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Devoted Companion Part-I
By
Ma'il Kahairabad
CCONTENTS
1. Hadrat Musab bin �Umar (Allah be pleased with him)
2. The Great Martyr Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him)
3. Hadrat Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib (Allah be pleased with him)
4. Hadrat Ja�afar Tayyar (Allah be pleased with him)
5. Hadrat �Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah (Allah be pleased with him)
6. Hadrat Saeed bin Zaid (Allah be pleased with him)
7. Hadrat Tufail bin �Amar Doosi (Allah be pleased with him)
MUS�AB BIN �UMAIR
(May Allah be pleased with him)
Hadrat Mus�ab bin �Umair (May Allah be pleased with him) was a very handsome young man. He was the son of �Umair� a wealthy person. He brought up his son in quite a luxurious fashion. Mus�ab enjoyed the best of food, finest dresses and the best perfumes. Whenever Mus�ab passed through the streets, dressed in precious clothes and profusely perfumed, the sweet smell scented the atmosphere all around and the people gazed at him with amazement and appreciation. His beauty and charm was the talk of the town. Every person knew that Mus�ab�s parents were bringing up their son with great affection and care. Whenever the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) talked of him, he said
�There is nobody more handsome in Mecca than Mus�ab. There is no person in the city better clothed and fed than Mus�ab. There is no child brought up with mote affection and love than him.�
Due to his charming personality and being a lovely son of wealthy parents, every one- your or old- had a great regard for him. When he embraced Islam he was given a respectable place in Muslim society. But it was not due to his beauty, charm, good dress, good manners or wealth, but due to his piety and fear of God.
When he embraced Islam, he was put to severe hardships torture. The beauty and charm of his person faded. He was also deprived of the affection and care of his parents. But his virtues and piety won the appreciation of Allah and His Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). In his pursuit for winning the favour of Allah and his His Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), Mus�ab cared neither for good food, nor good dress. He was no more inclined towards costly cosmetics and perfumes, instead he devoted himself whole heartedly to serve the noble cause of Islam.
Mus�ab accepted Islam at a time when life had been made unbearable for Muslims. He was turned out of his home. Nobody talked to him. He was social boycotted. He had to suffer countless miseries. This pampered young man embraced Islam at a time when those who believed in Islam were refused food and water and were thrown in dark prison cells. Many bloodthirsty tyrants not satisfied with the infliction of pain and injury, often murdered their Muslim victims. There were other hard-hearted fellows who had invented various forms of torments, to inflict on poor Muslims. They enjoyed the writhing and wriggling of their Muslim prisoners. A Muslim thrown flat on the burning Arabian sand in the mid-day sun with very heavy stones placed his breast, or forcibly stretched on red hot coals to the enjoyment of the spectators, was an every day scene in Mecca.
Hadrat Mus�ab accepted Islam during that difficult period. One day a non believer saw him offering prayers. He at once informed his parents who turned hostile to their son. All the affection of his mother vanished. Al the love and care of his father changed into anger and grief. They admonished him. But, when they knew that he was firm, they tied him with ropes and threw him in a dark cell. He was kept in prison for a long time, but his belief in Islam was so deep that the torment of prison did not change his mind. He sacrificed everything and remained calm and quiet.
When the Muslims were ordered to migrate to Abyssinia, this Youngman, brought up like a Prince, also went to Abyssinia, alongwith the other devotees of Allah. When he returned from Abyssinia, people saw in him a different person- all the luster and geity was gone. He who would have scoffed at the most precious raiment, was wearing a dress made of coarse, worn-out blanket. The spectacle inspired amazement, and awe among the onlookers. His mother, too, pitied her son�s condition and repented of the harsh treatment, she had shown to him.
Meanwhile, Hadrat Mus�ab bin �Umair presented himself to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in such a condition that he had only a piece of skin with patches here and there to cover his body. When the Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) saw this, they hung their heads in awe. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) observed, �Al-hamd-o-Lillah ! Now the condition of the world and worldly people should change. This is the young man who had no equal in Mecca in the luxurious style in which he was brought up. But the regard for virtue and love for Allah and his Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) have made him indifferent to all worldly pleasures.�
During this period many people of Medina had accepted Islam. They requested the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to send them a preacher for teaching them the fundamentals of Islam. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) selected Hadrat Mus�ab bin �Umair for this purpose ; he gave him some instructions and sent him to Medina. Later events showed that mus�ab bin �Umair proved himself worthy of the confidence reposed in him.
