him to retrieve it. He descended into the grave and touched the sacred feet of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with his hand. Then, as the soil was gradually placed over the grave, he climbed out. He did this in order to gain the honor and distinction of being the last person to bid farewell to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He would often say proudly to people, “I was the last of all of you to part from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).” (Tabaqat)

After the death of the Noble Messenger, he played an active role in most of the wars during the eras of the first two caliphs. On the instructions of Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), he was the first to set out on the Bahira expedition. He also took part in eliminating the apostates of Yamamah.

After suppressing the revolt of the false prophets, he took part in the campaign against Iraq. After the victory at Buwayb, when the Muslim army advanced toward Qadisiyyah, the Persian commander, the famous warrior Rustam, proposed negotiations and requested that the Muslims send a representative. In response to his proposal, several envoys went back and forth. Finally, this responsibility was entrusted to Hazrat Al-Mughira.

To frighten and intimidate the Muslim envoy, the Persians lavishly decorated the court of the commander Rustam. All the officers of the Persian army wore expensive silk garments. Rustam himself sat proudly upon the platform, wearing a gold-encrusted crown on his head. The entire court was covered with costly carpets. When Hazrat Al-Mughira reached the court, he went straight up onto the platform without hesitation and sat beside Rustam. The members of Rustam’s council became extremely annoyed upon seeing him sit with such boldness. They took Al-Mughira by the hand, pulled him down, and made him sit below the platform. Al-Mughira said:

“We Arabs have no system whereby one person among us becomes a god and the others worship him. We are all equal. You summoned us; we did not come here uninvited. Is such conduct on your part reasonable? If your condition remains like this, you will soon disappear. I understand that your rule has fallen into disorder, your defeat is inevitable, and no empire governed by such wisdom can survive.”

The lower-ranking people of the court remarked, “This Arab has spoken the truth.”

The Iranians were unfamiliar with such equality. Hearing Al-Mughira’s words, they were somewhat subdued. Rustam too felt a little embarrassed. He said, “This was the servants’ mistake.” Then, intending to please Al-Mughira, he drew an arrow from Al-Mughira’s quiver and asked jokingly, “What use is this?” Al-Mughira replied, “Though a spark is small, it is fire.” Rustam then pointed to Al-Mughira’s sword and said, “Your sword is rather old.” Al-Mughira said, “Though the hilt is old, the blade is sharp.” The discussion then turned to the main matter.

Mentioning the valor, strength, and power of his own people, as well as the insignificance and poverty of the Arabs, Rustam said, “You are our neighbors, and we have always treated you well. We will also spare you from your troubles and misfortunes. Moreover, we will give each of your soldiers a gift according to his rank.”

Al-Mughira said:

“This world is not our objective; our sole aim and purpose is the Hereafter. Allah has sent a prophet to us. Allah told him: ‘I will grant this group victory over those who do not accept My religion, and through them I will take revenge on those people. As long as they hold firmly to the religion, I will keep them victorious. The humiliated will reject this religion, while the honored will cling to it.’”

Rustam: “What is that religion?”

Al-Mughira: “The foundation of that religion is the testimony ‘La ilaha illallah’—there is no deity except Allah—and acknowledging whatever has come from Allah.”

Rustam: “That is a splendid statement! What else?”

Al-Mughira: “Every human being is a child of Adam; we are all brothers.”

Rustam: “How excellent! If we accept your religion, will you return to your country?”

Al-Mughira: “By Allah, we will return. After that, we will not come near your country except for trade or some other need.”

Rustam: “Very well said!”

The narrator says that after Al-Mughira left, Rustam discussed Islam with his leading men. They refused to accept Islam. Allah brought them misfortune and humiliation.

Another narration states that at one point during the discussion, Rustam said, “We will kill you.”

Al-Mughira said, “If you kill us, we will enter Paradise; and if we kill you, your destination will be Hell, and you will then be compelled to pay jizyah.” On hearing mention of the jizyah, they began shouting.

Al-Mughira said, “If you refuse to pay the jizyah, then the sword will be the final decision between you and us.” This harsh reply drove Rustam into a rage. He said, “By the sun! Your army will be destroyed before sunrise tomorrow.”

Al-Mughira said, “Will you cross the river and come toward us, or shall we come toward you?”

Rustam: “We will cross the river and come to you.”

After this discussion, Al-Mughira returned to the camp. The Muslim soldiers withdrew a little, allowing the Persian army to cross the river. Hazrat Al-Mughira took part in this battle, and the Persian army suffered a humiliating defeat. (Hayatus Sahabah 1/220, 222–23, 3/687–92; Tarikh al-Ummah al-Islamiyyah 1/209)

In the nineteenth year after the Hijrah, the people of Rayy, Qawmas, and Isfahan contacted the Shahanshah Yazdegerd and assembled an army of sixty thousand soldiers against the Muslims. Hazrat Ammar ibn Yasir urgently informed Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) of the matter. The Caliph expressed his intention to set out with the army himself, but abandoned the plan out of concern for internal peace and order. He instructed the two governors of Basra and Kufa to advance toward Nahavand with their respective armies. He appointed Nu’man ibn Muqarrin as commander and instructed him that, if he were martyred, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman would succeed him; if Hudhayfah were martyred, Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajali would succeed him; and if he too were martyred, Al-Mughira ibn Shu’bah would raise the standard.

After the Muslim soldiers encamped near Nahavand, the Iranians again proposed negotiations and requested that an envoy be sent. Since Al-Mughira had previously carried out the duty of envoy successfully, he was chosen for the task a second time. When he appeared as envoy before the Iranian court, he saw that the situation was just as before. The Iranian commander sat on the platform wearing a gold-encrusted crown. The other soldiers and guards of the court stood solemnly, with gleaming swords hanging from their shoulders. The entire court was silent and still. Without paying the slightest attention to anyone, Al-Mughira walked straight in. The guards tried to stop him on the way. He told them, “Such conduct is unbecoming toward an envoy.” The discussion began. The Persian commander Marwanshah said, “You are inhabitants of Arabia; there is no nation in the world more wretched, poverty-stricken, and impure than you. Our soldiers would have wiped you out long ago, but you are so lowly that we will forgive you. Otherwise, you will see your corpses writhing on the battlefield.”

After praising Allah and reciting eulogies, Hazrat Al-Mughira said, “As you suppose, we were certainly like that at one time. But our Messenger (peace be upon him) has transformed our nature and condition. Now our path is clear in every direction. Until our corpses lie writhing on the battlefield, we cannot refrain from seizing your thrones and crowns.”

The mission of diplomacy failed. Preparations for war began on both sides. Hazrat Al-Mughira was appointed to command the left flank. In this battle of Nahavand, Hazrat Nu’man ibn Muqarrin was severely wounded and began counting the moments until death. Yet the strength, courage, and steadfastness of the Muslim army did not diminish. The Persian army was defeated. After the battle, Hazrat Ma’qal went to see Hazrat Nu’man ibn Muqarrin. He was still breathing, and his eyesight was still functioning. He asked, “Who is it?” Ma’qal identified himself. Nu’man asked, “What was the outcome of the battle?” Ma’qal replied, “Allah has granted us victory.” He said, “Alhamdulillah—all praise belongs to Allah. Inform Umar.” Having said these words, he breathed his last.

After Nahavand, extensive campaigns were conducted by sending different armies to various regions. Hazrat Al-Mughira was entrusted with overall responsibility for the Hamadan campaign. He defeated the people of Hamadan with great success and compelled them to conclude a treaty. He also took part in the Battle of Yarmuk, where he suffered a serious injury to his eye. (Al-Isabah 3/453; Usd al-Ghabah 4/401)

After the founding of Basra, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him its governor. During his tenure as governor of Basra, he introduced many rules and procedures. He was the first to establish a separate diwan, or office, in Basra for paying soldiers’ salaries and allowances. (Al-Isabah 3/453) Some time later, because of a grave accusation against his character, Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) dismissed him from the governorship. After an investigation, he was proven innocent. (Usd al-Ghabah 4/406) Since a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had been proven innocent of the vile accusation brought against him, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was overjoyed and praised Allah. After this incident, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him governor of Kufa in place of Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him). He remained in this position until the end of Hazrat Umar’s caliphate. Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) dismissed him from that post. (Usd al-Ghabah 4/407)

He always assisted Caliph Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) with sincere advice. Imam Ahmad narrated from Al-Mughira that when Hazrat Uthman was under siege, Al-Mughira visited him one day. He said to the Caliph, “You are the imam and leader of the people. You can see what has befallen you. I will suggest three courses of action; choose any one of them. 1. Leave your house and declare jihad against the rebels. 2. Secretly leave through the back door, mount a conveyance, and go straight to Makkah. They will not harm you there. 3. Go to Syria, because Muawiyah is there.” In reply, Caliph Uthman said, “First, I do not wish to be the first person to shed blood among the ummah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Second, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say, ‘A Qurayshite will be buried in Makkah, and half the world’s punishment will befall him.’ I certainly do not wish to be that person. Third, I do not wish to leave Dar al-Hijrah and Mujawirat Rasulillah—the place of migration and proximity to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), namely Madinah—and go to Syria. (Hayatus Sahabah 2/396)

A dispute began between Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). At first, Hazrat Al-Mughira (may Allah be pleased with him) supported Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He came to Ali and offered straightforward advice: “If you wish to strengthen your caliphate, appoint Talhah and Zubayr as governors of Kufa and Basra respectively. For the time being, retain Amir Muawiyah in his former position; then, after establishing complete authority, you may do as you wish.” Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “I will consider the matter of Talhah and Zubayr; however, as long as Muawiyah does not stop his current activities, I will neither appoint him governor anywhere nor accept any assistance from him.” Al-Mughira was displeased by this reply. (Al-Isti’ab) After the killing of Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), conflict broke out between the two opposing factions of the Muslim ummah. He carefully kept away from these clashes. He was also present at Dumat al-Jandal to hear the arbitration ruling after Siffin. After the arbitration at Dumat al-Jandal failed, he joined the side of Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and pledged allegiance to him. Thereafter, he began openly opposing Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). (Al-Isabah 3/453; Mustadrak 3/450)

The support and cooperation of Hazrat Al-Mughira (may Allah be pleased with him) proved especially beneficial to Hazrat Muawiyah. With his sharp intelligence, he resolved many major problems very quickly. When such difficult issues arose before Amir Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the caliphate, he would have faced extremely serious crises had Al-Mughira’s intelligence and ability not been available. Ziyad was one of the foremost among the very clever and resourceful men of Arabia. He had been governor of Persia on behalf of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and was a staunch opponent of Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). Even after the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and after Hazrat Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) withdrew his claim to the caliphate, when Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) became the undisputed caliph of the entire Muslim world, Ziyad still did not recognize him as caliph. Hazrat Al-Mughira made even this implacable enemy loyal to Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and saved Muawiyah from a grave danger.

In 41 AH, Hazrat Amir Muawiyah appointed Hazrat Al-Mughira governor of Kufa as a reward for his special contributions. When the Kharijites of Kufa revolted in 33 AH, he suppressed the rebellion with great skill. In this way, he played a major role in strengthening the caliphate of Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him).

There is disagreement concerning the year of Hazrat Al-Mughira’s death. Some say that he died of the plague that struck Kufa in 50 AH. Others say that he died in 49 or 51 AH. He was seventy years old at the time of his death.

Although Hazrat Al-Mughira (may Allah be pleased with him) was a skilled diplomat and soldier, he had also attained considerable proficiency in religious learning. Among his contemporaries, he held a special status because of his vast knowledge. Various hadith collections contain 133 hadiths narrated by him. Of these, nine are agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim; Bukhari narrated one independently and Muslim two independently. Many Companions and Tabi’un narrated hadiths from him, including his three sons—Urwah, Hamzah, and Aqqar—and, among others, Zubayr ibn Yahya, Miswar ibn Makhramah, Qays ibn Abi Hazim, Masruq ibn Ajda, Nafi ibn Hubayrah, Urwah ibn Zubayr, and Amr ibn Wahhab.

Despite his proficiency in religious knowledge, instead of occupying the seat of learning and issuing legal verdicts, he moved through the difficult field of politics and diplomacy. It was in this arena that his talent and ability fully developed. He is regarded as one of the greatest diplomats of Arabia. Imam al-Sha’bi said, “The four exceptionally clever men of Arabia are Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, Amr ibn al-As, Al-Mughira ibn Shu’bah, and Ziyad.” (Usd al-Ghabah 4/407; Al-Isabah 3/453) Ibn Sa’d said that because of his extraordinary intelligence and ability, people referred to him as “Mughirat al-Ra’y”—Al-Mughira, the possessor of opinion or sound judgment. (Al-Isti’ab) Because of these remarkable qualities, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him to many important posts. He even attained the rare honor of serving as an envoy to the Iranian court.

Qabisah ibn Jabir said, “I spent a long time in the company of Al-Mughira. He was so perceptive and intelligent that if a city had eight gates, none of which could be exited without strategy and cleverness, Al-Mughira would have been able to leave through every one of them.” He was exceptionally skilled at unraveling complicated matters. Al-Tabari says that whenever he expressed an opinion on an issue, he also kept open a way to withdraw from it. Whenever two matters became doubtful, his correct judgment would invariably emerge regarding one of them. (Al-Isabah 3/453)

Many amusing incidents illustrating Hazrat Al-Mughira’s cleverness and diplomacy are found in history. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him governor of Bahrain. The people of Bahrain lodged a complaint against him with the Caliph, and Hazrat Umar dismissed him. To prevent him from being appointed governor there a second time, a local dahqan, or chief, devised a serious conspiracy. He collected one hundred thousand dirhams, deposited them with the Caliph, and said, “Al-Mughira embezzled this money from the public treasury and entrusted it to me.” Hazrat Umar began a very rigorous interrogation. The situation was extremely delicate. On one side stood a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); on the other, numerous people were testifying against him, and the allegedly embezzled money was present. No additional evidence was needed to establish guilt. Even in these circumstances, Al-Mughira maintained his composure. Very calmly, he said, “The dahqan or chief has lied. I had deposited two hundred thousand with him, and he embezzled one hundred thousand.” Hearing this, the dahqan became terrified and collapsed. Now he would have to deposit the full two hundred thousand in the public treasury. He openly admitted his scheme and repeatedly swore, “Al-Mughira did not deposit any money with me.” Thus the truth became clear. He had fabricated the story to discredit Al-Mughira. After the matter was settled, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Al-Mughira, “Why did you admit to the two hundred thousand?” He replied, “He falsely accused me; I had no other way to take revenge on him.” (Al-Isabah 3/453)

The renowned Companion Nu’man ibn Muqarrin (may Allah be pleased with him) once said to Al-Mughira, “By Allah, you are certainly a man of intelligence, sound counsel, and correct judgment.” (Hayatus Sahabah 1/512)

Abdur Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name before Islam was Abd al-Ka’bah; according to another opinion, it was Abd al-Uzza. After he accepted Islam, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) named him Abdur Rahman. He had three kunyahs: Abu Abdullah; Abu Muhammad, after his son Muhammad; and Abu Uthman. Abu Abdullah, however, was the most famous. His father was the first caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), and his mother was Umm Ruman or Umm Rumman. He was his father’s eldest child and the full brother of the Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). (Usd al-Ghabah 3/304–305)

Although all the children of Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq accepted Islam at the outset, Abdur Rahman remained distant from Islam for a long time. He joined the Quraysh of Makkah at the Battle of Badr. In the middle of the battle, he advanced a little and challenged the Muslims, saying, “Hal min mubariz—Is there anyone brave enough to fight me in single combat?” Hearing this challenge, his father Abu Bakr’s (may Allah be pleased with him) face became flushed with anger. He expressed his desire to engage him in single combat, but Hazrat the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) restrained him. He was also with the Quraysh of Makkah at the Battle of Uhud. In that battle, he was one of the members of the Quraysh archers. (Usd al-Ghabah 3/305) Later, Abdur Rahman once said to his father Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), “I saw you on the field of Uhud but avoided you.” Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “Had I seen you, I would not have spared you.” (Hayatus Sahabah 2/313)

Hazrat Abdur Rahman accepted Islam at the time of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. He then migrated to Madinah and began living with his father, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He managed all of Hazrat Abu Bakr’s affairs. One night, Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) invited some people from the Companions of Suffah. He told Abdur Rahman, “I am going to attend to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); feed the guests before I return.” Following his father’s instructions, Abdur Rahman served food to the guests at the appointed time. But they refused to eat in the host’s absence. As it happened, Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) returned late that day. When he learned that the guests were still hungry, he became extremely agitated and said to Abdur Rahman, “By Allah, I will not give you any food.” Frightened, Abdur Rahman sat huddled in a corner of the house. Gathering a little courage, he said, “Please ask the guests whether I urged them to eat.” The guests confirmed Abdur Rahman’s statement. They too swore, “We will not eat until you let Abdur Rahman eat.” Thus Abu Bakr’s anger subsided, and everyone sat down and ate together. Abdur Rahman said, “That day our food was so blessed that although we kept eating, it did not decrease at all. I took some of that food to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ate it with several Companions.” (Bukhari)

By nature, Hazrat Abdur Rahman was extremely courageous. He was a skilled archer. From the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah until the final days of the life of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he took part in every battle and set examples of bravery and courage. He accompanied the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the expedition to Khaybar and received forty wasaqs of grain from the spoils of Khaybar. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 2/352) He also accompanied the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the Farewell Hajj. Hazrat the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) sent him with Hazrat Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to Tan’im so that she could enter ihram anew. It should be noted that during this journey, because Hazrat Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) menstruated, she set aside some obligatory rites of Hajj and exited ihram. After recovering, she went to Tan’im on the instruction of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), entered ihram again, and performed the postponed rites. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 2/602)

After the passing of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he played an active role with others in suppressing the rebellions that arose throughout the Arabian Peninsula. In the bloody Battle of Yamamah against the false prophet Musaylimah al-Kadhdhab, he displayed extraordinary bravery. In this battle, he alone killed seven renowned warriors of the enemy. A small passage had opened in one section of the enemy fortress at Yamamah. The Muslim mujahids repeatedly tried and failed to enter through the opening because a brave enemy soldier named Mahkam ibn Tufayl was guarding it resolutely. Hazrat Abdur Rahman aimed at his chest and shot an arrow; struck by it, he fell to the ground. The Muslim mujahids immediately entered, trampling over their companions’ feet, and opened the fortress gate. Thus the fortress fell. After the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman, Abdur Rahman joined his sister’s side in the Battle of the Camel, which took place because of a misunderstanding between Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). (Al-Isabah 2/408)

During his lifetime, Amir Muawiya (RA) began efforts to appoint his son Yazid as his successor. He instructed Marwan, the governor of Madinah, to obtain the people’s bay‘ah, or oath of allegiance, to Yazid as his successor. He also told him to read this instruction aloud to the people gathered in the mosque of Madinah. Marwan duly carried out Muawiya’s (RA) order. He assembled the people of Madinah in the mosque and read Amir Muawiya’s instruction to them. Before he had finished reading, Hazrat Abdur Rahman ibn Abi Bakr leapt to his feet and, breaking the silence of the gathering, roared, “By Allah, you are transforming the caliphate into the Heraclean system, without caring about the opinion of the Ummah of Muhammad. When one Heraclius dies, another Heraclius will succeed him.” Another narration states that Marwan said, “This is the method introduced by Abu Bakr and Umar.” Abdur Rahman protested, “No, this is the method of Heraclius and Caesar—the method of placing the son on the throne after the father.” Abdullah ibn Zubair and Husain ibn Ali also firmly supported Abdur Rahman. (Al-Isabah 2/408; Usud al-Ghabah 3/306)

Marwan then said in a highly agitated voice, pointing toward Abdur Rahman, “Friends! This is the person concerning whom this Qur’anic verse was revealed: ‘The one who says to his parents, “Fie upon you!”’ That is, Allah condemned him for disobeying his parents—Surah al-Ahqaf 46:17.” Umm al-Mu’minin Hazrat Aishah (RA) heard this from her chamber. Agitated, she exclaimed, “By Allah, no! It was not revealed concerning Abdur Rahman. If you wish, I can tell you concerning whom this verse was revealed.” (Al-Isabah 4/408; Usud al-Ghabah 3/306)

Hazrat Abdur Rahman realized that if Muawiya’s (RA) wish were fulfilled, the Muslim Ummah would face a terrible consequence. He understood with certainty that this was a conspiracy to overthrow the Islamic caliphate system and impose Caesarism upon the Muslim Ummah.

Hazrat Abdur Rahman began protesting loudly against Hazrat Muawiya’s action. Hazrat Muawiya (RA) now adopted a different course. He sent a messenger to Abdur Rahman with one hundred thousand dirhams in order to silence him. Abdur Rahman, the son of Hazrat Siddiq-e-Akbar, threw the bag of dirhams away and told the messenger, “Go back. Tell Muawiya that Abdur Rahman will not sell his faith in exchange for the world.” (Al-Isti‘ab; Usud al-Ghabah 3/306; Hayatus Sahabah 2/254; Rijalun Hawlar Rasul 528)

After this incident, when Hazrat Abdur Rahman learned that Hazrat Muawiya (RA) was coming from Syria to Madinah, he immediately left Madinah and went to Makkah. There he lived at a place called Habshi, ten miles from the city, and according to the soundest opinion, passed away in 53 AH, before Yazid received the bay‘ah. His death was entirely sudden. On the day of his death, he went to bed in perfect health as usual, but never awoke from that sleep. Hazrat Aishah became somewhat suspicious that someone might have poisoned him. Some time later, a healthy and strong woman came to Hazrat Aishah (RA) and died while prostrating in prayer. After this incident, her doubts disappeared. Hazrat Abdur Rahman’s companions brought his body to Makkah and buried it.

Upon hearing of her brother’s death, Hazrat Aishah (RA) went to Makkah intending to perform Hajj and, standing beside the grave, broke down in tears. Amid her weeping, she repeatedly recited a verse from an elegy composed by the poet Mutammim ibn Nuwayrah. Then she addressed her brother’s soul, saying, “By Allah, had I been present at the time of your death, I would not be weeping like this now, and I would have buried you where you died.” (Mustadrak 3/476; Al-Isabah 2/408)

Hazrat Abdur Rahman (RA) narrated a number of hadiths from Rasulullah (SAW). Many Companions and Tabi‘un narrated hadiths from him.

Abu Hudhaifah ibn Utbah (RA)

His name was Abu Hudhaifah Hashim, or according to another opinion, Hashem; his father was Utbah, his mother Fatimah bint Safwan, and his kunyah was Umm Safwan. He was a descendant of the Quraysh.

Abu Hudhaifah was one of the Sabiqun al-Islam, those who accepted Islam in its earliest period. His father, Utbah, was one of the leading men among the Quraysh chiefs who were bitter enemies of Islam. He devoted his life to opposing Islam. Yet how glorious is Allah’s decree: his son Abu Hudhaifah did not delay at all in accepting Islam’s call. He attained the honor of accepting Islam even before Rasulullah (SAW) took refuge in the house of Hazrat Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam in Makkah, and, like many others, suffered inhuman persecution at the hands of the Quraysh. (Usud al-Ghabah 5/170) Ibn Ishaq says that he accepted Islam after forty-three people. (Al-Isabah 4/42)

Abu Hudhaifah (RA) took part in both migrations to Abyssinia. After migrating the first time, he returned to Makkah; later he went to Abyssinia again. His wife, Hazrat Sahla bint Suhail, accompanied him in the migration to Abyssinia. Their son, Muhammad ibn Abi Hudhaifah, was born there in exile. (Usud al-Ghabah 5/170)

Returning to Makkah from Abyssinia for the second time, he found that the Muslims living in Makkah were migrating to Madinah in large numbers. Taking his slave Salim with him, he also reached Madinah and became the guest of Hazrat Abbad ibn Bishr al-Ansari. Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SAW) established mu’akhah, or brotherhood, between the two of them. (Usud al-Ghabah 5/170)

He participated with great courage in every battle fought during the time of Rasulullah (SAW). The incident of the Battle of Badr in particular was profoundly instructive for him and for all the Muslims. In that battle, he fought bravely on one side, while his father Utbah fought on the other. Love of truth and justice made the Muslims forget the distinctions of kinship that day. Abu Hudhaifah called out to his father’s opponent, the daring warrior Utbah, challenging him to single combat. Hearing this challenge, his sister Hind bint Utbah severely rebuked and condemned him in a poem. Two lines of the poem have been recorded in Usud al-Ghabah.

In the Battle of Badr, most of the Quraysh leaders, including Abu Hudhaifah’s father Utbah, were killed by the Muslim army. Their bodies were thrown into a well at Badr and covered with earth. Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SAW) stood beside the well and called out the names of the slain Quraysh leaders one by one: “O Utbah! O Shaybah! O Umayyah ibn Khalaf! O Abu Jahl! Have you found your Lord’s promise true? I have certainly found my Lord’s promise true.” (Bukhari) Ibn Ishaq relates that Hazrat Abu Hudhaifah appeared deeply sorrowful and dejected at that time. Seeing his condition, Rasulullah (SAW) asked, “Abu Hudhaifah, perhaps you are grieving for your father.” Abu Hudhaifah replied, “By Allah, no. I do not grieve over his death. However, I thought he was an intelligent, discerning man capable of making sound decisions. Therefore, I hoped he would be blessed with faith. But when the Messenger (SAW) confirmed that he had died in a state of kufr, I regretted my mistaken hope.” Thereafter Rasulullah (SAW) prayed for Abu Hudhaifah. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 1/638–641; Usud al-Ghabah 5/171)

After the passing of Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim, during the caliphate of the first caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA), the mischief and disturbance of several false prophets began in the Arabian Peninsula. Musailamah the Liar of Yamamah was one of those false prophets. The caliph sent an army against him, and Hazrat Abu Hudhaifah (RA) was among them. Fighting bravely against the army of the false prophet Musailamah, he was martyred on the battlefield of Yamamah. He was fifty-three or fifty-four years old at the time of his death.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abbas (RA) that Rasulullah (SAW) said to the Companions one day during the Battle of Badr, “I have learned that some people from Banu Hashim and certain other tribes have been forced to participate in this battle. We have no need to fight them. If any of you encounters a member of Banu Hashim, do not kill him. If anyone encounters Abul Bakhtari ibn Hisham, do not kill him, for he has come under compulsion.” Immediately Abu Hudhaifah exclaimed, “Shall we kill our fathers, sons and brothers, but spare Abbas? By Allah, if I meet him, I will cut him to pieces with my sword.” Hearing this, Rasulullah (SAW) said, “O Abu Hafs (Umar), will the uncle of Allah’s Messenger be killed with the sword?” Umar said, “O Rasulullah! Permit me, and I will strike off his head with my sword. By Allah, he is a hypocrite.” Abu Hudhaifah said, “I do not feel safe because of what I said that day, and I have remained fearful until I could atone for it through martyrdom.” By being martyred in the Battle of Yamamah, he made that atonement. (Hayatus Sahabah 2/364–365)

Salim, the Mawla of Abu Hudhaifah (RA)

One day Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SAW) instructed the Companions, “Learn the Qur’an from four people: Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, Salim the mawla of Abu Hudhaifah, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b and Mu‘adh ibn Jabal.” Who was this Salim the mawla of Abu Hudhaifah, whom Rasulullah (SAW) declared reliable in teaching the Qur’an?

His name was Salim and his kunyah was Abu Abdullah. There is disagreement regarding his father’s name. Ibn Mundah said, “Ubayd ibn Rabi‘ah,” while some others said Ma‘qal. He was of Iranian descent. Istakhr in Persia was the homeland of his ancestors. He came to Madinah as the slave of Hazrat Subaytah bint Yu‘ar al-Ansariyyah. Hazrat Subaytah was the wife of Abu Hudhaifah (RA). When Subaytah freed him unconditionally, Abu Hudhaifah adopted him as a son. He became known as Salim ibn Abu Hudhaifah, just as Zayd had become known as ibn Muhammad. Some have described him as Abu Hudhaifah’s slave. For these reasons he was counted among the Muhajirun. On the other hand, as the freed slave of Hazrat Subaytah, he was also called an Ansari. Since he was originally Persian, some also referred to him as ‘Ajami, or non-Arab.

Hazrat Salim lived with Hazrat Abu Hudhaifah in Makkah. This Abu Hudhaifah was the son of Utbah, the Quraysh chief of Makkah and a lifelong enemy of Islam. Abu Hudhaifah and his adopted son Salim were among those who responded to the call of Islam at its very beginning. The two of them, father and son, quietly and humbly worshipped their Lord and showed boundless patience in the face of the Quraysh’s brutal persecution. One day, a Qur’anic verse was revealed abolishing the practice of adoption: ‘Call them by the names of their fathers.’ Every adopted son then became known by the name of his biological father, as Zayd ibn Muhammad became Zayd ibn Harithah. But Salim’s paternal identity was unknown. Therefore, he became known as ‘Salim, the mawla of Abu Hudhaifah’—Salim, the friend, companion, brother or freed slave of Abu Hudhaifah.

Islam abolished the practice of adoption. Perhaps Islam intended to say that you should not give blood, kinship or any other relationship greater importance than the bond of Islamic brotherhood. Your relationships should be built upon faith and creed. The Muslims of the earliest period understood this principle very well. Thus, after Allah and His Messenger, nothing was dearer to them than their brothers in faith. We saw this among the Ansar and Muhajirun, and likewise in the relationship between the noble Quraysh Abu Hudhaifah and Salim, his unknown and obscure slave whose paternal identity was unknown.

Hazrat Salim’s iman was like that of the Siddiqin, and he walked in the path of Allah like the muttaqin. He paid no attention to his position in society or to his birth and lineage. The new society established by Islam placed him in the highest rank because of his taqwa and sincerity. In this great and blessed new society, Abu Hudhaifah felt honored to accept as a brother and friend the man who had been his slave only the day before. He even married his niece, Fatimah bint al-Walid, to him, thereby placing his own family in a position of honor and dignity. In a social order that removed every form of oppression and abolished every kind of false nobility, Salim’s faith, honesty and steadfastness established him among its foremost members.

Before the Hijrah of Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim, he migrated to Madinah with his brother in faith, Abu Hudhaifah. In Madinah he became the guest of Hazrat Abbad ibn Bishr. In Makkah, Rasulullah (SAW) established his bond of brotherhood in faith with Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah. In Madinah, however, his bond of brotherhood was established with Hazrat Mu‘adh ibn Ma‘iz al-Ansari.

Among those regarded as leading authorities in the art of Qur’anic recitation in the era of the Companions, Salim was one of the foremost. He possessed such a melodious voice that when he began reciting the Qur’an, listeners would hear it spellbound. One day Umm al-Mu’minin Hazrat Aishah was late in coming to Rasulullah (SAW). He asked, “Why were you late?” Aishah replied, “A reciter was reciting the Qur’an in a beautiful voice, so I stayed to listen.” She described the sweetness of his recitation. Hearing her description, Rasulullah (SAW) pulled his cloak around himself and went outside. He found that the reciter was none other than Salim, the mawla of Abu Hudhaifah. Hearing his recitation, Rasulullah (SAW) remarked, “Alhamdulillah, all praise belongs to Allah who has created someone like you among my Ummah.” (Usud al-Ghabah 2/246)

Because of his melodious voice and his extensive memorization of the Qur’an, Salim was held in exceptionally high honor and esteem among the noble Companions. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) said, “Before Rasulullah (SAW) migrated to Madinah, Salim would lead in prayer at the Mosque of Quba those who had migrated to Madinah.” (Bukhari) Distinguished Companions such as Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar (RA) also prayed behind him.

He was with Rasul-e-Karim (SAW) in every battle, including Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. (Usud al-Ghabah 2/246) In the Battle of Badr, he personally killed the disbeliever Umayr ibn Abi Umayr. (Ibn Hisham 1/708)

After the conquest of Makkah, Rasulullah (SAW) sent several missionary delegations to the villages and tribes surrounding Makkah. He told them, “You are being sent not as warriors, but as callers and inviters.” Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid was the leader of one such delegation. After Khalid reached his destination, an incident occurred in which he used his sword, causing extensive losses to the opposing side. When news of this reached Rasulullah (SAW), he continued pleading before Allah for a long time, saying, “O Allah, I seek exemption from You from responsibility for what Khalid has done.” Hazrat Salim accompanied Hazrat Khalid on this expedition. Salim did not silently accept Khalid’s action; he strongly protested against it. Faced with his protest, the great warrior Khalid was sometimes left speechless, sometimes tried to present arguments in his own defense, and at other times became embroiled in heated arguments with Salim. But Salim remained firm in his view. That day he did not refrain from speaking the truth out of fear of Khalid.

Only a few days earlier Salim had been a slave in Makkah; now he paid no heed to a noble Quraysh commander of Makkah such as Khalid. Khalid too did not feel offended, because Islam had placed them both on an equal footing. Salim did not accept Khalid’s mistake that day by showing an unnecessary devotion and respect toward a leader. Rather, as one sharing responsibility, he raised a protest. He did not do this for self-satisfaction or fame; rather, he had repeatedly heard Rasulullah (SAW) say, “Ad-din an-nasihah”—the other name of religion is sincere counsel. It was this counsel that he offered Khalid that day.

When news of Hazrat Khalid’s excess reached Rasulullah (SAW), he asked, “Did no one protest against or condemn what he did?” The anger of Rasul-e-Pak subsided when he heard, “Yes, Salim protested. He argued with him.”

Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SAW) departed to the presence of Allah. The caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr faced the conspiracy of the apostates. The terrible Battle of Yamamah took place against them. No battle so severe had previously occurred in the history of Islam. The Muslim army set out from Madinah toward Yamamah. Salim and his brother in faith, Abu Hudhaifah, set out with the others. In the first phase of the battle, the Muslim army suffered some reverses. They understood that a battle is a battle and responsibility is responsibility. Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid reorganized them and arranged the army in an unprecedented manner. When the Muslim army was initially retreating, Hazrat Salim cried out, “Alas, our condition was not like this in the time of Rasulullah (SAW).” He dug a pit for himself and stood firmly inside it. (Usud al-Ghabah 2/246)

At the beginning of the Battle of Yamamah, the Muslim army’s standard was held by Hazrat Zayd ibn al-Khattab. When he was martyred, the standard fell to the ground. Salim immediately picked it up. Some objected to his carrying the standard, saying, “We fear that the enemy will attack from your side.” Salim replied, “Then I would become a wretched bearer of the Qur’an.” (Hayatus Sahabah 1/535)

Before attacking the enemy forces, the two brothers in faith—Abu Hudhaifah and Salim—embraced one another and pledged themselves to be martyred in the path of the true faith. Then they both plunged into the enemy ranks. Abu Hudhaifah shouted, “O bearers of the Qur’an, adorn the Qur’an through your deeds,” while striking the army of Musailamah the Liar with his sword. Salim, meanwhile, shouted, “I shall be a wretched bearer of the Qur’an if the enemy attacks from my side.” He said this with his mouth while striking the necks of enemy soldiers with both hands.

The fierce blow of an apostate’s sword struck his right hand, severing it. He raised the standard with his left hand. When his left hand too was cut off by an enemy blow, he grasped the standard around his neck. In this condition he continued reciting the Qur’anic verse: “Muhammad is only a Messenger, and many a prophet fought with whom were many devoted men.” “Muhammad is no more than a Messenger of Allah. Many prophets before him were accompanied in battle by devoted men of Allah. They did not weaken or give up because of the calamities that befell them in Allah’s path. Allah loves the patient.” This was his slogan in the moments before his death.

Within a short while, a group of apostates surrounded Salim. The great warrior Salim fell. The pulse of life still remained in his body. The battle ended with the killing of Musailamah the Liar, the victory of the Muslims and the defeat of the apostates. The Muslims began searching for the wounded and the slain. They found Salim in the final moments of his life. In that condition, Salim asked them, “What has happened to Abu Hudhaifah?”

“He has been martyred.”

“What has happened to the man who feared that the enemy forces would attack from my side?”

“He has been martyred.”

“Lay me between them.”

“They have both been martyred on either side of you.”

Hazrat Salim gave only a slight smile for the last time. He said nothing more. Salim and Abu Hudhaifah attained what both had sincerely desired. They accepted Islam together, lived together, and were martyred together in the same place.

The story of Hazrat Salim is like that of Bilal and countless other helpless slaves. Islam cast the yoke of slavery from all their shoulders and placed them in positions as imams, leaders and directors in a truthful and benevolent society. All the virtues of great Islam were gathered in him. His most notable quality was that he openly expressed whatever he knew to be true and never refrained from speaking it. His believing friends named him ‘Salim min as-Salihin’—Salim, one of the righteous.

Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) was lavish in his praise of Salim. Before his death, speaking about the selection of a caliph, he said, “If Salim were alive today, I would appoint him to the caliphate without consulting the Shura.” (Usud al-Ghabah 2/246)

Hazrat Salim had no children. Therefore, he left instructions regarding the property he left behind after his death: one-third was for freeing slaves and other Islamic works, and one-third was for his former mistress, Hazrat Subaytah. When Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) sent one-third to Subaytah in accordance with the bequest, she refused to accept it, saying, “I freed him unconditionally and expected nothing in return.” Later, Caliph Umar (RA) deposited it in the Bayt al-Mal. (Al-Isti‘ab; Usud al-Ghabah 2/247)

Hadiths of Rasulullah (SAW) were narrated from Hazrat Salim. Many Companions also narrated hadiths from him.

Hatib ibn Abi Balta‘ah

His name was Hatib; his kunyahs were Abu Muhammad and Abu Abdillah. His father’s name was Abu Balta‘ah Amr. The biographers disagree regarding his lineage and how he came to Makkah. According to the most prominent opinion, his paternal ancestors’ original homeland was Yemen. They settled in Makkah as allies of Banu Asad and subsequently of Zubair ibn al-Awwam. Others have said that he was the slave of Ubaydullah ibn Humayd. He purchased his freedom from slavery by paying money under a mukatabah, or contractual agreement. (Usud al-Ghabah 1/361)

Al-Marzubani says in his work Mu‘jam al-Shu‘ara, “During the Age of Ignorance, he was one of the Quraysh’s renowned horsemen and poets.” (Al-Isabah 1/300)

He accepted Islam before the Hijrah and, after Madinah had become established as the center of Islam, arrived there with his slave Sa‘d. There he became the guest of Hazrat Mundhir ibn Muhammad al-Ansari, and a bond of mu’akhah, or brotherhood, was established between him and Hazrat Khalid ibn Rakhbalah (RA).

Musa ibn Uqbah and Ibn Ishaq state that he took part in the Battle of Badr alongside the Messenger of Allah (SAW). He was also present at the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. (Usud al-Ghabah, 1/361). Moreover, according to various reports, he participated in all the battles fought alongside the Messenger of Allah (SAW), including Uhud and the Trench.

After returning from Uhud, in the sixth year after Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) sent him to the court of al-Muqawqis, ruler of Egypt, as a preacher and propagator of Islam. The contents of the letter he carried from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) to al-Muqawqis were as follows:

“Thereafter, I invite you to the call of Islam. If you accept Islam, you will remain safe, and Allah will grant you a double reward. But if you reject it, the sin of all the Copts will be upon you. O People of the Heavenly Book! Come to a word that is equal between us and you: that we worship none but Allah, associate nothing with Him, and do not take one another as lords besides Allah.”

Hazrat Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah appeared at al-Muqawqis’s court in Egypt and delivered the aforementioned letter from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) into his hands. The following conversation took place between the two:

Hatib: Before you, a ruler once lived here who considered himself a god. Allah the Almighty immersed him in the punishment of this world and the Hereafter and took exemplary revenge on him. You should also take a lesson from others. It is not desirable that you yourself become an example for others to learn from.

Al-Muqawqis: We follow one religion. Until another religion is proven superior to it, we cannot abandon it.

Hatib: We invite you to the religion of Islam, which is better and more complete than all other religions. When this Prophet invited people to this religion, the Quraysh vehemently opposed him. The Jews expressed the greatest hostility. The Christians, however, were comparatively more accommodating. By Allah, just as Moses gave glad tidings of Jesus, Jesus gave glad tidings of Muhammad. Just as you invite the Jews toward the Gospel, we invite you toward the Qur’an. All the peoples or nations living on earth at the time of a prophet’s advent are that prophet’s community, and obedience to that prophet is obligatory upon them. Since you have lived in the era of a prophet, it is your duty to believe in him. We are not turning you away from the religion of the Messiah; rather, we wish to lead you to it correctly.

