Verily
all praise is for Allah, we praise Him and seek His aid, and we ask for His
forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our own selves and
from our evil deeds. Whomsoever Allah has guided, none can misguide him, and
whomsoever Allah has misguided, none can guide him, and I testify that none has
the right to be worshiped except Allah, without any partner, and I testify
that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
While reading this, we cannot help but be
moved by the lives of the Companions herein depicted. How we long to have their
awe and reverence for Allah! How we long to spend the same hours in worship as
they! How we long to be as brave as they were in the face of danger! How we
long to be as patient as they were under torture! It is my hope that this will fulfill a need for the English speaking Muslim to
learn more about that first generation of Muslims. Indeed the Companions -
those men and women who were contemporaneous with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
-- inspire and encourage us. Read these stories and share them with your
children, for these Companions are a part of our Islamic heritage that will,
Allah willing, strengthen us as a nation if we try to follow their
examples.
To proceed, MUS'AB IBN `UMAIR (The First Envoy of Islam)
This man among the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH), how good it is for us to start with him. He was the flower of the
Quraish, the most handsome and youthful! Historians and narrators describe him
as "The most charming of the Makkans".
He was born and brought up in wealth, and he grew up with
its luxuries. Perhaps there was no boy in Makkah who was pampered by his
parents like Mus`ab lbn `Umair. This mirthful youth, caressed and pampered, the
talk of the ladies of Makkah, the jewel of its clubs and assemblies: is it
possible for him to be one of the legends of faith?
By Allah, how interesting a tale, the story of Mus`ab Ibn
`Umair or Mus`ab the Good, as he was nicknamed among the Muslims! He was one of
those made by Islam and fostered by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
But who was he? His story is a pride of all mankind. The
youth heard one day what the people of Makkah had begun to hear about Muhammad
the Truthful, that Allah had sent him as bearer of glad tidings and a warner to
call them to the worship of Allah the One God. When Makkah slept and awoke
there was no other talk but the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his religion, and
this spoiled boy was one of the most attentive listeners.
That was because, although he was young, the flower of clubs
and assemblies, the outward appearance of wisdom and common sense were among
the traits of Mus`ab.
He heard that the Prophet (PBUH) and those who believed in
him were meeting far away from the dignitaries and great men of the Quraish at
As-safaa in the house of Al-Arqam lbn Al-Arqam daar AlArqam. He wasted no time.
He went one night to the Daar Al Arqam, yearning and anxious. There, the
Prophet (PBUH) was meeting his Companions, reciting the Qur'aan to them and
praying with them to Allah the Most Exalted. Mus`ab had hardly taken his seat
and contemplated the verses of Qur'aan recited by the Prophet (PBUH) when his
heart became the promised heart that night.
The pleasure almost flung him from his seat as he was filled
with a wild ecstasy. But the Prophet (PBUH) patted his throbbing heart with his
blessed right hand, and the silence of the ocean's depth filled his heart. In
the twinkling of an eye, the youth who had just become Muslim appeared to have
more wisdom than his age and a determination that would change the course of
time!
Mus`ab's mother was Khunaas Bint Maalik, and people feared
her almost to the point of terror because she possessed a strong personality.
When Mus`ab became a Muslim, he was neither careful before nor afraid of anyone
on the face of the earth except his mother. Even if Makkah, with all its idols,
nobles, and deserts were to challenge him, he would stand up to it. As for a
dispute with his mother, this was an impossible horror, so he thought quickly
and decided to keep his Islam secret until Allah willed. He continued to
frequent Daar Al-Arqam and take lessons from the Prophet (PBUH). He was
satisfied with his faith and avoided the anger of his mother, who had no
knowledge of his embracing Islam.
However, Makkah at that time kept no secret, for the eyes
and ears of the Quraish were everywhere, very alert and checking every
footprint in its hot sands. Once, `Uthmaan Ibn Taihah saw him steadily entering
alarm's house, then he saw him a second time praying the prayer like Muhammad.
No sooner had he seen him than he ran quickly with the news to Mus`ab's mother,
who was astonished by it.
Mus`ab stood before his mother, the people, and the nobles
of Makkah who assembled around him, telling them the irrefutable truth and
reciting the Qur'aan with which the Prophet (PBUH) cleansed their hearts and
filled them with honor, wisdom, justice, and piety. His mother aimed a heavy
blow at him, but the hand which was meant as an arrow soon succumbed to the
powerful light which increased the radiance of his face with innocent glory
because it demanded respect with its quiet confidence. However, his mother,
under the pressure of her motherliness, spared him the beating and the pain,
although it was within her power to avenge her gods whom he had abandoned.