On reaching Medina Hadrat Mus�ab begant to perform the duty entrusted to him with all the sagaci6ty necessary for a preacher. He went from door to door to convince the people for the message of Islam. Initially he talked to each person in terms which that person could understand, and then presented to him the message of Islam at the right moment. He recited before the people selected verses of the Holy Qur�an, which had a profound effect on their minds. He treated his visitors very politely. He had a natural gift for soft speech and people who approached him instantly became his friends. An incident is related below, as an example:
One day Hadrat Mus�ab bin �Umair was explaining some Islamic precepts to a group of Muslims. By chance an elite of Medina, Sa �ad bin ma �az happened to come there. He had heard about Mus�ab bin �Umair�s preaching for Islam and was very angry with him. He said to an influential person, Usaid bin Huzair, �Turn this preacher of Islam out of your neighbourhood. He has turned many persons away from the path of their ancestral faith. If I was not a relation of SA�ad ( with who Mus�ab was staying), I would not have asked you to do that, but would have done it myself.� Usaid at once took his spear and went to Sa �ad�s house. He called both of them and said furiously, �Who has called you here to lead the people astray? If your lives are dear to you, go away from this place at once.�
To this Hadrat Mus�ab replied very gently, �Please sit down and listen to us calmly. If you like what we say, then you may accept it otherwise we shall leave this place.� Us�ad stuck his spear in the ground and sat down to listen to what Mus �ab recited some verses of the Holy Qur�an. He explained to the audience the identity of Allah as the Creator, the Master and the Merciful, in such an impressive manner that in a short time Usaid was filled with the light of fidelity and he exclaimed, �What an excellent faith, How can I embrace Islam? After that he recited the Kalima and embraced Islam.
After some time Sa �ad bin Mu�az also arrived there mad with rage. But, he too was softened like wax by the sublime eloquence of Hadrath Mus�ab, and before he left he had already recited the Kalima about the Oneness of Allah and become a Muslim. Soon after all the inhabitants of Medina except a few, accepted Islam.
It was in Medina too that Hadrat Mus�ab bin �Umair did a remarkable work which shows his intelligence and tact in propagating the call of Islam. When the number is Muslims increased in Medina, he organized them in a body and requested permission of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to lay the foundation of Friday prayers.
When the permission of Friday prayers was granted his first talks was to deliver a very impressive address. Then he led the congregational Friday prayers with great reverence. In this way Hadrat Mus�ab bin �Umair had the honour of founding the Friday prayers. True, when Allah is please with a person. He entrusts him with such noble works. The successes which by the grace of Allah Hadrat Mus�ab achieved at Medina were constantly reported to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). When Mus�ab�s mission had been fully acomplished he led a group of Muslims to Mecca to bring the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to Medina. On arrival at Mecca the first thing which Hadrat Mus�ab did was to approach the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to give him a full report of the success of his mission. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was very pleased with Mus�ab�a account. A true Muslim (Momin) does not require anything else but the pleasure of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) of Allah.
Hadrat Mus�ab�s mother learnt that her son had returned home at last ; and that he was staying with someone else. She felt annoyed and sent him word : �My son! You have returned to a town, in which I reside. But woe to me! You have not come to see me!� The reply which Hadrat Mus�ab sent to his mother shows his sincere devotion to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He said, �I will not see anybody before I have paid homage to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)".
The account of Hadrat Mus�ab bin �Umair (peace be upon him) give above presents before �us an exemplary proof of the great love he had for Islam and the pains he took in presenting Islam to the non-believers. He sacrificed everything he possessed for the sake of Islam-his charm and beauty, his wealth and worldly belongings, his luxurious style of living and shed his attachment to his parents, his home- land, his people and his own country. In short everything which was dear to him, was sacrificed by him for Islam. But this chapter of the history of Hadrat Mus�ab bin �Umair (Allah be pleased with him) will remain incomplete without an account of his death.