Al-Muqawqis: Is Muhammad truly a prophet?

Hatib: Why would he not be truthful?

Al-Muqawqis: When the Quraysh drove him out of his own city, why did he not invoke a curse against them?

Hatib: Do you believe that Jesus was a Messenger of Allah? If so, when he was crucified, why did he not invoke a curse against the people of his nation?

At this penetrating and immediate reply, words of praise spontaneously escaped al-Muqawqis’s lips. He further said, “Surely you are a great scholar, and you have come from a great scholar.” (Usud al-Ghabah, 1/361). “From what I have considered, this Prophet neither commands any futile deed nor forbids any desirable matter. I cannot call him a misguided magician, nor a lying soothsayer. There are many signs of prophethood in him. I shall soon consider the matter deeply.” Having said this, he took the sacred letter of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), placed it in an ivory box, sealed it, and entrusted it to a maidservant who was present.

Al-Muqawqis bade farewell to Hazrat Hatib with great honor and sent with him valuable gifts for the Messenger of Allah: three maidservants, a mule named Duldul, and several garments. (Zad al-Ma’ad, 257). One of the three maidservants sent by al-Muqawqis was Hazrat Maria al-Qibtiyyah. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) kept her for himself, and Hazrat Ibrahim, the son of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), was born to her. The second maidservant was Hazrat Maria’s sister, Sirin. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) gave her to the renowned poet Hassan ibn Thabit (RA), and Hazrat Abd al-Rahman ibn Hassan was born to her. The third maidservant was given by the Messenger of Allah (SAW) to Abu Jahm ibn Hudhayfah al-Adawi. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/140–141; Usud al-Ghabah, 1/362).

In the eighth year after Hijrah, preparations began for the conquest of Makkah. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) warned everyone so that the opposing Quraysh of Makkah would not learn of the matter. Although Hazrat Hatib did not live in Makkah, his old friendship with the Quraysh made him emotionally attached to them. He sent a woman of the Muzaynah tribe toward Makkah with a letter containing news of the Muslims’ secret preparations in Madinah. It was agreed that he would pay the woman a fixed wage in return. Hiding the letter in the braid of her hair, the woman set out for Makkah. Meanwhile, through revelation, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was informed of everything. He immediately instructed Ali, al-Zubayr, and al-Miqdad to pursue the woman and recover the letter. The three rode swiftly and caught her at a place called “Khalīqah,” or, according to another view, “Rawdat Khakh.” First they searched her mount but found nothing. Then Hazrat Ali (RA) said to the woman, “I swear by Allah that no false information has been given to the Messenger of Allah (SAW), nor have we been told a lie. Either you bring out the letter yourself, or we will search you unclothed.” Seeing their sternness, the woman said, “Move aside for a while.” They stepped away. She opened the braid of her hair and took the letter from it. The three of them brought the letter to the service of the Messenger of Allah (SAW). After reading it, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) asked in astonishment, “O Hatib, why did you do such a thing?” Hatib said, “O Messenger of Allah, do not hasten to decide about me. Although I am not from the Quraysh, I had developed a close relationship with them during the Age of Ignorance. Since all the Muhajirun assist their relatives and friends in Makkah, I wished to give the Quraysh at least some repayment for the good treatment they have shown my relatives. I did not do this because I had become an apostate, abandoned Islam, or preferred disbelief to Islam.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi).

Another narration states that Hatib said, “O Messenger of Allah! My family is among them. I wrote the letter thinking that it would not harm Allah and His Messenger. Since accepting Islam, I have never had any doubt concerning Allah. But I was an outsider in Makkah, while my mother, brothers, and sons are there.” (Al-Isabah, 1/300; Hayat al-Sahabah, 2/425).

After hearing Hatib’s statement, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) addressed the Companions present and said, “He has disclosed the truth. Therefore, no one should insult him.” Hazrat Umar (RA) submitted, “O Messenger of Allah! He has acted disloyally toward Allah, the Messenger, and the Muslims. Permit me to strike off the neck of this hypocrite.” The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “Did he not take part in the Battle of Badr? Allah has granted the warriors of Badr permission: ‘Do whatever you wish; Paradise is assured for you.’” At this extraordinary generosity from Umar’s merciful Prophet, the Mercy to the Worlds, both of Umar’s eyes filled with tears. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Fadl Man Shahida Badran).

It was in connection with this incident that the following verse of the Holy Qur’an was revealed:

“O you who believe, do not take My enemies and your enemies as friends. You offer them friendship, while they have denied the truth that has come to you.” (Surah al-Mumtahanah, 1).

After the death of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), the first Caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), sent him to al-Muqawqis’s court for a second time and concluded a peace treaty with al-Muqawqis. This treaty remained in force between the two sides until Hazrat Amr ibn al-As (RA) conquered Egypt. (Al-Isti’ab).

He died in Madinah at the age of sixty-five in the 30th year after Hijrah. Hazrat Uthman (RA) led his funeral prayer, and he was buried in the presence of a large number of people. (Al-Isti’ab).

Keeping promises, repaying kindness, and speaking plainly were among the outstanding features of his character. He had boundless affection for his relatives and friends. The letter he wrote before the conquest of Makkah was essentially prompted by this affection, and the Messenger (SAW), understanding this, forgave him. His temperament was somewhat rough. He treated slaves harshly. For this reason, the Messenger (SAW) and the later Caliphs would occasionally reprimand him and correct him. Once, one of his slaves came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and, complaining about his harshness, said, “O Messenger of Allah, surely Hatib will enter Hell.” The Messenger (SAW) said, “You are lying. A person who took part in Badr and Hudaybiyyah cannot enter Hell.” (Al-Isti’ab).

During the caliphate of Hazrat Umar (RA), his slaves complained to the Caliph many times about his harshness toward them. Once, one of his slaves slaughtered a camel belonging to a man of the Muzaynah tribe, and he prescribed a severe punishment for that slave. When the Caliph learned of this, he summoned him and said, “I have learned that you keep your slaves hungry.” The Caliph sternly warned him.

Trade was his principal source of livelihood. He earned a great deal of money from a food shop. At the time of his death, he left four thousand dinars and many houses. Some have said that three hadiths were narrated from Hatib from the Messenger of Allah (SAW), while others have said that there were two.

‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan (RA)

His name was Utbah, and his kunyah was Abu Abdullah. His father was Ghazwan ibn Jabir. During the Age of Ignorance, his tribe was allied with Banu Nawfal ibn Abd Manaf. Utbah was among the earliest people to respond to the call to Tawhid at the beginning of Islam. Once, in a sermon, he claimed that he was the seventh Muslim. (Usud al-Ghabah, 3).

Exasperated by the persecution of the unbelievers in Makkah, he took part in the second migration to Abyssinia. He was forty years old at the time. After staying in Abyssinia for some time, he returned to Makkah and continued living there. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was still in Makkah. (Al-Isti’ab; Usud al-Ghabah, 3/364).

When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) migrated to Madinah and military conflict began between disbelief and Islam, he and al-Miqdad set out toward Madinah with a Quraysh army. Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl was the commander of this army. On the way, the army had a minor clash with a small group of Muslim mujahidin from Madinah. Hazrat Ubaydah ibn al-Harith was the leader of this group of mujahidin. Utbah and al-Miqdad were waiting for an opportunity. When the opportunity arose, they joined the mujahidin. After reaching Madinah, Utbah became the guest of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Salamah al-Ajlani, and a brotherhood was established between him and Hazrat Abu Dujanah al-Ansari. (Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, 3/69).

Hazrat Utbah ibn Ghazwan was a skilled archer. In addition to Badr, Uhud, and the Trench, he played a very courageous role in every battle in which the Messenger of Allah (SAW) personally took part. He was also a member of the reconnaissance party that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) sent toward Nakhla under the leadership of Abdullah ibn Jahsh. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 2/350).

In the 14th year after Hijrah, the second Caliph, Hazrat Umar (RA), assigned him the responsibility of conducting campaigns in and around the Iraqi seaports of Ubulla and Maysan and sent him from Madinah with an army. The incident is described in various books as follows: “The Commander of the Believers, Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA), went to bed after the Isha prayer to rest for a while before going out to tour the city at night. But sleep would not come to his eyes. A messenger had brought news that the defeated Persian army had reorganized itself from its scattered state to launch a counterattack. The Caliph was also informed that the city of Ubulla, near Basra, was the principal source of funds and supplies of men for the defeated Persian army. The Caliph decided to campaign against Ubulla in order to cut off this source of the Persian army. But inadequate military strength stood in the way of implementing his decision, for nearly everyone in Madinah, except a few, was engaged in campaigns on various fronts. Caliph Umar (RA) then decided to employ his customary method: overcoming a shortage of troops through strong and capable leadership. He thought about the army commanders. After a while, he said to himself, ‘I have found him. Yes, I have found him.’ Saying this, he went to bed. He was the mujahid whom the battles of Badr, Uhud, and the Trench had come to know. Yamamah, too, bore witness to his ability and role. In no battle had his sword become blunt, and not a single one of his arrows had missed its target. Moreover, he had the distinction of making two migrations; he was the seventh Muslim on the face of the earth.”

In the morning he said, “Call someone to bring Utbah ibn Ghazwan.” The Caliph appointed him commander of an army consisting of slightly more than three hundred men and promised to reinforce him with additional troops following behind.

Just before Utbah departed from Madinah with his army, Caliph Umar advised the army commander Utbah, saying:

“Relying on Allah’s mercy and blessings, set out with your companions toward the farthest limits of Arabia and the regions near the non-Arab empire. Observe taqwa to the greatest extent possible, and remember that you are going into enemy territory. I hope Allah will help you. I have written to al-Ala ibn al-Hadrami to send Arfajah ibn Harthamah to assist you. He is an able mujahid in confronting the enemy. He will serve as your adviser. Invite the non-Arabs toward Allah. Grant security to those who accept that invitation. As for those who reject it, compel them to live under rule by paying jizyah. Otherwise, settle the matter with the sword. As you pass by the Arab tribes along the way, encourage them to fight the enemy, and fear Allah in every circumstance. (Usud al-Ghabah, 3/364).

Utbah ibn Ghazwan set out with his army. Along with his wife, fifteen other women—the wives of other soldiers—also accompanied the army. They reached a tract of land called Qasbah, covered with a kind of aquatic plant, not far from the city of Ubulla. At that time, they had nothing with which to eat and survive. When they faced severe hunger, Utbah instructed some members of his army to search for something to eat. A remarkable story is connected with this search for food. One of them relates it:

“We entered a dense jungle in search of food. There we saw two sacks lying on the ground. One was full of dates, and the other contained a kind of white grain covered on the surface with a golden husk. We dragged the two sacks near our military camp. One of us looked at the sack filled with grain and said, ‘This is poison; the enemy left it here. No one should go near it.’ We began eating the dates. Meanwhile, our horse ran over to the sack of grain and began eating from it. We had almost decided to slaughter the horse before it died so that we could eat its meat.

“Then the owner of the horse said to us, ‘Let us wait a little. We will watch the horse tonight. If it appears that it is truly dying, we can slaughter it.’ But in the morning, we found the horse completely healthy. Then my sister said to me, ‘Brother, I heard my father say that when poison is burned and boiled over a fire, its effect is destroyed.’ She then took some of the grains, put them in a pot, and began boiling them. After a while, she called us and said, ‘Look how red they have become.’ She removed the husks from the grains and brought out the white kernels. We placed them in a vessel. Utbah said, ‘Eat them while saying Bismillah.’ We ate them and found them delicious. Later we learned that the name of this grain was rice.”

This Ubulla stood on the bank of the Tigris and was a strongly fortified base of the enemy army. Utbah conquered this base with only six hundred warriors and a few women accompanying them. Their weapons, too, were very simple: arrows, swords, spears, and the like. Yet with intelligence, wisdom, and courage, he accomplished this seemingly impossible feat.

Utbah made many flags for the women and tied them to the tops of spears. He instructed them to hold them high behind the Muslim mujahidin. He also told them, “When we draw near the city of Ubulla, raise a great deal of dust so that the surroundings become dark with dust.”

When the Muslim army drew near Ubulla, the Persian army came out of the city and saw a cloud of dust stretching to the horizon and countless flags rising and falling. They said to one another, “This is only the vanguard. There are countless soldiers behind them, and they are raising this dust.” Fear entered their hearts, and they became frantic with terror. Taking whatever they could find at hand, they rushed to the boats anchored in the Tigris and competed with one another to flee. Utbah entered Ubulla without losing a single member of his army. Thereafter, he subdued the cities and villages along the Tigris and raised the Islamic banner high.

The Muslim army obtained countless spoils at Ubulla. When one of the Muslim soldiers came to Madinah, the people of Madinah asked him, “How are the Muslims in Ubulla?” He replied, “What are you asking about? By Allah, when I left them, they were weighing gold and silver on scales.” Hearing this, the people of Madinah spurred their mounts toward Ubulla.

After conquering Ubulla, Hazrat Utbah reflected that if his soldiers lived alongside the local inhabitants of this foreign land, they would quickly become accustomed to foreign customs and lose their identity. He informed Caliph Umar (RA) of the matter and requested permission to build a military city at a place called Basra. Basra was near the port of Ubulla, where ships from India and Persia traveling in the Persian Gulf anchored. Hazrat Utbah (RA) went there first with eight hundred men and laid the foundation of the city of Basra. He designated a separate quarter for each tribe. He entrusted Hazrat Mihjan ibn al-Adra with the construction of the congregational mosque. At first, the houses of the city were built of trees and stones. For this reason, the congregational mosque was also built of trees. However, he did not build a palace for himself. He lived in a tent made of cloth. (Usud al-Ghabah, 3/364).

Hazrat Utbah (RA) was appointed the first governor of this new city and performed his duties with great skill for six months. But his ascetic and detached nature regarding worldly comforts and wealth prompted him to step down. Moreover, he was alarmed when he observed the luxurious lifestyle of the Muslims of Basra. Those who, only a short time earlier, had known no food better than boiled rice had now become accustomed to the aristocratic foods of Persia. He became apprehensive about their religion. At this time, he delivered a historic sermon to the people gathered in the mosque. A portion of it follows:

“Friends! The world is passing and perishing. Most of it has already passed. Surely you will be transferred from this world to a place that will never perish. So why do you not take the best provision with you? I have been told that if a stone were cast from the edge of Hell, it would not reach its bottom even in seventy years. But by Allah, you will fill it. What, are you amazed? By Allah, I have been told that the gates of Paradise will be so wide that crossing the distance between them will take forty years. Yet a day will come when they will be crowded with people. When I accepted faith, there were only six people with the Messenger of Allah (SAW). We were in such extreme poverty and deprivation that the leaves of trees were our principal means of survival. Eating those leaves caused sores to form on our lips. One day I found a discarded cloak. I tore it apart and made loincloths for myself and Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas. But today a time has come when each of us has become the commander of one city or another. I seek Allah’s protection from becoming such that I consider myself great while being lowly in Allah’s sight. Prophethood has ended. Eventually, kingship will be established, and very soon you will test other commanders.” (Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 4/174).

Thereafter, Hazrat Utbah (RA) instructed Hazrat Majashi ibn Mas’ud to conduct military campaigns in the regions along the Euphrates and appointed Hazrat al-Mughirah ibn Shu’bah as his replacement before going to Makkah for Hajj. The Commander of the Believers, Hazrat Umar (RA), was also there. Utbah requested the Caliph to relieve him of his duties, but the Caliph rejected his request. He made the request repeatedly, and the Caliph repeatedly rejected it. The Caliph ordered him to return to Basra and resume his duties. Despite his reluctance, he obeyed the Caliph’s order. While traveling from Makkah toward Basra, just before mounting his camel, he humbly supplicated, “Allahumma la taruddani ilaiha, Allahumma la taruddani ilaiha”—“O Allah, do not send me back there; O Allah, do not send me back there.” Allah the Almighty accepted his supplication. On the way, he suddenly fell from the back of his camel and died at a place called Ma’dan Salim at the age of seventy-five. The year of his death was 17 after Hijrah, or, according to another view, 20. Hadiths have been narrated from Utbah ibn Ghazwan in Sahih Muslim and other Sunan collections.

Amir ibn Fuhayrah (RA)

His name was Amir, and his kunyah was Abu Amr. His father’s name was Fuhayrah; according to another view, Fuhayrah was his mother’s name. Ibn Hisham says, “Amir ibn Fuhayrah was a non-Arab black slave of Banu Asad. Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq purchased and emancipated him.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/259). According to another narration, Amir was the slave of Tufayl ibn Abdullah of the Azd tribe, who was Hazrat Aishah’s maternal half-brother. Hazrat al-Siddiq al-Akbar (RA) freed Amir ibn Fuhayrah from slavery before the Hijrah; he was the seventh person among those whom he emancipated. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/318).

At the very beginning of Islam, before the Messenger of Allah (SAW) took refuge in the house of Hazrat al-Arqam in Makkah, Amir ibn Fuhayrah accepted the call to Tawhid. He was already a helpless slave, and after accepting Islam, a mountain of calamities descended upon him. Various methods of persecution were inflicted upon him. Yet he remained firm as a mountain in the face of all oppression. Finally, through the generosity of Hazrat al-Siddiq al-Akbar (RA), he was freed from the chains of slavery. (Usud al-Ghabah, 3/191).

When the Noble Messenger of Allah (SAW), accompanied by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA), left Makkah for Madinah and concealed himself in the cave of Mount Thawr, Amir ibn Fuhayrah would graze Abu Bakr’s (RA) goats throughout the day in the pastures around Mount Thawr. Wherever the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and Abu Bakr were, he would milk the goats and provide them with milk to drink. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr’s son Abdullah would secretly come to the cave of Mount Thawr every night to inform the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and al-Siddiq al-Akbar of the situation in Makkah. In the morning, when he returned home, Amir would follow behind him with the flock of goats, erasing his footprints so that no suspicion would arise in anyone’s mind. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/486; al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi).

Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and Abu Bakr (RA) emerged from the cave of Mount Thawr and set out for Madinah, and Abu Bakr (RA) took Amir behind him on his mount. Thus Amir migrated to Madinah. In Madinah, he stayed as a guest of Sa’d ibn Khuthaymah (RA), and a bond of brotherhood in faith was established between him and Harith ibn Aws. (Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, 3/164).

Among those who came from Makkah to Madinah whose health initially did not adapt to Madinah’s climate was Amir. He became extremely ill. Ibn Ishaq relates that Aishah (RA) said: When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) migrated to Madinah, it was the area of Allah’s earth most afflicted by fever. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) there were widely struck by fever. Abu Bakr (RA) stayed in the same room with his two freed slaves, Amir ibn Fuhayrah and Bilal. They all fell ill with fever. I went to visit them. This was before the injunction concerning hijab. At that time, they were unconscious from the intense fever. After first asking about Abu Bakr’s condition, I went to Amir ibn Fuhayrah and asked, “Amir, how are you feeling?” He replied by reciting two lines of poetry: “I have encountered death before tasting its flavor; surely the coward’s death comes suddenly from above. Every person tries to preserve his life according to his ability, just as a cow protects its hide with its horns.”

Aishah (RA) said, “By Allah, Amir himself does not know what he is saying.” Then Aishah (RA) asked about Bilal’s condition, returned to the Messenger of Allah (SAW), and informed him of their condition. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) then supplicated: “O Allah, make Madinah as beloved and dear to us as Makkah, or even more so; bless its food for us; and transfer its illness to the place called Mahya.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/588–589; Sahih al-Bukhari, chapter on the migration of the Prophet and his Companions).

The supplication of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was accepted, and they all recovered.

Amir ibn Fuhayrah (RA) participated in the battles of Badr and Uhud. After the Battle of Uhud, a man named Abu Bara Amir ibn Malik came to Madinah to the Messenger of Allah (SAW). The Noble Messenger of Allah (SAW) presented Islam to him, but he neither accepted nor rejected it. He said, “O Muhammad, if you sent some men from among your Companions to the people of Najd, and they presented your message to them, I believe they would accept your invitation.” The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “I fear that the people of Najd will attack them.” Abu Bara said, “I guarantee their safety. Send the men, and let them convey your invitation to your religion.” Trusting his word, the Noble Messenger of Allah (SAW) selected forty men—according to another account, seventy—and formed a group. Amir ibn Fuhayrah (RA) was among them. At the command of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), this group departed Madinah in the fourth month after the Battle of Uhud, in the fourth year after the Hijrah, and camped at a place called Bi’r Ma’unah, between Banu Amir and the Harrah of Banu Sulaym.

Thereafter, through Haram ibn Milhan, they sent a letter from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) to Amir ibn al-Tufayl. Without even reading the letter, Amir ibn al-Tufayl killed the messenger, Haram ibn Milhan. Then, with the help of Banu Sulaym, Ri’l, and Dhakwan, he launched a surprise attack on the group and killed everyone except Ka’b ibn Zayd—or, according to another account, Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damiri (RA). Ka’b was severely wounded but somehow survived. Later, he attained martyrdom in the Battle of the Trench. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/183–186).

When the spear of the treacherous Jabbar ibn Salma pierced the chest of Amir ibn Fuhayrah (RA), the words emerged effortlessly from his lips: “Fuztu wallahi”—“By Allah, I have succeeded.” His body leapt upward toward the heavens. The angels shrouded and buried him. The gates of the highest Illiyyun were opened for his pure soul. On witnessing this miraculous scene, his killer, Jabbar ibn Salma, was stunned with amazement and so deeply affected that he accepted Islam. Following this heartbreaking incident at Bi’r Ma’unah, the Noble Messenger of Allah (SAW) recited Qunut al-Nazilah in the dawn prayer for forty consecutive days and invoked curses upon these killers. After this incident, Amir ibn al-Tufayl came to Madinah and asked the Messenger of Allah (SAW), “O Muhammad, who was that man who was taken up to the heavens immediately after being struck by arrows?” The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “He was Amir ibn Fuhayrah.” (Note: Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/186; Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, al-Maghazi).

The outward complexion of Amir ibn Fuhayrah (RA) was black like that of the Abyssinian Negroes, and most of his thirty-four years of life had been spent in slavery and servitude under cruel masters. Yet he was exalted in moral beauty. The patience and steadfastness he displayed in various trials and hardships caused the sweetness of his character to shine with remarkable brilliance. He was so trustworthy that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) relied upon him in many critical situations. His intense longing for martyrdom had made him indifferent to the world. Thus, when a spear was thrust into his chest in the clash at Bi’r Ma’unah, the words effortlessly escaped his lips: “Fuztu wallahi”—“By Allah, I have succeeded.”

Abdullah ibn Suhayl (RA)

His name was Abdullah, and his kunyah was Abu Suhayl. His father was Suhayl and his mother was Fakhtah bint Amir.

He accepted faith in the early period of Islam and migrated to Abyssinia with the second caravan bound for Abyssinia. After staying there for some time, he returned to Makkah, where his father imprisoned him and subjected him to merciless torture. Unable to endure the torture, Abdullah pretended to abandon Islam and return to his former life of polytheism and idolatry. His parents and the polytheists of Makkah, seeing his outward behavior, became convinced that he had renounced Islam.

Meanwhile, the Noble Messenger of Allah (SAW) left Makkah and went to Madinah. Military conflict began between Makkah and Madinah. The Makkans took Abdullah with them to fight against the Muslims at Badr as one of their fellow combatants. But they did not know that once the light of faith enters a heart, the darkness of polytheism can never enter it. In reality, Abdullah had never abandoned Islam; he had merely been waiting for an opportunity. At Badr, he joined the Muslim army.

During a sudden incident, Abdullah’s father erupted in anger. Seeking revenge, he launched a fierce attack, but it achieved nothing. Abdullah was now free and fought courageously against his father’s army, shoulder to shoulder with his brothers in faith. Ultimately, the Muslims were victorious. After Badr, Abdullah (RA) fought courageously alongside the Messenger of Allah (SAW) in every major battle. He also participated in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and the Pledge of Ridwan. (Al-Isabah, 2/323).

Abdullah (RA) was also the traveling companion of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) at the conquest of Makkah. His father, Suhayl, was still alive in Makkah as an unbeliever. Abdullah (RA) asked the Messenger of Allah (SAW) for a guarantee of safety for his father. Suhayl related the following: When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) entered Makkah, I entered my house and locked the door. Then I sent my son Abdullah to Muhammad (SAW) to request protection for me, because I had no assurance that I would not be killed. Abdullah went to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, will you grant my father protection?” The Messenger of Allah (SAW) replied, “Yes. He is granted protection under Allah’s protection. Let him come out.” Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) told those around him, “Let no one look down upon Suhayl ibn Amr. By Allah, he is an honorable and intelligent man. Such a person can never remain unaware of the beauty of Islam. Now he has seen that there is no benefit in that which he used to support.”

Abdullah (RA) went to his father, conveyed the Messenger of Allah’s (SAW) instruction, and gave him the good news. Delighted by his son’s good fortune, the father exclaimed, “By Allah, you have been righteous both as a child and as an adult.” After this assurance from the Messenger of Allah (SAW), Suhayl came to him, still wavering in hesitation and doubt. He departed from Makkah with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) intending to participate in the Battle of Hunayn. On the way, when he reached a place called Ji’ranah, not far from Makkah, he accepted Islam. The Noble Messenger of Allah (SAW) gave him one hundred camels from the spoils of Hunayn. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/173–174).

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA), when rebellions arose in the Arabian Peninsula by those who denied zakat and by false prophets, Abdullah (RA) played an active role in suppressing them. In the bloody clash with the false prophet Musaylimah in the plain of Yamamah in the twelfth year after the Hijrah, Abdullah attained martyrdom there. According to the most well-known opinion, he was only thirty-eight years old at the time of his death.

Abdullah’s father, Suhayl, was still alive in Makkah. After this event, Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) came to Makkah for Hajj. He met Abdullah’s father and tried to console him. Abdullah’s father said to the Caliph, “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said that a martyr will intercede for seventy members of his family. I hope that at that time my son will not forget me.”

Zayd ibn al-Khattab (RA)

His name was Zayd, and his kunyah was Abu Abd al-Rahman. His father was al-Khattab ibn Nufayl and his mother was Asma bint Wahab. He was the half-brother of Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) and older than Umar. (Usud al-Ghabah, 2/228).

Although, in the early period of Islam, al-Khattab’s household was terrified because of Umar’s excesses, Zayd accepted Islam before Umar and also migrated to Madinah with the first caravan of the Muhajirun. After the Noble Messenger of Allah (SAW) came to Madinah, he established a bond of brotherhood between Zayd and Ma’n ibn Adi al-Ajlani.

After coming to Madinah, he first participated in the Battle of Badr. Then he took part in Uhud as well. He was extraordinarily brave. In every battle, he desired martyrdom more than victory. At Uhud, he was fighting with immense courage. At one point, his brother Umar noticed that Zayd’s armor had fallen off, yet he paid no attention to it. He was entering the midst of the enemy army bare-bodied. Umar loved his brother dearly. He called out loudly, “Khudh dir’i ya Zayd, faqatil biha”—“Zayd, take my armor and fight wearing it.”

Zayd replied, “Inni uridu min al-shahadati ma turiduhu ya Umar”—“O Umar, I too long, as you do, to drink the sweet draught of martyrdom.” Then both of them fought without armor. (Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, 3/275; Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/515; Rijal hawl al-Rasul, 344).

He was present at the incident of Hudaybiyyah and pledged allegiance at the hand of the Noble Messenger of Allah (SAW). He also actively participated in the battles of the Trench, Hunayn, Awtas, and others. He accompanied the Messenger of Allah (SAW) on the Farewell Hajj as well. During that journey, he heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) say: “Feed and clothe your slaves and bondwomen with what you yourselves eat and wear. If they commit an offense and you cannot forgive them, then sell them.” (Tabaqat, 3/274).

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA), Zayd (RA) took part, along with others, in various battles to eradicate the sedition and unrest raised by the apostates, and he personally killed many apostates. He himself killed the famous apostate Nahar ibn Unfuwah, concerning whose apostasy the Messenger of Allah (SAW) had prophesied while he was still a Muslim. In the Battle of Yamamah against Musaylimah the Liar, he was entrusted with carrying the Islamic standard. During the battle, Banu Hanifah launched such a fierce attack that the Muslim army came to the brink of defeat. Some soldiers even fled the battlefield. This increased Zayd’s courage further. He called out to his companions: “O people, grit your teeth and continue exterminating the enemy. Stand firm. By Allah, I will say nothing until Allah defeats them or I meet Allah. When I meet Allah, I will speak there in my defense.” (Rijal hawl al-Rasul, 345). Then he continued to seek Allah’s forgiveness for his companions’ error, saying: “Allahumma inni a’tadhiru ilayka min firari ashabi”—“O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for my companions’ flight.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/534–535). In this state, he waved the standard, broke through the enemy ranks, and attained martyrdom while wielding his sword. After his martyrdom, Salim (RA) took up the standard. Zayd (RA) died in the twelfth year after the Hijrah. (Al-Isabah, 1/565).

Zayd (RA) was one of Umar’s (RA) most beloved people. At his death, Umar was overcome with profound grief. Whenever any misfortune befell him, he would say, “I have experienced the grief of Zayd’s death and endured it with patience.” When Umar (RA) saw Zayd’s killer, he said, “May ruin befall you! You killed my brother. The eastern breeze of dawn brings his memory.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 2/592). Yet, despite the grief of losing such a beloved brother, he did not become distraught. In Madinah, he was receiving the soldiers returning from Yamamah with Caliph Abu Bakr (RA). Upon hearing from them the news of his brother’s martyrdom, he exclaimed, “Sabaqani ila al-husnayayni aslama qabli wastushhida qabli”—“He surpassed me in two good deeds: he accepted Islam before me and attained martyrdom before me.” (Al-Isabah, 1/565).

At precisely this time, a brother of the famous Arab poet Mutammim ibn Nuwayrah was also killed in a battle by Khalid ibn al-Walid. The poet Mutammim loved his brother dearly. In memory of his dead brother, he composed such a mournful elegy that tears would stream from the listeners’ eyes when they heard it. By coincidence, the poet met Umar (RA). Umar asked him, “How deeply did you grieve your brother’s death?” The poet replied, “Because of an illness, tears began to flow from one of my eyes, and they have not stopped to this day.” Hearing this, Umar remarked, “This is the utmost degree of grief. No one is so deeply afflicted over one who has departed.” Then he said, “May Allah forgive Zayd. If I were a poet, I would compose an elegy for him.” Hearing this, the poet Mutammim exclaimed, “Commander of the Believers, if my brother had been martyred like your brother, I would never have shed tears.” The poet’s words brought Umar (RA) considerable consolation. Then he said, “No one has ever offered me a better word of consolation than this.” Various people narrated hadiths from Zayd ibn al-Khattab.

Shurahbil ibn Hasanah (RA)

His name was Shurahbil, and his kunyah was Abu Abdullah or Abu Abd al-Rahman. His father was Abdullah ibn al-Muta’ and his mother was Hasanah. According to Abu Amr, however, Hasanah was the name of his daughter. In any case, after Shurahbil’s father died, his mother Hasanah married Sufyan al-Ansari for a second time. For this reason, he became known by his mother’s name rather than his father’s. There is disagreement concerning Hasanah’s lineage. Some said she belonged to the Kindah tribe, some to the Tamim tribe, and others to the Banu Jumah tribe. He accepted Islam in Makkah during its early period and migrated to Abyssinia with the other members of his family. Thereafter, he moved from there to Madinah. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/364, 369).

Shurahbil earned the distinction of becoming a Muslim in the earliest period of Islam and migrated to Abyssinia with the first caravan from Makkah bound for Abyssinia. Then he came directly from Abyssinia to Madinah and began living among the Banu Khurayq, his maternal relatives. No noteworthy information about his life is found in history from his arrival in Madinah until the death of the Messenger of Allah (SAW). It is possible that he came to Madinah only a short time before the Messenger of Allah (SAW) passed away. His notable career in the service of Islam began during the caliphate of Abu Bakr (RA).

In the twelfth year after the Hijrah, Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) selected four of the finest soldiers of the Muslim army as commanders. They were: 1. Amr ibn al-As, 2. Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan, 3. Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, and 4. Shurahbil ibn Hasanah. He selected soldiers for each of them and told them which routes they would take. He also determined who would govern which region after the victory: Amr would govern Palestine, Yazid Damascus, and Shurahbil Jordan. (Tarikh al-Ummah al-Islamiyyah, 1/190–191). Some reports, however, name five army commanders. Of the four mentioned above, three are included, while Khalid ibn al-Walid and Iyad ibn Ghanm al-Fihri are named in place of Abu Ubaydah. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/684, 1/213). Ibn al-Barqi says that Caliph Umar (RA) appointed Shurahbil governor of one-quarter of Syria. (Al-Isabah, 2/143).

In the campaign to Syria, Shurahbil was a commanding officer in the Battle of Busra. Before the battle began, he exchanged views with his opponent’s leader, Romanus. When this produced no result, he organized his troops and was advancing when Khalid arrived. Khalid assumed command of the main army, and under his leadership the opposing side agreed to pay jizyah. (Futuh al-Buldan, 119).

After Busra, the Romans gathered at Ajnadayn. Khalid advanced to repel them. After traveling some distance, Shurahbil joined him. Together they confronted the Roman army, and after a terrible and bloody clash, the Muslim army achieved victory. During the campaign to Damascus, he commanded the infantry and was responsible for guarding a gate during the siege. He fulfilled this responsibility until the victory was complete.

After the conquest of Damascus, the Muslim army advanced toward Baysan by way of Fahl. Because of flooding, they had to halt at Fahl along the way. Shurahbil was with this army as well. Through his vigilance, the Muslim army was saved from a grave danger. In fact, the Romans broke a dam on the sea and caused flooding in the region between Fahl and Baysan. The Muslim army halted and established camp at Fahl. In this precarious situation, Shurahbil stayed awake throughout the night guarding the camp so that the Romans could not launch a surprise attack. Indeed, one day the Romans suddenly attacked from the rear, but because of Shurahbil’s foresight and vigilance, they were defeated.

After Fahl, Shurahbil and Amr ibn al-As advanced toward Baysan. The people of Baysan had witnessed the fate of Fahl, so instead of engaging in open battle, they closed the gates of the fortress. As soon as Shurahbil reached Baysan, he laid siege to the fortress. The siege continued for a long time. One day, when some people came out of the fortress and attempted an attack, they were killed. Eventually, they made peace on the terms agreed upon at Damascus. Thereafter, the people of Tiberias sent a delegation to Shurahbil and entered into a treaty. Then Shurahbil brought the Jordan region and all the surrounding cities under Islamic rule with almost no resistance and no bloodshed.

During the campaign of Yarmuk, the Muslim army withdrew from all the regions of Syria and gathered at Yarmuk. Shurahbil (RA) also came. He and Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan took up positions in the same place. Khalid was the commander-in-chief of this campaign. He divided the entire army into thirty-six units according to a completely new system and placed each unit under an officer. The right and left wings were assigned to Amr ibn al-As and Shurahbil ibn Hasanah. When the Muslim army was shaken by the Romans’ first attack in this battle and many fled the field, Shurahbil nevertheless remained steadfast. He fought in this battle, staking his life.

In the eighteenth year after the Hijrah, the Muslim army was engaged in the campaign to Syria. At that time, plague appeared on an epidemic scale in Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. Amr ibn al-As said, “This plague is Allah’s punishment. Therefore, disperse among the various valleys and mountain passes.” Hearing this, Shurahbil became extremely angry. He said, “Amr has not spoken correctly. Even when I was a companion of the Messenger of Allah, Amr was more astray than the camel of his family. Surely this plague is a supplication of your prophets, a mercy from your Lord, and many righteous people before you have died from it.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 2/581). He was a person wholly reliant upon Allah. Therefore, he did not consider it appropriate to leave the place out of fear of illness. He did not leave. It is reported that Mu’adh ibn Jabal, Abu Ubaydah, Shurahbil ibn Hasanah, and Abu Malik al-Ash’ari (RA) were afflicted by the plague on the same day. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 2/582). During the plague of Amwas, Shurahbil ibn Hasanah (RA) passed away at the age of sixty-seven, along with many others. Ibn Yunus, however, says that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) sent Shurahbil to Egypt and that he died there. (Al-Isabah, 2/143).

For various reasons, Ibn Yunus’s opinion does not appear to be acceptable.

Although the whole of Shurahbil’s life was spent in Abyssinia and later on the battlefields of jihad, he was by no means behind others in narrating the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (SAW). He narrated a number of hadiths.

It is narrated from Shifa bint Abdullah. She said: I went to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) intending to ask for some charity. But he expressed his inability to give charity, while I continued to press him. In the meantime, the time for prayer arrived. I left the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and went to my daughter’s house. The wife of Shurahbil ibn Hasanah was my daughter. I found Shurahbil at home. I said to him, “The time for prayer has come, and you are sitting at home?” I began to reproach him. He said, “Do not reproach me. I have only one garment, and the Messenger of Allah (SAW) has borrowed it.” I said, “May my parents be sacrificed for him! I have been arguing with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) all day, yet I did not understand his desperate condition at all.” Shurahbil said, “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) had only one garment, and we patched it.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/326).

Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi (RA)

There is considerable disagreement in historical accounts regarding Abul ‘As’s real name. Some of the names mentioned are Laqit, Hisham, Mihsham, Yasir and Yasim. However, his kunya, or nickname, was Abul ‘As, and it was by this name that he became known in history. His father was Rabi‘ ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzza, and his mother was Hala bint Khuwaylid, the full sister of Hazrat Khadijah (RA). As he was descended from the ‘Abd Shams branch of the Quraysh, he was briefly called ‘Abshami.’ Abul ‘As had unrestricted access to the home of his maternal aunt, Hazrat Khadijah (RA), and her husband, the Messenger of Allah (SA). He was greatly loved by them. Abul ‘As gradually reached manhood. His handsome appearance captivated everyone. Because of his noble lineage, Arab valor and keen sense of self-respect, he held a special position among the young men of Makkah at that time. Moreover, the Quraysh possessed the special quality mentioned in the Qur’an—‘the journeys of winter and summer’: their trade caravans traveled toward Yemen in winter and toward Syria in summer. This quality was fully developed in Abul ‘As as well. His trade caravans constantly traveled between Makkah and Syria. Each caravan included at least one hundred camels and two hundred men. Because of his business acumen, honesty and trustworthiness, people confidently entrusted their goods to him. Ibn Ishaq says, ‘In wealth, trustworthiness and commerce, he was one of the few distinguished men of Makkah at that time.’ (Al-Isabah, 4/122)

Time flowed on in its own course. Meanwhile, Muhammad’s (SA) eldest daughter, Zaynab, grew up. The noble young men of Makkah became eager to have her as their life partner. And why would they not? Zaynab was the daughter of the noblest branch of the Quraysh of Makkah. She was the most honored through both her father and mother, and likewise the most pure in character, manners and conduct. Does every man who hopes for such a bride actually attain her? In the end, Abul ‘As ibn Rabi‘, her maternal cousin and a young man of Makkah, was blessed with this honor.

A few years after Abul ‘As married Zaynab (RA), Muhammad (SA) received prophethood. He was sent with the true religion and guidance, and was commanded to convey the call to religion to his close relatives. Hazrat Khadijah (RA) and her daughters—namely Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah (RA)—believed in the Messenger of Allah (SA). Fatimah was still very young at the time. The Messenger’s son-in-law, Abul ‘As, loved and respected his wife Zaynab immensely. But he was unwilling to abandon the religion of his forefathers and accept his beloved wife’s new religion. This state of affairs continued. Meanwhile, a serious conflict began between the Messenger of Allah (SA) and the Quraysh. The Quraysh began saying among themselves,

“Damn you! By marrying Muhammad’s daughters, you have taken his worries upon yourselves. If you sent these girls back to him, he would leave you alone and occupy himself with them.” Many of them agreed, saying, “What an excellent idea!” They all went to Abul ‘As and said, “Abul ‘As, we will marry you to whichever Qurayshi beauty you desire.” Abul ‘As replied, “By Allah, no, that cannot be. I cannot abandon my wife. Even if all women were offered to me in her place, I would not prefer that.”