Instead she took him to a rough corner of her house and shut him in it. She put
shackles on him and imprisoned him there until he heard the news of the
emigration (hijab) of some of the believers to Abyssinia. He thought to himself
and was able to delude his mother and his guards, and so escaped to Abyssinia.
There he stayed in Abyssinia with his fellow emigrants and
then returned with them to Makkah. He also emigrated to Abyssinia for the
second time with the Companions whom the Prophet (PBUH) advised to emigrate and
they obeyed. But whether Mus`ab was in Abyssinia or Makkah, the experience of
his faith proclaimed itself in all places and at all times.
Musa became confident that his life had become good enough
to be offered as a sacrifice to the Supreme Originator and great Creator. He
went out one day to some Muslims while they were sitting around the Prophet
(PBUH) , and no sooner did they see him than they lowered their heads and shed
some tears because they saw him wearing worn out garments. They were accustomed
to his former appearance before he had become a Muslim, when his clothes had
been like garden flowers, elegant and fragrant.
The Prophet (PBUH) saw him with the eyes of wisdom, thankful
and loving, and his lips smiled gracefully as he said, "I saw Mus`ab here,
and there was no youth in Makkah more petted by his parents than he. Then he
abandoned all that for the love of Allah and His Prophet!"
His mother had withheld from him all the luxury he had been
overwhelmed by, when she could not return him to her religion. She refused to
let anyone who had abandoned their gods eat of her food, even if he was her
son. Her last connection with him was when she tried to imprison him for a
second time after his return from Abyssinia, and he swore that if she did that,
he would kill all those who came to her aid to lock him up. She knew the truth
of his determination when he was intent and decided to do something, and so she
bade him good bye weeping.
The parting moment revealed a strange adherence to
infidelity on the part of his mother, and the greater adherence to faith on the
part of her son. When she said to him, while turning him out of her house,
"Go away, I am no longer your mother," he went close to her and said,
"O mother, I am advising you and my heart is with you, please bear witness
that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and
messenger." She replied to him, angrily raging, "By the stars, I will
never enter your religion, to degrade my status and weaken my senses!"
So Mus`ab left the great luxury in which he had been living.
He became satisfied with a hard life he had never seen before, wearing the
roughest clothes, eating one day and going hungry another. This spirit, which
was grounded in the strongest faith, adorned with the light of Allah, made him
another man, one who appeals to the eyes of other great souls.
While he was in this state, the Prophet (PBUH) commissioned
him with the greatest mission of his life, which was to be his envoy to
Al-Madiinah. His mission was to instruct the Ansaar who believed in the Prophet
(PBUH) and had pledged their allegiance to him at `Aqabah, to call others to
Islam, and to prepare Al-Madiinah for the day of the great Hijrah. There were
among the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) at that time others who were older
than Mus`ab and more prominent and nearer to the Prophet (PBUH) by family
relations. But the Prophet (PBUH) chose Mus`ab the Good, knowing that he was
entrusting to him the most important task of that time, putting into his hands
the destiny of Islam at AlMadiinah. The radiant city of Al-Madiinah was
destined to be the home of Hijrah, the springboard of Islamic preachers and the
liberators of the future. Mus`ab was equal to the task and trust which Allah
had given him and he was equipped with an excellent mind and noble character.
He won the hearts of the Madinites with his piety, uprightness and sincerity.
And so they embraced the religion of Allah in flocks.
At the time the Prophet (PBUH) sent him there, only twelve
Muslims had pledged allegiance to the Prophet (PBUH) at the Pledge of `Aqabah.
He had hardly completed a few months when they answered to the call of Allah
and the Prophet (PBUH). During the next pilgrimage season, the Madinite Muslims
sent a delegation of 70 believing men and women to Makkah to meet the Prophet
(PBUH).
They came with their teacher and their Prophet's envoy,
Mus`ab Ibn `Umair. Mus`ab had proven, by his good sense and excellence, that
the Prophet (PBUH) knew well how to choose his envoys and teachers.