It may be recollected that Hadrat Mus�ab bin �Umair (Allah be pleased with him) was not only very handsome, he did not only possess the qualities of submission and sacrifice, and he was not only a master of high intelligence and good eloquence, but he was also a gallant soldier, a fearless warrior and an able General. It was because of his gallantry that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had entrusted him with the charge of the highest banner of war, in the battle of Badr. At the battle of Uhud also he got the rare honour of holding the Muslim banner. The way in which the high office of holding the war banner was discharged in the two battles by this great devotee of Islam may be judged from the events of the Battle of Uhud.
In the battle of Uhud it so happened that the battle was lost for a while by a casual mistake of the Muslims. The non-believers of Mecca attacked the Muslims in the rear and thus disorganized the Muslim army. At that critical time Hadrat Mus�ab (Allah be pleased with him) kept the Islamic banner flying high. He attacked the forces of the enemy all alone. He could not think of acting against the order of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and making a retreat. At that time many non-believers attacked the Muslim warrior simultaneously and surrounded him. There were countless attacks on him by sword and spear.
With great valour he with stood the attack. He bore the cuts of the enemy on his breast, but held the Islamic banner in his hands firmly. During this attack one of the enemies stepped forward and cut off his right hand with one stroke of the sword. The hand fell on the ground. The banner was about to fall when he transferred it to his left hand. The enemy now took another chance and struck a second blow of sword on his left hand. Still Hadrat Mus�ab did not lose courage; he did not allow the banner to fall down; he held it by his breast, within the circle of his arms. The enemy was irritated to see such intrepid devotion.
In savage fury, he threw the sword on the ground and flung a spear at the breast of mus�ab. The pointed end of the blade pierced the chest, broke and remained embedded there.
The great hero, thus fell to the ground reciting the following Qur�anic verse :
Quranic Ayath (Aal Imran)
Wa ma Muhammad-dun illa rasulun qad khalat min qablehil rusul). Meaning : �And Muhammad (peace be upon him) is only a prophet of Allah. Many other Prophets have passed away before him.
When the keeper of Islamic banner fell, the banner fluttered in the air. Seing this Abul Room bin �Umair (Allah be pleased with him), brother of the martyr, moved forward and took over the banner. He protected its honour till the last.
When the battle came to an end the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) stood by the dead body of Mus�ab ibn �Umair (Allah be pleased with him) and recited the verse :
AAyath
AhZaab
(Minal momeneena rejalun sadqu ma �ahadullaha � alaihe) Meaning : �There are some persone among the devoted Muslims (momeneen) who kept ther promise made to Allah.�
Then the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed the dead body thus:-
�When I saw you for the first time in Mecca there was nobody more handsome and well-dressed than you. But, I see that today your hair is uncombed and only a sheet of clothe covers your body !�
the martyrs of Uhud could not get proper shrouds because in those days Muslims were poor and lacked money. Hadrat Mus �ab bin �Umair (Allah be pleased with him) had only a sheet of cloth over his body; if the head was covered, the feet were bare and when the feet were covered the head was left bare. At last his head was covered and the feet were covered with grass. Such was the shroud of Hadrat Mus �ab bin �Umair (Allah be pleased with him)- the great martyr of the Muslim nation.
HADRAT HAMZA
Chief of the Martyrs
Hadrat Hamza was related to the Holy Prophet{peace be upon him} in several ways. He was the Holy Prophet�s uncle on the one hand and, on the other, he was the son of his maternal aunt. Besides these family ties, he was also the Holy Prophet�s foster brother.
Again there was not much difference in their ages, Hamza was only two years older than the Holy Prophet {peace be upon him}. But in Islam no person is superior to the other by virtue of his race, family, nation or country. The criterion of superiority, in Islam, is fear of Allah, piety and devotion to the cause of Islam. Allah had favoured Hazrat Hamza{Allah be pleased with him}
With excellence in the arts of wrestling and swordsmanship. Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) used his talents and experience to its best in the cause of Islam and earned the title of �Chief of the Martyrs� from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
Hadrat Hamza was very fond of wrestling and hunting. He took great interest in swordsmanship and archery.