The Messenger of Allah (SA) sent his other two daughters, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum, away from their husbands’ homes and back to their father. Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SA) was very pleased that his daughters had returned after being divorced by their husbands. In his heart, he wished that, like the other two sons-in-law, Abul ‘As would also divorce Zaynab. Since the Messenger of Allah (SA) had no power to separate Zaynab from Abul ‘As, and the marriage of believing women to polytheists had not yet been declared unlawful, he remained silent.

Time passed quickly. Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SA) migrated to Madinah. Military conflict began with the Quraysh. The Quraysh assembled at Badr to fight the Muslims. Despite his extreme reluctance, Abul ‘As went to Badr with the Quraysh, for given his position among them, he had no choice. At Badr, the Quraysh suffered a grievous defeat. Several of their leaders were killed, many fighters were taken prisoner, and the rest fled to save their lives. What a cruel twist of fate: among these prisoners was the Messenger of Allah’s (SA) son-in-law, Abul ‘As. Ibn Ishaq says that Hazrat ‘Abdullah ibn Zubayr ibn al-Nu‘man (RA) captured him at Badr. According to al-Waqidi, however, he was captured by Hazrat Khirash ibn Simmah (RA). (Al-Isabah, 4/122)

The Muslims decided that the prisoners of Badr would be released in return for ransom. Depending on their social status and whether they were rich or poor, ransoms of between one thousand and four thousand dirhams were fixed. The prisoners’ representatives began traveling back and forth between Makkah and Madinah with the appointed ransoms. Zaynab, the Prophet’s daughter, sent an envoy to Madinah with the ransom for her husband, Abul ‘As. According to al-Waqidi, his brother ‘Amr ibn Rabi‘ came to Madinah with Abul ‘As’s ransom. Instead of dirhams, Hazrat Zaynab sent a necklace. Her mother, Hazrat Khadijah (RA), had given her this necklace as a wedding gift. When Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SA) saw the necklace, he became deeply sorrowful and covered his saddened face with a thin cloth. Memories of his beloved wife and daughter rose before his mind.

After a while, Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SA) addressed the Companions and said, “Zaynab has sent this necklace as her husband’s ransom. If you wish, you may release her prisoner and return this necklace to her.” The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, we will do so for your pleasure.” They agreed. However, before releasing Abul ‘As, the Messenger of Allah (SA) obtained his pledge that, upon returning to Makkah, he would immediately send Zaynab to Madinah.

As soon as Abul ‘As returned to Makkah, he began arranging to fulfill his pledge. He instructed his wife Zaynab to prepare for the journey. He also told Zaynab that her father’s representatives were waiting just outside Makkah to take her. After completing his wife’s preparations, Abul ‘As summoned his brother ‘Amr—or, according to another account, Kinanah—and told him to accompany Zaynab and hand her over to the waiting envoys.

Ibn Ishaq says that when preparations for the journey were complete, Zaynab’s brother-in-law, Kinanah ibn Rabi‘, brought a camel and stood it ready. Zaynab mounted the howdah on its back. Kinanah slung his bow over his shoulder, took his quiver of arrows in his hand, and left Makkah in broad daylight. An uproar broke out among the Quraysh. They pursued them and caught the two of them shortly afterward in the valley of Dhu Tuwa. Several accounts of this incident are found in the books of Sirah. A few are mentioned here. Angered by the Quraysh’s conduct, Kinanah ibn Rabi‘ took his bow from his shoulder, held it in his hand, spread his quiver of arrows before him and said, “If any of you tries to approach Zaynab, his chest will become the target of my arrows.” Kinanah was a skilled archer, and his arrows rarely missed their mark. Hearing this, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb approached him and said, “Nephew, lower the arrow you are aiming at us for a moment; we wish to speak with you.” Abu Sufyan said, “You have acted wrongly. You have brought Zaynab out publicly before the people while we sit here watching. All the inhabitants of Arabia know what befell us at Badr and what ruin Zaynab’s father brought upon us. If you take his daughter away openly, right under our noses, everyone will consider us cowards, and everyone will regard this act as a humiliation for us. Take Zaynab back home. Let her remain with her husband for some time. Then, when people begin saying that we prevented Zaynab from leaving Makkah, secretly deliver her to her father.”

Kinanah—or ‘Amr—agreed to this, and Zaynab returned to Makkah. Some days later, under cover of darkness, he again took Zaynab out of Makkah and, as instructed by her brother, handed her over at the appointed place to her father’s representatives.

Al-Tabarani narrated from ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr: A man set out with Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah. Two Qurayshi men pursued them and caught them. They subdued Zaynab’s companion and threw him from the camel. Zaynab was flung onto a stone, cutting her body and causing it to bleed. In this condition, they took Zaynab to Abu Sufyan. Abu Sufyan entrusted her to the daughters of Banu Hashim. Later, she migrated to Madinah. Because of the pain she suffered when she was thrown from the camel, she continued to feel that pain throughout her life and eventually died from it. For this reason, people considered her a martyr. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/371)

It is narrated from Hazrat ‘Aishah (RA): Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (SA), set out from Makkah toward Madinah with Kinanah. The people of Makkah pursued them. Hبار ibn al-Aswad was the first to seize Zaynab. When he struck her camel with an arrow, Zaynab fell and was injured. She was pregnant, and the injury caused her unborn child to miscarry. Then Banu Hashim and Banu Umayyah began disputing over Zaynab. Eventually she stayed with Hind bint ‘Utbah. Hind would often say to her, “This misfortune of yours has happened because of your father.”

One day the Messenger of Allah (SA) said to Zayd ibn Harithah, “Can you bring Zaynab?” Zayd agreed. Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SA) gave Zayd a ring and said, “Take this and deliver it to Zaynab.” Carrying the ring, Zayd traveled toward Makkah. On the outskirts of Makkah, he saw a shepherd grazing goats. He asked the shepherd, “Whose shepherd are you?” The shepherd replied, “Abul ‘As’s.” He asked again, “Whose goats are these?” He replied, “Zaynab bint Muhammad’s.” Zayd walked with the shepherd for some distance, then said, “If I give you something, can you deliver it to Zaynab?” The shepherd agreed. Zayd gave him the ring, and the shepherd delivered it into Zaynab’s hand.

Zaynab asked the shepherd, “Who gave this to you?” He replied, “A man.” She asked again, “Where did you leave him?” He replied, “At such-and-such a place.” Zaynab remained silent. Under cover of night, she quietly went there. Zayd said to her, “Mount my camel and sit in front of me.” Zaynab refused and said, “No, you sit in front of me.” Thus Zaynab sat behind Zayd and reached Madinah. Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SA) would often say, “My finest daughter suffered for my sake.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/371–372)

After separating from his wife Zaynab, Abul ‘As spent several years in Makkah. Shortly before the conquest of Makkah, he traveled to Syria with a trade caravan. After completing the trade, he was returning to Makkah with a caravan of one hundred camels and approximately one hundred seventy men. When they were near Madinah, a small patrol sent from Madinah under the leadership of Zayd ibn Harithah launched a surprise attack on them and captured all the men, along with the camels, taking them to Madinah. Abul ‘As, however, managed to escape.

According to Musa ibn ‘Uqbah, however, Abu Basir and his men attacked Abul ‘As’s caravan. It should be noted that Abu Basir and several others accepted Islam after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. In accordance with the treaty’s conditions, the people of Madinah refused to accept them. Consequently, they fled Makkah and settled in the coastal region of the Red Sea. They began launching surprise attacks on Makkah’s trade caravans. Because of them, the Quraysh’s commerce was on the verge of coming to a halt. The Quraysh of Makkah were compelled to request the Messenger of Allah (SA) to bring them back to Madinah. (Al-Isabah, 4/122)

In any case, instead of fleeing to Makkah, Abul ‘As secretly entered Madinah at night in fear and distress and went straight to Zaynab, asking for protection. Zaynab assured him of her protection.

The night passed. When Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SA) went to the mosque for the dawn prayer, he stood in the mihrab, proclaimed “Allahu Akbar” and began the opening takbir. The worshippers behind him also completed the opening takbir. At that moment, Zaynab’s voice came from the women’s row behind them: “People, I am Zaynab, the daughter of Muhammad. I have granted protection to Abul ‘As; you too grant him protection.”

After concluding the prayer with salam, the Messenger of Allah (SA) turned toward the people and asked, “Did you also hear what I heard?”

The people replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” The Messenger of Allah (SA) said, “By the One in whose hand is my life, I knew nothing of this matter. She has granted him protection on behalf of all the Muslims.” Then he went home and said to his daughter, “Treat Abul ‘As honorably. But know that you are no longer lawful for him.” Then the Messenger of Allah (SA) called the men who had captured the camels and goods of Abul ‘As’s caravan and brought them to Madinah. He said to them, “You know this man’s standing among us. You took his merchandise. If you show him kindness and return his property, I will be pleased. If you do not agree, I have no objection; you may keep that property as a favor from Allah. You have the greatest right to it.” They all said, “Listen, Abul ‘As: you are a distinguished man among the Quraysh, the Messenger of Allah’s cousin and son-in-law. Do one thing: accept Islam and remain in Madinah with this property belonging to the people of Makkah. You will live very comfortably.” Abul ‘As replied, “What you are saying is very wrong. Am I to begin my life in this new religion through deceit?”

Abul ‘As recovered his caravan and reached Makkah. After returning everyone’s property to its owners, he said, “O people of the Quraysh, do you have anything else due from me?” They replied, “No. May Allah reward you well. We have found you to be an excellent keeper of promises.”

Abul ‘As further said, “I have fully discharged what was due to you. Now I declare: I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

I could have made this declaration while I was in Madinah. But I did not, because you might have thought that I had done so only to avoid returning your property. When Allah enabled me to return each person’s property and I was free of my responsibility, only then did I declare my Islam.”

Then Hazrat Abul ‘As left Makkah and appeared before the Messenger of Allah in Madinah. Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SA) received him with honor and entrusted his wife Zaynab to him. Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim (SA) would often say about him, “Whatever he told me, he told the truth; whatever he promised me, he fulfilled.”

After accepting Islam, Hazrat Abul ‘As (RA) did not have the opportunity to participate in any battle with the Messenger of Allah (SA). He passed away in Dhu al-Hijjah of 12 AH, during the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr. According to Ibn Mundah, however, he was martyred at the Battle of Yamamah. (Al-Isabah, 4/123; Al-Isti‘ab)

The Messenger of Allah (SA) loved Hazrat Zaynab and Abul ‘As’s daughter, Umamah, very dearly. It is narrated that he would carry her on his shoulder during prayer.

‘Umayr ibn Wahb (RA)

His name was ‘Umayr and his kunya, or nickname, was Abu Umayyah. His father was Wahb and his mother was Umm Sakhilah. He was one of the Quraysh’s leading warrior chiefs. Before Islam, he was a bitter enemy of Islam and the Messenger of Allah (SA). He was a sharp and perceptive man with penetrating vision and keen understanding.

He joined the Makkah Quraysh army at the Battle of Badr. Just before the battle began, the Quraysh army assigned him to assess the strength of the Muslim army. He rode around the Muslim forces on horseback, then returned to the Quraysh camp and reported, “They number around three hundred, perhaps somewhat fewer or more.” His estimate was accurate. The Quraysh asked him, “Is there any possibility of reinforcements arriving behind them?” He replied, “I saw nothing of the sort. But, O Quraysh, I saw their camels carrying certain death. They have nothing with which to defend themselves except their swords, and nowhere to take refuge. By Allah, it seems to me that if you kill one of them, one of you will also be killed. If you are to lose as many men as they have, what benefit is there? Consider carefully what you will do.” To dissuade the Quraysh from fighting, he also said, “The people of Madinah have faces like serpents; even extreme thirst does not weaken them. They are capable of taking revenge by fighting us. Men with bright faces like you should not engage them in battle.”

Many of the Quraysh leaders were influenced by his words. They nearly decided to return to Makkah. But Abu Jahl opposed their decision. His heart burned with envy and the fire of war. By Allah’s will, Abu Jahl became the first instigator of this battle. Among many others, ‘Umayr’s son Wahb was taken prisoner by the Muslim army.

Leaving his son Wahb a prisoner in the hands of the Muslims, ‘Umayr ibn Wahb saved himself and returned from Badr to Makkah. He feared that the oppression he had inflicted on the Messenger of Allah and his Companions in Makkah might be avenged upon his captive son. After returning to Makkah, he left his house one morning and went toward the Ka‘bah to perform tawaf and prostrate before the idols. There he saw Safwan ibn Umayyah sitting in the courtyard of the Ka‘bah. He approached Safwan and said:

“O chief of the Quraysh, good morning.”

“Abu Wahb, good morning. Sit down; let us talk for a while. Talking will help pass the time.” ‘Umayr sat beside Safwan. They discussed the situation at Badr and the calamity that had befallen them there, and counted those who had been taken prisoner at Badr by Muhammad and his Companions. They grieved over the Quraysh leaders who had been killed at Badr, thrown into the Qalib well and buried.

At one point, overcome with emotion, Safwan ibn Umayyah said, “By Allah, after they were killed in this way, nothing feels good anymore.” ‘Umayr said:

“You speak the truth.” After remaining silent for a while, he continued, “I swear by the Lord of the Ka‘bah, if I did not have debts weighing upon me and responsibilities toward my family, I would go to Madinah immediately, settle matters with Muhammad and put an end to all his mischief.” Then, lowering his voice slightly, he said, “My son Wahb is a prisoner in their hands there. If I go there, no one will suspect anything.”

Safwan ibn Umayyah did not let the opportunity pass. Looking at ‘Umayr, he said, “’Umayr, I take responsibility for all your debts, however much they may be. And as long as I live, and as long as your family lives, they will remain with me. I have no shortage of wealth; they will live comfortably.”

‘Umayr said:

“Let this conversation between us remain secret; no one must know.”

Safwan said:

“So it shall be.”

‘Umayr rose from the courtyard of the Ka‘bah and went home. His heart was burning with a desire for revenge against Muhammad. He began preparing to carry out his decision. No one suspected anything about his preparations for the journey, because delegations were then rushing between Makkah and Madinah with ransom money to release the prisoners of Badr.

‘Umayr sharpened his sword and dipped it in potent poison. His mount was prepared. He mounted and set out toward Madinah. His heart was then burning like coal with hatred and hostility.

Upon reaching Madinah, ‘Umayr went straight toward the mosque. He dismounted near the mosque’s door.

At that time, Hazrat ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and several Companions were sitting near the mosque’s door, discussing the events of Badr. They were engaged in conversation about how the Quraysh had been killed, how each person had been captured, and how the Muhajirun and Ansar had displayed their courage and bravery.

Suddenly Hazrat ‘Umar noticed ‘Umayr. He was coming straight toward the mosque after dismounting, with his sword hanging from his shoulder. Alarmed, ‘Umar exclaimed, “That dog, the enemy of Allah, ‘Umayr ibn Wahb! By Allah, he has no good intention. In Makkah he was always inciting the unbelievers against us. Before the Battle of Badr, he was Makkah’s spy.” He turned to his companions and said:

“Go to the Messenger of Allah (SA) and remain around him. Do not let this evil man deceive him in any way.”

‘Umar ran to the Messenger of Allah (SA) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, that enemy of Allah, ‘Umayr, has come with his sword hanging from his shoulder. I do not think he has come with any purpose other than an evil one.”

The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“Bring him to me.”

Hazrat ‘Umar (RA) went toward ‘Umayr, seized his garment near the neck with one hand, and with the other pressed his neck against the hilt of his sword, bringing him before the Messenger of Allah (SA). Seeing him in this condition, the Messenger of Allah (SA) ordered ‘Umar to release him. ‘Umar released him. At the Messenger’s command, ‘Umar also moved away from him. The Messenger of Allah (SA) addressed ‘Umayr, saying, “’Umayr, come a little closer.”

‘Umayr came a little closer and said, “Good morning.”

In Arabia during the Age of Ignorance, people used this form of greeting.

The Messenger (SA) said, “’Umayr, Allah has honored us by teaching us a greeting better than yours. Through salam, Allah has elevated our dignity. This salam is the greeting of the inhabitants of Paradise.”

‘Umayr said, “Our greeting is not unfamiliar to you either.”

The Messenger (SA) asked, “For what purpose have you come?”

“I have come to secure the release of the prisoner you have in your hands. Besides, you are from the same family and tribe as us. Show me kindness regarding him.”

“Then why is this sword hanging around your neck?”

“May Allah bring misfortune upon this sword. What use was this sword to us at Badr?”

“When dismounting, I forgot to remove it from my neck. It remained that way.”

“Umayr, tell me the truth: why have you come?”

“I have come only to secure the release of the prisoner.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “What agreement did you make with Safwan?”

At this question, Umayr became extremely frightened. He asked in return, “What agreement did I make?”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “You and Safwan ibn Umayyah sat in the courtyard of the Ka‘bah and discussed the Quraysh leaders who had been killed and cast into the Qalib well. You said, ‘If I did not have the burden of debt around my neck and the responsibility of my family, I would go to Madinah and kill Muhammad.’ Safwan has undertaken all your responsibilities on the condition that you kill me. Allah has come between you and your purpose.”

For a short while, Umayr was stunned. Then, regaining awareness, he exclaimed: “Ashhadu annaka Rasulullah—I testify that you are certainly the Messenger of Allah. O Messenger of Allah, we used to reject the reports of the heavens that you brought to us and the revelation sent down to you. But no one knew of my conversation with Safwan except him and me. By Allah, I have become convinced that only Allah informed you of this. Al-hamdulillah—All praise belongs to Allah, who brought me to you to guide me.” Saying this, he repeated: “Ashhadu an la ilaha illallahu wa anna Muhammadan Rasulullah—I testify that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed the Companions: “Teach your brother Umayr the religion, teach him the Qur’an, and release his prisoner.”

Before accepting Islam, Umayr was one of the Quraysh’s leading “devils,” or leaders. After becoming Muslim, he became a distinguished hawari, or companion, of Islam. After his conversion, Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “By the One in Whose hand is my life, when Umayr appeared in Madinah, not even a pig was dearer to me than he was. But today he is dearer to me than any one of my children.” (Rijalun Hawla ar-Rasul, 325)

After accepting Islam, Umayr devoted himself to purifying himself through Islamic education and filling his heart with the light of the Qur’an. He almost forgot Makkah and those whom he had left there.

Meanwhile, Safwan ibn Umayyah dreamed colorful dreams in his mind every day. He went to various Quraysh gatherings in Makkah and kept saying, “Very soon, wonderful news will reach you. Through it, you will find consolation for Badr.”

Safwan’s waiting grew longer and longer. At first he became somewhat worried, then restless. He began stopping every caravan or rider coming from the direction of Madinah and asking about Umayr. But no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Then he encountered a rider arriving from Madinah. In his intense eagerness, Safwan immediately asked him, “Has anything new happened in Madinah?” The man replied, “Yes, a tremendous event has occurred.” Safwan’s face became radiant, and his heart and mind nearly burst with joy. At once he asked again, “Tell me a little more about what happened.” The man said, “Umayr has accepted Islam. He is receiving instruction in the new religion there and learning the Qur’an.” Safwan’s world seemed to turn upside down. It was as though thunder had struck his head. He had believed that even if everyone in the world accepted Islam, Umayr would never accept Islam.

With his acceptance of Islam, Umayr properly understood the responsibility that this religion entailed. He realized that he had to expend in its service the same strength he had spent opposing it. He had to invite people toward it as vigorously as he had spread propaganda against it. He had to prove how deeply he loved Allah and His Messenger through truthfulness, jihad, and obedience.

After receiving Islamic instruction and training in Madinah for some time, Umayr one day came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I spent a great part of my life trying to extinguish Allah’s light and persecuting and oppressing the followers of Islam. I wish, if you permit me, to go to Makkah and invite the Quraysh to Allah and His Messenger. If they accept my invitation, it will be an excellent deed. But if they reject it, I will cause them the same suffering that I previously inflicted upon the Companions of the Messenger of Allah.”

The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) granted him permission. One day Umayr returned to Makkah with his sword hanging from his shoulder, dressed for battle. In Makkah, he first met Safwan ibn Umayyah and said, “O Safwan, you are one of Makkah’s leaders and one of the Quraysh’s greatest men of learning. You worship stones and slaughter animals in the name of idols—is that what you consider a religion? I testify, however, that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” Safwan attempted to pounce on Umayr, but Umayr’s sword stopped him decisively. In anger and grief, Safwan hurled some obscene abuses at Umayr and walked away.

Thus Umayr returned to Makkah as a Muslim. The man who had left Makkah a few days earlier as a polytheist entered it again bearing the same appearance that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had assumed on the day he accepted Islam. After accepting Islam, Umar had cried out, “I swear by Allah, I shall sit in every place where I sat while in disbelief, now in a state of faith.”

In this respect, Umayr seemed to take Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as his model. Day and night he continued inviting people in Makkah’s streets and lanes. Within only a few weeks, a large number of people embraced faith through Umayr. Before the Battle of Uhud, he returned to Madinah with this group of believers. He took part with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in all expeditions, including Uhud, Khandaq, and the Conquest of Makkah.

On the joyful day of the Conquest of Makkah, Umayr did not forget his friend and companion Safwan. After the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) reached Makkah, Safwan fled from Makkah in fear for his life and reached Jeddah on the road to Yemen. Umayr was deeply distressed when he heard this. He firmly resolved to save Safwan from Satan’s grasp. He ran to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “O Prophet of Allah! Safwan ibn Umayyah is a leader of his people. He has fled Makkah out of fear of you. He will throw himself into the sea. Grant him security on my guarantee.” The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “He is safe.” Umayr said, “O Messenger of Allah, give me a sign by which it will be understood that you have granted him protection.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him the cloak he had worn on his head when he entered Makkah.

Umayr ibn Zubayr relates:

“Umayr left carrying the cloak. When he reached Safwan, Safwan was preparing to cross the sea. He said, ‘Safwan, may my parents be sacrificed for you! Do not destroy yourself in this way. I have brought you the Messenger of Allah’s guarantee of safety.’

Safwan said:

“May you perish! Go away from me. Do not speak to me.” Umayr said, “Safwan! May my parents be sacrificed for you. Surely the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is the best of people, and he is also the most righteous and patient of people. His honor is your honor.” Safwan said, “I fear for my life.” Umayr said, “He is even more forbearing and honorable than that.”

Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him) brought Safwan with him to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Safwan said, “This man claims that you have granted me protection.”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “He has spoken the truth.”

Safwan said, “Give me two months’ time.”

The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “You are granted four months.”

Within a short time, Safwan (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted Islam. (Rijalun Hawla ar-Rasul, 325; Hayatus Sahabah, 1)

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him) assisted the Caliph in all important matters. During Umar’s caliphate, Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) led the Egyptian campaign. When he was delayed in conquering Alexandria, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent ten thousand soldiers from Madinah under the leadership of four veteran military commanders to assist him. One of these four commanders was Umayr ibn Wahb (may Allah be pleased with him).

Umar advised Amr ibn al-As concerning these four commanders that he should place them at the forefront during an attack. Through their efforts, the campaign for Alexandria succeeded. After the conquest of Alexandria, under Amr’s command he subdued many areas of Egypt. He died toward the end of Umar’s caliphate.

Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Sinan, and his father was Amr ibn al-Akwa‘. There is disagreement regarding his kunyah, or nickname. Some say it was Abu Muslim, Abu Iyas, or Abu Amir. However, Abu Iyas, named after his son Iyas, is the most famous nickname. (Al-Isti‘ab)

Biographers have remained silent regarding when Salamah accepted Islam. It is historically certain, however, that he accepted Islam before the sixth year after the Hijrah and also migrated to Madinah. Most of the Muhajirun migrated with their families, but Salamah migrated for the sake of Allah while leaving behind his wife and children.

After coming to Madinah, he took part in almost every battle. In the context of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Bay‘at al-Ridwan, or Bay‘at al-Shajarah, holds special importance in Islamic history. During the events at Hudaybiyyah in the sixth year after the Hijrah, when the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) heard that Uthman had been martyred at the hands of the Makkan unbelievers and took the pledge of death from the Muslims who had come to Hudaybiyyah with him, Salamah pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah three times. He said: ‘Under the tree at Hudaybiyyah, I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah to die. Then I moved aside. When the crowd had thinned somewhat, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw me and said, “Salamah, what happened to you? You did not pledge allegiance.” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, I did pledge allegiance.” The Messenger said, “What of that? Do it once more.” I pledged allegiance again. At that time, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him a shield. Then he came into the Messenger’s view again. He asked, “Salamah, will you not pledge allegiance?” Salamah said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have pledged allegiance twice.” He said, “Do it once more.” Salamah pledged allegiance a third time. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Salamah, what did you do with the shield?” He said, “My uncle was completely empty-handed, so I gave it to him.” Hearing this, the Messenger of Allah laughed and said, “Your example is like that of a man who prays, ‘O Allah, grant me such a friend who will be dearer to me than my own life.’”

While the pledge was being taken at Hudaybiyyah from the hands of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), a truce was reached between the Muslims and the people of Makkah. The Muslims breathed a sigh of peace and began embracing one another. Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) was lying peacefully beneath a tree. At that moment, four polytheists came and sat beside him. They began discussing the Messenger of Allah in a manner he did not wish to hear. He rose and sat beneath another tree. After he moved away, the four polytheists laid down their weapons and went to sleep. Then someone shouted, “Muhajirun, hurry! Ibn Zanim has been killed.” As soon as Salamah heard this cry, he seized his weapon and ran toward the four polytheists. They were still lying down. Salamah took possession of their weapons and said, “If you want what is best, come straight with me. By Allah, if anyone raises his head, I will pierce out his eye.” He brought them to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Salamah’s uncle also brought approximately seventy or seventy-one polytheists as prisoners. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) released them all. It was on this occasion that the following verse of the Qur’an was revealed:

‘And He is the One who restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Makkah after He had given you victory over them.’ (Surah al-Fath, 3)

While the Muslim caravan was returning to Madinah, it set up camp near a mountain. The polytheists were harboring some evil intentions. The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) became aware of this. He felt it necessary to guard the camp and prayed for forgiveness for whoever would stand watch on that mountain. Salamah attained this good fortune. Throughout the night, he repeatedly climbed the mountain and tried to listen for the footsteps of the enemy.

Some of the Noble Messenger’s camels grazed in the pasture of Dhi Qarad. One day, men of Banu Ghatafan—or, according to another account, Banu Fazara—launched a surprise attack, killed the herdsman, and carried off the camels. Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) was nearby. He had gone out at the end of the night when a servant of Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf informed him that the Messenger of Allah’s camels had been taken. Salamah sent Abd al-Rahman’s servant to Madinah to inform the Messenger of Allah. Then he climbed to the top of a mountain and shouted “Ya Sabahah!”—the warning cry of an enemy attack—so loudly that the sound reached from one end of Madinah to the other. He pursued the raiders alone. He reached them while they were searching for water. He was a skilled archer. He shot with unerring aim while humming:

‘I am the son of al-Akwa‘

Today is the day of the vile ones.’

That is, “I am the son of al-Akwa‘—today is the day of the destruction of the base people.” He attacked them so fiercely that the raiders fled, abandoning the camels. Confused, they even dropped their cloaks. In the meantime, the Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived there with more men. Salamah said, “O Messenger of Allah, I did not let them drink water. If we pursue them now, they can be captured.” The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “After defeating them, show clemency.” (Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Ghazwat Dhi Qarawah; Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/281–282; Hayatus Sahabah, 1/559–561.) The incident has been related in different ways in various books.

He displayed extreme courage in the Battle of Khaybar. After the conquest of Khaybar, he returned to Madinah holding the hand of the Noble Messenger of Allah.

After Khaybar, he joined the battles against Thaqif and Hawazin. During this expedition, a man rode into the Muslim camp on a camel, tethered it, and quietly joined the Muslim soldiers for breakfast. Then, after looking around cautiously and assessing the Muslims’ strength, he mounted the camel again and quickly departed. Because he came and left in this manner, the Muslims believed he was a spy. One man pursued him. Salamah also followed him, ran ahead, seized the man, and killed him with a single blow of his sword. He then returned with the slain man’s mount. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Who killed the man?” The people replied, “Salamah.” The Messenger announced, “He shall have everything belonging to the slain man.” In the seventh year after the Hijrah, the Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent an army under Abu Bakr’s leadership against Banu Kilab. Salamah was also in that army. During the expedition, he alone killed seven men. He captured many of the women of those who had fled and brought them back. Among the prisoners was a beautiful girl. Abu Bakr placed the girl under Salamah’s charge. Salamah brought her to Madinah. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Release the girl into my custody.” Salamah handed her over to the Messenger’s custody. In exchange for this girl, the Messenger of Allah secured the release of Muslims held captive by the unbelievers.

After accepting Islam, Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) took part in almost every battle fought against the unbelievers. According to some reports, he participated in fourteen battles in all: seven as a companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the remaining seven in various expeditions sent by him. According to a report in al-Mustadrak, the total number of battles in which he participated was sixteen. He once said, “I took part in seven battles with the Messenger of Allah and nine with Zayd ibn Harithah.” (Rijalun Hawla ar-Rasul, 555)

Among the infantrymen who fought with bows and spears, Salamah was one of the most skilled. When enemy soldiers attacked, he would retreat. When the enemy retreated or rested, he would launch a surprise attack. This was his battle strategy. Using this strategy, he single-handedly routed the force led by Uyaynah ibn Hisn al-Fizari in the Battle of Dhi Qarad on the outskirts of Madinah. Alone, he pursued them, attacked them, repelled their attacks, and drove them far from Madinah.

Among the Companions, Salamah held a special distinction for bravery and courage, particularly for running swiftly. The author of al-Isabah wrote that he was one of the bravest men and faster than a horse. During the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah—or, according to another view, during the expedition of Dhi Qarad—the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) praised him, saying, “Khayru rajjalina Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘—Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ is the best of our infantrymen.” (Rijalun Hawla ar-Rasul, 555)

Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) was an exceptionally strong man. It seemed he knew nothing of grief or sorrow. Yet during the Battle of Khaybar, standing beside the body of his brother—or, according to another account, his uncle—Amir ibn al-Akwa‘, he hummed a mournful song. Its final line was: “O Allah, send tranquility down upon us and make our feet firm when facing the enemy.”

In this Battle of Khaybar, his brother Amir struck a polytheist forcefully with his sword. But the blow missed its target and struck his own body, and he was thereby martyred. After this, some Muslims remarked, “Unfortunate Amir—he was deprived of the blessing of martyrdom.” On that day alone, when the same thought arose in Salamah’s mind as in the minds of others—that his brother had been deprived of the reward of jihad and martyrdom—he became extremely distressed and depressed. He ran to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked:

“O Messenger of Allah, have all Amir’s good deeds become void? Is this correct?”

The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“He was killed as a mujahid. He has two rewards. Now he is swimming in the rivers of Paradise.” (Rijalun Hawla ar-Rasul, 555–556)

Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) remained in Madinah from the death of the Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until the martyrdom of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). After Uthman’s assassination, this heroic mujahid realized that the door to fitnah, or internal conflict, had opened among the Muslim community. A man who had spent his entire life fighting the unbelievers alongside his brothers could not appropriately take up arms against those brothers now. The skill for which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had praised him when he fought the polytheists could in no way rightly be used to fight a believer or kill a Muslim.

After this realization, he loaded his belongings onto a camel, left Madinah, and went straight to Rabذah. He lived there for the rest of his life. Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) had previously left Madinah for this same Rabذah and had breathed his last there.

Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) spent the remainder of his life in Rabذah. A few days before his death, he suddenly felt an intense desire to go to Madinah. He went there. After spending two days there, he died suddenly on the third day. Thus he was buried in the sacred land of his beloved, beside the martyrs and his sincere friends. (Rijalun Hawla ar-Rasul, 556–557)

Historians disagree about the year of his death. According to the correct view, he died in 74 AH. Another view gives the year of his death as 64 AH. Waqidi and his followers believed that he lived for eighty years. Ibn Hajar says that, according to the first view concerning the year of his death, Waqidi’s opinion is not correct, because it would make him nearly ten years old at the time of the pledge at Hudaybiyyah. A person cannot pledge to die at such an age. Moreover, I have seen in Ibn Sa‘d that he died toward the end of the caliphate of Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). al-Baladhuri also mentioned this. (Al-Isabah, 2/67)

Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) had the opportunity to enjoy the close companionship of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He also attained the honor of accompanying him on many expeditions. He made proper use of this opportunity. In addition, he narrated hadiths from Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Talhah (may Allah be pleased with them). The number of hadiths he narrated is seventy-seven (77). Sixteen of them are muttafaq ‘alayh, meaning narrated by both Bukhari and Muslim. Bukhari alone narrated five, and Muslim alone narrated nine. (Tahdhib al-Kamal, 148) Among those who narrated hadiths from him, the most notable are Iyas ibn Salamah, Yazid ibn Ubayd, Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdillah, and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah.

Salamah was extremely generous in spending in the way of Allah. If anyone asked him for something for Allah’s sake, he never sent him away empty-handed. He would say, “If one does not give for Allah’s sake, then where will he give?” However, he did not like asking for something for Allah’s sake.

He considered the property of charity unlawful for himself. If he suspected that something was given as charity, he would refrain from taking it. For this reason, he also disliked purchasing again, in exchange for money, anything that he himself had given as charity.

He was so cautious regarding what was lawful and unlawful that he did not allow children to play any game resembling gambling.

Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the Companions who issued fatwas in Madinah. Ibn Sa‘d narrated from Ziyad ibn Mina. He said: “Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, Abu Hurayrah, Abdillah ibn Amr ibn al-As, Jabir ibn Abdillah, Rafi‘ ibn Khadij, Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘, and other Companions used to issue fatwas in Madinah.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/254)

Imam Bukhari narrated from Abd al-Rahman ibn Razin in his work al-Adab al-Mufrad (p. 144). He said: “We were passing through Rabذah. We were told, ‘Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ is here.’ I went to him and greeted him. He extended both his hands and showed them to us, saying, ‘I pledged allegiance with these two hands to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).’ He extended one of his palms. It was enormous, like a camel’s hoof.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 2/498–499)

Once Salama was asked, “On what did you pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) at Hudaybiyyah?” He replied, “Mawt”—that is, on death. (Al-Isti‘ab, Hayatus Sahabah 1/249).

Salama’s son, Iyas, beautifully expressed his father’s virtue and distinction in a single statement. He said: “Ma kathaba abi qattu”—my father never lied. (Rijalun Hawlar Rasul, p. 554).

This one quality alone is sufficient for a person to attain the highest rank among truthful people. At every stage of his life, he set examples of this honesty.

Abu Umar Yusuf al-Qurtubi, the author of Al-Isti‘ab fi Asma’il Ashab, has mentioned an extraordinary story about Salama on the authority of Ibn Ishaq. Ibn Ishaq said: “I have heard that Salama was the man with whom a wolf spoke. Salama said, ‘I saw a wolf hunting a deer. I chased it and took the deer from its mouth. The wolf then said, “What is the matter with you? I only want to eat the sustenance Allah has given me. It is not your property either, that you should snatch it from my mouth.” Salama said, “I said, ‘O servants of Allah, look at this extraordinary event! The wolf is speaking.’ Hearing me, the wolf said, “More extraordinary than this is that Allah’s Messenger is calling you to worship Allah, while you reject it and rush toward idol worship.” Salama said, “Then I went to the service of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and accepted Islam. Allah knows best who this wolf was.”’ (Al-Isti‘ab).

Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Asad (RA)

His name was Abdullah and his kunya, or byname, was Abu Salama. His father was Abd al-Asad and his mother was Barra bint Abd al-Muttalib. He was the maternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). According to the sounder account, he was also the Messenger of Allah’s foster brother. Suwaybah, Abu Lahab’s slave woman, nursed the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), Hamzah, and Abu Salama. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 2/96).

He joined the believers before the Noble Messenger of Allah (PBUH) took up residence in the house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam. After Abu Bakr (RA) accepted Islam, he first invited Uthman ibn Affan, Talhah ibn Ubaydullah, al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas to Islam and brought them all to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). They accepted Islam together. The next day, he brought Uthman ibn Maz‘un, Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Abu Salama, and al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). They too accepted Islam together. (Al-Bidayah 3/29). His wife, Umm Salama (RA), also followed him. (Usud al-Ghabah 5/281).

He and his wife, Umm Salama, migrated with the first group of emigrants to Abyssinia. Their daughter, Zaynab bint Abi Salama, was born on Abyssinian soil. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 1/322, 326). After some time, he left Abyssinia and entered Makkah under the protection of Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib. Some men of Banu Makhzum came to Abu Talib and complained, “O Abu Talib, you have protected your nephew Muhammad from us. Now are you also giving protection to one of our own men?” Abu Talib replied, “He sought my protection. Besides, he is my sister’s son. If I cannot protect my sister’s son, I cannot protect my brother’s son either.” At one point Abu Lahab stood up and said, “O people of Quraysh! You are going too far with this old man. If you do not stop, we will stand beside this old man.” Hearing Abu Lahab’s words, the men of Banu Makhzum withdrew. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 1/369, 371). He migrated to Abyssinia with his wife a second time as well. After returning from Abyssinia to Makkah for the final time, he went to Madinah again after some time.

Abu Salama’s wife, Umm Salama (RA), described their migration to Madinah: “After Abu Salama decided to migrate to Madinah, he prepared his camel. He seated me on its back and placed my son Salama in my lap. Then he led the camel by its reins. The men of my father’s clan, Banu Mughirah, blocked his path and said, ‘You may do whatever you wish concerning yourself, but we will not allow this daughter of ours to travel abroad with you.’ They took me away. This enraged Abu Salama’s clan, Banu Abd al-Asad. They said, ‘Since you have taken your daughter away, we will not allow our child—Salama—to remain with his mother.’ They took my son away. I was a captive in the hands of my father’s clan, Banu Mughirah; my infant son Salama was with his father’s clan, Banu Abd al-Asad; and my husband Abu Salama was in Madinah. Thus they separated us.”

“Every day I would go and sit in Makkah’s valley of Abtah and do nothing but weep. I shed tears for nearly a year. Finally, one day, a man from my father’s clan saw me in that state and felt compassion for me. He said to Banu Mughirah, ‘Will you not allow this unfortunate woman to leave Makkah? Why do you torment her by separating her from her husband and child?’ Then Banu Mughirah told me, ‘If you wish, you may go to your husband.’ Banu Abd al-Asad also returned my son to me. I mounted a camel and set out toward Madinah to join my husband. No servant of Allah was with me. When I reached Tan‘im, I met Uthman ibn Talhah. He asked me, ‘Daughter of Abu Umayyah, where are you going?’ I replied, ‘To my husband in Madinah.’ He asked, ‘Is no one with you?’ I replied, ‘No one but Allah.’ He took hold of my camel’s reins and walked, escorting me to the settlement of Banu Amr ibn Awf at Quba on the outskirts of Madinah. He said, ‘Your husband lives here,’ and then took the road back to Makkah. Here I was reunited with my husband. This Uthman ibn Talhah accepted Islam after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. (Hayatus Sahabah 1/358–59).

Abu Salama (RA) migrated to Madinah one year before the pledge taken by the people of Yathrib at Aqabah to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). (Sirat Ibn Hisham 1/468). According to one narration in Sahih al-Bukhari, he was the first Muhajir to go to Madinah. However, another narration names Mus‘ab ibn Umayr as the first Muhajir to Madinah. Allamah Ibn Hajar reconciled these two reports by saying: When Abu Salama returned from Abyssinia to Makkah, the polytheists of Makkah began persecuting him again. He then went to Madinah out of fear of the Quraysh, not intending permanent residence there. Mus‘ab ibn Umayr, on the other hand, went to Madinah after the command to migrate had come. In this sense, there is essentially no contradiction between the two reports. (Fath al-Bari 7/203).

Abu Salama arrived in Madinah on the tenth of Muharram. The family of Amr ibn Awf hosted him for two full months. When the Noble Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came to Madinah, he established a bond of brotherhood between Abu Salama and Khusaymah al-Ansari and also granted him a piece of land for separate residence.