Mus'ab had understood his mission well. He knew that he was
a caller to Allah and preacher of His religion, which calls people to right
guidance and the straight path. Like the Prophet (PBUH) in whom he believed, he
was no more than a deliverer of the message. There he stood fast, with As`ad
Ibn Zoraarah as host, and both of them used to visit the tribes, dwellings, and
assemblies, reciting to the people what he had of the Book of Allah, instilling
in them that Allah is no more than One God.
He had confronted certain instances which could have put an
end to his life and that of those with him but for his active, intelligent,
great mind. One day, he was taken by surprise while preaching to the people to
find Usaid lbn hudair, leader of the `Abd Al-Ashhal tribe, at Al-Madiinah
confronting him with a drawn arrow.
He was raging with anger and animosity against the one who
had come to corrupt the religion of his people by telling them to abandon their
gods and talking to them about the idea of only One God Whom they did not know
before and had never heard of. Their gods were to them the center of their
worship. Whenever any of them needed them, he knew their places. They would
invoke them for help. That was how they thought and imagined!
As for the God of Muhammad, to whom this envoy was calling,
nobody knew His place, nor could anybody see Him! When the Muslims who were
sitting around Mus`ab, saw Usaid lbn hudair advancing in his unbridled anger,
they were frightened, but Mus`ab the Good stood firm. Usaid stood before him
and As`ad lbn Zoraarah shouting, "What brought you here? Are you coming to
corrupt our faith? Go away if you wish to be saved!"
And like the calmness of the sea and its force, Mus`ab
started his fine speech saying, "Won't you sit down and listen? If you
like our cause, you can accept; and if you dislike it, we will spare you of
what you hate."
Allah is the Greatest! How grand an opening whose ending
would be pleasant! Usaid was a thoughtful and clever man, and here he saw
Mus`ab inviting him to listen and no more. If he was convinced he would accept
it, and if he was not convinced, then Mus`ab would leave his neighborhood and
his clan, and move to another neighborhood without harm, nor being harmed.
There and then Usaid answered him saying, "Well, that is fair," and
he dropped his arrow to the ground and sat down listening.
Mus`ab had hardly read the Qur'aan, explaining the mission
with which Muhammad lbn `Abd Allah (PBUH) came, when the conscience of Usaid
began to dear and brighten and change with the effectiveness of the words. He
became overwhelmed by its beauty. When Mus`ab finished speaking, Usaid lbn
Hudair exclaimed to him and those with him, "How beautiful is this speech,
and how true! How can one enter this religion?" Mus`ab told him to purify
his body and clothes and say, "I bear witness that there is no god but
Allah." Usaid retired for some time and then returned pouring clean water
on his head and standing there proclaiming, "I bear witness that there is
no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
The news spread like lightning and then Sa`d Ibn Mu`aadh
came and listened to Mus`ab, and he was convinced and embraced Islam. Then came
Sa`d lbn `Ubaadah.
There and then blessings came with their entering Islam. The
people of Al-Madiinah came together asking one another, "If Usaid lbn
Hudair, Sa`d Ibn Mu`aadh and Sa`d Ibn `Ubaadah have embraced Islam, what are we
waiting for? Go straight to Mus`ab and believe. By Allah, he is calling us to
the truth and the straight path!"
The first envoy of the Prophet (PBUH) succeeded without
comparison. It was a success which he deserved and to which he was equal.
The days and years passed by. The Prophet (PBUH) and his
Companions emigrated to Al-Madiinah, and the Quraish were raging with envy and
their ungodly pursuit after the pious worshippers. So the Battle of Badr took
place, in which they were taught a lesson and lost their strong hold. After
that they prepared themselves for revenge, and thus came the Battle of Uhud.
The Muslims mobilized themselves, and the Prophet (PBUH) stood in their midst
to sort out among their faithful faces and to choose one to bear the standard.
He then called for Mus`ab the Good, and he advanced and carried the
standard.
The terrible battle was raging, the fighting furious. The
archers disregarded the orders of the Prophet (PBUH) by leaving their positions
on the mountain when they saw the polytheists withdrawing as if defeated. But
this act of theirs soon turned the victory of the Muslims to defeat. The
Muslims were taken at unawares by the cavalry of the Quraish at the mountain
top, and many Muslims were killed by the swords of the polytheists as a
consequence.