The call of Tauhid {belief in the oneness of Allah} was though given in his family first and spread fast throughout the city and 38 persons embraced Islam but Hadrat Hamza did not pay any attention to it in the beginning. He was so deeply attached to his pastimes that he hardly got any time to take notice of the new developments in his towards Islam in a peculiar way.
One day he was returning from a hunt. As he entered the city he met a slave-girl.
She said, �Had you come a bit earlier�, you would have seen the condition of your nephew, Muhammed (peace be upon him) . He was preaching his religion in the Ka�aba when Abu Jahl wildly abused and teased him. But Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not retaliate and went away with a broken heart.�
Hazrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) was enraged. He rushed towards the Holy Ka�ba. He was so excited that he did not even pay heed to his friends whom he met in the way. He went to the Ka�ba and found Abu Jahl sitting there with his companions. He pounced upon Abu Jahl and struck him with his bow on the head with such force that his head was broken. His companions ran to his rescue and said: �Hamza! It seems you, too, have forsaken your religion.�
Hamza said, �If truth dawns upon me, who is there to check me! Well I declare now and here that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a Prophet of Allah, and whatever he says is true. By Allah, I cannot go against Islam. If you can, try to check me.�
When Abu Jahl saw Hamza (Allah be pleased with him)in such a furious temper he asked his companions to leave Hamza alone.
Those were the days when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had taken refuge in the house of Arqam bin Abi Muslims from the torture and torments of the non-believers in Mecca. People could not dare to talk about Islam. But fearless as he was, Hadrat Hamza proclaimed the truth of Islam openly. The shows that no one among the people of Arabia had the courage to challenge Hamza (Allah be pleased with him). The fact is that with the acceptance of Islam by Hazrat Hamza
(Allah be pleased him) the whole situation suddenly changed. Now the non- believers had to think twice before inflicting any injury on the Muslims . Thus Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) showed his courage and valour for the first time in the cause of Allah.
The acceptance of Islam by Hamza ( Allah be pleased with him) did upset the enemies of Islam. They held meeting to decide new course of action. They considered several suggestions to suppress Islam. In their frustration they decided to put and end to the life of holy prophet (peace be upon him) by any means.
They offered a big reward for the purpose. Another man of grate courage and spirit in Mecca rose with a sword in his hand and marched toward the house of Arqam bin Abi Arqam. He was �umar, who was later known as � umar the Great, and second caliph of islam. Many compnions of the holy prophet (peace be upon him) were present there. When they came to know that �umar was coming they were perturbed but Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) said, �we don�t care. Let him come. If he is coming in sincerity, well and good otherwise I shall strike off his head with his own sword.�
Such was the courage and brevity of Hadrat Hamza and his confidence in the strength bestowed upon him by Allah.
The Arabs were very proud of their superior race and blood. This vanity proved hurdle in embracing Islam for many a sensible person. On the battlefield of Badr, Abul Bakhtari, pointed towards the holy prophet (peace be upon him) and say what do you think of him?� Abu Jahl said, �No doubt he is a truthful person. But, we cannot afford to sit at par with persons like Bilal!� Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) was a slave and had embraced Islam. In those days the slaves were regarded so low and mean that they could not claim any respect. The manner in which they were treated stands no comparison with the treatment shown to the Indian untouchables and the African Negroes, these day. But the teachings of Islam had changed the devoted companions, so much so, that they never made any discrimination between a man and a man on the basis of race, colour, wealth or caste. Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) was a very good example of it. The Holy prophet (peace be upon him) declared his notable slave, Zaid bin Harith (Allah be pleased with him) as the brother in Islam of his uncle Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) and they became so dear to each other that whenever one of them went out, heap pointed other as his heir and gave him instruction, by way of his will, in every matter. Thus Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) preferred Islam on everything else. He passed his life in total submission to Allah only. He gave up hunting and wrestling and devoted his whole time and energies to the cause of Islam.