He played a courageous role in the battles of Badr and Uhud. In the Battle of Uhud, an arrow shot by Abu Usamah Jushami pierced his arm. Although the wound appeared to heal after a month of treatment, an infection developed internally. In this condition, he was entrusted with command of the Qatan expedition.

Qatan is the name of a mountain. Banu Asad lived there. The Noble Messenger of Allah (PBUH) learned that Tulayhah and Asad ibn Khuwaylid were inciting their own tribe and other tribes under their influence to fight against Madinah. The Noble Messenger decided to stop this activity. He formed a force of 150 Mujahideen from the Muhajirun and Ansar and ordered them to march toward Qatan under Abu Salama’s command in Muharram/Safar of 4 AH. As the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) handed the standard to Abu Salama, he said, “Set out. Scatter Banu Asad before they can unite.”

Abu Salama advanced by an unfamiliar route and suddenly arrived at the settlement of Banu Asad. Stunned by the surprise attack, they began to flee. Abu Salama divided his forces into three groups and ordered them to pursue the fugitives. They chased them a great distance and acquired many camels, goats, and sheep as spoils. All the spoils were brought to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in Madinah.

Abu Salama returned to Madinah from the Qatan expedition. Meanwhile, the wound in his arm from the arrow at Uhud became infected again. After remaining ill for some time, he died on the third of Jumada al-Thani in 4 AH—or, according to another view, in 3 AH. As it happened, shortly before he breathed his last, the Noble Messenger came to see him. After his soul departed, the Messenger (PBUH) closed his two open eyes with his blessed hands and said, “When a person’s soul is taken, his two eyes remain open, looking at him.” (Tabaqat Ibn Sa‘d 3/172).

Meanwhile, the women behind the curtain began wailing. The Messenger (PBUH) restrained them and said, “Now is the time for supplication. For the angels who come down from heaven to the deceased also say ‘Amin’ along with the supplication of those who pray.” Then the Messenger (PBUH) prayed for him: “O Allah, make his grave spacious and illuminated. Forgive his sins and raise his rank among the guided congregation.” (Ibn Sa‘d 3/172).

Abu Salama (RA) died at a place called Aliyah on the outskirts of Madinah. After coming from Quba, he had settled there. He was washed with water from the well of Banu Umayyah ibn Zayd, called Yasirah, and was buried in the sacred soil of Madinah.

Abu Salama (RA) held a special rank among the Companions. When he fell ill, the Noble Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would often visit him.

Umm Salama (RA) said: “One day Abu Salama returned home from the presence of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in an exceptionally cheerful mood. He kept saying, ‘Today the Messenger of Allah’s statement made me very happy.’ He said, ‘If a Muslim afflicted by calamity turns to Allah during his calamity and says, “O Allah, help me through this calamity and grant me a better reward for it,” Allah accepts his supplication.’ Thus, when I was overcome with grief at Abu Salama’s death, I made that supplication too. But immediately I thought, ‘Who could be a better replacement for Abu Salama?’ When, after my waiting period had ended, the Messenger himself sent a marriage proposal, I understood that Allah had arranged a better replacement. (Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 4/127). Thus Umm Salama became one of the Mothers of the Believers.

Abu Salama left behind two sons, Salama and Umar, and two daughters, Zaynab and Durrah.

During his caliphate, Caliph Umar (RA) established stipends for everyone and ordered that the children of the Muhajirun and Ansar who had participated in Badr receive two thousand. When the case of Umar, Abu Salama’s son, came up, he said, “Give him an additional thousand.” Muhammad ibn Abdullah—whose father was Abdullah ibn Jahsh, martyred at Uhud—objected, saying, “His father had no special virtue over our fathers.”

The Caliph said, “Give him two thousand because of his father, Abu Salama, and an additional thousand because of his mother, Umm Salama. If you had a mother like his, I would give you an additional thousand too.” (Hayatus Sahabah 1/216–17).

Aqil ibn Abi Talib (RA)

His name was Aqil and his kunya was Abu Yazid. His father was Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib and his mother was Fatimah. He was a descendant of the Hashimite branch of Quraysh. He was the half-brother of the fourth Caliph, Ali, and was twenty years older than Ali.

Aqil was raised by his father, Abu Talib. Before the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) received prophethood, severe famine once struck Makkah. Among the Quraysh, the circumstances of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and Abbas were comparatively better. One day the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to Abbas, “Uncle, you know the condition of your brother Abu Talib. He has many children. Why do we not take responsibility for some of his children?” They both went to Abu Talib and explained their intention. Abu Talib said, “Take whichever you wish, except Aqil.” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) took Ali, and Abbas took Ja‘far. (Hayatus Sahabah 2/530).

From the beginning, Aqil’s heart was inclined toward Islam and the Muslims. But he could not openly accept Islam out of fear of the Quraysh. Reluctantly, he joined the polytheist leaders in the Battle of Badr and, like many others, was captured by the Muslim army. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) instructed Ali to find out which members of his clan had been captured. Ali investigated and said, “Nawfal, Abbas, and Aqil have been captured.” Hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) went to see them himself and, standing beside Aqil, said, “Abu Jahl has been killed.” Aqil replied, “Now the Muslims have no opponent in the Tihamah region.” Aqil was destitute. Abbas paid his ransom and secured his release. At Badr he had been captured by Ubayd ibn Aws. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 1/687).

After being released from captivity, he returned to Makkah. In the year of the conquest of Makkah—or, according to another view, after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah—he accepted Islam and migrated to Madinah at the beginning of 8 AH. (Al-Isabah 2/494).

After participating in the Mu’tah expedition, he returned to Makkah and fell ill. For this reason, he could not participate in the conquest of Makkah or the expeditions of Ta’if and Hunayn. (Usud al-Ghabah 3/422). However, according to some reports, he did participate in the Battle of Hunayn. When the Muslim army was on the verge of defeat at the beginning of that battle and even the Muhajirun and Ansar began to flee, he was among those who stood firm. (Al-Isabah 2/494).

Ibn Hisham said: On the day of the Battle of Hunayn, Aqil ibn Abi Talib entered the tent of his wife, Fatimah bint Shaybah ibn Rabiah, with a bloodstained sword in his hand. His wife said, “I understand that you fought. But what spoils have you brought me?” Aqil said, “Here, take this needle; you can sew clothes with it.” He placed the needle in his wife’s hand. At that moment, the voice of the Messenger of Allah’s (PBUH) announcer was heard proclaiming, “If anyone has taken anything, return it. Even if it is a needle and thread, return it.” Aqil turned to his wife and said, “Your needle too is gone.” Saying this, he took the needle from her hand and threw it onto the pile of spoils. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 2/492).

From the death of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), that is, after the Battle of Hunayn, until the end of Caliph Uthman’s caliphate, little is recorded in history about Aqil’s role and activities. During Umar’s caliphate, however, when considerable wealth began accumulating in the public treasury, he consulted prominent Companions about it. Ali (RA) advised distributing all the wealth among the people. Uthman said, “There is abundant wealth, and everyone will receive it. But if we do not keep records of who received and who did not, the matter will become disorderly.” Then Walid ibn Hisham ibn Mughirah said, “Commander of the Believers, I have been to Syria. There I saw that the kings prepare a diwan and record everything separately.” The Caliph liked his suggestion. He instructed Aqil, Makhramah, and Zubayr ibn Mut‘im to prepare a list of citizens according to rank. These three were distinguished genealogists of Quraysh. They prepared the list. (Hayatus Sahabah, p. 220).

Aqil appears again in the pages of history during the conflict between Ali (RA) and Muawiyah (RA). Although he was Ali’s brother, he maintained relations with Amir Muawiyah for his own needs. During the dispute between Ali and Muawiyah, he left Madinah and went to Muawiyah in Syria. History explains that Aqil was a poor man burdened with debt and in need of money, while Amir Muawiyah’s treasury was open. Poverty and hardship compelled him to take Muawiyah’s side.

When the dispute between Muawiyah (RA) and Ali (RA) reached its peak, Aqil once went to Ali hoping that he would repay his debts. Ali treated him with great honor and assigned his son Hasan to serve him. Hasan arranged his rest with great care. At night, a tablecloth was spread and Aqil was invited to eat. He saw some dry bread, salt, and a small amount of curry laid out. Aqil said, “Is this all the food?” Ali replied, “Yes.” Aqil then stated his purpose: “Pay off my debts.” Ali asked, “How much are they?” He replied, “Forty thousand dirhams.” Ali said, “Where will I get so much money? Wait a little; when my stipend reaches four thousand, I will be able to give it to you.” Aqil said, “What difficulty do you have? The public treasury is in your hands. How long will you keep me waiting for your stipend to increase?” Ali said, “I am only a trustee of the Muslims’ wealth. Do you want me to betray that trust by giving it to you?” Hearing this answer, Aqil went straight to Amir Muawiyah in Syria. Muawiyah (RA) asked Aqil, “What did you think of Ali and his companions?” Aqil replied, “They are the true Companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Their only deficiency is that the Messenger (PBUH) is no longer among them. As for you and your companions, you are exactly like Abu Sufyan’s companions.” Despite this comparison, Amir Muawiyah (RA) summoned Aqil the next day and placed fifty thousand dirhams in his hands. (Usud al-Ghabah, p. 423).

After Aqil arrived in Syria, Muawiyah (RA) would cite him as an example and say, “If I were not upon the truth, how could Aqil have left his brother Ali and taken my side?” Once, when Muawiyah (RA) presented this argument before people in Aqil’s presence, Aqil objected, saying, “My brother is better for the religion, and you are better for worldly matters. It is simply that I have preferred the world over religion. As for the Hereafter, I pray to Allah for a good ending.” (Usud al-Ghabah 3/423).

Aqil (RA) died toward the end of Muawiyah’s caliphate or at the beginning of Yazid’s rule. (Al-Isabah 2/494).

After accepting Islam, he was deprived of the opportunity to enjoy long companionship with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Therefore, despite being an especially close and beloved relative of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), he did not attain the level of knowledge he should have possessed. Nevertheless, a few hadiths narrated by him are found in the hadith collections. Muhammad, Hasan al-Basri, Ata, and other Tabi‘un narrated hadiths from him. In addition to religious knowledge, he was skilled in various fields of knowledge from the Age of Ignorance. He was highly knowledgeable in Ilm al-Ansab, Ayyam al-Arab—the science of genealogy and the history of the wars and conflicts of ancient Arabia—and related subjects. People would come to him to acquire knowledge of these matters. After the prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque, he would discuss these subjects, and people would sit and listen.

Hisham al-Kalbi said: People went to four Qurashis—Aqil, Makhramah, Huwaytib, and Abu Jahm—to have their disputes settled. (Al-Isabah 2/494).

The Noble Messenger of Allah (PBUH) loved him deeply. He would say, “Abu Yazid, I love you doubly: one reason is our kinship, and the other is that my uncle loved you.”

In prosperity and adversity, Aqil (RA) faithfully followed the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Once he had newly married. In the morning, his neighbors came to welcome him. They welcomed him by uttering two expressions customary in the Age of Ignorance. The words contained nothing contrary to Islam. However, since an Islamic form of greeting existed, he corrected them and said, “Not that; rather, say: Barakallahu lakum wa barakallahu alaykum. We have been instructed to say it this way.” The Noble Messenger of Allah (PBUH) assigned him an annual provision of 140 wasqs of grain from the produce of Khaybar. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 2/350).

Hakim ibn Hizam (RA)

His name was Hakim and his kunya was Abu Khalid. His father was Hizam ibn Khuwaylid, and his mother was Zaynab—or, according to another view, Safiyyah. Hakim himself said, “I was born thirteen years before the Year of the Elephant”—that is, thirteen years before Abraha attacked the Ka‘bah. Waqidi said that Hakim was born five years before the birth of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). His father, Hizam, died in the War of Fijar. Hakim himself also participated in that war. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said that Hakim was born inside the Ka‘bah. (Al-Isabah 1/349).

History states that he was the only child in Arabia to be born inside the Ka‘bah. His mother entered the Ka‘bah with several female friends. That day, its door had been opened for a special occasion. His mother was pregnant at the time. By Allah’s will, she went into labor there and had no time to leave. A leather mat was spread, and she gave birth to a son. He was named Hakim ibn Hizam. The Mother of the Believers, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, was his paternal aunt.

Hakim grew up in a wealthy and noble family of Makkah. He was exceptionally courteous and intelligent. The Quraysh accepted him as a leader. In the Age of Ignorance, those in Arabia who cared for and fed pilgrims arriving in Makkah were called mut‘im, meaning one who provides food. Hakim was also one of Makkah’s prominent mut‘im. (Sirat Ibn Hisham 1/664–65).

During the Age of Ignorance, he used his own wealth to help those who came to Makkah to visit the House of Allah and fell into hardship. Before the beginning of prophethood, he was an intimate friend of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Although older than the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), he loved him and valued his companionship. Likewise, the Messenger of Allah loved him and kept him company.

Then the marriage of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid established a family relationship between the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and Hakim. This further strengthened their longstanding relationship. Yet it is extremely astonishing that, despite their deep relationship, he did not believe in the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) until the day before the conquest of Makkah. When he finally believed, twenty years of the Messenger’s prophethood had already passed.

Given the knowledge, intelligence, and kinship with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that Allah Most High had granted Hakim, it would have been fitting for him to be the very first to respond to his call and believe. But by Allah’s will, that did not happen. Just as we are astonished by this, he himself was astonished by his own conduct. After accepting Islam, he remained tormented by remorse for the actions of his earlier life until his death. One day after accepting Islam, his son saw him sitting and weeping. He asked:

“Father, why are you crying?”

“My son, there are many reasons for my tears.”

First, I embraced Islam late. As a result, I fell behind in many great righteous deeds. Now, even if I spend an amount of gold equal to the entire earth in the way of Allah, I will still be unable to attain their equal.

Second: Allah spared my life at Badr and Uhud. At that time, I resolved inwardly that I would never again help the Quraysh against the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), nor would I leave Makkah again. Yet soon afterward I dared once more to help the Quraysh.

Third: Whenever I considered embracing Islam, I looked to the elderly and respected leaders of Quraysh. They were firmly clinging to their customs and practices of ignorance, and I followed them. Alas! If only I had not followed them! Following my forefathers and leaders has destroyed me. My son, why should I not weep now?

Just as we and Hakim himself were amazed that he embraced Islam so late, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was no less amazed. He wished that other intelligent people like him would quickly enter Islam.

On the eve of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to the Companions, “I did not like four men of Makkah to remain polytheists. I wished that they would embrace Islam.”

He was asked, “Who are they?” He said, “Attab ibn Usayd, Jubayr ibn Mut’im, Hakim ibn Hizam, and Suhayl ibn Amr.” By Allah’s grace, all of them embraced Islam. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was besieged in the Shi’b of Abu Talib in Makkah with his Companions, Hakim secretly sent food supplies to his paternal aunt Khadijah, despite still being a polytheist. One day, while he was taking wheat to her, the wretched Abu Jahl spotted him. Abu Jahl tried to stop him. Abul-Bakhtari ibn Hisham was nearby. He came forward and said to Abu Jahl, “He is sending a small amount of food to his aunt. Are you going to prevent him from doing so?” In the end, the two of them engaged in a fierce fight. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/353–354).

Despite the Quraysh’s resistance, when the number of the Messenger’s (peace be upon him) supporters inside and outside Makkah increased, the Quraysh became even more alarmed. They gathered at Makkah’s Dar al-Nadwah to reach a final decision concerning the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Hakim was present at this meeting along with the other Quraysh leaders. Iblis too attended the meeting in the guise of an old man from Najd. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/480–481).

After the Quraysh camped at Badr, some of their men came forward to drink from the well of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Hakim was among them. The Messenger (peace be upon him) ordered that they not be prevented from drinking. Everyone who drank that water, except Hakim, was killed at Badr. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/622).

After the Quraysh established their camp at Badr, they sent Umayr ibn Wahb to determine the number of soldiers in the Muslim army. Umayr returned after circling the Muslim camp and said, “They may number three hundred, somewhat fewer, or somewhat more.” Umayr advised the Quraysh not to engage in battle. Hearing this, Hakim ibn Hizam walked through the crowd to Utbah ibn Rabi’ah and said, “Abul-Walid! You are the leader and chief of the Quraysh. You are a respected man among the Quraysh. Do you not wish your good reputation to be remembered among them forever?” Utbah said, “Hakim, why do you say this?” Hakim replied, “You should take the people back to Makkah.” Utbah sent Hakim to Abu Jahl. Hakim said, “I went to Abu Jahl and found him oiling his shield. I said, ‘Abul-Hakam! Utbah sent me to you for this purpose.’ Abu Jahl said, ‘By Allah, he has become a coward after seeing Muhammad and his Companions.’”

“We will not turn back until Allah has judged between Muhammad and us. And Utbah would certainly say such a thing—his son is with them, after all. That is why he is frightening you.” Thus, the efforts of Hakim and Utbah to avoid confrontation were thwarted by Abu Jahl’s obstinacy. By Allah’s will, Abu Jahl was the first victim at Badr. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/622–624).

Hakim later related the defeat at Badr: “We heard a sound as though it had fallen from the sky to the earth. The sound was like a stone falling onto a dish. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had thrown that stone. We were defeated.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/550).

When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) reached Marr al-Zahran and established camp with the intention of conquering Makkah, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, Hakim ibn Hizam, and Budayl ibn Warqa left Makkah to secretly gather information for the Quraysh. Reaching a place called Arak near Makkah, they heard the noise of camels, horses, and people. Going farther, they eventually entered the Muslim area under cover of night. The Muslim guards seized them. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) struck Abu Sufyan several times on the neck with his fists. Abu Sufyan cried out in fear and sought Abbas’s help. Abbas rushed over and freed him from Umar’s grasp. Meanwhile, when Hakim and Budayl were captured and brought before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they embraced Islam willingly. Abu Sufyan also embraced Islam. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/163, 170–172; Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/400).

On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered Makkah in the manner of a conqueror. He announced his decision to honor Hakim ibn Hizam and ordered a proclamation to be made:

1. There is no deity except Allah. He is One and has no partner, and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Whoever bears witness to this shall be safe.

2. Whoever lays down his weapon and sits in the precincts of the Ka’bah shall be safe.

3. Those who shut the doors of their houses and remain inside shall be safe.

4. Whoever takes refuge in Abu Sufyan’s house shall be safe.

5. Whoever takes refuge in the house of Hakim ibn Hizam shall also be safe.

Hakim ibn Hizam’s house was in the lower part of Makkah, while Abu Sufyan’s house was in the upper part.

Hakim ibn Hizam embraced Islam with great sincerity. After embracing Islam, he pledged that the role he had played and the amount of wealth he had spent in hostility toward Islam and the Messenger (peace be upon him) during his pre-Islamic life would be matched by a similar role and an equivalent expenditure in his Islamic life.

Makkah’s Dar al-Nadwah was a house where the Quraysh gathered for consultation and decision-making. Qusayy, a prominent forefather of the Quraysh, built this house. After changing hands, Hakim became its owner in the pre-Islamic era. After embracing Islam, during Muawiyah’s caliphate, he sold the house for one hundred thousand dirhams. Muawiyah rebuked him, saying, “Have you sold the honor and nobility of your forefathers?” Hakim replied, “Apart from taqwa, or fear of Allah, all honor and nobility have vanished. In the Age of Ignorance I bought the house in exchange for a vessel of wine, and today I sold it for one hundred thousand dirhams. I also tell you that all this money will be spent in the way of Allah. So where is the loss?” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/125).

After embracing Islam, Hakim ibn Hizam performed Hajj once. He led one hundred superior camels, adorned in valuable cloth, ahead of him. He sacrificed all of them in the hope of attaining Allah’s pleasure.

On another occasion, he performed Hajj. While he was standing at Arafat, he had one hundred slaves with him. A silver plate hung from the neck of each one, bearing the words: “A slave freed for Allah by Hakim ibn Hizam.” He freed them all. On another Hajj, he took one thousand goats and sheep with him. He sacrificed them all at Mina and fed their meat to the poor and needy Muslims.

After the Battle of Hunayn, Hakim ibn Hizam asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) for some of the spoils. The Messenger gave him something. He asked again, and the Messenger gave him more. In this way, he alone received one hundred camels that day. At that time, he was a recent convert. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2493).

Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) addressed him:

“O Hakim, this wealth is sweet and pleasing. Whoever accepts it with contentment will be blessed in it. But whoever accepts it greedily will not be blessed in it. He is like one who eats but is never satisfied. The upper hand is better than the lower hand—that is, the hand that gives is better than the hand that receives.”

Hearing these words from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Hakim said, “O Messenger of Allah, by the One who sent you with the truth, I swear that after today I will never ask anyone for anything again in my life, nor will I accept anything from anyone.” Hakim faithfully kept his oath.

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), the Caliph repeatedly invited Hakim to accept his allowance from the Bayt al-Mal. Hakim repeatedly declined. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) became Caliph, and he too repeatedly invited Hakim to take his share. Finally, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), calling the people to witness, said, “O Muslim community! Know that I have invited Hakim to take his share, but he continues to refuse.” Thus, Hakim never again stretched out his hand to anyone or accepted anything from anyone until his death. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would often say, “O Allah, I call You to witness that I invited Hakim to take his share, but he refused.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 2/250–251).

Once, while still a polytheist, Hakim ibn Hizam went to Yemen. From there he bought a cloak belonging to the Yemeni king Dhu Yazan and took it to Madinah as a gift for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). But the Messenger (peace be upon him) declined it, saying, “I do not accept a gift from a polytheist.” When Hakim sold the cloak, the Messenger (peace be upon him) bought it and entered the mosque wearing it. Hakim said, “I never saw anyone more handsome in that garment. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) looked like the full moon on a night of the full moon.” Unintentionally, a poem praising the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came from my lips. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 2/243–244).

Once, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent Hakim to the market with one dinar to buy a sacrificial goat. In the market, he bought a goat for one dinar and sold it for two dinars. Then he bought another goat for one dinar and came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with the other dinar as well. The Messenger prayed for blessing in his provision and instructed him to give the profit dinar in charity. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/345).

There is disagreement regarding the year of Hakim’s death. Imam al-Bukhari mentioned in his Tarikh that he died in 60 AH at the age of one hundred and twenty. According to Urwah, however, he died in the tenth year of the caliphate of Caliph Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him).

Nawfal ibn al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Nawfal, and his kunya, or byname, was Abu al-Harith. His father was al-Harith ibn Abd al-Muttalib and his mother was Ghaziyyah. He belonged to the Hashimite branch of Quraysh and was the paternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

As soon as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) began his mission of دعوت, even his closest relatives became his enemies and girded themselves for opposition. Yet Nawfal always retained love for his brother in his heart. For this reason, even while he remained a polytheist, he could not wholeheartedly accept opposition to the Messenger (peace be upon him). Forced by pressure from the polytheists of Makkah, he went to Badr to fight against the Muslims. But these lines were repeatedly on his lips:

“Fighting Ahmad is forbidden to me; I regard Ahmad as my close relative.”

When the polytheist army of Makkah was defeated at Badr, he too was taken prisoner with the others. He embraced Islam while in captivity. When the Messenger (peace be upon him) said to him, “Nawfal, free yourself by paying a ransom,” Nawfal replied, “I have no means to pay a ransom.” Nawfal then exclaimed, “By Allah, no one knows about the arrows I have at Jiddah except Allah alone. I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah.” He had one thousand arrows at Jiddah. According to another view, however, he embraced Islam in the year of the Battle of the Trench and moved to Madinah. (Note: Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/3; al-Isabah, 3/577).

Nawfal was a good poet. He expressed his feelings upon embracing Islam in many poems. Some of his lines are as follows:

“Go away, go away; I am no longer one of you.

I have no connection with the religion of the Quraysh leaders.

I have testified that Muhammad is surely a Prophet.

He has brought guidance and divine knowledge from his Lord.

He is the Messenger of Allah; he calls people to taqwa,

The Messenger of Allah is not a poet.

With this belief I shall remain alive.

In the grave too, I shall lie upon this belief.

And on the Day of Resurrection, I shall rise with this belief.”

Around the time of the Battle of the Trench or shortly before the conquest of Makkah, he again set out for Madinah with Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). When they reached Abwa, Rabi’ah ibn al-Harith ibn Abd al-Muttalib expressed his desire to return to Makkah. Nawfal said to him, “Where will you return in that polytheistic land whose people fight against the Messenger of Allah and whose inhabitants deny him? Allah has now honored His Messenger, and the number of his Companions has also increased. Come with us.” Thereafter, the caravan migrated and reached Madinah.

Nawfal and Abbas had enjoyed an intimate relationship even before embracing Islam. For this reason, the Messenger (peace be upon him) established a bond of religious brotherhood between them and allotted two houses for them to live in. One of the houses was in a place called Rahbat al-Qada, adjacent to the Prophet’s Mosque, and the other was in the marketplace, on the road to Saniyyat al-Wida’.

After coming to Madinah, he first took part in the conquest of Makkah. He displayed exceptional ability and bravery in various expeditions, including those to Ta’if and Hunayn. He showed extraordinary courage especially at Hunayn. Even when the Muslim army became scattered and stood on the verge of defeat, he remained as firm as a mountain before the enemy. He greatly assisted the Muslim army in this battle. Before the expedition, he handed three thousand spears to the Messenger (peace be upon him). The Messenger remarked, “I can almost see your arrows piercing the backs of the polytheists.” (Note: Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/3).

Nawfal (may Allah be pleased with him) died in Madinah in 15 AH, and Caliph Umar led his funeral prayer. He was buried in Madinah’s Baqi cemetery.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) always inquired after Nawfal’s welfare. He married him to a woman from Madinah. At that time, there was no food in Nawfal’s house. The Messenger (peace be upon him) sent his armor with Abu Rafi and Abu Ayyub to a Jew. They pawned the armor to that Jew and used the money received in exchange to buy thirty sa’ of barley, which they brought to the Messenger (peace be upon him). He gave it to Nawfal.

Abu Rafi (may Allah be pleased with him)

There is considerable disagreement regarding the actual name of Abu Rafi (may Allah be pleased with him). Among the names mentioned are Ibrahim, Aslam, Sinan, Yasar, Salih, Abd al-Rahman, Karman, Yazid, Thabit, and Hurmuz. Of these, Aslam is the most famous. (Al-Isabah, 4/67). Abu Rafi was his kunya, or byname. It is sufficient proof of his noble lineage that he was blessed with the honor of serving the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Messenger (peace be upon him) included him among his household. No greater family honor could there be for anyone. In fact, he was an Abyssinian slave.

Abu Rafi (may Allah be pleased with him) was initially the slave of Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), who gave him as a gift to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Later, in celebration of Abbas’s embracing Islam, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) emancipated Abu Rafi.

Regarding his Islam, it is said that he was among those who were drawn to Islam by seeing the radiance of the blessed face of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Abu Rafi himself relates: “Once the Quraysh sent me to the Messenger (peace be upon him) on one of their errands. The moment I saw the Messenger (peace be upon him), my heart inclined toward Islam. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I will not return.’ He said, ‘I do not detain a messenger or envoy, nor do I break a promise. Return now. If, after some days, the inclination toward Islam remains in your heart, then come.’ So I returned then, and after a few days I came back and embraced Islam.”

Abu Rafi concealed his Islam until the Battle of Badr out of fear of the tyrannical Quraysh. One day, just after the Battle of Badr had ended, he was sitting in a room by the Zamzam well beside the Ka’bah, making arrows. The wife of Abbas was sitting beside him. At that time, the wretched Abu Lahab came and sat there. Abu Lahab began asking him about the Battle of Badr. It should be noted that Abu Lahab had not gone to Badr himself but had sent As ibn Hisham as his representative. In response to Abu Lahab’s questions, Abu Sufyan said, “What are you asking? The Muslims have crushed all our strength, killed many of us, and taken many prisoner. It is related in this connection that the space from earth to sky was filled with horsemen wearing black and white garments.” Hearing this, Abu Rafi suddenly exclaimed, “They were angels!” What happened next? Abu Sufyan immediately delivered a powerful slap to Abu Rafi’s cheek. Abu Rafi recovered from the blow and stood up to him, but he was weak. Abu Lahab threw him to the ground, sat on his chest, and beat him severely. The wife of Abbas could not tolerate this cruelty. She picked up a post and struck the man-eater Abu Lahab hard on the head. The sinful Abu Lahab’s head was split open. The wife of Abbas then said, “You are beating Abu Rafi because you consider him weak in his master’s absence?” One week after this incident, Abu Lahab died of a disease called Adasi (smallpox). (Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/530–531).

Al-Tabarani relates from Ibn Abbas that he said: “In the fifth year after the Messenger’s migration, we joined the Messenger (peace be upon him). It was during the Battle of Ahzab. I was with my brother Fadl ibn Abbas, and our slave Abu Rafi was also with us. When we reached Madinah, we found the Messenger (peace be upon him) in the trench.” This narration indicates that Abu Rafi migrated from Makkah to Madinah in the fifth year after the Hijrah. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/373).

However, Ibn Hisham has transmitted a narration from Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “Some time after the Messenger (peace be upon him) had settled in Madinah following the migration, he sent Zayd ibn Harithah and Abu Rafi from Madinah to Makkah to bring us to him.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham).

This narration indicates that Abu Rafi reached Madinah before the fifth year after the Hijrah. In Madinah, he began living with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

Abu Rafi relates regarding the Battle of Khaybar: “We went to Khaybar under Ali’s command. The Messenger (peace be upon him) gave his banner to Ali and sent him to Khaybar. When we approached the fortress, its inhabitants came out and began fighting us. Ali tore off one of the fortress gates and used it as a shield. It remained in his hand until the end of the battle, and then he threw it down. We eight men tried with all our strength but could not turn it over.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/546).

In the seventh year after the Hijrah, the Messenger (peace be upon him) went to Makkah in accordance with the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and performed Umrat al-Qada. Abu Rafi accompanied the Messenger (peace be upon him) on this journey as well. While they were staying in Makkah, the Messenger (peace be upon him) married Maymunah. When the period of their stay in Makkah ended, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) left Abu Rafi in Makkah and went to Sarif. Abu Rafi later brought Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her) to Sarif, where the marriage ceremony was completed. Then they all returned to Madinah. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/372).

Abu Rafi was also among the forces that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent to Yemen under the leadership of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). In his absence, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Abu Rafi to lead the army.

Abu Rafi is a shining example of the opportunity Islam gave slaves and other disadvantaged people to rise. He had been a slave, but in honor and ability he was the equal of free men. Sixty-eight hadiths narrated by him are found in the hadith collections. Imam al-Bukhari alone narrated one of them, and Imam Muslim alone narrated three.

Even after being freed from slavery, he did not relinquish the honor of serving the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Consequently, he knew much about the Messenger’s daily activities and habits. Distinguished Companions would flock to him to learn about these matters. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) would come to him with a secretary and ask, “What did the Messenger (peace be upon him) do on such-and-such days?” Abu Rafi would dictate, and the secretary would write it down. (Al-Isabah, 4/92).

Although the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had emancipated him, he himself remained devoted to serving the Messenger (peace be upon him). When the Messenger (peace be upon him) freed him, tears began streaming from Abu Rafi’s eyes. People said to him, “You are being freed from slavery; why are you crying?” He replied, “Today, a reward has slipped from my hands.” Thereafter, although he was legally free, he firmly held on to the honor of serving the Messenger (peace be upon him). During journeys, he alone would set up the Messenger’s tent. His relationship of servitude with the Messenger (peace be upon him) was so sweet and dear to him that until his death he identified himself as the Messenger’s slave or servant.

The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) married a Companion, Nawfal ibn al-Harith, to a woman. After the marriage, he asked him for something to eat, but nothing was found. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) then gave his own armor to Abu Rafi and Abu Ayyub and sent them to sell it. They pawned his armor to a Jew, obtained thirty sa‘ of barley, and brought it to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He handed the barley to Nawfal. Nawfal said, “We ate that barley for half a year. Then we weighed it and found that it had not decreased at all; it was just as it had been before.” When he told this to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he remarked, “Had you not weighed it, you could have eaten it for your entire life.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/630).

At one stage of his life, Abu Rafi (RA) fell into severe poverty and financial hardship. He even had to ask people and accept charity and assistance. However, he never accepted more than he needed. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had foretold this stage of his life. Abu Rafi said that one day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him, “O Abu Rafi, what will it be like when you become poor?” Abu Rafi replied, “Will I accept charity in that condition?” The Messenger said, “Yes.” He asked, “When will my poverty come?” He replied, “After my death.” The narrator, Abu Sulaym, said, “I saw him in poverty. Sitting by the roadside, he would say, ‘Who wishes to give charity to a blind old man? Who wishes to give to the man of whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said that he would become poor in the future?’ He also said that it is not lawful for a wealthy person to accept charity, nor is it lawful for a healthy person.” Abu Sulaym said, “I saw a man give Abu Rafi four dirhams, but he returned one dirham. The man said, ‘Abdullah, do not return my charity.’ Abu Rafi replied, ‘The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade me to accumulate surplus wealth.’” Abu Sulaym further said, “I saw Abu Rafi wealthy until the end and heard him say, ‘Alas, if only Abu Rafi had died in poverty!’” (Hayatus Sahabah, 2/253–254). According to al-Waqidi, he died in Madinah during the caliphate of Ali (RA). (Al-Isabah, 4/67).

Ubaydah ibn al-Harith (RA)

His name was Ubaydah, and his kunyah was Abu al-Harith or Abu Muawiyah. His father was al-Harith and his mother was Sukaylah. His grandfather was Abd al-Muttalib ibn Abd Manaf. He belonged to the Quraysh tribe.

Ubaydah ibn al-Harith, Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Asad, al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam, and Uthman ibn Mazun embraced Islam together in response to the invitation of Abu Bakr (RA). At that time, the Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had not yet taken refuge in the house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam. When Ubaydah embraced Islam, he was a leader of Banu Abd Manaf. In Makkah, he accepted Bilal (RA) as his religious brother.

The command to migrate to Madinah was given. Ubaydah (RA) set out for Madinah with his two brothers, Tufayl and Husayn, and Mistah ibn Uthathah. On the way, Mistah became completely unable to walk. When the people of the advancing caravan heard of this, they returned, lifted him up, and took him to Madinah. In Madinah, Abd al-Rahman al-Ajlani (RA) welcomed them and treated them with great hospitality. Soon after the Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah, a bond of brotherhood was established between Ubaydah and Umayr ibn Humam al-Ansari. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) also gave him a plot of land on which to live separately. His entire family settled there.

Eight months after the Hijrah, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent him toward Rabigh at the head of a party of sixty Muhajirs to observe the movements of the polytheists of Makkah. This was the second expedition in Islamic history. The Messenger entrusted Ubaydah with the banner of this force. When they reached near Rabigh, they had a minor clash with a force of two hundred polytheists led by Abu Sufyan. The matter did not escalate into battle and bloodshed; it was limited to the exchange of a few arrows and spears.

After this incident, he took part in the Battle of Badr, the first clash between truth and falsehood. After the ranks had been formed, Utbah, Shaybah, and Walid came out from the polytheists’ side and shouted, “Is there anyone to fight us?” Several young Ansari men advanced from the Muslim army. They then shouted, “Muhammad, we cannot fight people unequal to us. Send opponents worthy of us.” The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Ali, Hamzah, and Ubaydah to advance. They had been waiting for this command. As soon as they received it, the three heroes went before their respective opponents, brandishing their swords. Ubaydah and Walid fought for a long time. Both were seriously wounded. Ali and Hamzah, however, had each brought down his opponent. They then leapt together upon Walid, killed him, and carried Ubaydah wounded from the battlefield.

One of Ubaydah’s legs was severed below the knee. He became drenched in blood from head to foot. To comfort him, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his own head upon Ubaydah’s knee. Ubaydah said, “O Messenger of Allah, if Abu Talib were alive at this time and saw my condition, he would know that I am more worthy than anyone else of saying his words.” He then recited this line from a poem by Abu Talib: “We shall protect Muhammad, even until we lie dead all around him, and we shall forget our children and wives.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2).

After the battle ended, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out toward Madinah with him. He had been gravely wounded. On the way, he died at the age of sixty-three at a place called Safra. He was buried in the sands of Safra.

He held a high rank in the sight of the Noble Messenger. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) showed him great respect. Once, at Safra, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) pitched a tent near his grave. The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, the scent of musk is coming from here.” He said, “This was the grave of Abu Muawiyah. So why should you be surprised?”

At the death of Ubaydah (RA), many poets, including Hindah bint Uthathah and Kab, composed elegies. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/24, 25, 41).

Ukashah ibn Mihsan (RA)

His name was Ukashah or Ukkashah, and his kunyah, or nickname, was Abu Mihsan. His father was Mihsan ibn Hursan. During the Age of Ignorance, he was an ally of, or bound by a pact with, Banu Abd Shams. He embraced Islam before the Hijrah and migrated from Makkah to Madinah with the others. (Usud al-Ghabah, 4/2).

He became renowned for his bravery at the Battle of Badr. During the battle, the sword in his hand broke into pieces. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him a date-palm stick, and with it he attacked the enemy like a sharp dagger. He continued fighting with that stick until the end of the battle. (Al-Isti‘ab). Ibn سعد relates from Zayd ibn Aslam and others that on the day of Badr, Ukashah ibn Mihsan’s sword broke. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him a wooden stick, which in his hand became a bright, shining, hard iron sword. (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/658).

He took part in all the well-known battles, including Uhud and the Trench, displaying exceptional bravery and courage. In the month of Rabi al-Awwal of the seventh year after the Hijrah, he was assigned to eradicate Banu Asad. Their settlement lay around the well of Ghamar on the road to Madinah. He quickly went there with a force of forty men. But the people of Banu Asad, frightened, had already abandoned the place and fled elsewhere. Finding no one there, Ukashah drove away their two hundred abandoned camels and some goats and returned to Madinah.

In the twelfth year after the Hijrah, the first Caliph, Abu Bakr (RA), ordered Khalid ibn al-Walid (RA) to suppress the revolt of the false prophet Tulayhah al-Asadi. Ukashah and Thabit ibn Arqam were two of Khalid’s advance soldiers. They were moving ahead of the army when they suddenly encountered enemy soldiers. Tulayhah himself and his brother Salamah were among them. Tulayhah attacked Ukashah, while Salamah charged Thabit. Thabit was martyred. At that moment Tulayhah cried out, “Salamah, quickly come and help me! He has killed me.” Salamah had already finished his task. He went to help Tulayhah, and the two brothers attacked Ukashah together and brought him down. Thus Ukashah was martyred.

When the Muslim army reached the bodies of these two martyrs, it was overcome with profound grief. Ukashah’s body bore severe wounds and was covered with injuries. The commander, Khalid (RA), dismounted and ordered the army to halt. He then buried both martyrs in the bloodstained clothes they wore, in the sands of that desert.

In rank and distinction, he was among the leading Companions.

(Usud al-Ghabah, 4/3)

The Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) once said, “Seventy thousand people will enter Paradise without reckoning.” Ukashah asked, “O Messenger of Allah, am I one of them?” He replied, “You are among them.” Then a second man asked about himself. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Ukashah has preceded you.” After this incident, the Messenger’s statement became a proverb. When someone surpasses another in some matter, it is said, “So-and-so has advanced like Ukashah.”

Shammas ibn Uthman (RA)

His name was Shammas, his father’s name was Uthman, and his mother’s name was Safiyyah. He belonged to the Banu Makhzum branch of the Quraysh tribe. It is narrated from Hisham al-Kalbi that his real name was Uthman. The reason he was called Shammas is that, once during the Age of Ignorance, an exceptionally handsome Christian man came to Makkah. His face seemed to radiate rays of sunlight. People were astonished and overwhelmed by his extraordinary beauty.

At that time, Shammas’s maternal uncle, Utbah ibn Rabiah, claimed that he knew a man from whom even more rays of sunlight radiated, and he presented Shammas for the contest. From that day, Uthman became known as Shammas. Shammas means one who radiates an abundance of sunlight. (Usud al-Ghabah, 3/375). al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said, “He was one of the handsomest men of Makkah.” (Al-Isabah, 1/155).