When they saw the confusion and horror splitting the ranks
of the Muslims, the polytheists concentrated on the Prophet of Allah to finish
him off. Mus`ab saw the impending threat, so he raised the standard high,
shouting, "allahu Akbar! Allah is the Greatest!" like the roar of a
lion. He turned and jumped left and right, fighting and killing the foe. All he
wanted was to draw the attention of the enemy to himself in order to turn their
attention away from the Prophet (PBUH). He thus became as a whole army in
himself. Nay, Mus`ab went alone to fight as if he were an army of giants
raising the standard in sanctity with one hand, striking with his sword with
the other. But the enemies were multiplying on him. They wanted to step on his
corpse so that they could find the Prophet (PBUH).
Let us allow a living witness to describe for us the last
scene of Mus`ab the Great. Ibn Sa`d said:
Ibraahiim lbn Muhammad lbn Sharhabiil Al-'Abdriy related
from his father, who said: Mus`ab lbn `Umair carried the standard on the Day of
Uhud. When the Muslims were scattered, he stood fast until he met lbn Qumaah
who was a knight. He struck him on his right hand and cut it off, but Mus`ab
said, "and Muhammad is but a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before
him " (3:144). He carried the standard with his left hand and leaned on
it. He struck his left hand and cut it off, and so he leaned on the standard
and held it with his upper arms to his chest, all the while saying, "And
Muhammad is but a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before him". Then
a third one struck him with his spear, and the spear went through him. Mus`ab
fell and then the standard.
Nay, the cream of martyrdom had fallen! He fell after he had
struggled for the sake of Allah in the great battle of sacrifice and faith. He
had thought that if he fell, he would be a stepping stone to the death of the
Prophet (PBUH) because he would be without defense and protection. But he put
himself in harm's way for the sake of the Prophet (PBUH) over-powered by his
fear for and love of him, he continued to say with every sword stroke that fell
on him from the foe, "and Muhammad is but a Messenger. Messengers have
passed away before him "(3:144). This verse was revealed later, after he
had spoken it. After the bitter
battle, they found the corpse of the upright martyr lying with his face in the
dust, as if he feared to look while harm fell on the Prophet (PBUH). So he hid
his face so that he would avoid the scene. Or perhaps, he was shy when he fell
as a martyr, before making sure of the safety of the Prophet of Allah, and
before serving to the very end, guarding and protecting him.
Allah is with you, O
Mus`ab! What a great life story!
The Prophet (PBUH)
and his Companions came to inspect the scene of the battle and bid farewell to
its martyrs. Pausing at Mus`ab's body, tears dripped from the Prophet's eyes.
Khabbaab lbn Al-Arat narrated: We emigrated with the Prophet (PBUH) for Allah's
cause, so our reward became due with Allah. Some of us passed away without
enjoying anything in this life of his reward, and one of them was Mus`ab
Ibn`Umair, who was martyred on the Day of Uhud. He did not leave behind
anything except a sheet of shredded woolen cloth. If we covered his head with
it, his feet were uncovered, and if we covered his feet with it, his head was
uncovered. The Prophet (PBUH) said to us, "Cover his head with it and put
lemon grass over his feet."
Despite the deep, sad pain which the Prophet (PBUH) suffered
over the loss of his uncle Hamzah and the mutilation of his corpse by the polytheists
in a manner that drew tears from the Prophet (PBUH) and broke his heart;
despite the fact that the field of battle was littered with the corpses of his
Companions, all of whom represented the peak of truth, piety and enlightenment;
despite all this, he stood at the corpse of his first envoy, bidding him
farewell and weeping bitterly. Nay, the Prophet (PBUH) stood at the remains of
Mus`ab lbn `Umair saying, while his eyes were flowing with tears, love and
loyalty, "Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant
with Allah " (33:23).
Then he gave a sad look at the garment in which he was
shrouded and said, "I saw you at Makkah, and there was not a more precious
jewel, nor more distinguished one than you, and here you are bareheaded in a
garment!" Then the Prophet (PBUH) looked at all the martyrs in the
battlefield and said, "The Prophet of Allah witnesses that you are martyrs
to Allah on the Day of Resurrection." Then he gathered his living
Companions around him and said, "O people, visit them, come to them, and
salute them. By Allah, no Muslim will salute them but that they will salute him
in return."
Peace be on you, O Mus`ab. Peace be on you, O Martyrs. Peace
and blessings of Allah be upon you!
Adapted from: Men Around The Messenger
by
Khalid Muhammad Khalid
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