In the thirteenth year of the prophet hood, Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) migrated along with the other companions of the Holy prophet (peace be upon him) to Medina. Here he got ample opportunities of displaying his strength and courage in the service of Islam. In the first instance the Holy prophet (peace be upon him) deputed thirty person to check the caravan of the non-belivers of Mecca under the command of Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) and, for the first time in history of Islam, Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) was entrusted the banner of Islam.
As this small detachment moved ahead it met a caravan of Quraish under the leadership of Abu Jahl. The caravan consisted of three hundred horsemen. Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) decided to confront the three hundred persons with his handful of companions. Finding Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) Majdi bin �Amar, a person from Mecca intervened and prevented an encounter. Both the parties withdrew to their positions The Holy prophet (peace be upon him) sent him on various military expeditions with very few persons at his command but he always succeeded in his assignments.
A little later the battle of Badr was fought. �Utba, the most experienced and brave man of the Meccan Quraish came forward along with his brother and son. From the side of Muslims, some Ansari youngmen advanced to meet them. But �Utba was so proud of his strength and bravery that he took it as his insult to face person below his standard. He cried out, �O Muhammad we cannot fight against person below our level. Send our equal to us.� The Holy prophet (peace be upon him) then sent Hadrat Hamza, Hazrat Ali and Hadrat �Ubaidah (May Allah be pleased with them) to meet the challenge. Hadrat Hamza attackad �Utba and killed him with the first blow. Next came Taeema bin Adi, another renowned warrior to take revenge. But he too met the same fate at the first stroke. The infidels infuriated by their loss made a full fledged attack on the muslims. Afierce battle took place. Hadrat Hamza wore a turban with an ostrich plume over it and thus looked very prominent among the Muslim warriors. He held swords in both of his hands and killed a number of infidels including their great warriors. The enemy could not face the fierce onslaught and took to his heels. The Muslims captured a number of infidels including some notaries of Mecca. Some of the prisoners asked, �Who was the man with the ostrich plume?�
�Hamza ( Allah be placed with was him ) was the answer.�
�He inflicted great losses on us.� They said.
The infidels of Mecca suffered heavy losses of life and property in this battle.
They did not forget their defeat and raised a big army next year to avenge the defeat and capture madina . The Holy Prophet ( peace be upon him), along with his devoted companions, checked the enemy at Uhud. A wrester, Saba came forward and challenged the Muslim warrior. Hadrat Hamza accepted his challenge and said, �Do you dare to fight against Allah and His Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) ?� then he struk Saba� with a heavy blow and killed him.
Soon a fieree battele started. Hadrat Hamza ( Allah be Pleased with him) had killed many a promint persons of the Quraish. So the Quraish were after his blood. They made many a concerted attack on Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) but every time he replled their attack and killed about thirty infidels.
Jubair bin Mut�im had specialy deputed a slave named Wahshi to take revenge for his uncle Ta�ima bin Adi. The slave was promised a handsome reward in addition to his freedom. Wahshi hid himself behind a rock in the battledfield and waited for an opportunity to attack Hadrat Hamza.Assoon as Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) came within range, Wahshi threw his weapon with full force to hit Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) It was such a deadly weapon that as it struck, Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) succumbed to his injury.
Men and women of the infidels rejoiced at the death of Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him). They sang and danced Abu Sufyan�s wife Hinda�s father was killed in the battle of Badr, by Harat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) She was so revengeful that she brought out the liver of Harat Hamza from his dead body and tried to munch and
Devour it, but she could not swallow and spat it out. Then she cut off the nose and ears of the dead body and made a neacklace of them When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) Heard of it he said :
�Did she eat any part of the body ?�
� No was the reply.
He (peace be upon him ) said : Allah will not let any part of Hamza �s body go to Hell.�
They Holly Prophet (peace be upon him ) then came to the dead body of his Uncle.
Hina had multilated the corpse and made it a horrible sight. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) saw the body and his heart was moved . He said, �Allah bless you, for you looked after your relations and surpassed others in noble deeds.But for the grief of Safia,
I would have left you here in this condition for animals and birds to eat. Then you could be raised from their stomachs on the day Destiny By Allah I shall take your revenge , I will chop off the nose and ears of seventy infidels ��
But Allah forbade the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to do so, and he resigned to the Will of Allah.