Shammas and his mother, Safiyyah bint Rabiah, responded to the Messenger’s invitation and embraced Islam in the earliest period.

Unable to endure the persecution of the polytheists, he migrated to Abyssinia, taking his mother Safiyyah with him. From there he returned to Makkah and then migrated to Madinah. In Madinah, he became the guest of Mubashshir ibn al-Mundhir. A bond of brotherhood was established between him and Hanzalah ibn Abi Amir al-Ansari.

Shammas fought bravely and risked his life in the battles of Badr and Uhud. At Uhud, when the Muslims’ victory suddenly turned into defeat and everyone except a handful of self-sacrificing mujahids left the battlefield, Shammas was among those few who remained beside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and repelled the attacks of the disbelievers. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say, “I can find no likeness for Shammas except a shield.” Wherever the Messenger looked that day, to his right or left, he saw only Shammas. That day he made himself into a shield for the Messenger of Allah. His entire body was covered with wounds. When the battle ended, it was found that only a faint sign of life remained. He was brought to Madinah in that condition. Umm Salamah (RA) was entrusted with caring for him, but he was then in the final stage of his life. He breathed his last the following day. The Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that he be buried in his bloodstained clothes, without funeral prayer, in the cemetery of the martyrs of Uhud. He was taken back to Uhud and buried there. However, the historian al-Waqidi said that he was buried in the Baqi cemetery of Madinah. Apart from him, no one who was martyred at Uhud was buried in Baqi. (Al-Isabah, 2/155).

Hassan (RA) composed an elegy on his death. He was only thirty-four years old when he died.

Shuja ibn Wahab (RA)

His name was Shuja, his kunyah was Abu Wahab, and his father was Wahab. During the Age of Ignorance, his family was allied with, or bound by a pact with, Banu Abd Shams.ࢮ(Usud al-Ghabah, 2/386).

Shuja was among those who embraced Islam in its earliest period. Forced by the persecution of the polytheists of Makkah, he went to Abyssinia with the second group that migrated there. (Al-Isabah, 3/138).

While they were in Abyssinia, a rumor spread that all the inhabitants of Makkah had accepted the Messenger of Allah’s authority. Like many others, love of his homeland drew him back to Makkah. When he arrived, he found that the report was entirely false. After staying in Makkah for some time, he safely migrated to Madinah. There, a bond of religious brotherhood was established between him and Aws.

He took part in all the well-known battles, including Badr and Uhud. In the month of Rabi al-Awwal of the eighth year after the Hijrah, he was assigned to eliminate a group of Banu Hawazin. They had pitched their tents at a place called Rassi, five days’ journey from Madinah. Shuja suddenly arrived there with twenty-four daring mujahids, traveling stealthily by day and boldly by night. After defeating the enemy force, he seized and brought to Madinah a large number of their camels, sheep, and goats. The amount of the spoils can be estimated from the fact that each mujahid received fifteen camels, apart from other goods.

After returning from Hudaybiyyah, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent envoys bearing letters to most of the kings and rulers of the contemporary world. He sent Shuja with a letter to al-Harith ibn Abi Shimr al-Ghassani—or, according to another view, to al-Mundhir ibn al-Harith ibn Abi Shimr al-Ghassani. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/127).

This al-Harith was the ruler of the area of Ghutah near Damascus. The opening lines of the letter the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) wrote to him were as follows: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to al-Harith ibn Abi Shimr. Peace be upon those who follow guidance, believe, and acknowledge the truth. I invite you to believe in Allah, who is One and has no partner. In that case, your kingdom will remain secure.”

Al-Harith rejected this invitation. However, his vizier, Murai, embraced Islam and secretly conveyed greetings to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) through Shuja.

A hadith narrated by Imam al-Zuhri tells us that Shuja ibn Wahab was the envoy sent by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to the court of the Persian Kisra. He himself handed the Messenger of Allah’s letter to the Kisra. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/136).

During the caliphate of the first Caliph, Abu Bakr (RA), Shuja was martyred on the plain of Yamamah in the battle fought against the false prophet Musaylimah al-Kadhdhab. (Al-Isabah, 2/138). He was slightly over forty years old when he died.

Mihraz ibn Nadlah (RA)

His name was Mihraz, and his kunyah, or nickname, was Abu Fadlah. However, he was chiefly known by the title Akhram al-Asadi.

It is not known exactly when or how he embraced Islam. However, scholars of the prophetic biography are certain that he embraced Islam in the earliest period. After migrating from Makkah to Madinah, he entered into an alliance with the Abd al-Ashhal tribe, and a bond of brotherhood was established between him and Ammar ibn Hazm (RA).

Musa ibn Uqbah, Ibn Ishaq, and others included him among the Companions who took part in Badr.

Al-Waqidi narrated from Ayyub ibn Numan. He said: At Badr, Abu Aziz ibn Umayr, the brother of Musab ibn Umayr, was captured. He was placed under the guard of Mihraz ibn Nadlah. Musab said to Mihraz, “Tie his hands a little tighter. He has a wealthy mother in Makkah.” Abu Aziz said, “Brother, is this your instruction concerning me?” Musab replied, “In your place, Mihraz is my brother.” Abu Aziz’s mother sent four thousand dirhams for his release. (Hayatus Sahabah, 2/315).

He also fought bravely, risking his life, in the battles of Uhud and the Trench. The final and most notable battle of his life was the Battle of Dhu Qarad. In the sixth year after the Hijrah, Banu Fazarah attacked a pasture on the outskirts of Madinah, killed the shepherds, and drove away the camels of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Salamah ibn al-Akwa was nearby. He sent Rabah, the Messenger’s servant—or, according to another account, a servant of Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf—to Madinah to deliver the news. Meanwhile, he climbed to the top of a mountain and shouted “Ya Sabahah” (a warning cry of danger) so loudly that the sound spread from one end of Madinah to the other. For a long time he confronted the raiding party alone with arrows and stones. In the meantime, the Messenger’s army was seen rushing through the trees. Mihraz ibn Nadlah was at the head of that army, followed by Abu Qatadah al-Ansari and Miqdad ibn al-Aswad (RA). Salamah ibn al-Akwa seized the reins of Akhram, or Mihraz’s, horse and said, “Akhram, do not advance ahead. I fear that the raiders will surround you and prevent you from joining the Messenger and his Companions.” He replied, “Salamah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and if you know that Paradise and Hell are true, then do not obstruct me from attaining martyrdom.” He spoke with such emotion that Salamah (RA) released the horse’s reins. Mihraz spurred his horse and went before Abd al-Rahman ibn Fazarah, blocking his path. He struck Abd al-Rahman with such force that his horse was cut into two. However, Abd al-Rahman’s spear also found its mark. Mihraz was martyred and fell to the ground, while Abd al-Rahman leapt onto Mihraz’s horse. Abu Qatadah was right behind him and immediately struck Abd al-Rahman fiercely. Thus Qatadah (RA) sent Abd al-Rahman to Hell and avenged the killing of his friend. Mihraz (RA) was thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old when he was martyred.

The incident mentioned above is clear proof of his firm faith and intense longing for martyrdom. A few days before his martyrdom, he dreamt that the gates of heaven had been opened for him. Traveling through the highest realm, he reached Sidrat al-Muntaha. There he was told, “This is your dwelling.”

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA) was highly knowledgeable in interpreting dreams and explaining their significance. The following day, Mihraz related the dream to him. He said, “Akhram, it is good news of your martyrdom.” Some time after this, his dream came true during the expedition of Dhu Qarad, and he reached his permanent abode, Sidrat al-Muntaha.

Shukran Salih (RA)

His name was Salih, and his title was Shukran. His father’s name was Adi. He was an Abyssinian slave belonging to Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (RA). Yet leadership was destined for him even in his state of slavery. The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) selected him for his personal service. He purchased him from Abd al-Rahman in exchange for money. According to some accounts, Abd al-Rahman gifted him to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) without receiving any payment. Little is known in detail about his life. Nor is there much information in the books of prophetic biography about when or how he embraced Islam.

In most battles, Shukran (RA) was assigned to guard the spoils of war and the prisoners. Thus, during battles, he received a share of the spoils on the one hand, and on the other hand he received payment from those whose prisoners he looked after. Abu Ma‘shar said that he took part in the Battle of Badr as a slave, and therefore was not given a share of the spoils. However, everyone gave him some money for looking after the prisoners at Badr. As a result, he received more than those who had received a share of the spoils. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was so impressed by his vigilance and competence in carrying out his duties at Badr that he freed him from slavery.

He was assigned to collect the abandoned money, weapons, goats, and other belongings of the defeated enemy army at the Battle of Marrah Yasi. The Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was so pleased with him that, at the time of his death, he instructed others to treat him well. Shukran (RA) was blessed to take part in the burial and shrouding of the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Ibn Ishaq narrates through Ali ibn al-Husayn that Ali ibn Abi Talib, Fadl ibn Abbas, Qutham ibn Abbas, Shukran, the freedman of the Messenger of Allah, and Aws ibn Khawlah descended into the grave and laid the Messenger of Allah in it. (Al-Isabah, 2/664).

There is disagreement as to whether, after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Shukran (RA) remained in Madinah or settled in Basrah. He had a house in Basrah. The year and place of his death are also not known with certainty. In historical works, he is renowned as Shukran, the freedman of the Messenger of Allah.

Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas (RA)

His name was Umayr, his father was Abu Waqqas, and his mother was Hamnah bint Sufyan. He was the full brother of Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (RA), the conqueror of Iran.

Umayr’s elder brother, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, embraced Islam in its earliest period. Although Umayr was still young at the time, he followed in his elder brother’s footsteps. At only fourteen years of age, he migrated and reached Madinah. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) established a bond of religious brotherhood between him and Amr ibn Muadh, the younger brother of Sa‘d ibn Muadh, the chief of Madinah’s Abd al-Ashhal tribe. The two were nearly the same age.

In the second year after the Hijrah, preparations for the Battle of Badr were underway. The Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) was selecting soldiers. Hazrat Umayr also came to the gathering. His brother, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, saw Umayr anxiously moving about, avoiding his gaze. He asked him, “Umayr, what is the matter with you?” He replied, “Brother, I too wish to take part in the battle. Perhaps Allah will grant me martyrdom. But I fear that the Messenger (peace be upon him), considering me too young, may send me back.”

When everyone appeared before the Messenger (peace be upon him), one after another, Umayr’s apprehension came true. Noting Umayr’s age, he said, “Go back.” Hearing this, Hazrat Umayr burst into tears. Seeing that these tears arose from his eagerness for jihad and intense desire for martyrdom, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was deeply moved. Umayr was granted permission to participate in the battle. The Messenger (peace be upon him) himself hung his sword on him.

Hazrat Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him) was then a boy of sixteen. He did not even know properly how to handle weapons. His elder brother taught him how to wield a sword. Overcome with intense enthusiasm and emotion for martyrdom, he pierced the ranks of the unbelievers and entered among them, fighting with extraordinary bravery for a long time. In this state, a powerful blow from the sword of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abd Wudd fulfilled his desire for martyrdom. Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return. He attained martyrdom at only sixteen years of age. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/599) In the Battle of the Trench, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) killed the murderer, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abd Wudd. (Al-Isabah, 3/70).

Abu Sufyan ibn Harith (may Allah be pleased with him)

The relationship between Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and Abu Sufyan ibn Harith was as deep and strong as that which existed with very few people. The two were born at the same time in the same family. They were paternal cousins. Abu Sufyan’s father, Harith ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib, was the Messenger of Allah’s elder paternal uncle. He died before Islam. (Note: Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/163).

The Messenger (peace be upon him) and Abu Sufyan were foster brothers. Hazrat Halimah al-Sa‘diyyah suckled them both. Until the Messenger (peace be upon him) received prophethood, the two had a close relationship. Their faces also resembled each other considerably. According to Ibn al-Mubarak, Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir and others, Abu Sufyan’s name was Mughirah, while Abu Sufyan was his kunya, or nickname. (Al-Isabah, 4/90; Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/647).

Since the two had such a close relationship in many respects, it would have been natural for Abu Sufyan to believe in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and respond to his call at the very beginning of his prophethood. But instead of what was natural, the opposite occurred. As soon as the Messenger (peace be upon him) began calling people to Islam in Makkah, all of Abu Sufyan’s friendship and kinship took the form of envy, hatred, hostility and disobedience.

When the Messenger (peace be upon him) began preaching, Abu Sufyan was a renowned cavalry hero among the Quraysh and an outstanding poet. He employed his tongue and his arrows in opposition to the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his call. He united all his strength in hostility toward Islam and the Muslims. Abu Sufyan incited every war the Quraysh planned against the Messenger (peace be upon him). He played a major role in all the kinds of suffering inflicted on the Muslims by the Quraysh. He used his poetic talent to satirize and condemn the Messenger (peace be upon him). He even composed an obscene poem against him. In one line of a famous qasida, the Messenger (peace be upon him) said of Hassan ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him): “You have reviled Muhammad, and I have replied; the recompense for that is with Allah.” This line was actually addressed to Abu Sufyan. (Al-Isabah, 4/90)

This hostility of Abu Sufyan toward the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) continued for twenty long years. During this extended period, he carried out every kind of conspiracy that could be made against the Muslims. A remarkable account concerning him in the Battle of Badr is found in the books of sirah. Hazrat Abu Rafi‘ relates: “After the Battle of Badr, I was sitting near the Zamzam Well in Makkah, making arrows, when Abu Lahab came and sat beside me. For some reason, he had not taken part in Badr and had sent someone else in his place. Then Abu Sufyan ibn Harith ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib arrived. Abu Lahab made him sit near him and asked him to describe the events of Badr in detail. Abu Sufyan said, ‘By Allah, they were a people before whom we surrendered our shoulders. They directed us as they wished and captured us as they wished. By Allah, despite all this, I do not blame our people, because we saw dazzling white riders on black-and-white flying horses between heaven and earth. By Allah, nothing could stand against them.’ Abu Rafi‘ immediately exclaimed, ‘By Allah, they were none other than angels!’ Abu Lahab slapped Abu Rafi‘ on the cheek.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/646–47; Hayatus Sahabah, 3/530)

Finally, on the eve of the Conquest of Makkah, Abu Sufyan’s hostility toward Islam came to an end. His conversion to Islam has been narrated in history as follows. Abu Sufyan said: “When Islam became strong and the news spread that the Messenger (peace be upon him) was advancing to conquer Makkah, I began to see darkness all around me. I said to myself, ‘Where will I go now, with whom will I go, and with whom and where will I stay?’”

After thinking over these matters, I went to my wife and sons and daughters and said, ‘Prepare to leave Makkah. The time for Muhammad to enter Makkah is near. As soon as the Muslims find me, they will kill me.’

They said to me, ‘You can now see that Arabs and non-Arabs alike are acknowledging Muhammad’s authority and accepting his religion, while you still stubbornly persist in your hostility toward him. Yet you, of all people, should have been the first to come forward to help and support him.’ In this way they continued to make me enthusiastic about and attracted to Muhammad’s religion. Finally, Allah the Exalted opened the doors of my heart.

I immediately rose and instructed my slave, Mazkur, to prepare a camel and a horse. I also took my son Ja‘far with me. We hurried toward Abwa, between Makkah and Madinah. I already knew that Muhammad had reached there. When I came near Abwa, I disguised myself so that, if anyone recognized me and found me in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he would not kill me before I could declare my Islam. I proceeded on foot from a distance of nearly one mile. I watched the advance parties of Muslims proceeding one after another toward Makkah. Fearing that someone might recognize me, I kept somewhat away from their route. Suddenly, amid this mass of people, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came into my sight. I quickly appeared before him and removed my face covering. As soon as he recognized me, he turned his face away from me. I turned and went before him again, but he again turned his face away. He did this several times.

I believed that the Messenger (peace be upon him) would be extremely happy at my acceptance of Islam. But when the Muslims saw him turning his face away from me, they too turned away from me with grim expressions. When Abu Bakr saw me, he turned away with great severity. I looked helplessly toward ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab. He too turned away even more harshly than his companion. Rather, he incited an Ansari against me. The Ansari addressed me, saying, ‘O enemy of Allah! You caused suffering to the Messenger of Allah and his Companions.’ The Ansari loudly reproached and abused me, while the Muslims gathered around me and mercilessly listened to it with enjoyment.

At that moment I saw my uncle, ‘Abbas. I went a little toward him and said, ‘Uncle, I had hoped that, because of my kinship with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and my standing among my people, he would be pleased with my acceptance of Islam. Speak to the Messenger (peace be upon him) about me and persuade him to be somewhat favorably disposed toward me.’ He said, ‘After seeing him turn his face away from you, I cannot say even a word to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) concerning you. However, if an opportunity ever arises, I will speak. For I both revere and fear the Messenger of Allah.’

I said, ‘Uncle, then to whose care are you leaving me?’

He said, ‘I can do nothing beyond what you have just heard.’ My heart filled with anxiety and distress. Suddenly I saw my paternal cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib. I told him what had happened. He gave the same reply as Uncle ‘Abbas. I went back to Uncle ‘Abbas and said, ‘Uncle, if you cannot soften the Messenger of Allah’s heart toward me, then at least see that the man who is denouncing and abusing me and inciting people against me is restrained.’ He said, ‘What is the man like? Describe him to me.’ I described him. He said, ‘He is Nu‘ayman ibn al-Harith al-Najjari.’ He went to Nu‘ayman and said, ‘Listen, Nu‘ayman! Abu Sufyan is the Messenger of Allah’s cousin and my nephew. Although the Messenger of Allah is displeased with him today, one day he will become pleased with him. So do not humiliate him in this way.’ He explained this to him repeatedly. At last Nu‘ayman agreed and said, ‘From this moment onward, I will no longer speak harshly to him.’

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stopped at a place called Juhfah on the road from Makkah to Madinah. I went and sat at the door of his tent, while my son Ja‘far stood beside me. When the Messenger (peace be upon him) came out, he saw me and turned his face away. Even this did not make me lose hope. Wherever he stopped thereafter, I would go with my son and sit at the door of his tent, and the Messenger (peace be upon him) continued to treat me in the same way. This went on for some time. I began to suffer greatly. The world became constricted for me.

Ibn Ishaq says: Abu Sufyan ibn Harith and ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah again requested permission to meet the Messenger (peace be upon him) at a place called Niq al-‘Uqab, on the road from Makkah to Madinah. Hazrat Umm Salamah said concerning them, ‘O Messenger of Allah, your two cousins—one paternal and one maternal—have come to meet you.’ The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘I have no need of either of them. My paternal cousin has damaged my honor, and my maternal cousin said to me in Makkah whatever he had to say.’ Abu Sufyan’s son Ja‘far was with him. When these words of the Messenger (peace be upon him) reached him, Abu Sufyan said, ‘By Allah, either he will permit me to meet him, or I will take this son of mine by the hand and wander wherever I wish upon the earth until we die of hunger and thirst.’ When the Messenger (peace be upon him) heard this, he softened somewhat and permitted them to meet him. The two went to the Messenger (peace be upon him) and declared their Islam. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/400–401).

Abu Sufyan says: “The Messenger (peace be upon him) entered Makkah, and I entered Makkah with his caravan. When he set out to go to the mosque, I walked with him. I did not leave his side even for a moment.”

Then the time for the expedition of Hunayn drew near. All the Arabs united and prepared to fight the Muslims. This time they were determined to do something decisive against Islam and the Muslims. The Messenger (peace be upon him) set out with his army to confront them, and I went along. Seeing the unbelievers’ huge army, I said to myself, ‘By Allah, today I will repay the Messenger of Allah for all my past hostility toward him. Today I will please the Messenger of Allah through my actions.’

The two armies confronted each other. Unable to withstand the unbelievers’ fierce attack, the Muslims began fleeing the battlefield. I then saw the Messenger (peace be upon him) standing as firm as a mountain in the middle of the field on his mule, Shahba. He was wielding his sword with tremendous force, defending himself and the Companions around him. At that moment he appeared as courageous as a lion. Seeing this, I leaped from my horse and rushed toward the Messenger (peace be upon him) with my unsheathed sword. Allah alone knows, but at that time I hoped to die before the Messenger (peace be upon him). My uncle ‘Abbas held the reins of the Messenger of Allah’s mule and stood on one side, while I stood on the other. I held the Messenger’s mount with my left hand and my sword in my right, launching fierce attacks. Seeing this, the Messenger (peace be upon him) asked Uncle ‘Abbas, ‘Who is this?’ My uncle replied, ‘Your brother, your uncle’s son—Abu Sufyan ibn Harith. O Messenger of Allah, become pleased with him.’ The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘I am pleased with him. Allah has forgiven all his hostility toward me.’

I became overwhelmed with joy and kissed the Messenger’s feet. He looked toward me and said, ‘My brother, advance and attack.’ These words of the Messenger (peace be upon him) increased my courage. I launched a fierce attack and drove the opposing army from its position. Other Muslims attacked alongside me. We routed them and pursued them for nearly one farsakh.”

Abu Sufyan ibn Harith was blessed with the Messenger’s pleasure and companionship on the battlefield of Hunayn. However, he never again in his life looked directly at the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with his eyes raised. Remembering his past conduct, he was too ashamed and remorseful to look upon the blessed face of the Messenger (peace be upon him).

After accepting Islam, Abu Sufyan was tormented by remorse as he reflected on the deeds and conduct of his former life of ignorance and on having been deprived of the Book of Allah. In his later life, he spent his days and nights only reciting the Qur’an and contemplating its laws, injunctions and admonitions. Keeping away from all the comforts and possessions of the world, he devoted himself entirely to Allah. One day he was entering the mosque. Seeing him, the Messenger (peace be upon him) called Hazrat ‘A’ishah and said, ‘A’ishah, do you know this man?’ ‘A’ishah said, ‘No, O Messenger of Allah.’ The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘This is my cousin, Abu Sufyan ibn Harith. Look, he enters the mosque before everyone else and leaves it after everyone else. His gaze never strays from the laces of his shoes.’

After the death of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him), Abu Sufyan wept bitterly like a mother who had lost her child. He expressed that grief of separation most beautifully in a qasida. After accepting Islam, he recited to the Messenger (peace be upon him) a qasida he had composed, expressing his feelings at that time and asking forgiveness. In one line of the qasida, when he said, ‘He showed me the path of truth whom I had driven away,’ the Messenger (peace be upon him) struck his chest and exclaimed, ‘You were the one who drove me away.’ (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/400–401)

During the caliphate of Hazrat ‘Umar, Abu Sufyan felt that the end of his life was drawing near. One day he dug a grave with his own hands. Three days later he departed from this world. It was as though he had an agreement with death. Before his death, he said to his wife, children and family members, ‘Do not weep for me. By Allah, after accepting Islam I committed no sinful deed.’ After saying this, he breathed his last. Caliph ‘Umar led his funeral prayer. His year of death was 15 AH, or, according to another opinion, 20 AH. Hisham ibn ‘Urwah narrated from his father, ‘Urwah, that the Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘Abu Sufyan is the leader of the young men who are inhabitants of Paradise.’ (Al-Isabah, 4/90).

Buraidah ibn al-Hus aib (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Buraidah, and his kunya, or nickname, was Abu ‘Abdullah. His father’s name was Hus aib ibn ‘Abdullah. He was the chief of the Banu Aslam tribe. Buraidah accepted Islam at the time of the Messenger’s Hijrah. When the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) set out from Makkah for Madinah and reached a place called Ghamim, Buraidah appeared before him. The Messenger (peace be upon him) presented the call to Islam to him, and he accepted it without hesitation. It may be noted that Ghamim was situated two stages from Makkah. There, eighty other members of Banu Aslam accepted Islam with him. The Messenger (peace be upon him) performed the ‘Isha prayer there, and Buraidah and his companions performed the prayer behind him. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/3) After accepting Islam, he continued living among his own tribe and came to Madinah after the Battles of Badr and Uhud. However, historical accounts differ regarding the time of his conversion and his arrival in Madinah.

He migrated to Madinah before the sixth year after the Hijrah and first participated in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, attaining the distinction of taking part in the Pledge of Ridwan. In the seventh year after the Hijrah, he participated in the expedition of Khaybar. In this connection he narrated: “We besieged Khaybar. On the first day Abu Bakr carried the banner, but there was no victory. The same happened on the second day. The people were becoming despondent. The Messenger (peace be upon him) then said, ‘Tomorrow I will give the banner to a man who is dearly loved by Allah and His Messenger. The matter will be decided tomorrow.’ Thinking this, the people became very happy. The next morning, after performing the Fajr prayer, the Messenger (peace be upon him) ordered that the banner be brought. The people were standing in rows. He called ‘Ali and placed the banner in his hand. On that day, Khaybar was conquered at the hands of ‘Ali.”

In the eighth year after the Hijrah, Buraidah accompanied the Messenger (peace be upon him) on the expedition to Makkah and entered Makkah carrying the banner of one of the divisions. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/167).

In this connection, he narrated that on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, the Messenger (peace be upon him) performed several prayers with a single ablution.

During the Battle of Tabuk, the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) sent people to various tribes to encourage the people of Makkah and other regions to join the battle. At that time, he sent Buraidah to the Aslam tribe and instructed him to appear at Fur‘ah, a place between Makkah and Madinah. (Tarikh Ibn ‘Asakir, 1/110).

After the Conquest of Makkah, the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) sent an army to Yemen under the leadership of Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid. Buraidah was also a member of this army. Later, another army was sent there under the leadership of Hazrat ‘Ali, and command of the entire army was entrusted to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). After the battle, Hazrat ‘Ali took a slave woman for himself from the spoils of war. Buraidah could not accept this. On returning to Madinah, he raised the matter with the Messenger (peace be upon him). After hearing everything, the Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘Buraidah, do you harbor any enmity toward ‘Ali?’ Buraidah denied it. Then the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘Do not keep any kind of hatred for ‘Ali in your heart. He receives even more than this from one-fifth of the spoils.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Bab Ba‘th ‘Ali ilal-Yaman).

According to another narration, after hearing Buraidah’s statement, the color of the Messenger’s blessed face changed. He said, ‘Buraidah, do I not have greater authority over the believers than they have over their own selves?’ Buraidah replied, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah!’ The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘I am the master of whoever has ‘Ali as his master, and ‘Ali is his master.’ Buraidah said: “After hearing these words from the pure tongue of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), all my complaints against ‘Ali disappeared. From that day, a profound love for him arose in my heart, such as I had never felt for anyone else.” (Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal).

Toward the end of the Noble Messenger’s life, he instructed Usamah to lead an expedition to Syria. Buraidah was the standard-bearer of this army. Usamah departed from Madinah and set up camp on its outskirts, preparing to leave, when he received news of the Messenger of Allah’s final illness. He suspended the journey and hurried to the bedside of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Along with the others, Buraidah also returned to Madinah carrying the banner and planted it before the door of the Messenger of Allah’s house. After the Messenger (peace be upon him) passed away, Hazrat Abu Bakr assumed the responsibility of the caliphate. At the Caliph’s command, Buraidah again took up the banner, went to Syria and participated in the battle. After the battle, he returned to Madinah with the banner and planted it before Usamah’s house. It remained there until the end of Usamah’s life. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/425–26)

Hazrat Buraidah participated in every battle fought during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) after his acceptance of Islam. It is narrated from him in the Sahihayn that he took part in a total of sixteen battles with the Messenger (peace be upon him). (Al-Isabah, 1146; Tabaqat Ibn Sa‘d, chapter on Maghazi, 136).

During the lifetime of the Noble Messenger, Buraidah lived in Madinah. When the city of Basra was founded during the caliphate of Caliph ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he became a permanent resident there. The blood of jihad boiled in Hazrat Buraidah’s veins. He would tell people, ‘The pleasure of life lies in spurring a horse.’ Because of this passion and enthusiasm, even during the era of the caliphs he would leave home as a soldier for various expeditions. During the caliphate of Hazrat ‘Uthman, he took part in the expedition to Khurasan, went to Marw and remained there. Although Hazrat Buraidah was a brave mujahid, during the era of the caliphs his sword always remained sheathed in the disputes among the Muslims. He did not participate in a single civil war that occurred during the eras of the second and third caliphs in his lifetime. Indeed, because of his extreme caution, he would not express any opinion even about those from either side who became involved in those conflicts. In this connection, a man of Banu Bakr ibn Wa’il said: ‘Once I was in Sijistan with Buraidah al-Aslami. One day I brought up the names of ‘Ali, ‘Uthman, Talhah and al-Zubayr to learn his opinion of them. Buraidah immediately sat facing the qiblah, raised both hands and began to pray: “O Allah, forgive ‘Uthman. Forgive ‘Ali, Talhah and al-Zubayr as well.” The narrator says: “Then he turned to me and said, ‘Do you want to become my murderer?’ I said, ‘Why would I become your murderer? I merely asked you this.’ Buraidah said, ‘They were a group of people concerning whom Allah’s decree had already been determined. He may forgive them or punish them if He wishes. Their reckoning is with Allah.’” (Ibn Sa‘d, 4/176; Hayatus Sahabah, 3/388)

Once he went to Hazrat Amir Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). Mu‘awiyah was sitting and speaking with a man. Buraidah said, ‘Mu‘awiyah, will you give me an opportunity to speak as well?’ Mu‘awiyah said, ‘Yes.’ He had thought that Buraidah might say something like the others. But Buraidah said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “I hope that on the Day of Resurrection I will intercede for as many people as the number of all the trees, stones and grains of sand in the world. Mu‘awiyah, you hope for this intercession, while ‘Ali cannot hope for it?”’ (Musnad of Imam Ahmad, 4/347; Hayatus Sahabah, 3/49) Perhaps the first man had been criticizing Hazrat ‘Ali, and Mu‘awiyah expected to hear the same from Buraidah. Speaking the truth was one of his special qualities. In this regard, he did not fear even great personalities.

Buraidah held special honor and esteem among the Companions. He preserved many hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in his memory. The number of hadiths he narrated is approximately 164. Of these, two were narrated by both al-Bukhari and Muslim, while eleven were narrated exclusively by Muslim. All the hadiths he narrated were directly from the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Among his students, his sons ‘Abdullah and Sulayman, and among the others ‘Abdullah ibn Khazai, al-Sha‘bi and Mali h ibn Usamah are especially noteworthy.

The Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) interacted with him in a very warm and informal manner. Once Buraidah was going somewhere and met the Messenger (peace be upon him) on the way. The Messenger (peace be upon him) took Buraidah’s hand in his own and began walking.

Narrated by Buraydah. He said: We were sitting near the Messenger (PBUH) when a man from the Quraysh came. The Messenger (PBUH) called him and made him sit near him. When the man rose to leave, the Messenger (PBUH) said to me: “Buraydah, do you know this man?” I replied: “Yes. In terms of lineage and status, he is of average standing among the Quraysh. However, he possesses the greatest wealth and property.” I repeated this three times. Then I said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have told you what I know about him. You know more than I do.” The Messenger (PBUH) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, this quality of his will have no significance before Allah.”

Whatever he heard once from the Messenger (PBUH), he tried to follow precisely. Once he was sitting near the Messenger (PBUH), who said: “My ummah will be driven away three times by people of a nation with eyes as small as shields are broad. They will drive them on until they surround them within the Arabian Peninsula. Those who flee during their first attack will survive. During the second attack, some will survive and some will be killed. But during the third attack, everyone will be killed.” The people asked: “O Messenger of Allah, who are they?” He replied: “The Turks.” He further said: “By the One in Whose hand is my life, those people will tie their horses to the pillars of the Muslims’ mosques.”

After this dreadful prophecy, Buraydah always kept two or three camels, travel provisions, and a vessel for drinking water ready, so that whenever this time came, he could flee from this punishment. (Musnad of Imam Ahmad, 5/347).

Hazrat Buraydah was the chief of the Aslam tribe. Hazrat Rabiʿah al-Aslami was a destitute servant of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). When he wished to marry, the Messenger (PBUH) instructed Buraydah to arrange payment of his bridal gift. Buraydah collected contributions and carried out that instruction.

He died in Marw, Persia, in 63 AH, during the caliphate of Yazid ibn Muʿawiyah. He left behind two sons named Abdullah and Sulayman.

Uqbah ibn Amir al-Juhani (RA)

His name was Uqbah, his kunyah was Abu Amr, and his father was Amir. He belonged to the Banu Juhainah tribe. When the Noble Messenger (PBUH) came to Madinah, Uqbah was tending goats far from Madinah. News of the Messenger’s arrival spread through Madinah’s streets and alleys and through the surrounding deserts and oases. Let us hear from Uqbah himself how his first meeting with the Messenger (PBUH) took place:

“When the Messenger (PBUH) came to Madinah, I was grazing my goats outside Madinah. When the news reached me, I left everything and went to meet him. I presented myself before the Messenger (PBUH) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, will you accept my pledge of allegiance?’ He asked to know who I was: ‘Who are you?’ I replied: ‘Uqbah ibn Amir al-Juhani.’ He asked: ‘Which do you prefer: the pledge of the desert-dwelling Bedouins or the pledge of migration?’ I replied: ‘The pledge of migration.’ Thereupon he took my pledge on the same terms on which he took the pledge of the Muhajirun. After pledging allegiance at the hand of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), I spent one night with him and then returned to my goats in the desert.”

“We were twelve Muslims. We grazed goats far from Madinah. Some among us said: ‘There is no good in our lives if we do not go to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) every other day to learn matters of religion and to learn what is revealed to him.’ Each day, one of us would take turns going to Madinah while the others grazed his goats. I said: ‘You may take turns sending one person, and I will take responsibility for his goats.’ I did not want to leave my goats with someone else and go to Madinah.”

“My companions began taking turns going to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in Madinah, while I grazed their herds of goats. When they returned, I would listen to and learn from them whatever they had heard or learned. This continued for some time. Then I began to feel: ‘May you perish! For the sake of goats, you are being deprived of the companionship of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the blessing of hearing directly the words issuing from his mouth!’ After this feeling arose, I left my goats and set out for Madinah with the intention of residing permanently beside the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in the Prophet’s Mosque.”

“I reached Madinah. Upon entering the Prophet’s Mosque, the first thing I heard was a man saying that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had said: ‘Whoever performs ablution completely will be purified of all his sins just as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.’ I liked these words very much. Umar ibn al-Khattab then said: ‘You would be even happier if you heard the first statement.’ I asked him to repeat it. He said: ‘The Messenger (PBUH) said: “If someone dies without associating anything with Allah, Allah will open for him all the gates of Paradise. There are eight gates of Paradise, and he may enter through whichever one he wishes.”’ At that moment the Messenger (PBUH) came among us. I sat facing him, but he turned his face away from me. He did this several times. On the fourth occasion I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, may my parents be sacrificed for you! Why are you turning your face away from me in this manner?’ This time he turned his attention to me and said: ‘Who is more beloved to you—one person or twelve?’ (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/214–15; Suwarum min Hayatis Sahabah, 4/144).

Uqbah first fought the disbelievers at Uhud alongside the Messenger of Allah. Thereafter, he took an active part in every battle fought during the lifetime of the Messenger (PBUH). During the caliphate of the second caliph, Umar (RA), he joined the campaign in Syria as a mujahid. On the day Damascus was conquered, he displayed extraordinary skill and courage in archery. After the conquest of Damascus, the commander Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (RA) sent him to Madinah to convey the news quickly to the caliph. He reached the caliph in Madinah after traveling day and night without pause for only eight days, from one Friday to the next. He took part in the Battle of Siffin on the side of Amir Muawiyah (RA). After the conquest of Egypt, Muawiyah (RA) appointed him governor there for a time. Abu Amr al-Kindi said: “Muawiyah entrusted him with collecting Egypt’s kharaj (revenue) and leading the prayers.” Later, when he intended to remove him, he ordered Uqbah to attack Rhodes. While Uqbah was advancing toward Rhodes, he heard that Maslamah had been appointed in his place. He remarked: “Sent far away and then dismissed?” This occurred in 47 AH. After his dismissal, he withdrew from the expedition. There is disagreement concerning the year of Hazrat Uqbah’s death. According to the soundest report, he died in Egypt in 58 AH, during the caliphate of Muawiyah (RA). He was buried at the foot of Mount Muqattam, south of present-day Cairo. (Al-Isabah, 3/489; Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, 1/43).

In knowledge and distinction, Hazrat Uqbah was a remarkable person. The Qur’an, Hadith, jurisprudence, the laws of inheritance, and poetry held a special place in his life. Allamah al-Dhahabi said: “He was at once a jurist, an all-embracing scholar, a reciter of the Book of Allah, an expert in the science of inheritance, eloquent in speech, and a poet of high rank.” (Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, 1/43).

He had a special interest in learning the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. With intense feeling and enthusiasm, he learned to recite the Noble Qur’an. He learned some surahs directly from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Once he fell at the feet of the Messenger (PBUH) and pleaded: “O Messenger of Allah, please teach me something of Surah Hud and Surah Yusuf.” This intense enthusiasm made him a renowned reciter.

He possessed a melodious voice and recited the Qur’an beautifully. When silence descended late at night, he would begin reciting the Qur’an in a heart-rending voice. The Companions of the Messenger (PBUH) would listen attentively to his recitation. Their hearts would melt out of fear of Allah, and their eyes would fill with tears. Once the caliph Umar (RA) said to him: “Uqbah, recite some Qur’an for us.” Uqbah began reciting. Hearing the recitation, Umar (RA) broke down in tears, and his beard became wet with tears. Hazrat Uqbah personally prepared a compilation of the Holy Qur’an. This copy was preserved in Egypt’s mosque known as the “Jami Uqbah ibn Amir” until the ninth Islamic century. At the end of the copy was written: “Uqbah ibn Amir al-Juhani wrote this.” It was the oldest copy of the Qur’an found in the world. But the unfortunate Muslim nation has lost this precious treasure as it has lost many other things. (Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, 7/243; Suwarum min Hayatis Sahabah, 4/148–49; Muhajirin, 2/236).

He was by no means lacking in narrating the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). The total number of hadiths he narrated was fifty-five. Of these, seven are muttafaqun alayh, one was narrated exclusively by Bukhari, and seven exclusively by Muslim. Many eminent Companions would travel long distances to hear hadiths from him. Hazrat Abu Ayyub traveled from Madinah to Egypt solely to hear one hadith, and after hearing it he immediately set out again for Madinah. The Scholar of the Ummah, Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA), also acquired knowledge from him. Many famous Tabiun likewise drew knowledge from his store of learning. Ibn Asakir narrates from Ibrahim ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. He said: “By Allah, before his death Umar ibn al-Khattab sent for the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)—Abdullah ibn Hudhafah, Abu al-Darda, Abu Dharr, and Uqbah ibn Amir—calling them from various places, and said: ‘What is this that you narrate from the Messenger of Allah in such abundance?’ They said: ‘Do you prohibit us from narrating hadiths?’ He replied: ‘No. But you will remain with me. As long as I am alive, you may not leave me and go elsewhere.’ They did not go far from him for as long as Umar lived. (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/240–41).

Hazrat Uqbah also possessed profound knowledge of jurisprudence. He had great mastery of knowledge directly connected with religion, such as public speaking and poetry. Although Uqbah (RA) was an eminent Companion, he was extremely fearful of undertaking religious responsibilities. For a time he led the prayers in Egypt, but later he avoided doing so. Abu Ali al-Hamadani said: “Once, during a journey, people said to him: ‘Since you are a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), you should lead the prayer.’ He replied: ‘No. I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “If a person leads the prayer and performs it correctly at the proper time, there is a reward for both the imam and those following him. But if any error occurs, the imam will be held accountable, while those following him bear no responsibility.”’”

Serving the Noble Messenger (PBUH) was his sole passion. During journeys, he would often take responsibility for leading the Messenger’s mule, al-Shahba, by its reins. During this service and companionship, he never missed an opportunity to acquire religious knowledge. He narrated: “Once I was accompanying the Messenger (PBUH) on a journey. While I was leading his mount, he said: ‘Uqbah, shall I tell you of two excellent surahs that may be recited?’ I said: ‘Please do.’ He said: ‘They are: Qul aʿudhu bi-rabbil-falaq and Qul aʿudhu bi-rabbin-nas.’”