Hazrat Safia was the sister of Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him). When she heard the news of her brother�s martyrdom, she went to see the face of her departed brother. But the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) did not allow her to go near the corpse and sent her back with words of consolation. Before her departure, Hadrat Safia gave two sheets of cloth to her son Hadrat Zubair (Allah be pleased with him)to make the shroud. By chance the dead body of an Ansari was also lying nearby. So he gave one sheet was, however, insufficient to �cover the body of the Ansari martyr. A single sheet was, however, insufficient to �cover the body of Hadrat Hamza. If the head was covered, the feet were left uncovered; and when the feet were left uncovered; and when the feet were covered, the head was left bare. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) therefore advised to cover the head and place grass and leaves over the feet.
In such awe-inspiring circumstances the shroud of �the chief of Masrtyrs� was prepared. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) himself led the prayers. Then the coffins of all the martyr of Uhud were placed, one by one, in a line. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) led the last prayers for each martyr individually. Thus after seventy prayers, the martyrs were laid to rest.
The extent of love the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had for Hadrat Hamza can be judged from the following incident:
Wahshi, the assasin of Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam after some time and presented himself to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) who said:
�Are you Wahshi:
�Yes, sir�, was the answer.
�Did you kill Hamza?� said the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
�Whatever you know is correct, Sir,�
the man said.
�Can you hide your face from me for ever?� said the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
Wahshi left the place at once and did not show his face during the life time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
This was the great martyr of Islam, who devoted his Godgift qualities to the service of Islam, from the day he embreaced it.
Hadrat Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) married several women from whom he has a number of children but they all died during their childhood. Only one, a girl named Amama survived, who was left in Mecca at the time of migration.
After the conquest of Mecca, when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions (Allah be pleased with them) were returning to Medina, Amama ran after them crying: O my brother, O my brother !� Hadrat �Ali (Allah be pleased with him) took her in his arms and said, �O Prophet of Allah, let me take this girl under my care. She is my cousin. I will look after her�. Hadrat Zaid bin Harisa presented his claim over her and said, �I am Hamza�s brother and custodian of his will. She is my niece. I have a right over her�.
Hadrat Ja�far Tayyar pressed his claim saying, �She is my cousin and her maternal aunt is my wife.�
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) gave his decision in favour of Hadrat Ja�far Tayyar (Allah be pleased with him) since a maternal aunt is equal to the mother in relation.
When Amama reached the age of puberty Hadrat Ali (Allah be pleased with him) suggested to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to marry her. But the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) refused, saying �Hamza was my foster brother too. I cannot marry his daughter.�
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had 10 or 11 l uncles. Four of them earned a great name in history---Abu Talib, Abu Lahab, Hadrat Hamza and Hadrat Abbas. Abu Talib earned prominence because he brought up his orphan nephew , Hadrat Mohammad (peace be upon him) with great love and care and always supported and protected him. Abu Lahab got the evil reputation because of his enmity with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He always tried his best to destroy Islam. Both Hadrat Hamza and Hadrat �Abbas ( Allah be pleased with them) embraced Islam and remained firm and strong in their faith in Islam. They could sacrifice anything and take any risk to earn the pleasure of Allah. They proved their loyalty to Islam by their words and deeds, putting their resources and their life at stake to serve the cause of Islam.
Though Abbas (Allah be pleased with him)was an uncle of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), there was not much differences in their ages. He was nearly two and a half years older than the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He had a great love for his nephew. Wherever they worked together, Hadrat Abbas never allowed the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to undergo any hard work. Once the Holy Ka�aba was under repairs, everybody from Quraish, young or old took part in this sacred project. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and his uncle, Hadrat Abbas were bringing stones along with other children. While working, the Holy Prophet�s shoulder was bruised. His uncle Abbas (Allah be the pleased with him) was upset and without any hesitation he took off his own loin-cloth and put it on the shoulders of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) as a pad to protect him from bruises.