He respected the Messenger (PBUH) so deeply that he considered it discourteous even to sit on his mount. Once, while he was performing his assigned service during a journey, the Messenger (PBUH) stopped and made the riding animal sit down. He dismounted and said: “Uqbah, mount the animal.” Uqbah replied: “Glory be to Allah! O Messenger of Allah, shall I ride your mount?” The Messenger (PBUH) instructed him again. Uqbah gave the same reply. Finally, after repeated urging, Uqbah mounted the animal to obey the command, while the Messenger (PBUH) led it by its reins. For this reason he was called Radif Rasulillah—“the one who rides behind the Messenger of Allah.” Concealing people’s faults was one of Uqbah’s special qualities. He considered publicizing anyone’s fault extremely blameworthy. Once his secretary came and said: “Our neighbors are drinking wine.” He replied: “Let them do so; do not tell anyone.” The secretary said: “Shall I inform the police?” He replied: “How regrettable! Leave them alone.” I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: “Whoever conceals someone’s fault is like one who gives life to the dead.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 2/423).

He had a special interest in military skills, particularly archery. He encouraged others to acquire this skill as well. Once he summoned Khalid ibn al-Walid and said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: ‘For the sake of one arrow, Allah will grant Paradise to three people: the one who makes the arrow, the one who carries it in the path of Allah, and the one who shoots it.’ He also said: ‘Among all forms of play, only three are permissible: archery, training in horsemanship, and joking with one’s wife. Whoever learns the skill of shooting arrows and then forgets it has in reality lost a great treasure.’” (Musnad Imam Ahmad, 4/148). He accumulated many weapons of war. After his death, when his property was examined, it was found that he had slightly more than seventy bows in his house, along with a number of arrows and arrowheads. He donated all of them in the path of Allah. (Suwarum min Hayatis Sahabah, 4/150–51).

Hazrat Uqbah (RA) was a prosperous man. He had servants, yet he performed all his own tasks with his own hands.

Hazrat Uqbah (RA) was in Egypt on his deathbed. In that condition, he called his children and gave them this advice: “My children! I forbid you three things; remember them well. 1) Do not accept hadiths of the Messenger (PBUH) from anyone except a reliable and trustworthy person. 2) Even if you wear an aba (a loose, coarse robe open at the front), never become indebted. 3) Do not write poetry, because your hearts will then turn away from the Qur’an and become occupied with that.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/201).

In short, the latent talent within Hazrat Uqbah, the goatherd, reached its fullest development through his brief companionship with the Messenger (PBUH). In later years he became one of the greatest scholars, reciters, victorious commanders, and governors among the Companions. When he left goat herding and presented himself for the service of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), he had no idea that one day he would be a leading soldier in the army that conquered Damascus and would own a house at Damascus’s Bab Tuma. On the day he decided to return to Madinah, it never occurred to him that one day he would be one of the leaders of the conquest of Egypt, become its governor, and own a house on Cairo’s Mount Muqattam. Islam developed his latent talent so profoundly that he rose from a goatherd to all this.

Abu Barzah al-Aslami (RA)

There is considerable disagreement among scholars of rijal concerning Abu Barzah’s real name. According to the most prominent view, his name was Nadlah ibn Ubayd, while Abu Barzah was his kunyah, or epithet. (Al-Isabah, 4/19).

He accepted Islam in the earliest period of the Islamic call in Makkah. After becoming Muslim, he remained with the Noble Messenger (PBUH) in every conflict that took place with the disbelievers. On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Noble Messenger (PBUH) forgave even his bitterest enemies. However, several criminals who had gone beyond the limits of hostility and rebellion were killed that day. Abd al-Rahman ibn Khatal was one of them. He had initially accepted Islam, but after killing one of his Muslim slaves, he became an apostate to escape the Islamic punishment of qisas and fled to Makkah. He had two slave women who used to sing songs insulting Muhammad (PBUH) in the markets of Makkah. On the day of the conquest of Makkah, seeing no other way out, the wretched Ibn Khatal clung to the covering of the Kaʿbah and remained there seeking safety. The Companions told the Messenger (PBUH): “Ibn Khatal is under the protection of the covering of the Kaʿbah.” The Messenger (PBUH) ordered that he be killed. As soon as Abu Barzah received this order, he rushed over and killed him. (Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Jihad; Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/410).

Abu Barzah lived in Madinah until the lifetime of the Noble Messenger (PBUH). During the caliphate of Umar (RA), he became a resident of Basrah. He fought on the side of Ali (RA) in the Battle of Siffin and against the Kharijites at Nahrawan. He was a mujahid in the campaign to Khurasan.

There is disagreement concerning the time of Hazrat Abu Barzah’s (RA) death. Some say that he died in 60 AH, while others say 65 AH. The second view appears more correct, because he was alive until the conflict between Marwan and Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (RA), and he used to say: “They are fighting over all the affairs of the world.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 2/407). At his death, he left behind only one son, al-Mughirah.

Hazrat Abu Barzah (RA) had the opportunity for long companionship with the Noble Messenger (PBUH). For this reason, he preserved a reliable number of the Messenger’s hadiths in his memory. The number of hadiths he narrated was sixty-four. Of these, twenty-seven are muttafaqun alayh; two were narrated exclusively by Bukhari and four exclusively by Muslim.

An ascetic quality was present in Hazrat Abu Barzah’s (RA) character. He did not wear expensive clothes and did not ride horses. He went about with his private parts covered by two saffron-colored cloths. One of his contemporaries among the Companions was Ayidh ibn Umar. He wore valuable clothing and also rode horses. A man, intending to create discord between them, came to Hazrat Ayidh and said: “Look at Abu Barzah. He differs from you in dress and appearance. You wear expensive khazz cloth and ride horses, whereas he avoids both.” But the brotherhood of the Companions was deeper and stronger than their outward clothing and ways. Hazrat Ayidh replied: “May Allah have mercy on Abu Barzah. Who among us today is his equal?” Disappointed, the man went from there to Abu Barzah and said to him: “Look at Ayidh. He does not approve of your way of life. He rides about on horseback, and valuable khazz cloth adorns his body.” But here too the man received the same reply. Abu Barzah said to him: “May Allah have mercy on Ayidh. Who among us is equal to him?”

Once a man spoke harshly to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA). Abu Barzah immediately exclaimed: “Shall I strike off his head?” Abu Bakr (RA) rebuked him and said: “After the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), such a punishment is not permissible for anyone for an offense of this degree.” (Kanz al-Ummal, 2/161; Hayatus Sahabah, 2/638).

Serving the poor and needy was a special characteristic of Abu Barzah. From morning until evening, he would feed the impoverished. Hasan ibn Hakim narrated this from his mother.

Abu Barzah would feed widows, orphans, and the needy sarid (a type of favorite Arab dish) in the morning and evening. (Hayatus Sahabah, 2/194–95).

He could not tolerate any kind of mockery or joking about the Noble Messenger (PBUH). Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad wished to learn something about the Hawd al-Kawthar. He asked the people: “Who can tell me about the Hawd al-Kawthar?” They mentioned Abu Barzah (RA). Ubaydullah sent for him, and he came. When Ubaydullah saw him arrive, he said mockingly: “Is this one of your Muhammadians?” Abu Barzah replied with great anger: “Praise be to Allah! I am living in an age when the honor of companionship with the Prophet is regarded with contempt.” Saying this, he sat down in great anger. Ubaydullah raised the question, and Abu Barzah replied: “Whoever denies the Hawd al-Kawthar will not be able to come anywhere near it, nor will Allah allow him to drink from it.” Saying this, he rose and left.

Narrated by Hazrat Abu Barzah. He said: During a battle—according to another report, Khaybar—we attacked the polytheist army and drove them away from their bread-making equipment. Then we seized those things and began eating from them. In the Age of Ignorance, we used to hear that those who ate white bread became stout. After eating the bread they had left behind, some of us would look at our own shoulders to see whether we had become stout. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/323). This incident indicates that the noble Companions generally did not use fine white flour.

Fadl ibn Abbas (RA)

His name was Fadl, and his kunyah was Abu Muhammad. His father was the renowned Companion Hazrat Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (RA), and his mother was Lubabah bint al-Harith al-Hilaliyyah. He was the cousin of the Messenger (PBUH) and his father’s eldest child. For this reason, Abbas was called Abu al-Fadl, meaning “the father of Fadl,” and Lubabah was called Umm al-Fadl, meaning “the mother of Fadl.”

He accepted Islam with the other members of his family before the Battle of Badr, but did not disclose it out of fear of the disbelievers of Makkah. Shortly before the conquest of Makkah, he migrated to Madinah with his father, Hazrat Abbas, and his younger brother Abdullah (RA). At the time of migration, he was thirteen years old and Abdullah was eight. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/373). After migrating to Madinah, he first took part in the expedition to Makkah. He then joined the expedition to Hunayn. When the Muslim army began to flee during the initial stage of the attack, having come to the verge of defeat, he nevertheless remained firm in the field with the Noble Messenger (PBUH). During the Farewell Pilgrimage, he sat on the same mount as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). From that day he was given the title Radif al-Rasul. At that time, a young man and a beautiful young woman from the Khathʿam tribe came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) to ask about various matters of Hajj. Since women are not permitted to cover the face with a niqab during Hajj, the woman’s face was uncovered. Fadl was a handsome young man. The woman began glancing at him from the corner of her eye, and Fadl also continued looking at her. The Noble Messenger (PBUH) turned Fadl’s face away several times. The Messenger (PBUH) said: ‘Today, whoever can restrain his eyes, ears, and tongue will have all his sins forgiven.’ (Ibn Sad, 4/37; Al-Isabah, 3/208). The matter is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari, in the chapter on women’s Hajj.”}]},{

During the stoning at Mina, he held up a cloth to shade the Messenger (PBUH). In Madinah, the Messenger (PBUH) arranged his marriage and personally paid his bridal gift.

Hazrat Fadl (RA) was blessed with the opportunity to render the final service to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) during his earthly life. During his final illness, the Messenger (PBUH) delivered his final sermon. Fadl was one of the two fortunate men whose assistance he took to leave his room to deliver this sermon. Fadl also announced among the people that the Messenger (PBUH) would deliver a sermon. (Al-Isabah, 3/208). After the death of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), Fadl (RA) was one of the few fortunate people who had the opportunity to wash his blessed body. Ali (RA) performed the washing, Fadl poured the water, the Messenger’s clothing was held in place, and an Ansari named Aws ibn Khawli supplied the water. (Al-Istiab; Hayatus Sahabah, 2/341). Waqidi said: “Hazrat Fadl died during the caliphate of Umar in the plague epidemic of Amwas.” Others have said that he attained martyrdom at the Battle of Ajnadayn or Yamamah during the caliphate of Abu Bakr. Some have said that he was martyred at the Battle of Yamamah in 15 AH. There is considerable disagreement about the year of his death. However, Imam Bukhari considered the view that he died at Ajnadayn to be acceptable. (Al-Isabah, 3/209).

Twenty-four hadiths have been narrated from Fadl (RA). Distinguished Companions such as Ibn Abbas and Abu Hurairah also received hadith from him. In addition, the Tabi‘un Quraib, Qutham ibn Abbas, Abbas ibn Ubaidillah, Rabiah ibn Harith, Umair, Abu Sa‘id, Sulaiman ibn Yasar, Sha‘bi, Ata ibn Abi Rabah and others received hadith from him. (Al-Isabah, 3/209).

Tulaib ibn Umair (RA)

His name was Tulaib and his kunya was Abu Adi. His father was Umair ibn Wahb, and his mother was Arwa bint Abd al-Muttalib, the paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He belonged to the Banu Adi branch of Quraysh. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/88).

Little is known about Hazrat Tulaib’s birth and his life before Islam. History records that he joined a caravan in the very early period of Islam. Certain incidents recorded in history indicate that he had boundless devotion and love for his maternal cousin Muhammad and his religion. Tulaib was always enraged by the hostile conduct of Quraysh toward the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He would sometimes give a fittingly harsh reply to Quraysh’s rude behavior toward the Messenger. In these matters, his pious mother always supported him.

Al-Harith al-Taimi says that Tulaib ibn Umair accepted Islam while the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was staying in Makkah’s Dar al-Arqam, or the House of Arqam. After accepting Islam, he left there and went straight to his mother, Arwa bint Abd al-Muttalib. He said to her, “Mother, I have followed Muhammad and surrendered myself to Allah.” His mother said, “The person most entitled to help and support him is your maternal cousin. If I possessed the strength and power that men possess, I would certainly protect him from the people.” Tulaib said, “Mother, what prevents you from accepting Islam and becoming his follower? Your brother Hamzah has accepted Islam.” She replied, “I am waiting to see what my other sisters do. I will remain with them.”

Tulaib said, “I will continue praying to Allah for you until you go to him, greet him, and testify that there is no god but Allah.” The fortunate mother could not reject her son’s request. She declared, “Ashhadu an la ilaha illallahu wa anna Muhammadan Rasulullah—I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, or His sent servant.” From that day onward, she began supporting the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in every way with her words, and instructed her son Tulaib to stand beside the Messenger of Allah in every circumstance. (Tabaqat, 3/123; Al-Isabah, 2/233–234).

Those who accepted Islam during its earliest period in Makkah were persecuted in various ways by Quraysh. One day, Tulaib and Hatib ibn Amr were praying in the area of Ajyad al-Asghar in Makkah. Two of Makkah’s most notorious terrorists of that time, Ibn al-Asda and Ibn al-Ghaitalah, saw them. They attacked Tulaib and Hatib by throwing stones at them. Hatib and Tulaib resisted the attack for nearly an hour and somehow escaped with their lives. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/117).

Uqbah ibn Abi Muait of Makkah was an intense enemy of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He was also extremely vile by nature. He harmed the Messenger in various ways. One day, he brought a basket of filth and began dumping it at the door of the Messenger’s house. Tulaib noticed this. He rushed over, snatched the basket from Uqbah, and twisted both his ears. Uqbah became furious and followed Tulaib to his mother, complaining, “Do you not see that your son has taken Muhammad’s side?” The fortunate daughter of Abd al-Muttalib replied, “Then tell me, who is more entitled than Tulaib to take his side? Muhammad is his maternal cousin. All our wealth and our lives are devoted to Muhammad.” She then recited a couplet whose meaning was: “Tulaib has helped his maternal cousin; he has shown sympathy for him in blood and wealth.”

It should be noted that this Uqbah was captured by the Muslim forces at the Battle of Badr and was killed on the special instruction of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/147).

After accepting Islam, Hazrat Tulaib (RA) remained in Makkah for some time, resisting all the persecution and oppression of Quraysh. But when the persecution became extreme and remaining in Makkah became completely impossible, he migrated to Abyssinia with the second group bound for Abyssinia. After staying there for some time, he was among those who returned from Abyssinia to Makkah after hearing a rumor that all the people of Makkah had accepted Islam. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/324, 366).

He stayed in Makkah for some time after returning from Abyssinia. Then he migrated to Madinah once again. In Madinah, he became the guest of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Salamah al-Ajlani. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) established a bond of Islamic brotherhood between him and Mundhir ibn Amr al-Sa‘idi.

According to the account of Muhammad ibn Umar, Hazrat Tulaib participated in the Battle of Badr. Al-Tabari says, “His participation in the Battle of Badr is established as fact.” However, Musa ibn Uqbah, Muhammad ibn Ishaq, and Abu Ma‘shar did not mention Tulaib’s name in their lists of those who participated in the Battle of Badr. (Tabaqat, 3/123).

No further information about his activities from after the Battle of Badr until his death is found in the books of Sirah. It may be assumed, however, that such a spirited man could never sit quietly. He participated in all expeditions until the end of his life.

He attained martyrdom at the Battle of Ajnadayn in Jumada al-Ula of 13 AH. Musab ibn Abdullah, however, says that he was martyred at the Battle of Yarmuk. He was fifty-three years old when he died. He left no children. (Tabaqat, 3/124; Al-Isti‘ab).

Sauban ibn Najdah (RA)

His name was Sauban, his father’s name was Najdah, and his kunya was Abu Abdillah. He belonged to Yemen’s famous Himyar tribe. (Asahh al-Siyar, 599). For some reason, he became a slave. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) purchased him and later set him free. At the time of his emancipation, he told Sauban, “If you wish, you may go to your people, or you may stay with me. If you stay with me, you will be regarded as a member of my household.” Sauban considered remaining in the company of the Messenger of Allah preferable to returning to his own tribe.

He remained in Madinah for a short time after the death of the Noble Messenger. Madinah became unbearable for him without the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He left Madinah and began living in a place in Syria called Ramla. He took part in the Egyptian campaign and then left Ramla and settled in Hims. He died in Hims in 54 AH.

Hazrat Sauban was a special attendant of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He had the opportunity to remain in his company in all circumstances, both privately and publicly. Naturally, he therefore became especially proficient in the ‘Ulum al-Nabawi, or the knowledge of the Prophet. One hundred and twenty-seven hadiths of the Messenger have been narrated from him. Along with memorizing hadith, he also undertook the responsibility of disseminating and spreading it. Allamah Ibn Abd al-Barr said that Sauban was among those who both memorized hadith and worked to spread it.

Because Hazrat Sauban had memorized a great number of hadiths, countless people would come to him to hear them. Once, when people expressed their desire to hear a hadith from him, he said, “When a Muslim prostrates once for Allah, Allah raises him one degree in rank and forgives his sins.” (Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 5/276).

The renowned hadith scholars of Hazrat Sauban’s era would verify with him the authenticity of hadiths they had heard from others. A high-ranking hadith scholar such as Sa‘dan ibn Talhah heard a hadith from Hazrat Abu al-Darda (RA) and verified its authenticity with Hazrat Sauban. After the death of the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he was regarded as one of Madinah’s leading scholarly Companions qualified to exercise independent legal reasoning. (A‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in, 1/15).

The circle of Hazrat Sauban’s students was also extensive. Sa‘dan ibn Talhah, Rashid ibn Sa‘d, Zubair ibn Nudir, Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanam, Abu Idris and others were among his notable students.

His devotion and reverence for the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) were so great that he could not tolerate hearing from the mouth of a non-Muslim even a single word expressing the slightest disrespect toward the Messenger. Once, a Jew came to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “Peace be upon you, O Muhammad.” Sauban immediately burst into anger. He shoved the Jew so forcefully that the poor man nearly fell before managing to regain his balance. After steadying himself, the man asked why Sauban was so angry. Sauban said, “Why did you say ‘O Muhammad’ instead of ‘O Messenger of Allah’?” The man replied, “What offense is there in that? I merely used his family name.” The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) agreed with him and said, “Yes, my family name is Muhammad.”

The honor of prophethood is indeed a tremendous matter. If anyone treated his relationship of servitude or slavery to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with disregard or contempt, he would warn that person. Once, while living in Hims, he fell ill. When the governor of Hims at the time, Abdullah ibn Qarat al-Izdi, did not come to visit him, he wrote in a letter, “If a servant of Musa and Isa were staying with you, you would inquire about his illness or go to visit him.” After receiving the letter, the governor hurried out of his home with such urgency that people thought something momentous must have happened. He then reached Hazrat Sauban’s house and sat beside him for a long time.

He was so careful about obeying the instructions of the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that once he received an instruction from the Messenger, he followed it throughout his life, and never did anything that carried even the slightest possibility of disobeying an instruction. Al-Tabarani narrated from Abu Umamah (RA), who said: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Who will pledge allegiance?” Sauban said, “O Messenger of Allah, we have already pledged allegiance.” The Messenger said, “Pledge that you will not ask anyone for anything.” Sauban said, “For what purpose, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “For Paradise.” Sauban made this pledge. Abu Umamah said, “I saw him in Makkah, riding amid a crowd of people. His whip fell from his hand. It apparently fell onto a man’s neck, and the man picked it up. He then wished to hand it to Sauban, but Sauban did not accept it; he dismounted and picked it up himself.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/242).

Another narration states that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do not ask people for anything. I guarantee Paradise to anyone who guarantees me this.” Hearing this, Sauban said, “I guarantee it.” Thereafter, he never asked anyone for anything. (Al-Isabah, 1/204).

Yusuf ibn Abd al-Hamid narrated: Sauban told me that once the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for his ahl, or family. I said, “I am also included among the Ahl al-Bayt (your family).” The third time, he said, “Yes, you are part of my family. But so long as you live, do not stand at a closed door or go to an amir to ask for anything.” (Al-Isabah, 1/204).

It is known from history that after receiving all these instructions, he never again asked anyone for anything in his life.

Amr ibn Abasah (RA)

His name was Amr and his kunya was Abu Najih. His father was Abasah ibn Amir and his mother was Ramlah bint al-Waqi‘ah. He was the uterine brother of the renowned Companion Hazrat Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (RA). (Al-Isabah, 3/5).

From the beginning of his life, Amr was a man of upright nature. Even when all Arabia was immersed in idol worship during the Age of Ignorance, he detested this practice and considered the idol worshippers misguided. He claimed to be the fourth person in Islam, or one-fourth of Islam. When he was asked on what basis he made this claim, he said: “During the Age of Ignorance, I believed that the people were misguided. Idols had no importance in my eyes. I knew that just as they could cause no harm, they could provide no benefit either, because the people worshipped stone idols. At that time, I asked a person from the People of the Book, or a believer in a revealed religion, about the best religion. He said, ‘A man will appear in Makkah. He will abandon the deity of his people and call people to another deity. He will bring the best religion. When you hear of his appearance, follow him.’”

Amr said: “At that time, I received news from Makkah. I did not dare ask anyone whether some new event had occurred in Makkah. At last, I rode on an animal’s back and reached Makkah. When I asked a rider there, he said, ‘A man has appeared here who hates the deity of his people, or his own people’s deity.’ I secretly met with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), because at that time his own people were fiercely opposing him. According to another narration, Amr met the Messenger at the Ukaz fair. Their conversation at the first meeting was as follows: Amr asked, ‘Who are you?’”

“I am the Prophet of Allah.”

“Has Allah sent you?”

“Yes.”

“With what things has He sent you?”

“To believe that Allah is One, not to associate anything with Him, to break the idols, and to maintain ties of kinship.”

“Has anyone accepted this call?”

“Yes—one free man and one slave.”

Amr said: “Those two were Abu Bakr and Bilal. Then I pleaded, ‘Include me among Allah’s worshippers as well. I will remain with you.’ The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘How can you remain with me while opposition to me is coming from every direction? Return to your homeland now. When I begin inviting people openly, come to me.’ Amr said: “In this way I accepted Islam and came to regard myself as one-fourth of Islam.” (Al-Isabah, 3/6; Hayat al-Sahabah, 1/71–72).

Following the Messenger’s instruction, Amr accepted Islam and returned to his tribe. However, he always kept himself informed about the Messenger of Allah through those traveling to and from Makkah. After the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated to Madinah, some people from Yathrib, or Madinah, came to Amr’s tribe. He asked them, “How is the man who came from Makkah to Madinah?” They replied, “People are rushing to him in groups. His own people planned to kill him but were unable to do so. He is now in Madinah.”

After receiving this news from them, Amr set out for Madinah. When he presented himself to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in Madinah and introduced himself, the Messenger said, “Yes, I recognize you. You met me in Makkah.” From then on, Amr became a permanent resident of Madinah.

There is disagreement concerning the time of Hazrat Amr’s arrival in Madinah. According to one view, he came to Madinah before the Battle of Badr and participated in Badr. The well-known view, however, is that he came to Madinah after the Battle of Khaybar and before the Conquest of Makkah. (Al-Isabah, 3/5).

The battles of Badr, Uhud, Hudaybiyyah, and Khaybar, among others, had already ended while he was still in his homeland. He first took part in the campaign for the Conquest of Makkah. It is also reported that he participated in the expedition to Ta’if. He himself narrated: During the siege of Ta’if, the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “For whoever shoots one arrow in the path of Allah, a gate of Paradise will be opened.” Hearing this glad tiding, I shot sixteen arrows. Nothing definite is known of his participation in any battle after the Ta’if expedition, although it is known that he took part in some further battles. The exact time of the death of Hazrat Amr ibn Abasah (RA) is unknown. Scholars of Sirah, relying on conjecture, have said that he died toward the end of the caliphate of Caliph Hazrat Uthman (RA). Accordingly, Allamah Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, the author of Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, mentioned his death as occurring toward the end of the Uthmani caliphate based only on this conjecture—since he is not seen anywhere during the dispute between Ali and Muawiyah (RA) or during the caliphate of Amir Muawiyah. (Al-Isabah, 3/6). However, a narration in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal states that Amir Muawiyah (RA) and the Romans made a treaty. Because of this treaty, Amir Muawiyah could not attack the Romans for a specified period. Hazrat Muawiyah (RA), however, planned that his army would reach the Roman frontier while the treaty’s term expired, after which his forces would immediately launch an attack. At that time, Amr ibn Abasah would cry out, “Fulfill the covenant; do not deceive!” This narration indicates that he was alive until the caliphate of Amir Muawiyah. But if the view of the author of Al-Isabah is accepted as correct, this incident occurred during the Uthmani caliphate, when Hazrat Muawiyah (RA) was governor of Syria. He also clashed with the Romans at that time.

Hazrat Amr ibn Abasah (RA) did not have many opportunities to enjoy the companionship of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Yet he tried to make full use of whatever opportunity he had. We find evidence of this in his first meeting with the Messenger in Madinah. He pleaded, “Allimni ma allamak Allahu—teach me some of what Allah has taught you.” For this reason, despite such a short period of companionship, a total of forty-eight hadiths narrated by him are found in the hadith collections.

Among the Companions, Ibn Masud, Abu Umamah al-Bahili, Sahl ibn Sa‘d; and among the Tabi‘un, Shurahbil ibn Samat, Sa‘dan ibn Abi Talhah, Sulaim ibn Amir, Abd al-Rahman ibn Amir, Zubair ibn Nufair, Abu Salam and others narrated hadith from him. (Al-Isabah, 3/5).

Abu Nuaim narrated an incident from Ka‘b’s freedman. He said: One day, Amr ibn Abasah went out to pasture the animals. I went out at noon to look for him. I saw Amr sleeping in one place, with a cloud shading him. I woke him. When he awoke, he said to me, “Let this remain a secret between you and me. It will not be good for you if you disclose it to anyone else.” I did not tell anyone about it during his lifetime. (Al-Isabah, 3/6).

Walid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah (RA)

His name was Walid, and his father was Walid ibn al-Mughirah. He belonged to the Banu Makhzum branch of Quraysh. He was the brother of the renowned Companion and military commander Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid and Hisham ibn al-Walid. According to one narration, he was Hisham’s full brother and Khalid’s half-brother. Walid did not accept Islam during the Makkan period of the Noble Messenger’s life. The books of Sirah contain little information about how he treated the Muslims at that time. It is known, however, that he joined the Quraysh army of Makkah and fought against the Muslims at the Battle of Badr. After being defeated, he was captured by Hazrat Abdullah ibn Jahsh—or, according to another view, by Sulait ibn Qais (RA). (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/302).

Walid’s other two brothers, Khalid ibn al-Walid and Hisham ibn al-Walid, came to secure his release. Abdullah ibn Jahsh demanded a ransom of four thousand dirhams. Khalid showed hesitation about paying such a large sum. Hisham became very angry and said to Khalid, “What is wrong with you? Are you no longer his brother? Even if Abdullah demands more than this, he must be freed.” The historian al-Waqidi says: “Walid was captured while still following the religion of his people and was freed in exchange for four thousand dirhams.” According to another narration, the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) demanded his father’s shield, armor, and sword in exchange for Walid’s release. His brothers met the demand and freed him. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/210).

After being released, Walid set out toward Makkah with his brothers. When they reached a place called Dhu al-Hulayfah, he escaped from his brothers and returned to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in Madinah, where he accepted Islam. His brothers returned and met him again, saying, “If you intended to become a Muslim, why did you not do so before the ransom was paid? You destroyed our father’s heirlooms for nothing.” Walid said to them, “Like the other Quraysh, I too wanted to pay the ransom and secure my release. I did not declare my Islam before being released so that Quraysh could not say that I had accepted Islam out of fear of paying the ransom.”

After accepting Islam, he again set out toward Makkah with his brothers. His brothers did not say much to him on the way. But after reaching Makkah, they imprisoned him like the other persecuted Muslims and confined him in one room with other prisoners like him—Ayyash ibn Rabiah, Hisham ibn al-As, Salamah ibn Hisham and others.

Historians have said that Quraysh subjected these prisoners to inhuman torture. They were also threatened with death.

Al-Kalbi says: “A weak community with no tribal strength or manpower was punished for accepting Islam. Many of them abandoned the religion, while many from noble families accepted Islam and faced trials. Among them were Salamah ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughirah, Walid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, Ayyash ibn Rabiah and others.” (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/19).

Ibn Ishaq says: When Walid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah accepted Islam, a group of Banu Makhzum went to his brother Hisham ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah and requested that Walid be handed over to them so that they could kill him. Their argument was that by killing him, they would be safe regarding the others. Hisham firmly rejected their request and recited a poem. He further threatened that if anyone killed his brother Walid, he would take revenge by killing their most honored man. Faced with this extreme threat, they abandoned their hope of killing Walid and departed. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/321).

Before the Battle of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would pray to Allah for the release of Ayyash ibn Rabiah, Salamah ibn Hisham, Hisham ibn al-As and others. After the Battle of Badr, when al-Walid was taken prisoner and joined them, the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) began praying for him by name as well. Al-Bazzar narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that after concluding the prayer with salam, the Messenger of Allah raised his head and, facing the qiblah, said: “O Allah, free Salamah ibn Hisham, Ayyash ibn Rabiah, al-Walid ibn al-Walid, and those weak Muslims who are unable to devise any strategy and know of no way out.” According to another narration, the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would make this supplication during the dawn prayer. (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/348).

He spent quite some time in captivity. One day, taking advantage of an opportunity, he escaped to Madinah. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked him about the condition of Ayyash and Salamah. Al-Walid said that they were being tortured and that a shackle had been put on the feet of both of them. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told him: “Go back to Makkah. A blacksmith there has accepted Islam. First, stay with him. Then meet Ayyash and Salamah secretly and tell them: ‘I am my representative’s emissary; come with me.’”

Following the Messenger’s instructions, al-Walid reached Makkah, met Ayyash and Salamah, and conveyed the Messenger’s message to them. As planned, they escaped from Makkah and set out toward Madinah. Khalid ibn al-Walid pursued them, but, failing to catch them, returned to Makkah.

Meanwhile, al-Walid and his two companions were becoming numb with exhaustion from their continuous journey and their uncertain fears. At that time, a line of poetry was repeatedly coming from his lips: “O my two feet, take me to my people. After this day, you will never see me idle again.”

When he fell at a place called Ajbas, one of his toes was severely injured and began to bleed. Addressing the injured toe, he kept reciting a line of poetry: “O you, you are nothing but a toe from which blood has flowed.”

“Whatever you have gained is all in the path of Allah.” (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/209–210).

In accordance with the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, in the seventh year after the Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went to Makkah to perform the compensatory Umrah for the previous year. Al-Walid was his companion on this journey. His brother, Khalid ibn al-Walid, had not yet accepted Islam. Regarding this, Khalid ibn al-Walid said: “After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, when I was suffering from intense inner conflict and indecision, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered Makkah in Dhu al-Qadah of the seventh year after the Hijrah to perform Umrat al-Qada. I hid myself, fearing that I might encounter one of them. I did not meet any of them. My brother, al-Walid ibn al-Walid, accompanied the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on this journey. Unable to find me, he wrote me a letter. Its contents were as follows: ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. To proceed: Because you hold such an adverse attitude toward Islam, I have found you a very strange man, although you are a person of great intelligence and wisdom. Can a person like you remain ignorant of Islam? The Messenger of Allah asked me about you: “Where is Khalid?” I replied: “Allah will soon bring him.” He then said: “Can a man like him remain ignorant of Islam? If his intelligence and efforts were directed toward the Muslims, they would benefit him, and I would give him greater honor than others. Brother, come now and join the good deed that has passed you by.”’ In essence, after receiving this letter, Khalid decided to accept Islam and soon set out for Madinah. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/160; Usud al-Ghabah, 5/93).

Two accounts are found regarding the time of the death of al-Walid ibn al-Walid. According to one account, he died shortly after freeing Ayyash and Salamah and returning to Madinah. According to this account, upon reaching Madinah he went directly to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I am dead; shroud me in some of your discarded clothing.” Then he died, and the Messenger shrouded him in his own garment. (Al-Isabah, 3/640; Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/210–211).

However, the above account does not appear to be correct. Several narrations indicate that he participated with the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in performing Umrat al-Qada in the seventh year after the Hijrah. Allamah Ibn Abd al-Barr wrote: “It is correct that he participated with the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Umrat al-Qada.” Umrat al-Qada took place toward the end of the seventh year after the Hijrah. On the other hand, the first account indicates that he died in the fifth year after the Hijrah, two years before Umrat al-Qada.

Moreover, al-Waqidi said: “Some believe that al-Walid escaped from Makkah and joined the group of Abu Basir.” It should be noted that this Abu Basir came to Madinah after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. In accordance with the terms of the treaty, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent him back to Makkah. However, on the way he killed one of his companions and returned to the Messenger in Madinah. The Messenger instructed Abu Basir to leave Madinah. Abu Basir left Madinah and went to the coastal region of the Red Sea. Thereafter, several other young men who had recently accepted Islam from Makkah joined him. They attacked and looted the Quraysh trade caravans. As a result, Quraysh commerce was on the verge of being completely halted. Finally, having no other option, the Quraysh requested the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to bring this group back to Madinah. The Messenger summoned them to Madinah. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/210–211).

However, al-Baladhuri did not regard this account as correct. In any case, no evidence is found in the books of prophetic biography that he remained alive after the eighth year after the Hijrah.

The Mother of the Believers, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), was the paternal cousin of al-Walid ibn al-Walid. After al-Walid’s death, she said to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “O Messenger of Allah, he died in a foreign land, and there is no one here to mourn him.” The Messenger permitted her to mourn him. With his permission, Umm Salamah prepared food and invited the other women of the neighborhood. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) began reciting a marthiyah, or elegy. Two of its verses are as follows:

“O eyes, weep for al-Walid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah. Among us, he was rain and mercy in times of drought. In fame and glory, he was like his father. He alone was sufficient for his tribe.”

As soon as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard the elegy, he exclaimed: “Umm Salamah, instead of saying this, say: ‘The agony of death will surely come. From this you have always sought deliverance.’” (Surah Qaf, 19). (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/210–211; Al-Isabah, 3/640).

Ibn Hisham said: “It has reached me through Mujahid that he said: The following verse of Surah al-Fath was revealed concerning al-Walid ibn al-Walid, Salamah ibn Hisham, Ayyash ibn Rabiah, Abu Jandal ibn Suhail, and others like them: ‘You would have been ordered to fight if there had not been believing men and women whom you did not know. You might have trampled them unknowingly, thereby suffering harm because of them.’”

(Surah al-Fath, 25; Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/321).

Salamah ibn Hisham (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Salamah and his kunya was Abu Hashim. His father was Hisham ibn al-Mughirah and his mother was Dabi‘ah bint Amir. He was the brother of Abu Jahl, a bitter enemy of Islam.

Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah has related a fascinating story from the pre-Islamic life of Salamah’s mother, Dabi‘ah bint Amir. Al-Haytham and Ibn al-Kalbi narrated: “Al-Muttalib ibn Abi Wada‘ah said to Ibn Abbas: Dabi‘ah bint Amir was the wife of Hawdhah ibn Ali. When Hawdhah died, Dabi‘ah inherited abundant wealth. Thereafter, she returned to her father’s tribe. There, Abdullah ibn Jud‘an al-Taymi sent a marriage proposal for her to her father. Her father agreed and married her to Abdullah.”

Meanwhile, Dabi‘ah’s father said, “I have already married her to Ibn Jud‘an.” Huzn then swore, saying, “If Dabi‘ah goes to Ibn Jud‘an, I will kill her in front of her husband.”

Dabi‘ah’s father informed Ibn Jud‘an of the matter. Ibn Jud‘an, in turn, replied that if he acted according to Dabi‘ah’s cousin’s demand, a banner accusing him of violating the agreement would be raised against him at the Ukaz fair. When Dabi‘ah’s father explained the matter to her cousin, he softened and withdrew his demand. Dabi‘ah was sent to Ibn Jud‘an. She remained there for as long as Allah willed. Dabi‘ah was an exceptionally beautiful young woman. One day, while she was performing tawaf around the Ka‘bah in Makkah during her married life with Ibn Jud‘an, Hisham ibn al-Mughirah noticed her. Hisham was captivated by Dabi‘ah’s beauty. They spoke for a while in the courtyard of the Ka‘bah, and at one point Hisham said: “Dabi‘ah! With this beauty and youth, you are living in the house of an old man? If you can obtain a divorce from him, I will marry you.”

When she returned home, Dabi‘ah said to her husband, Ibn Jud‘an: “I am a young woman, while you are an old man.” Ibn Jud‘an said: “Why do you say this? I have learned that Hisham spoke with you while you were performing tawaf. You will not marry Hisham. I will not divorce you unless you promise me this. You must also promise that if you marry him, you will fulfill these conditions of mine: 1. You will perform tawaf around the Ka‘bah naked. 2. You will sacrifice this many camels. 3. You will spin this quantity of wool into thread.”

Dabi‘ah told Hisham about these conditions. Hisham said: “Regarding the first condition, I will discuss it with the Quraysh and have the courtyard of the Ka‘bah completely emptied. You will perform tawaf alone and naked in the darkness at the end of the night. No one will have an opportunity to see you. I will sacrifice the camels on your behalf. As for spinning the thread, that is not a religion; the Quraysh invented it. My neighboring women will do it on your behalf.” After receiving Hisham’s promise, Dabi‘ah said to her husband, Ibn Jud‘an: “I agree to your conditions. If I marry Hisham, I will fulfill them.” Thus, after obtaining a divorce from Ibn Jud‘an, Dabi‘ah married Hisham. After Hisham spoke with the Quraysh and had the courtyard of the Ka‘bah emptied, Dabi‘ah performed tawaf around the Ka‘bah naked. Al-Kalbi said: “Al-Muttalib ibn Abi Wada‘ah said: I was a boy at that time. I was peering through one of the mosque’s doors. I saw Dabi‘ah remove her clothes. For a week, she performed tawaf while reciting a verse of poetry.” Hisham fulfilled the other two conditions as well. Salamah ibn Hisham was born to Dabi‘ah from Hisham. In later life, this Salamah became a tested and excellent Muslim. During Dabi‘ah’s married life with Hisham, her former husband, Abdullah ibn Jud‘an, died. Hearing of his death, Dabi‘ah remarked: “He was a wonderful husband for an Arab woman.” Some time later, Hisham died, and Dabi‘ah became a widow.

Later, Dabi‘ah accepted Islam. Meanwhile, her son Salamah also grew up and accepted Islam. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) proposed to Salamah that he marry his mother. Salamah consulted his mother and noticed her reluctance, which he conveyed to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Messenger then withdrew the proposal. (Ansab al-Ashraf, edited by Dr. Hamidullah, vol. 1, note 3, pp. 460–461).

Salamah accepted Islam in the early period of the Islamic call in Makkah. He migrated to Abyssinia. After staying there for some time, he returned to Makkah with many other emigrants. Many of them returned to Abyssinia again. Salamah also wanted to go, but Abu Jahl prevented him. He began to torture him, depriving him of food and beating him. Yet all their efforts failed. At that time, Islam had not acquired much strength, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was unable to offer any assistance. Nevertheless, after the prayer he would supplicate for Salamah and others like him who were being persecuted: “O Allah, free al-Walid ibn al-Walid, Salamah ibn Hisham, and Ayyash ibn Rabiah from the harshness of the polytheists of Makkah.” The account of Salamah’s release and migration to Madinah has been described in detail in the biography of al-Walid.

The Battle of Badr ended while he was being held captive by the unbelievers in Makkah. After the Battle of Badr—or, according to another opinion, after the Battle of the Trench—he came to Madinah. After arriving in Madinah, he participated in all the battles that took place. He was also among those who fled the battlefield during the fierce attack of the enemy forces at the Battle of Mu’tah. Because of this shame and remorse, he almost stopped leaving his house for the rest of his life. Ibn Ishaq narrated from the Mother of the Believers, Umm Salamah. He asked the wife of Salamah ibn Hisham: “What has happened to Salamah? Why have I not seen him joining the congregational prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Muslims?” Salamah’s wife replied: “By Allah, he cannot come out. Whenever he comes out, people see him and shout: ‘O runaway! You fled from the path of Allah!’ For this reason, he remains at home and goes nowhere outside.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/382–383).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) addressed him as “Karrar,” meaning one who launches a powerful attack. (Al-Isabah, 2/69).

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), he participated in the expedition to Syria. At one stage of this expedition, during the caliphate of Umar, he attained martyrdom in the battle known as Marj al-Saffar, or Marj al-Rum, which took place in Muharram of the fourteenth year after the Hijrah. However, according to Urwah, Musa ibn Uqbah, and Abu Zur‘ah al-Dimashqi, he was martyred in the Battle of Ajnadayn. (Al-Isabah, 2/269).

Salamah’s mother, Dabi‘ah, said in a poem: “O Lord of the honored Ka‘bah, there is no worry. Grant Salamah victory over every enemy. His two hands are engaged in uncertain endeavors; one is open and the other is generous.” (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/208).

Amir ibn Rabiah (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Amir, his kunya was Abu Abdullah, and his father was Rabiah. His clan was allied with Khattab, the father of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Khattab loved him so much that he adopted him as a son. For this reason, in his early life he was known as Amir ibn al-Khattab, meaning Amir, the son of Khattab. But when the Qur’an abolished this practice and instructed every person to identify himself by the name of his biological father, Amir too became known by the name of his biological father, Rabiah, instead of Khattab.

Because of this relationship, a very affectionate bond existed between Amir and Umar until the end of their lives. Amir accompanied Umar on his journey to Bayt al-Maqdis. In the year when Umar appointed Uthman as his successor and went for Hajj, Amir was also with him.

Amir was one of those fortunate people who accepted Islam in response to the call of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) during the early period of Islam, before the Messenger took refuge in the house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam. He too could not live peacefully in Makkah amid the conflict between polytheism and monotheism and the persecution and oppression of the unbelievers. Together with his wife, Layla, he migrated twice to Abyssinia in search of peace and security. Ibn Ishaq narrated: Amir’s wife said: “We were preparing to migrate to Abyssinia. Amir went outside for some need. At that time Umar came and stood before me. He was still upon polytheism. We had suffered at his hands. Umar said to me: ‘Mother of Abdullah, what is this? Are you preparing to leave?’ I said: ‘Yes. We will go from one land of Allah to another. You have caused us much hardship and oppressed us. Let us see whether Allah provides a way out.’ Umar said: ‘May Allah make your journey auspicious.’ Amir’s wife said: “That day I saw Umar so gentle as I had never seen him before. Umar left. He was deeply distressed by our departure from the country. When Amir returned home, I said to him: ‘Father of Abdullah, if only you had seen Umar’s sadness and his compassion for us just now!’ Amir said: ‘Are you hoping that he will accept Islam?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘The donkey of Khattab may accept Islam, but the man you saw will not accept Islam.’” (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/356).

Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) returned from Abyssinia to Makkah and then migrated with his wife to Madinah. Ibn Ishaq said: “Among the emigrants, after Abu Salamah, Amir ibn Rabiah and Abdullah ibn Jahsh were the first to come to Madinah.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/363). Many consider this incorrect, saying that several people reached Madinah before him. However, it is true that his wife, Layla, was the first woman to migrate from Makkah to Madinah.

He was with the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in all the battles, including Badr, Uhud, and the Trench. He also participated in minor expeditions. Risking his life, he successfully fulfilled the responsibility of conveying Allah’s word, or the declaration of faith. He would often proudly recount his distinguished deeds to his son, Abdullah ibn Amir. Once, in the course of conversation, he said: “The Messenger would send us on expeditions. Because of poverty, he gave us only a small amount of dates as provisions. At first, we received a handful each; then it gradually decreased until it amounted to only one date.” Abdullah asked in amazement: “How could you manage with one date?” He replied: “My dear son, do not say that. When the dates ran out, we would yearn even for that one date.”

Toward the end of Uthman’s caliphate, when turmoil and internal conflict reached their peak, Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) withdrew into seclusion. Day and night he remained occupied with fasting, prayer, and worship. One night, while absorbed in worship until late, he became drowsy. In a dream, he saw someone saying to him: “Rise and supplicate to Allah to save you from this turmoil, just as He saved His other righteous servants.” Amir immediately sat up. After this incident, his seclusion and devotion increased even further. From then on, no one saw him leave his house. In this state he fell ill and passed away a few days after Uthman’s martyrdom. Because he had secluded himself so completely, no one knew when he became ill or when he died. People were astonished when they suddenly saw his funeral prayer.

Musab ibn al-Zubayr said: “Amir died in the thirty-second year after the Hijrah.” According to Abu Ubaydah, he died in the thirty-seventh year after the Hijrah. Al-Waqidi said that he died shortly after the martyrdom of Uthman. (Al-Isabah, 2/249).

He narrated hadiths of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) through Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, Abu Umamah ibn Sahl, and others; these have been recorded in various hadith collections, including those of Bukhari and Muslim.

It is narrated from Amir ibn Rabiah: An Arab man came to him, and Amir showed him considerable respect. The man reported this to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He then returned and said to Amir: “I asked the Messenger for ownership of a valley of which there is no better in Arabia. I intended to give you part of it, so that it would benefit you and your descendants.” Amir said: “I have no need for that land of yours.” In connection with this incident, the following Qur’anic verse was revealed: “The reckoning of mankind has drawn near, yet they continue to turn away and reject heedlessly.” (Surah al-Anbiya, 1). Amir said: “This verse makes us detached from the world.” (Al-Isabah, 2/251–252).

Uthman ibn Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him)

His name was Uthman. His father was Talhah ibn Abi Talhah and his mother was Umm Sa‘id Salamah. He belonged to the Banu Amr branch of the Quraysh of Makkah. In the pre-Islamic period, he was the hajib, or caretaker, of the Sacred Ka‘bah and keeper of its keys. He continued to perform this duty in the Islamic period as well. (Usud al-Ghabah, 3/372).

Uthman ibn Talhah’s father, Talhah; his three brothers, Musafi, Kilab, and Harith; and his paternal uncle, Uthman ibn Abi Talhah, were killed as unbelievers by the Muslim army at the Battle of Uhud. His father, Talhah, engaged in combat with Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him to Hell with a single stroke of his sword. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, note 3, p. 470).

Little is known about Uthman ibn Talhah’s life before Islam. History contains little information as to whether he participated in persecuting and tormenting the Muslims in Makkah before accepting Islam. One incident is known: After Musab ibn Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him) secretly accepted Islam at Dar al-Arqam in Makkah, he would pray discreetly. One day, Uthman ibn Talhah discovered him and informed his mother and clan. Consequently, they imprisoned Musab and tortured him. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/301).

While discussing the migration of Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) from Makkah to Madinah, the experts in prophetic biography repeatedly mention Uthman ibn Talhah. The incident, in brief, was as follows: After Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) had been freed from the hands of the Quraysh of Makkah and set out alone for Madinah to join her husband, Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him), she reached Tan‘im, near Makkah. Uthman ibn Talhah came forward and asked: “Daughter of Abu Umayyah, where are you going?” She replied: “To my husband in Madinah.” Uthman asked: “Is no one with you?” Umm Salamah replied: “No one except my little child, Salamah.” Thereafter, Uthman took hold of the rope of Umm Salamah’s camel and led it along. When he reached the settlement of Banu Amr ibn Awf at Quba, on the outskirts of Madinah, he said to Umm Salamah: “Enter in the name of Allah; your husband is here.” Saying this, Uthman set off again toward Makkah. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/469–470).

When Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) migrated to Madinah, Uthman was still a non-Muslim.

Various opinions are found regarding the time when Uthman ibn Talhah embraced Islam. According to one opinion, it was at the time of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah; according to another, in the eighth year after the Hijrah; and according to yet another, on the day of the conquest of Makkah. Some reports indicate that, before the conquest of Makkah, in the eighth year after the Hijrah, when I went to Madinah with Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid and Hazrat Amr ibn al-As with the decision to embrace Islam, I thought to myself: With whom should I go to the Messenger of Allah (SA)? I discussed the matter with Safwan ibn Umayyah. He firmly rejected my proposal and said, “Even if no one remains with me, I will never follow him.” Then I went to Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl and said the same thing. He gave an answer like Safwan’s. Then I met Uthman ibn Talhah and said, “Our condition now is like that of a fox in a hole into which water is being poured. At some point it must come out.” Uthman understood me, agreed, and expressed the same intention as I had. I said, “I am setting out for Madinah at dawn tomorrow.” We then decided that at dawn the following day we would separately reach a place called Yazaj, three miles from Makkah, and travel together from there. Whoever arrived first would wait for the other. Before daybreak, we reached Yazaj and began our journey. When we reached a place called Haddah, we met Amr ibn al-As. In conversation, we learned that he too had set out for the same purpose. Then the three of us reached Madinah together and presented ourselves before the Messenger of Allah (SA). I pledged allegiance first, followed by Uthman and Amr, placing our hands in the hand of the Messenger of Allah (SA). This was in Safar of the eighth year after the Hijrah. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/161–162. The poet Abdullah ibn az-Zibara composed a qasidah at that time welcoming Talhah’s acceptance of Islam. Ibn Hisham included part of it in his Sirah, Sirah, 2/278. According to another report, Uthman embraced Islam at the time of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and went to Madinah with Khalid and Amr. Al-Isabah, 3/460. On the other hand, various reports concerning the conquest of Makkah indicate that Uthman embraced Islam on the day of the conquest, after receiving the key of the Ka‘bah from the Messenger of Allah (SA). This may apparently raise the question: Could the Messenger of Allah (SA), after the conquest of Makkah, hand the key of the Ka‘bah to a non-Muslim? The incident of handing over the key indicates that he had already embraced Islam. But even then the question remains: Before the conquest of Makkah, the key of the Ka‘bah was already in Uthman’s possession. Was it possible for the key of the Ka‘bah to remain in the hands of a Muslim before the conquest of Makkah while the Quraysh accepted this? These questions may be resolved in this way: He went to Madinah with Khalid and Amr beforehand, declared his Islam, and then returned to Makkah, but perhaps the people of Makkah did not know of it. (Asahhus-Siyar, 304–306.)

From the Age of Ignorance until before the conquest of Makkah, Uthman was entrusted with the custodianship of the Ka‘bah and the keeping of its key. On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah (SA) asked him for the key in order to enter the Ka‘bah. When he went home and asked his mother for it, she refused to give it to him. Perhaps Uthman’s mother had not yet embraced Islam. Uthman raised a drawn sword, forcibly took the key from his mother, and handed it to the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (SA) opened the door and entered the Ka‘bah. Uthman was with him. The door was closed from inside. After purifying and cleaning the Ka‘bah, the Messenger of Allah (SA) came out. He then sat in the mosque. Ali (RA) came forward holding the key of the Ka‘bah and submitted, “O Messenger of Allah, entrust the key to us. From now on, give both responsibilities—siqayah and hijabah, providing pilgrims with water and maintaining the Ka‘bah—to Banu Hashim.”

Said ibn al-Musayyib says that on that day Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib tried to obtain the key of the Ka‘bah, and some other members of Banu Hashim supported him. The responsibility of providing water had already been entrusted to Abbas.

In response to this demand from Banu Hashim, the Messenger of Allah (SA) said, “Where is Uthman ibn Talhah?” When Uthman was summoned, the Messenger of Allah gave the key to him—or, according to another report, to Uthman and his cousin Shaybah—and said, “Here is your key. From now on, this key will remain in your hands forever. Whoever tries to take it away from you will be an oppressor.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/411–412)

Ibn Sa‘d writes that the key of the Ka‘bah had previously been entrusted to Uthman ibn Talhah. He would open the door of the Ka‘bah every Monday and Thursday. Once, the Messenger of Allah (SA) asked him to open the door on another day, but he firmly refused. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said that day, “O Uthman, a day will come when this key will be under my control, and I will entrust it to whomever I wish.” Uthman said, “Perhaps on that day the entire Quraysh tribe will have ceased to exist.” The Messenger of Allah (SA) rejected his statement and said, “No; rather, that day will be the day of the Quraysh’s true honor and dignity.” Thus, on the day of the conquest of Makkah, when Uthman was leaving with the key after taking it from the hand of the Messenger of Allah (SA), he called Uthman back and reminded him of that past incident. Uthman then said, “O Messenger of Allah, surely you are the Messenger of Allah.”

Even today, the key of the Ka‘bah remains in the hands of members of Makkah’s Shaybi clan. This Shaybi clan descends from Shaybah ibn Uthman ibn Abi Talhah, the cousin of Hazrat Uthman ibn Talhah (RA). This Shaybah ibn Uthman embraced Islam at the time of the Battle of Hunayn. His father, Uthman ibn Abi Talhah, was killed by the Muslim forces at the Battle of Uhud while still a disbeliever. His mother was Umm Jamil Hind bint Umayr, the sister of the renowned Companion Hazrat Mus‘ab ibn Umayr, who attained martyrdom at Uhud. According to a report by the historian Waqidi, on the day of the conquest of Makkah the Messenger of Allah (SA) entrusted the key of the Ka‘bah jointly to Shaybah and Uthman. At that time, the key was in the hands of Uthman ibn Talhah ibn Abi Talhah. After his death, his cousin Shaybah ibn Uthman ibn Abi Talhah took possession of it. Since then, the key of the Ka‘bah has remained in the hands of his male descendants. (Asahhus-Siyar, p. 305.)

After the conquest of Makkah, Hazrat Uthman ibn Talhah went to Madinah and remained there for the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (SA). After the death of the Messenger of Allah (SA), he returned to Makkah to discharge the responsibility of keeping the key of the Ka‘bah, and died there in 42 AH. According to another report, however, he attained martyrdom at Ajnadayn during the early part of the caliphate of Caliph Hazrat Umar (RA). (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1, note 3, p. 470.)

Evidence of Hazrat Uthman ibn Talhah’s etiquette, courtesy, and excellent character is found in the account of Hazrat Umm Salamah’s emigration. In praising him, Hazrat Umm Salamah said, “By Allah, I have never seen in Arabia anyone more courteous than him. Whenever he reached a resting place with me, he would make the camel sit for me to dismount and move away. When I had come down from the camel’s howdah and moved a little away, he would return, tie the camel to a tree, and lie down beneath a tree some distance from me. When it was time to travel again, he would prepare the camel and bring it near me, then move away and say, ‘Mount the camel.’ After I had seated myself properly on its back, he would return, take hold of the reins, and begin walking. In this way, he brought me to Madinah.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/469–470; Hayatus Sahabah, 1/358–359.) This was the practical expression of Hazrat Uthman ibn Talhah’s (RA) moral character during his life before Islam.

Hajjaj ibn Ilat (RA)

His name was Hajjaj, and his kunyah, or nickname, was Abu Qilabah; according to another opinion, it was Abu Muhammad and Abu Abdullah. His father was Ilat ibn Khalid. He belonged to the Banu Sulaym tribe.

Ibn Sa‘d says that when the Messenger of Allah (SA) was at Khaybar, he came into his presence, embraced Islam, and then settled in Madinah. It is narrated from Ibn Shihab that he was the first person to acknowledge the truth of the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (SA) and send people to him. (Al-Isabah, 1/313.)

A remarkable story concerning his acceptance of Islam is found in history. Ibn Abi ad-Dunya, in his work Hawa tif al-Jinn, and Ibn Asakir, narrating from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa (RA), report the following. He said: The incident of Hajjaj’s acceptance of Islam was as follows. He was traveling to Makkah with a caravan. When night fell in a desolate and frightening valley, they became terrified. Hajjaj’s companions requested him, saying, “Abu Qilabah, stay awake and sit on guard, seeking safety for yourself and your companions.” Hajjaj accepted the duty of guarding and remained awake, repeatedly reciting the following words:

I seek protection for myself and protection for my companions

from every jinn in this mountain pass

until I return safely, along with my caravan.

I seek protection for myself and my companions from all the jinn of this mountain pass, so that I and my caravan may return safely.

As he was repeating these words, he heard someone’s voice from the unseen reciting the following verse of the Qur’an:

“O company of jinn and mankind! If you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass beyond them! You will not be able to do so except with authority.” —Surah ar-Rahman, 33.

When they reached Makkah, they related the incident in the Quraysh assembly. The Quraysh said, “Abu Qilabah, we see that you too have become faithless. This is the very speech which, according to Muhammad’s claim, is revealed to him.” Hajjaj replied, “By Allah, my companions and I heard this very speech.” During this discussion, Asi ibn Wa’il arrived. The people said to him, “Abu Hisham, have you heard what this Abu Qilabah is saying?” When he asked what had happened, they informed him. After hearing everything, he said, “Why are you surprised? They have heard it from the one from whom they claim to have heard it, Muhammad, and are merely attributing it to his mouth.” (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/576–577.)

Hajjaj’s wife was still living in Makkah, and all his wealth was there as well. After embracing Islam, he felt the need to transfer this considerable property to Madinah. Otherwise, if the Quraysh learned that he had embraced Islam, they would seize everything. The pagan people of Makkah were also suspicious of him. It was not easy to move his wealth out of Makkah. For this reason, Hajjaj went to Makkah and spread the rumor that Muhammad (SA) had been defeated at Khaybar.

Within moments, the news spread throughout the city. Having pleased the polytheists of Makkah in this way, he said, “All of Muhammad’s (SA) belongings are being sold. I wish to purchase them before the other merchants arrive. Many people in Makkah owe me large sums of money. If you make a little effort, they can easily be collected.” The people of Makkah threw themselves into this good deed. Through their efforts and arrangements, they recovered the money owed to him. The respected uncle of the Messenger of Allah (SA), Hazrat Abbas (RA), was then in Makkah. Sitting at home, he heard everything. He was so distressed that he did not even leave the house to verify whether the news was true. He sent a boy to summon Hajjaj. When Hajjaj came, he disclosed the real matter to Abbas (RA). He said, “I spread this story to collect the debts owed to me. I have embraced Islam myself. If the people of Makkah learn of it, they will not pay me even a penny. By Allah’s will, the Messenger (SA) is safe. The Muslim army has triumphed at Khaybar, and the Messenger of Allah (SA) has married the daughter of Khaybar’s leader, Huyayy ibn Akhtab, and is living with her as husband and wife. Do not disclose this secret information to anyone until I have escaped the reach of Quraysh authority.”

In accordance with their agreement, Hazrat Abbas (RA) remained completely silent for three days. On the fourth day, when he was certain that Hajjaj had gone beyond the reach of the people of Makkah, he changed his clothes, went to Hajjaj’s house, and disclosed the true matter to his wife. Then he came to the courtyard of the Ka‘bah. Discussion of the matter was already taking place there. He told the people, “Muhammad (SA) has conquered Khaybar, and the daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab is now his wife. The leaders of Banu Abi al-Huqayq—that is, the leaders of Yathrib—have been beheaded. Hajjaj deceived you, took his wealth, and fled.” The people asked, “From whom did you hear all this?” He replied, “From Hajjaj.” When they asked Hajjaj’s wife, she also confirmed it. On the fifth day, news arrived from Madinah as well. But by then there was nothing they could do. Their prey was beyond their reach. They fell silent. (Ibn Sa‘d, 4/2, pp. 14–15.)

Hajjaj embraced Islam a short time before the Battle of Khaybar. It was in this battle that he first joined the Muslim army. He was outside Madinah at the time of the conquest of Makkah. When the Messenger of Allah (SA) decided to undertake the expedition, he summoned him to Madinah. On the day of the conquest of Makkah, Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid (RA) entered Makkah with a force of one thousand soldiers by way of Banu Sulaym. In this force, Abbas ibn Mirdas, Khufaf ibn Nudbah, and Hajjaj ibn Ilat each carried a banner. (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/167.)

Hajjaj was a wealthy man. He was also able to transfer all his property from Makkah. In Madinah, he built a house and a mosque for himself. (Al-Isabah, 327.)

There are two reports concerning the time of his death. According to one, he died in the early part of the caliphate of Hazrat Umar al-Faruq (RA). According to another, he attained martyrdom at the Battle of the Camel, fought between Hazrat Ali (RA) and Aishah (RA). The first report is more reliable. It was not Hajjaj but his son who was martyred at the Battle of the Camel.

Qudamah ibn Maz‘un (RA)

His name was Qudamah, and his kunyah, or nickname, was Abu Umar. His father was Maz‘un ibn Habib and his mother was Sukheilah bint al-Anbas. (Note: Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/253.)

He belonged to the Banu Jumah branch of the Quraysh. Safiyyah bint al-Khattab, the sister of Hazrat Umar, was his wife.

Hazrat Qudamah embraced Islam in its early period. Among those who embraced Islam at the invitation of Hazrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (RA) were Uthman ibn Maz‘un and his two brothers, Qudamah and Abdullah. He was one of those who made two migrations. After embracing Islam, he first migrated to Abyssinia with his two brothers. Later, hearing the false rumor that all the people of Makkah had accepted Islam, many returned from Abyssinia to Makkah. Qudamah was among those who returned. Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/367.)

After returning from Abyssinia, Hazrat Qudamah continued living in Makkah. Before the Battle of Badr, he migrated once again to Madinah and had the good fortune to participate in Badr. Thereafter, he took part in all the battles, including Uhud and Khandaq.

Caliph Hazrat Umar (RA) appointed Qudamah governor of Bahrain. While serving in this position, he was accused of drinking wine, and the prescribed punishment, or hadd, was imposed upon him. He did not confess his offense before Hazrat Umar. Although his defense as a Companion who had participated in Badr was credible, the offense was proven before Hazrat Umar on the basis of testimony and evidence. Therefore, the caliph imposed the hadd upon him. It is related that once Jarud, the chief of Banu Abd al-Qays, appeared before Caliph Umar and lodged a complaint against Qudamah for drinking wine. The caliph said to Jarud, “Is there any other witness to this incident besides you?” Jarud named Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (RA) as a witness. Umar (RA) summoned Abu Hurayrah and questioned him. Abu Hurayrah said, “I have never seen Qudamah drinking wine, but I have seen him vomiting while intoxicated.” Umar (RA) said, “The offense is not proven by this testimony alone.” For further investigation, he summoned Qudamah from Bahrain to Madinah. Qudamah arrived in Madinah. Jarud again demanded that the caliph impose the hadd upon him. Umar (RA) said to him, “Are you a witness or a plaintiff?” Jarud replied, “A witness.” The caliph said, “You have fulfilled your duty; now remain silent.” Thereafter, Jarud again urged the caliph to impose the hadd. Because of his insistence, Hazrat Umar became suspicious. He said to Jarud, “Control your tongue; otherwise, I warn you.” In reply, Jarud said to the caliph, “Umar, your cousin has drunk wine, and you are instead reprimanding me—is this justice?” At this point Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (RA) said to the caliph, “O Commander of the Believers, if you doubt our testimony, you may summon Qudamah’s wife, Hind, the daughter of Walid, and question her.” Umar (RA) summoned her, and she too testified against her husband.

At this point, Umar’s (RA) justice and fairness, or truthfulness and impartiality, surged forth. He said to Qudamah, “Qudamah, prepare yourself to receive the punishment.” Qudamah replied, “Even if it is assumed, on the basis of their testimony, that I drank wine, you still have no right to impose the hadd upon me.” Umar (RA) asked, “Why?” Qudamah recited verse 11 of Surah al-Ma’idah of the Holy Qur’an. Allah says: “Those who believe and perform righteous deeds incur no sin for what they have eaten, when they have been mindful of Allah, believed, and performed righteous deeds.” (Surah al-Ma’idah, 11.)

Umar (RA) said, “Qudamah, you are distorting the meaning of the verse. If you truly feared Allah, you would certainly have abstained from what is forbidden.” Hazrat Qudamah was ill at the time. Therefore, after consulting the other Companions, the caliph postponed the imposition of the hadd, or punishment, for a few days. But after the offense had been proven, postponing the hadd was unbearable for Umar. He consulted the Companions a second time. Again, they all expressed the view that the hadd should be postponed. But Caliph Umar said, “I would rather he die beneath the lashes than that I meet Allah while its burden rests upon my shoulders.” He delayed no longer. He imposed the hadd upon Qudamah during his illness and severed all relations with him.

Some time after this incident, the two performed Hajj together again. On the way back to Madinah, Umar (RA) fell asleep at a place and received in a dream the instruction to restore his relationship with Qudamah. As soon as he awoke, he sent for Qudamah. But Qudamah refused to come. Umar (RA) sent someone a second time and said that if he did not come willingly, he would be brought by force. Qudamah came. The caliph initiated the conversation. Thereafter, their relationship returned to normal.

It is reported that after the death of the Messenger of Allah (SA), no Companion who had participated in Badr except Qudamah was punished on the charge of drinking wine. (Al-Isabah, 3/229.)

There is disagreement concerning the year of Hazrat Qudamah’s (RA) death. According to the well-known view, he died in 36 AH, at the age of sixty-eight, during the caliphate of Hazrat Ali (RA). According to another view, he died in 56 AH.

Hisham ibn al-As (RA)

His name was Hisham, and his kunyahs, or nicknames, were Abu al-As and Abu Mu‘i. Ibn Hibban says that in the Age of Ignorance Hisham’s kunyah was Abu al-As, meaning “father of disobedience.” After he embraced Islam, the Messenger of Allah (SA) changed it to Abu Mu‘i, meaning “father of the obedient.” (Al-Isabah, 2/604.) His father was al-As ibn Wa’il. He belonged to the Banu Sahm branch of the Quraysh tribe. He was the younger brother of the renowned Companion Hazrat Amr ibn al-As, the conqueror of Egypt.

Good fortune or misfortune does not depend on differences in age. Although Hisham was younger than Amr, he was more fortunate than his elder brother. While Amr was drowning in the darkness of idolatry, the light of Islam was already shining upon Hisham’s forehead. He accepted Islam at the very beginning of the Islamic call in Makkah and, distressed by the persecution of the people of Makkah, went to Abyssinia with a caravan of emigrants. After staying there for some time, he heard the false rumor that the people of Makkah had accepted Islam, so he returned to Makkah with many others. From there, he planned to migrate again to Madinah, but he was captured by his father and members of his clan.

Umar ibn al-Khattab’s account of this is found in various books of Sirah. He said: “We decided to migrate to Madinah. I, Ayyash ibn Rabi‘ah, and Hisham ibn al-As made an agreement at the well called Udat of Banu Ghifar, in the valley of Tandub, six miles from Makkah, that each of us would be present there the following morning. Whoever failed to come would certainly be captured. Ayyash and I arrived on time, but Hisham was captured and tortured. We reached Madinah and stayed as guests of Banu Amr ibn Awf in Quba. Meanwhile, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham and Harith ibn Hisham came to Madinah to take Ayyash back. They were both Ayyash’s cousins, and all of them shared the same mother. The Messenger of Allah (SA) was then in Makkah. They told Ayyash, ‘Your mother has sworn that she will neither comb her hair nor leave the sun for shade until she sees you. Come back with us.’ Ayyash’s heart softened for his mother.

Umar said, “I repeatedly urged him not to return with them. But in the end Ayyash set out with them toward Makkah. After they had gone some distance, they bound Ayyash and took him to Makkah while torturing him. There he was kept imprisoned.”

Umar said, “At that time, we used to say in Madinah that Allah would not accept the repentance of those who had exposed themselves to danger in this way. Then the Messenger of Allah (SA) came to Madinah, and the following verse of the Qur’an was revealed:

“Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”

Umar said, “I wrote the verse and secretly sent it to Hisham in Makkah. Hisham said, ‘I would sit at a place called Dhu Tuwa in Makkah and recite that verse, but I understood nothing. At last, I prayed to Allah to grant me the ability to understand it. Then I understood that this verse had been revealed concerning us. Thereafter, I reached the Messenger of Allah (SA) in Madinah.’” (Hayatus Sahabah, 1/345–346; Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/474–476; Al-Isabah, 3/604.)

Ibn Hisham says: A trustworthy person narrated to me that one day in Medina the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Who among you can help me concerning Ayyash ibn Rabiah and Hisham ibn al-As?” Walid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira said: “O Messenger of Allah, I will help you regarding them.” He then set out for Mecca. Entering Mecca secretly, he saw a woman carrying food. He asked her: “O handmaid of Allah, where are you going?” She replied: “I am going to these two prisoners”—meaning Ayyash and Hisham. Walid followed the woman and discovered the prison. They had been tied up in a roofless room. When night fell, Walid climbed over the wall, reached them, and cut their bonds with a stone. Then the three of them left together, mounted Walid’s camel, and fled to Medina. When their only riding camel stumbled, Walid injured one of his fingers, which became covered in blood. Addressing his finger, he recited this verse: “You are nothing but a finger that has bled; and whatever has happened to you has happened in the path of Allah.”

“O finger, you are nothing but a finger that has become stained with blood. Whatever has happened to you has happened in the path of Allah.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1:476)

The battles of Badr, Uhud, and the Trench ended while Hisham remained imprisoned in Mecca. He came to Medina after the Battle of the Trench. He actively participated in every battle against the unbelievers after the Trench. al-Waqidi says that, in Ramadan before the Conquest of Mecca, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Hisham on an expedition. (Al-Isabah, 3:604)

Commanding armies, displaying bravery, and showing courage were special characteristics of Hisham’s family. The children of this family grew up beneath the shadow of the sword. Some evidence of this characteristic appeared during the caliphate of Abu Bakr after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). According to some reports, the first caliph, Abu Bakr, sent him, together with Nuaym ibn Abdullah and several others, to the court of the Roman emperor Heraclius to invite him to Islam. Regarding this, Hisham said: “I was sent with several men to Heraclius. When we reached Ghuta, or Damascus, we went to the house of Jabalah ibn al-Ayham al-Ghassani. He sent a messenger to speak with us. We said: ‘We have been sent to the emperor; we will not speak with a messenger. If permission is granted, we will speak with him himself.’ Finally, Jabalah permitted us to go to him.”

Jabalah said to us: “What is your message?” Hisham said: “I presented the invitation to Islam before him.” At that time, he and his courtiers were wearing black garments. I asked him: “Why are you wearing these garments?” He replied: “We have put on these garments and sworn not to remove them until we drive you from Syria.” I said: “By Allah, if Allah wills, we shall take away this throne of yours and the kingdom of your emperor. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has foretold this.” Jabalah said: “Not you; rather, those who fast during the day and stand in worship at night are more deserving of it. How do you fast?” I explained our fasting to him. Jabalah’s face then darkened. He sent us to the emperor Heraclius with a messenger.

Hisham said: “We proceeded with the messenger. When we drew near the city, the messenger accompanying us said: ‘These riding animals of yours cannot enter the emperor’s city. If you wish, I can arrange Turkish horses and mules for you.’ We replied: ‘We will enter the city only while riding these animals.’ When the emperor was informed of our refusal to compromise, he permitted us to enter as we wished. With our swords hanging from our shoulders, we reached the emperor’s chamber.”

As Hisham ibn al-As and his companions dismounted from their respective animals outside the royal court, the emperor watched them. When they proclaimed, “There is no deity but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest,” they trembled like the leaves of date palms stirred by the wind. The emperor informed them through an intermediary that they had no right to proclaim the religion so loudly. They went in to the emperor.

The emperor was seated on his throne, and the Roman commanders were seated in their respective places. Smiling, the emperor said to them: “Why did you not greet me as you greet and salute one another?” A fluent Arabic speaker was seated beside the emperor. They replied: “Our greeting is not permissible for you, and it is not proper for us to pronounce your greeting.” The emperor asked: “How do you greet one another and your king?” They replied: “Peace be upon you.” The emperor asked again: “What is your greatest statement?” They replied: “There is no deity but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest”—Allah is the greatest. They then explained to the emperor various matters of the religion of Islam, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and alms. This delegation stayed with the emperor as his guests for three days, then returned to Medina. Detailed accounts of this missionary mission are found in various books of prophetic biography. (Al-Isabah, 2:471; Hayat al-Sahabah, 1:204, 405; 3:557–562.) However, some reports state that the person who went on the preaching mission to the court of Heraclius was not this Hisham, but another Hisham. (Al-Isabah, 3:704)

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, after one or two clashes, the Romans assembled a massive army at Ajnadayn and prepared for battle. The fighting began in Jumada al-Ula of 13 AH. al-Waqidi, citing Umm Bakr bint al-Miswar, relates: During this battle, when Hisham noticed some Muslim soldiers beginning to flee, he threw off his face covering, advanced into the middle of the enemy ranks, and shouted: “O Muslim soldiers, I am Hisham ibn al-As. Come with me. Are you fleeing from Paradise?”

“These uncircumcised people cannot stand before your swords.” The Muslim army joined Hisham and launched a fierce attack on the Roman army. The Romans gathered at the entrance to a narrow passage. Hisham attacked from the opposite side of the passage. The Romans attacked him together, killed him, and fled over his body. When the Muslim soldiers arrived, they hesitated to pursue the enemy, fearing that his crushed body would be trampled. Then his elder brother Amr came and said: “People, Allah has granted him martyrdom and taken his soul; his body lies here.” The Muslim soldiers then crossed the narrow passage over his body and pursued the enemy. Amr ibn al-As gathered his scattered remains and buried him. (Al-Isabah, 3:604)

However, according to Ibn al-Mubarak, he was martyred at the Battle of Yarmuk during the caliphate of Umar. (Al-Istiab, annotated in Al-Isabah, 3:593–595)

Although Hisham ibn al-As was younger than his brother Amr ibn al-As, he was more righteous than his elder brother. Once, after Hisham’s martyrdom, several Quraysh men were sitting behind the Kaaba discussing the two brothers. They saw Amr circumambulating the Kaaba and asked him: “Which of you two is superior—you or your brother Hisham?” He replied: “I will answer on behalf of both him and me. His mother was the daughter of Hashim ibn al-Mughira, whereas my mother was a slave woman. Our father loved him more than me. You know how every father has insight regarding his children. We competed with each other in good deeds, and he always surpassed me. Both of us joined the battle and spent the entire night praying to Allah for martyrdom. Allah accepted his prayer, while my prayer was unsuccessful.” (Al-Isabah, 1:604)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testified to the firmness of faith of the two brothers. He said: “Hisham and Amr, the two sons of al-As, are believers.”

When Umar al-Faruq heard of Hisham’s martyrdom, he remarked: “May Allah send His mercy upon him. He was an excellent servant of Islam.”

Dhu al-Shimalayn, Umayr ibn Abd Amr (may Allah be pleased with him).

His real name was Umayr, his kunyah was Abu Muhammad, and his laqab or title was Dhu al-Shimalayn. His father’s name was Abdu Amr. He belonged to the Khuzayah tribe. Since he performed all tasks with both hands, Dhu al-Shimalayn—“the possessor of two right hands”—became his title. His father, Abdu Amr ibn Nadlah, came to Mecca, entered into an alliance with Abd ibn Harith ibn Nadlah ibn Zahbah, and settled there permanently. Abd married his own daughter, Num bint Abd, to him. Their son Dhu al-Shimalayn and daughter Raytah were born to her. (Tabaqat Ibn Sad, 3:167)

It should be noted that the books of prophetic biography mention one or two persons bearing the titles Dhu al-Shimalayn, meaning “the possessor of two right hands,” and Dhu al-Yadayn, meaning “the possessor of two hands.” Scholars of prophetic biography differ as to whether these titles belonged to the same person or to two different people. Most hold that both titles belonged to the same person. For example, Ibn Sad entitled a section of his Tabaqat: “Dhu al-Yadayn, also called Dhu al-Shimalayn,” meaning that Dhu al-Yadayn was also called Dhu al-Shimalayn. (Tabaqat, 3:167)

However, many do not accept this view. They maintain that they were actually two different people, and hadith evidence supports this. An incident involving a man named Dhu al-Yadayn is narrated from Abu Hurayra in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Once, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed two rakahs instead of four and ended the prayer with salam. All the Companions were bewildered, but no one dared to ask a question. Dhu al-Yadayn was very courageous. He asked: “O Messenger of Allah, has the prayer been shortened, or have you forgotten?” The Messenger of Allah asked the Companions to verify his statement. They all supported Dhu al-Yadayn and said: “You have performed only two rakahs.” After verifying it, he completed the remaining two rakahs and performed the prostration of forgetfulness. (Bukhari: Book of Adhan, chapter: If the imam is uncertain, should he accept the statement of the followers?)

The narrator of the above hadith was Abu Hurayra. He accepted Islam in the seventh year AH, during the Battle of Khaybar. Dhu al-Shimalayn, on the other hand, was martyred at Badr five years earlier. Therefore, Dhu al-Yadayn and Dhu al-Shimalayn cannot have been the same person. Moreover, their names also differ: one was named Khirbaq and the other Umayr. (Siyar al-Sahabah, Muhajirin, 2:327) Abu Umar says: “Dhu al-Shimalayn was martyred at Badr; he was not Dhu al-Yadayn.” (Al-Isabah, 3:33)

No information is available about when or how Dhu al-Shimalayn accepted Islam. After accepting Islam, he migrated to Medina and became the guest of Sad ibn Khaythamah. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) established a bond of brotherhood between him and Yazid ibn Harith. He did not live long after accepting Islam. After coming to Medina, he and his religious brother Yazid participated in the great Battle of Badr. This was the first and last battle of his life. In this battle, he was martyred at the hands of the unbeliever Abu Usamah Zuhayr ibn Muawiyah al-Jushami. He was only thirty years old at the time of his death. His religious brother Yazid was also martyred in this battle. (Tabaqat, 3:168; Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:295)

Muaqqib ibn Abi Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with him)

Muaqqib belonged to the Daws tribe. For some unknown reason, however, he became a slave and came into the possession of Said ibn al-As in Mecca. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:200)

According to another report, he belonged to the Azd tribe and was an ally of Banu Abd Shams of Mecca. He accepted Islam in the early period of the Islamic mission and migrated to Abyssinia with the second group bound for Abyssinia. He came from Abyssinia to Medina during the Battle of Khaybar. According to one report, he came from Mecca to Medina with Abu Musa al-Ashari and participated in the Battle of Khaybar. Some reports also mention his participation in the Battle of Badr and the Pledge of Ridwan. This indicates that he came to Medina before Khaybar. According to them, he did not migrate to Abyssinia. However, al-Waqidi says: “I heard from those who say that he migrated to Abyssinia that Muaqqib went directly from Abyssinia to Medina with Jafar ibn Abi Talib.” (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:200)

What is correct, however, is that he came to Medina after the Battle of Khaybar. He could not have participated in Badr or Khaybar. Ibn Sad also included him among those Companions who accepted Islam in the early period but were deprived of the opportunity to participate in Badr.

During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, the seal of prophethood was entrusted to him. For this reason, after the Messenger’s death, Abu Bakr and Umar showed him special respect. During the caliphates of these two men, he was appointed to oversee all financial affairs and to serve as custodian of the Bayt al-Mal.

Caliph Umar loved him greatly. In his old age, he contracted leprosy. The caliph made every effort to have him treated. Whenever he learned of a good physician anywhere, he summoned the physician and had him treat Muaqqib. But it brought no benefit, though the fear that the disease might worsen was dispelled. People generally avoided socializing and eating and drinking with lepers; however, Umar would sit and eat with him from the same tablecloth. Once, the caliph Umar and his companions were served dinner. The caliph came out of the house and invited Muaqqib ibn Abi Fatimah to eat with them. Those present became frightened. Umar said to Muaqqib: “Sit beside me. By Allah, if anyone else had this disease, I would not eat with him from the same dish. Eat happily from your side.” Muaqqib sat with them and ate from the same dish. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 2:458) According to another report, Umar said: “If he had not been a Companion of the Messenger of Allah, I would not have eaten with him.” (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:200)

After Caliph Umar, Caliph Uthman continued to treat him in the same manner. The seal of the Messenger of Allah remained in his custody until the end. It fell from his hand into a well called Bi’r Maunah, or the Well of Maunah. He died toward the end of the year in which the seal fell into the well. al-Baladhuri says: He died in the year when the campaign to Africa was undertaken during the caliphate of Uthman. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:200)

History records a son of his named Muhammad ibn Muaqqib. He also narrated hadith from his father, Muaqqib.

He was not a particularly notable scholar, but he was skilled in reading and writing. When Umar made his property a waqf, Muaqqib wrote the deed of endowment. He was also proficient in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). A number of hadith narrated from him are found in the hadith collections. Two of them were narrated by both al-Bukhari and Muslim, while one was narrated exclusively by Imam Muslim.

Aban ibn Said ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him)

Aban’s father was Abu Uhayha, Said ibn al-As, and his mother was Hind bint al-Mughira. His lineage meets that of the Messenger of Allah at Abd Manaf, the fifth ancestor above him. (Usd al-Ghabah, 1:35)

His father, Said, was a distinguished man among the Quraysh. He died as an unbeliever in Taif in the second or third year AH and was buried there. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:142, 368)

He had several worthy sons. In the early period of Islam, two of them, Khalid and Amr, accepted Islam and migrated to Abyssinia. (Al-Isabah, 1:13)

Aban remained a polytheist with his other two brothers, Ubaydah and al-As. He was deeply grieved when his brothers Khalid and Amr accepted Islam. That grief is expressed in a qasida he composed. One of its verses is as follows:

“Alas! If only the dead men of Jaribah could see what Amr and Khalid have falsely claimed concerning religion!” (Al-Isabah, 1:13; Usd al-Ghabah, 1:35)

Aban joined his other two brothers in opposing the Messenger of Allah and the Muslims. He left Mecca with Ubaydah and al-As to fight the Muslims at the Battle of Badr. Ubaydah and al-As were killed miserably by the Muslims. Aban barely escaped with his life and returned to Mecca.

Ibn Hisham mentions an incident from Aban’s pre-Islamic life. Before Islam, the Messenger of Allah married several of his daughters to young men of the Quraysh. When the conflict between the Messenger of Allah and the Quraysh began, the Quraysh leaders asked his sons-in-law to divorce his daughters. The Messenger’s daughter Ruqayyah was the wife of Utbah ibn Abi Lahab. The Quraysh told Utbah: “Divorce Muhammad’s daughter.” He agreed on the condition that they marry him to either Aban ibn Said’s daughter or Said ibn al-As’s daughter. They accepted Utbah’s demand, married him to Said ibn al-As’s daughter, and separated Ruqayyah from him. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 625)

Shortly before the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Uthman to the Quraysh of Mecca with his message. Uthman was traveling toward Mecca through the Valley of Baldah. The Quraysh asked him: “Where are you going?” Uthman told them what the Messenger of Allah had instructed him to say. At that moment, Aban ibn Said came forward from among the Quraysh and welcomed Uthman. He had already had a close relationship with Uthman. Aban prepared his own horse, mounted Uthman on it, and took responsibility for his safety. He then escorted Uthman to Mecca. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1:156)

After Uthman came to Aban’s house, Aban said to him: “Why are your clothes like this?” Uthman’s garment reached midway between his knees and ankles. Aban continued: “Why do you not lengthen your garment like the garments of your people?” Uthman replied: “Our Prophet wears his garment this way.” Aban said: “Perform circumambulation of the Kaaba.” Uthman replied: “We cannot do anything until our Prophet has done it. We only follow in his footsteps.” (Hayat al-Sahabah, 2:358–359; Al-Istiab, 35; Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2:315)

Although Aban had long been hostile to Islam and its Prophet, he did not at this time refrain at all from seeking the truth. He would ask learned people about the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah. In those days, Syria was a center of learned and experienced people. Aban traveled there for business. Once, in conversation with a Christian monk there, he said: “I am from the Quraysh tribe of the Hijaz. A man of this tribe claims to be chosen by Allah. He says that Allah sent him as a prophet, like Jesus and Moses.” The monk asked the man’s name. Aban replied: “His name is Muhammad.” The monk explained, according to the descriptions in the heavenly Scriptures, the age, lineage, and other characteristics of the prophet who would appear. Hearing him, Aban said: “All of these qualities are present in that man.” The monk then said: “By Allah, if so, that man will first gain dominion over all Arabia and then spread throughout the world. When you return, convey my greetings to this righteous servant of Allah.” The name of this monk of Syria was Yakka. When Aban returned from Syria, he was no longer the same person. His strength to oppose Islam and the Muslims had vanished. (Usd al-Ghabah, 1:35; Al-Isabah, 1:13)

Thinking of his forefathers’ religion and fearing the criticism and mockery of his peers, Aban remained completely silent for some time. But he could not suppress for long the passion for truth that had arisen within him. Meanwhile, his brothers Amr and Khalid returned from Abyssinia and continued to communicate with Aban. He then accepted Islam and migrated to Medina before the Battle of Khaybar. The three brothers participated together in the Khaybar expedition with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). (Al-Isabah, 1:13)

According to another report, after Aban reached Medina, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed him commander of a small force and sent him toward Najd. When he returned to Medina after succeeding in this expedition, the conquest of Khaybar had already been completed. At that very time, Abu Hurayra came to Medina with the other emigrants from Abyssinia. The two of them went together to the Messenger of Allah, who gave them a share of the booty from Khaybar. In addition to the Najd expedition, he received command of several other small expeditions from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

Aban participated in the expedition to Taif with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When Abu Siddiq saw Aban’s father’s grave in Taif, he exclaimed: “May Allah’s curse, or condemnation, be upon the occupant of this grave. He opposed Allah and His Messenger.” Aban and his brother Amr immediately objected to Abu Bakr’s words and spoke disparagingly of his father, Abu Quhafah. The Messenger of Allah then said: “Do not insult the dead. Insulting the dead causes pain to the living.” (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:142, 368)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed Aban as the governor of Bahrain in place of Ala ibn al-Hadrami. He continued in this position until the Messenger’s death. Upon hearing of the Messenger’s death, he returned to Medina. (Al-Istiab, 1:35)

Aban also served the Messenger of Allah as a scribe. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:532)

After the death of the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr was chosen as caliph. Even after the general pledge of allegiance to him had been completed, Aban was one of the few Quraysh who refrained from pledging allegiance for some time. When the people of Banu Hashim gave their pledge, his objection was removed and he also pledged allegiance.

Caliph Abu Bakr did not remove any governor or official appointed by the Messenger of Allah. Aban was also a governor appointed by the Messenger. Abu Bakr asked Aban to return to his post, but Aban rejected the caliph’s request. According to some reports, after the caliph repeatedly requested him, he eventually accepted the position of governor of Yemen.

Ibn Sa’d narrates: When Aban rejected the caliph’s request, Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to Aban one day: He should not have left his post in this manner without the permission of the imam or leader. Now he is again refusing to return there at his command. Aban said: By Allah, after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, I will not work for anyone else. Had I done so, I would have served Abu Bakr as his officer or employee, because of his virtue and precedence in Islam. Consequently, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, consulted the Companions about whom he should send to Bahrain. Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Since Al-‘Ala ibn al-Hadrami had previously been there, he should be sent there again. Umar said: Aban should be compelled to return there. But Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, refused to do so. He said: I cannot compel a man who says, “After the Messenger of Allah, I will not work for anyone else.” Thereafter, he appointed Al-‘Ala ibn al-Hadrami as the governor of Bahrain. (Hayatus Sahabah, 2/59).

There are differing opinions among scholars of biography regarding the time of Aban’s death. According to Musa ibn Uqbah and most genealogists, he attained martyrdom in the battlefield of Ajnadayn in 13 AH, toward the end of Abu Bakr’s caliphate. According to Ibn Ishaq, he died in the Battle of Yarmuk, while some others say he attained martyrdom on the Day of Marj al-Saffar. Another narration states that he died in 27 AH, during the caliphate of Uthman, and that Zayd ibn Thabit compiled the Uthmani Mushaf under his supervision. However, there is sufficient reason to consider the first opinion correct.

Amr ibn Umayyah, may Allah be pleased with him

His name was Amr, his kunya or patronymic was Abu Umayyah, and his father’s name was Umayyah. He was descended from the Banu Kinana tribe. Ibn Hisham described him as one of the most intelligent men of pre-Islamic Arabia around the time when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, received prophethood, and narrated an incident in this regard. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/204, 207). He fought with great bravery and courage against the Muslims on the side of the Meccan idolaters in the Battles of Badr and Uhud. Immediately after Uhud, he embraced Islam and migrated to Madinah.

After embracing Islam, he first took part in the incident of Bi’r Ma’unah. The incident was as follows: In the fourth month after the Battle of Uhud, Abu Bara Amir ibn Malik ibn Ja’far, known as Mulayib al-Asinnah, the chief of the Banu Kilab of Najd, came to Madinah and presented himself before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. The Messenger of Allah invited him to Islam. Without expressing any response as to whether he would accept or reject it, he said: If you were to send some of your companions to the Banu Kilab of Najd, perhaps they would accept Islam. The Messenger of Allah said: I fear for them because of the people of Najd. But when Abu Bara assumed full responsibility for the safety of the party, the Messenger of Allah sent a group of forty—or, according to another report, seventy—men under the leadership of Mundhir ibn Amr. They reached a place called Bi’r Ma’unah, pitched their tents, and sent the Messenger of Allah’s letter containing the invitation to Islam to Amir ibn al-Tufayl through Haram ibn Milhan.

Amir ibn al-Tufayl killed the envoy Haram and announced that the tribes of Usayyah, Ri’l, Dhakwan, and others should hasten out to fight the Muslim party. They gathered together. Meanwhile, when the Muslims saw that Haram was late returning, they went out in search of him. After traveling a short distance, they encountered the tribes of Ri’l, Dhakwan, and others. All of them united in attacking the Muslim party and killed everyone. Only Amr ibn Umayyah survived. He was taken captive by the enemy forces and brought before Amir ibn al-Tufayl. When he learned that Amr ibn Umayyah belonged to the Mudar tribe, he released him, saying that his mother had vowed to free a slave. However, as a sign of humiliation, he cut the hair at the front of his head. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/184–185).

The renowned Companion Amir ibn Fuhayrah also attained martyrdom in this incident of Bi’r Ma’unah. When Amr ibn Umayyah was captured and brought before Amir ibn al-Tufayl, the latter pointed toward Amir ibn Fuhayrah’s body and asked him: Who is this man? Amr ibn Umayyah replied: Amir ibn Fuhayrah. Amir ibn al-Tufayl then said: I saw that after he was killed, his body rose high into the air toward the sky, and then descended again. (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/595).

After escaping from the enemies of Bi’r Ma’unah, Amr ibn Umayyah was traveling toward Madinah. When he reached a place called Qarqarah, he met two men coming from the opposite direction. The two men came and sat beneath the tree whose shade he was resting in. While conversing with them, Amr ibn Umayyah learned that they belonged to the Banu Amir tribe, but he said nothing. When they fell asleep, Amr attacked and killed them both. He thought this would be retaliation for what the Banu Amir had done to the Companions of the Messenger of Allah. When Amr reached Madinah and related the incident to the Messenger of Allah, he said: Amr, you have committed two killings for which I must pay blood money. It should be noted that a treaty between the Banu Amir and the Messenger of Allah had already been concluded before this incident. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/186). Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah paid their blood money. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/564).

In 6 AH, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, instructed Amr ibn Umayyah to go to Abyssinia with a letter containing an invitation to Islam. In this letter, the Messenger of Allah recommended to the Negus that he provide hospitality to the emigrants residing in Abyssinia, and sent him a marriage proposal for Umm Habibah bint Abu Sufyan, who was still staying there with the emigrants from Abyssinia. It should be noted that Umm Habibah was the wife of Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh. She had embraced Islam in Makkah at the beginning and migrated to Abyssinia with her husband. There, when her husband Ubaydullah abandoned Islam and adopted Christianity, their relationship ended. Upon receiving this letter of invitation, the Negus embraced Islam at the hands of Ja’far ibn Abi Talib and wrote a letter in reply to the Messenger of Allah. It mentioned his acceptance of Islam, his greetings to the Messenger of Allah, and his hospitality toward the emigrants. In accordance with the Messenger of Allah’s letter, the Negus himself proposed marriage to Umm Habibah on his behalf. He himself acted as the Messenger of Allah’s proxy in the marriage and, after it, paid a dowry of four hundred dinars on behalf of the Messenger of Allah. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/224, 324; Hayatus Sahabah, 1/158, 3/596–597).

When this Amr ibn Umayyah reached the Negus as the Messenger of Allah’s envoy, Amr ibn al-As, then one of Islam’s fiercest enemies, was also present there. He requested the Negus to hand Amr ibn Umayyah over to him so that he could kill him in revenge and enhance his standing among the Quraysh. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/276–277).

Amr ibn Umayyah brought the emigrants who had been staying in Abyssinia to Madinah by two ships during the Battle of Khaybar. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/359).

After returning to Madinah from this mission to Abyssinia, he was assigned the task of taking revenge for one of Abu Sufyan’s evil deeds. The incident was as follows: Abu Sufyan encouraged some people to kill the Messenger of Allah. One man undertook this task, and Abu Sufyan supplied him with the necessary provisions. He came to Madinah and went directly to the Messenger of Allah in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah discovered his purpose. He exposed the man’s scheme and told him why he had come. The man was on the verge of attacking the Messenger of Allah when, suddenly, Usayd ibn Hudayr, may Allah be pleased with him, seized him firmly. A dagger fell from beneath the man’s clothing. The crime was evident, and no witness was needed. Nevertheless, the Mercy to the Worlds forgave him. He then exposed Abu Sufyan’s entire conspiracy.

Since Abu Sufyan was the principal instigator of this incident, and because of him a state of constant war prevailed between the Quraysh of Makkah and the people of Madinah, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Amr ibn Umayyah and Salamah ibn Aslam—or, according to another report, Jabbar ibn Sakhr al-Ansari—on a secret mission to Makkah. He instructed them that, if they found an opportunity, they should remove the principal instigator of this unrest from the world forever.

Amr and Salamah secretly reached Makkah, but Mu’awiyah saw them while he was circumambulating the Ka’bah. Word spread among the Quraysh. They said to one another: Their arrival is certainly not without reason. Surely they intend to cause some trouble. When Amr and Salamah saw that news of their arrival had spread among the Quraysh, they left Makkah. On the way, they encountered Ubaydullah ibn Malik and a man from Banu Hudhayl. Amr killed Ubaydullah, and Salamah killed the other man.

Meanwhile, the Quraysh deployed spies all around Makkah in search of them. Amr and Salamah encountered two such spies. They killed one of the two spies and captured the other, bringing him to the Messenger of Allah in Madinah. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/633–634).

According to a report from Ahmad and al-Tabarani, Khubayb ibn Adi was martyred at the hands of the disbelievers of Makkah, and his body was hung from a wooden structure. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent a secret mission to Makkah to bring back Khubayb’s body. He secretly reached Makkah, climbed the wood, and cut the rope, causing Khubayb’s body to fall to the ground. At that moment, the Quraysh became aware of him and pursued him, so he fled, leaving the body behind. Another report, however, states that Miqdad ibn al-Aswad and al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam were assigned this task and carried out the mission. (Hayatus Sahabah, 3/596–597).

Amr ibn Umayyah lived for a long time after the death of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. However, no significant information about his later life is found in history. He died in Madinah before 60 AH, during the rule of Amir Mu’awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him. Twenty hadiths narrated from Amr ibn Umayyah are found in the books of hadith. His notable students included Abdullah, Ja’far, Fadl, Zabarkhan, al-Sha’bi, Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman, Abu Qilabah al-Jurami, and Abu al-Muhajir.

He was one of the bravest and most courageous men of Arabia at that time. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah entrusted him with daring missions. At the time of his death, he left behind three sons named Ja’far, Abdullah, and Fadl.

Mistah ibn Uthathah, may Allah be pleased with him

His real name was Awf, his kunya was Abu Abbad, and his laqab or title was Mistah. His father’s name was Uthathah ibn Abbad, and his mother was Abu Bakr’s maternal aunt—or, according to another opinion, his maternal cousin. Both his parents embraced Islam in the early period of Islam. (Al-Isabah, 3/408).

Mistah embraced Islam in the early period of the Islamic call. The Messenger of Allah established a bond of brotherhood between him and Zayd ibn Muzayyin. Nothing certain is known about the time of his migration. However, he migrated to Madinah before the Battle of Badr, and historical and biographical works record his participation in Badr. He also took part in the Battle of Banu al-Mustaliq. On the return from this battle, the incident of the slander against Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, occurred. When the hypocrites spread the slander, some sincere believing Companions also became involved in it. Mistah was one of them.

The famous incident known as the “Incident of the Slander” is alluded to in several verses of the Holy Qur’an, including verse 11 of Surah al-Nur. In brief, the incident was as follows: Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, was with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, during the Battle of Banu al-Mustaliq (6 AH). On the way back to Madinah, they stopped at a place and made camp. Aishah went some distance from the camp to relieve herself. When her necklace fell there, she began searching for it. Meanwhile, as her howdah was enclosed by curtains, the caravan departed, assuming that she was inside it. The rear guard, Safwan, may Allah be pleased with him, saw her, seated her on his camel, and walked holding the camel’s reins until he caught up with the caravan. Taking advantage of this incident, the hypocrite leader Abdullah ibn Ubayy began spreading various slanders. The verses of Surah al-Nur declared Aishah’s innocence and stated severe punishment for those who spread the slander.

After returning from the battle, Mistah related the incident to his mother. One night, Mistah’s mother went to Aishah’s house for some purpose. Aishah was then at her father’s home with her mother. In those days, houses did not have designated permanent places for urination and defecation. Women generally went outside the house into the desert at night to relieve themselves. Aishah went outside with Mistah’s mother to attend to their needs. On the way, Mistah’s mother tripped after becoming entangled in her shawl. After stumbling, in accordance with Arab custom, she exclaimed: “May Mistah perish!” Aishah objected and said: Are you cursing a Muslim emigrant who fought at Badr in this way? Mistah’s mother then said: Daughter of Abu Bakr, have you not heard anything? She then told her the entire incident. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/299–300; Hayatus Sahabah, 1/587).

The poor Mistah was Abu Bakr’s maternal cousin. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, always treated him well and supported him financially. When he learned that Mistah had been involved in the Incident of the Slander, and the Qur’an declared their propagation to be false slander, Abu Bakr stopped giving assistance to Mistah. He declared: From now on, I will not spend even a penny on Mistah. Then the following verse of Surah al-Nur was revealed: “Let not those among you who possess virtue and abundance swear that they will give nothing to relatives, the needy, and those who have emigrated in the path of Allah. Let them pardon and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (Surah al-Nur, 22).

After the verse was revealed, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, resumed helping him as before. This matter is described in detail in a lengthy hadith narrated from Aishah in Bukhari and Muslim. (Al-Isabah, 3/408).

However, because he had become involved in slandering a chaste and virtuous woman, and the Qur’an had prescribed the following punishment for them—“Those who accuse chaste women and do not produce four witnesses shall be given eighty lashes” (Surah al-Nur, 4)—he too was given this punishment along with the others. The other sincere and renowned Companions who suffered this punishment along with Mistah were Hassan ibn Thabit and Hamnah bint Jahsh, the sister of Zaynab bint Jahsh, the Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/302; Hayatus Sahabah, 1/590).

We must remember that all the sincere Companions, such as Mistah, who became involved in the Incident of the Slander were simply victims of the hypocrites’ propaganda. Otherwise, a person like Mistah could not have become involved in it deliberately. Moreover, they repented and willingly accepted the punishment. Allah, the Messenger of Allah, Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, Abu Bakr, and the entire Muslim ummah forgave them. Therefore, harboring any hostility toward them now would be contrary to faith. Mistah’s greatest distinction is reflected in Aishah’s comment about him. He embraced Islam in the early period, was an emigrant who left his home, and was a mujahid who fought at Badr. How many verses of the Holy Qur’an were revealed in praise of people such as these!

There is disagreement about when Mistah died. According to one opinion, he died in 34 AH during the caliphate of Uthman. According to another, he died in the same year, 37 AH, after fighting on the side of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, at Siffin. He was fifty-six years old when he died. (Usud al-Ghabah, 4/355; Al-Isabah, 3/408; Tabaqat, 3/52).

Marsad ibn Abi Marsad al-Ghanawi, may Allah be pleased with him

Marsad’s father’s name was Abu Marsad Kannaz ibn Husayn. Both father and son embraced Islam in Makkah during the early period of the Islamic call and migrated to Madinah before the Battle of Badr. In Makkah, Marsad was allied with Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalib. After he migrated to Madinah, the Messenger of Allah established a bond of brotherhood between him and Aws ibn Samit, the brother of the renowned Ansari Companion Ubadah ibn Samit. (Tabaqat, 3/48; Al-Isabah, 3/398).

Marsad and his father, Abu Marsad Kannaz, were heroic fighters in the Battle of Badr. In this battle, Marsad rode a horse named Sabal and fought with exceptional bravery beside the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He also took part in the Battle of Uhud. (Tabaqat, 3/48; Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/666).

During the Age of Ignorance, Marsad had a relationship with a prostitute of Makkah named Inaq. After adultery was prohibited in Islam, he severed his relationship with her. He was extremely strong and courageous, so the Messenger of Allah entrusted him with secretly bringing to Madinah those Muslims who were being held captive and tortured by the disbelievers in Makkah. Once he went to Makkah for this purpose. It was a moonlit night. He was quietly walking through one of Makkah’s lanes when his former beloved, Inaq, saw him and called out to him. He stopped. She welcomed him in an extremely sweet and affectionate manner and tempted him to spend that night with her. Marsad said: “Inaq, Allah has now prohibited adultery.” His curt reply deeply offended Inaq. She became enraged with a desire for revenge and informed the people of Marsad’s arrival. Eight men pursued him. He hid in a safe place. When the enemies failed to find him and turned back, he emerged from his hiding place and headed straight for Madinah. Upon reaching Madinah, he went before the Messenger of Allah and pleaded: O Messenger of Allah, marry me to Inaq. The Messenger of Allah remained silent without replying. Immediately afterward, this verse of Surah al-Nur was revealed:

“The adulterer does not marry except an adulteress or a polytheist woman, and the adulteress does not marry except an adulterer or a polytheist man. These have been forbidden to the believers.” (Surah al-Nur, 2).

Some people from the tribes of Udal and Qarah came to Madinah after the Battle of Uhud. They appeared before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and pleaded: Some people from our tribe have embraced Islam. Send some men with us who can teach them the religion and the Qur’an. According to Ibn Ishaq’s narration, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent six men under the leadership of Marsad ibn Abi Marsad, may Allah be pleased with him. Bukhari, however, states that the Messenger of Allah sent ten men under the leadership of Asim ibn Thabit. Marsad was one of them. When the party reached a place called Raji’, a watering place belonging to Banu Hudhayl, the men of Udal and Qarah began shouting in a conspiratorial manner. The people of Banu Hudhayl rushed toward them with unsheathed swords and surrounded the party. The Companions were mounted on horses and prepared to fight. But Banu Hudhayl said: We do not wish to kill you. Our only aim is to obtain some money from the people of Makkah in exchange for you. Come to us voluntarily, and we promise you our protection.

Marsad, Khalid, and Asim said: We do not trust the pledge of polytheists. Saying this, they fought and attained martyrdom. Their other three companions, Khubayb, Zayd, and Abdullah ibn Tariq, on the other hand, showed some humility and allowed themselves to be captured. When the enemy began tying their hands and feet, Abdullah protested: This is your first act of treachery. They stoned Abdullah to death at a place called Dahran. Thereafter, they took Khubayb and Zayd to Makkah. Two men of Banu Hudhayl were being held captive by the Quraysh, and they secured the release of these two in exchange for Khubayb and Zayd. Uqbah ibn al-Harith ibn Amir took Khubayb in order to avenge the killing of his father, al-Harith. Khubayb, may Allah be pleased with him, had killed al-Harith at the Battle of Badr. Safwan ibn Umayyah, on the other hand, took Zayd to avenge the killing of his father, Umayyah ibn Khalaf. Thus, falling victim to the Quraysh’s thirst for revenge, both of them were martyred in Makkah in a state of extreme helplessness and with great cruelty. History has called this incident “the Event of the Day of Raji’.” Ibn Sa’d says that the incident of Raji’ occurred in Safar, thirty-six months after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, migrated to Madinah. (Tabaqat, 3/48).

Asahus-Siyar, 160; Sirat Ibn Hisham, 169–174).

This incident alone is sufficient to demonstrate the merit and status of Marsad, may Allah be pleased with him: the Messenger of Allah himself selected him as a teacher of the religion. Since he died during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, he had no opportunity to demonstrate his scholarly abilities. Nevertheless, the books of hadith are not entirely devoid of narrations from him. Ahmad ibn Sinan al-Qattan narrated one hadith from Marsad in his Musnad; Imam Baghawi and al-Hakim narrated it in their Mustadraks; and al-Tabarani narrated it in his Awsat. (Al-Isabah, 3/398).

Abu Ahmad ibn Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with him

His real name was Abd—or, according to another opinion, Abdullah—and his kunya was Abu Ahmad. His father’s name was Jahsh ibn Riyab and his mother’s was Umaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib. He was, on the one hand, a maternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and, on the other, the full brother of the Messenger’s wife, Zaynab bint Jahsh, the Mother of the Believers. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/88; Al-Isabah, 4/3).

During the early period of the Messenger of Allah’s Islamic call in Makkah, Ahmad embraced Islam along with his two brothers, Abdullah and Ubaydullah. They had embraced Islam before the Messenger of Allah took refuge in the house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam in Makkah. Al-Baladhuri said that although his two brothers, Abdullah and Ubaydullah, migrated to Abyssinia, he did not migrate there. He further said that all reports stating that he migrated to Abyssinia are baseless. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/199).

Ibn Ishaq says the following about Abu Ahmad’s identity and migration to Madinah: Abdullah ibn Jahsh was among the first people to come to Madinah after Abu Salamah. He brought his family and another brother, Abu Ahmad, with him. This Abu Ahmad was blind. He used to move through the rugged terrain of Makkah without anyone’s assistance. Farwah, the daughter of Abu Sufyan, was his wife. His mother was Umaymah, the daughter of Abd al-Muttalib.

When they left their homes and went to Madinah, Utbah ibn Rabi’ah, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and Abu Jahl ibn Hisham were once passing by their abandoned houses on their way toward the highlands of Makkah. Pointing toward the empty house, Utbah recited a verse by the poet Abu Du’ad al-Iyadi and said mournfully: “The house of the Banu Jahsh has become completely empty.” Abu Jahl replied: That is the consequence of our nephew’s actions. He has caused a split in our unity, ruined everything for us, and separated us from one another. … In Madinah, Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Asad, Abdullah ibn Jahsh, and Abu Ahmad lived in the settlement of Banu Amr ibn Awf at Quba. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/470–472).

Upon reaching Madinah, he first became the guest of Hazrat Mubashshir ibn Abd al-Mundhir. In Makkah, a group of people devoted themselves constantly to plotting against Islam and tormenting the Muslims. Two men led this group: Abu Sufyan and Abu Jahl. Since Abu Ahmad had migrated early and gone beyond their reach, he escaped their direct persecution. However, Abu Sufyan unjustly sold their abandoned house to Amr ibn Alqamah. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/499)

It is possible that Abu Sufyan’s daughter, ‘Farwah,’ was the daughter-in-law of the house’s owner and sold the house in that capacity. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 1/500). After the Conquest of Makkah in 8 AH, Abu Ahmad raised the matter of their house with the Messenger (peace be upon him). People stopped him and said: “Abu Ahmad, do not now reclaim what you lost in the way of Allah; the Messenger does not like that.” According to another report, after Abu Ahmad made his claim, the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) sent him a message through Hazrat Uthman (RA). Hazrat Uthman (RA) whispered the message to him. After that, he never uttered another word about the house until the moment of his death. Later, his children learned that the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) had told him to relinquish his claim to the house and had given him the glad tidings of a palace in Paradise in exchange.

However, he composed a fiery poem addressed to Abu Sufyan. A few of its lines are as follows: Tell Abu Sufyan that what he has done will bring shame and remorse. You have sold your paternal cousins’ house and paid off your own debt.

By Allah, the Lord of mankind, I have sworn a solemn oath. Go, take it; I have made that money into a necklace around your neck like the necklace around a pigeon’s neck—one that will never be severed, nor will you ever be able to sever it. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/644).

When the marriage of Hazrat Zaynab bint Jahsh to the Messenger’s freed slave, Zayd ibn Harithah, ended in divorce, it was Abu Ahmad who married her to the Messenger (peace be upon him). (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/644) Hazrat Abu Ahmad died in Madinah. (Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/199).

There is considerable disagreement concerning the time of his death. Ibn al-Athir firmly stated that he died after his sister, Zaynab bint Jahsh—that is, after 20 AH—because Hazrat Zaynab died in 20 AH. Ibn Hajar did not support this view. He said that there is also a report that, after Abu Ahmad’s death, his sister Zaynab had some perfume brought and applied it to his body. It is narrated in Bukhari and Muslim from Zaynab bint Umm Salamah. She said: “I went to Zaynab’s house when one of the brothers of Zaynab bint Jahsh died. She had some perfume brought and applied it to his body.” Ibn Hajar says that this must have occurred at the time of Abu Ahmad’s death, because Zaynab’s other two brothers, Abdullah, were martyred at Uhud during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), while Ubaydullah died in Abyssinia as an apostate. The Messenger (peace be upon him) married his wife, Umm Habibah. (Al-Isabah, 4/4).

Amr ibn Sa’id ibn al-As (RA)

Amr’s kunyah was Abu Uqbah. His father was Sa’id ibn al-As. He was descended from the Umayyad branch of Quraysh. His mother was a daughter of Banu Makhzum. Amr was the maternal cousin of Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid. (Usd al-Ghabah, 4/106). (Al-Isabah, 2/539).

Sa’id ibn al-As had five sons: Khalid, Aban, Sa’id, Abdullah, and Amr. They all accepted Islam at different times. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said: Abu Uhayha Sa’id ibn Sa’id, the son of Sa’id ibn al-As, was martyred during the siege of Ta’if. Abdullah ibn Sa’id’s former name was Hakam. The Messenger (peace be upon him) changed it to Abdullah. Amr ibn Sa’id was martyred at the Battle of Ajnadayn. Khalid accepted Islam, and afterward Amr did so as well. Ibn Ishaq said that Amr had no children. Aban, another son of Sa’id ibn al-As, accepted Islam last of all. Aban was deeply angered when his brothers, especially Khalid and Amr, accepted Islam. Khalid, Amr, and Aban were all poets. After his two brothers Khalid and Amr accepted Islam, Aban wrote a poem reproaching them. Khalid and Amr also replied to him in verse. Some portions of those poems have been compiled in Al-Isabah, Sirat Ibn Hisham, Usd al-Ghabah, and other works. One line of the poem Aban composed to reproach his brothers is: “Alas! If only the dead man of Jabirah could see what lies Amr and Khalid have resorted to concerning the religion!”

Their father, Sa’id ibn al-As, had been buried in a place called Jabirah. This is what the verse alludes to. Amr replied in verse. One of his lines was: “Now leave aside those dead who have gone along their path. Come now to that truth whose truth is itself clear.” (Al-Isabah, 2/539). Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/360).

Two years after Khalid ibn Sa’id migrated to Abyssinia, Amr ibn Sa’id migrated there with the second group bound for Abyssinia, accompanied by his wife, Fatimah bint Safwan. Fatimah bint Safwan died in Abyssinia. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, 2/360). Amr, meanwhile, traveled by ship from Abyssinia with the Muslim caravan and reached Madinah during the Battle of Khaybar. After arriving in Madinah, he joined the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in the Conquest of Makkah and in expeditions including Hunayn, Ta’if, and Tabuk.

The Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) appointed the three sons of Sa’id—Aban, Khalid, and Amr—as governors of three regions. Khalid governed Yemen, Aban Bahrain, and Amr the western region of Madinah, namely Tabuk, Khaybar, Fadak, and other areas. They all performed their duties with great competence until the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) passed away. After the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) died, they returned to Madinah. After Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) assumed the caliphate, he asked them all to return to their former posts, saying: “I do not see anyone more entitled than you to administer the affairs of government.” (Al-Isabah, 2/539).

But the sons of Sa’id ibn al-As rejected the Caliph’s request, saying: “After the Messenger (peace be upon him), we will not become anyone else’s amils or governors.”

After Hazrat Abu Bakr assumed the caliphate, he decided to send an army to Syria against the Romans. The matter was discussed at length and opinions were solicited at a gathering of prominent Companions. One after another, everyone was expressing an opinion, while some remained silent. At one point, Hazrat Umar (RA), wishing to encourage everyone, said: “Would you set out only if there were hope of an immediate result or the journey were near?” Amr ibn Sa’id reacted angrily to Umar’s (RA) statement and said: “Have you applied to us an example meant for the hypocrites? Why are you sitting silent yourself? Why do you not begin first?” At this point, he and Umar had a heated exchange. Then Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) said: “In fact, Umar’s purpose is to inspire and encourage you.” Immediately, Amr’s brother Khalid stood up and delivered a speech supporting the Caliph’s statement. Thus the matter was resolved. (Hayat al-Sahabah, 1440)

Rejecting the post of governor, Amr joined the Syrian expedition as an ordinary mujahid. The Battle of Ajnadayn took place in 13 AH. He fought with immense bravery. Whenever he saw any weakness in the Muslim army, he shouted and tried in various ways to strengthen their morale. Once, in great emotion, he said: “I cannot bear to see my companions showing weakness on the battlefield. Now I shall go in myself.” Saying this, he broke through the center of the enemy formation and entered its midst, where he fought with extraordinary daring until he was martyred. At the end of the battle, when his body was recovered, it was found that his entire body had been pierced by countless wounds. On counting them, there were thirty marks in all. However, according to Ibn Ishaq and Musa ibn Uqbah, Amr was martyred at the Battle of Marj al-Saffar. (Al-Isabah, 2/539).

Waqid ibn Abdullah (RA)

His name was Waqid, and his father was Abdullah. He was descended from the Hanzhali branch of the Yarbu branch of Banu Tamim. During the Age of Ignorance, he was bound by a pact with Khattab ibn Nufayl. (Tabaqat, 3/390; Al-Isabah, 3/628).

Waqid accepted Islam in Makkah at the very beginning of the Islamic call, before the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) entered the house of Hazrat al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam. After the command to migrate came, he migrated to Madinah and became the guest of Hazrat Rifa’ah ibn Abd al-Mundhir. In Madinah, the Messenger (peace be upon him) established a bond of brotherhood between him and Bishr ibn Bara ibn Ma’rur. (Tabaqat, 3/390).

The seventeenth month after the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) migrated to Madinah was Rajab. During this month, he sent a force of twelve members—according to another view, nine—under the leadership of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Jahsh to Nakhla to observe the movements of the Quraysh. Waqid ibn Abdullah was also among them. They reached Nakhla and lay in ambush. At that moment, a small Quraysh trading caravan came into view. It was the very last day of Rajab. Rajab was one of the four months during which warfare was prohibited in Arabia. Therefore, the members of the Muslim force consulted one another about whether they could attack at that time. Eventually, they decided to attack.

Waqid ibn Abdullah (RA) shot an arrow. The arrow killed Amr ibn al-Hadrami of the opposing side, while two men named Uthman and Hakam were taken prisoner.

Because the bloodshed had occurred during a sacred month, the Quraysh began spreading various kinds of propaganda against the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muslims. They said: “Do Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his followers not respect the sanctity of the sacred months that people have observed from time immemorial?” Even the Messenger (peace be upon him) himself could not accept what had happened. He called the members of the force and said: “I did not give you permission to fight, so why did you fight?” In connection with this incident, the following verse of Surah al-Baqarah was revealed:

“They ask you, [O Muhammad], about fighting in the sacred month. Say: Fighting therein is a grave matter. But barring people from the way of Allah, denying Him, preventing people from worshipping in the Sacred Mosque, and expelling its inhabitants from it are graver in the sight of Allah than fighting therein. And persecution is more grievous than killing. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:217).”

(Al-Isabah, 3/628; Asah al-Siyar, 128).

In any case, Amr ibn al-Hadrami was the first unbeliever killed by a Muslim, Uthman and Hakam were the first two prisoners in Islamic history, and the goods obtained from the Quraysh caravan were Islam’s first spoils of war. (Asah al-Siyar, 128).

After this incident, Banu Yarbu proudly proclaimed that one of their own had been the first in Islamic history to kill a polytheist. Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab would recite in verse: “At Nakhla we made our arrows drink the blood of Ibn al-Hadrami, when Waqid kindled the fire of war.” (Al-Isabah, 3/628)

After Nakhla, he took part in all the battles, including Badr, Uhud, and the Trench. He died early during the caliphate of the second Caliph, Hazrat Umar. He had no children. One or two hadiths narrated from him are found in the hadith collections.

Abdullah ibn Makhramah (RA)

His full name was Abu Muhammad Abdullah. His father was Makhramah ibn Abd al-Uzza, and his mother was Bahsanah bint Safwan. He was descended from the Amiri branch of Quraysh. (Al-Isabah, 2/365).

He accepted Islam in Makkah at the beginning of the Islamic call. He migrated to Abyssinia with the second group bound for Abyssinia, led by Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (RA). From there he went directly to Madinah and became the guest of Hazrat Kulthum ibn Hidam. The Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) established a bond of religious brotherhood between him and Farwah ibn Amr al-Bayadi (RA). After arriving in Madinah, he first took part in the Battle of Badr and earned the great honor of becoming a Badrī Companion. He was thirty years old at the time. After Badr, he joined the Messenger (peace be upon him) in all the battles, including Uhud.

Hazrat Abdullah (RA) had such an intense desire for martyrdom that he was always eager to have every hair of his body stained with blood. He would pray: “O Allah, do not take me from this world until every joint of my body has been wounded and torn apart by blow after blow.” His prayer was accepted, and the opportunity came very soon.

During the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA), apostasy spread widely. He joined the campaign against the apostates as a mujahid. He fought the apostates so ruthlessly that his entire body was riddled with wounds. It was the blessed month of Ramadan, and he was fasting. At sunset, when the evening of his life was also drawing near, Hazrat Abdullah ibn Makhramah (RA) came to check on him. Abdullah ibn Makhramah (RA) asked him, “Please bring some water for me as well.” When he returned with the water, he found his lifeless body lying there. He was martyred in the Battle of Yamamah. He was only forty-one years old at the time of his death. (Al-Isabah, 2/365).

He possessed exceptional distinction in knowledge, practice, God-consciousness, and piety. The author of Usd al-Ghabah wrote that he was a devout worshipper endowed with nobility.

Sources:

1. Ibn Sa’d: Tabaqat

2. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani: Al-Isabah

3. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani: Tahdhib al-Tahdhib

4. Ibn al-Athir: Usd al-Ghabah

5. Ibn al-Athir: Tajrid Asma al-Sahabah

6. Al-Baladhuri: Ansab al-Ashraf

7. Al-Dhahabi: Tadhkirat al-Huffaz

8. Al-Dhahabi: Tarikh al-Islam

9. Ibn Kathir: Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah

10. Ibn Asakir: Al-Tarikh al-Kabir

11. Al-Zirikli: Al-A’lam

12. Al-Qurtubi: Al-Isti’ab (marginal notes to Al-Isabah)

13. Ibn Hisham: Al-Sirah

14. Al-Tabari: Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk

15. Mawlana Yusuf Kandhalawi: Hayat al-Sahabah

16. Mu’inuddin Ahmad Nadwi: Muhajirin

17. Dr. Abdur Rahman Ra’fat al-Basha: Suwar min Hayat al-Sahabah

18. Khalid Muhammad Khalid: Rijal Hawla al-Rasul

19. Muhammad Khudri Bek: Tarikh al-Ummah al-Islamiyyah

20. Da’irah-i Ma’arif-i Islamiyyah (Urdu)

21. Various hadith collections.