His love for the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) developed more and more with the age. Even before embracing Islam he supported the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in every matter. When he embraced Islam he devoted himself whole-heartedly to the mission of the Prophet (peace be upon him) conveyed the message of Islam to the people in Mecca and invited them to submit before Allah, Hadrat Abbas did not concede apparently but he was fully aware of the impact and implications of the message of Islam and had all his sympathies with it . Thus, when 70 Medinities approached the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in the valley of Mina, during the Hajj session, and requested him to migrate to Medina, Hadrat Abbas was also present at the secret meeting. The speech which he made on that occasion not only showed his vast experience and sincerity of purpose, but also revealed that he understood fully the difficulties in the way of Islamic movement. He said:
�You know that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is highly respected and revered in our family. We have always protected him against the enemies. Now he wants to accompany you. If you can stand by his side till death, I do not object; otherwise you should not take the risk.�
The Ansars gave assurance of their sincere and wholesale support. Hadrat Abbas was satisfied, and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) migrated to Medina after a few days. Hadrat Abbas stayed in Mecca, but his heart was with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). At Medina, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) conquered Khyber, a stronghold of the Jews. Somebody in Mecca spread the rumour that the Muslims have suffered a smashing defeat in Khyber and that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has been taken prisoner and a number of his followers have been killed.
The Meccans were jubilant at the news, but there was mouring and wailing at the house of Hadrat Abbas. Hadrat Abbas could not believe it and sought confirmation of the news from his sources. Soon he came to know that the news was entirely false and that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had gained a decisive victory over the enemies. Then the joy of Hadrat Abbas knew no bounds. He changed his dress took hold of his walking stick, and arriving at Ka�aba began to make rounds of the sacred house in a blissful mood. People taunted him saying:
�By Allah! Such a great calamity, and such a show of resignation !�
Hadrat Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) retorted, �By the same Allah, of whom you have sworn, what you say is quite incorrect. You must know that Khyber has been conquered, and every inch of its land is in the possession of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)and his followers.�
When the Meccans made enquiries, they found that the information of Hadrat Abbas was correct. They felt small and humiliated and licked their wounds.
Not only did Hadrat �Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) share the sorrows and joys of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), but he coveyed important news of Mecca to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) though he was still out of the pale of Islam. He also helped the poor Muslims who could not migrate to Medina for lack of resources. Whenever Hadrat �Abbas thought of migrating to Medina for lack of resources. Whenever Hadrat �Abbas thought of migrating to Medina, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) stopped him and said: �It is better, if you stay in Mecca. Just as I am the last of the line of Prophets, you shall be the last person to migrate from Mecca.�
The Quraish of Mecca thought that �Abbas was attached to Muhammad (peace be upon him) only with the relation of blood but he did not contribute to the faith of Islam. On this assumption they compelled him to fight against the Muslims in the battle of Badr. Hadrat Abbas had to go, along with them to the battlefield. But the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) knew fully well the position of Hadrat Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) and, had issued insturctions to his companions saying:
�Do not kill �Abbas, if you happen to meet him in battle, since he has been brought into the battlefield by force.�
In the battle of Badar, Allah bestowed success upon the Muslims. Hadrat �Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) was taken prisoner. He was tied with ropes so mercilessly that he groaned with pain. Knowing him in distress, the Holy Prophet (pease and blessing be upon him) could not sleep. As soon as the holy companions came to know of it, they loosened the bonds of Hadrat Abbas.
Such was the love and affection between the Holy Prophet (pease and blessing be upon him) and his uncle Hadrat Abbas. But in the matter of justice and principles no love and affection did count. When the question of releasing the captives on payment of ransom, arose, Hadrat Abbas was asked to pay a heavy sum of money. In reply, Hadrat Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) argued that he was a Muslim by heart but could not dare to disclose it because of the situation obtaining in Mecca. The infidels forced him to take part in the battle of Badar., The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: �Allah alone knows what is there in one�s heart. If you speak the truth, Allah will reward you. But no concession can be given to you.�
Hadrat Abbas said that he was a poor man. This Plea, too, was not accepted. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said �I know you have deposited a big amount of money with your wife,� Hadrat Abbas was a we-stricken. He said, �By Allah, no one else knew about that money beside myself and my wife. No doubt you are the Prophet of Allah�. Then he paid a large sum of money in ransom. This brought release to him and two other captives, his nephew Aqil and Naufal bin Haris.
In short Hadrat Abbas stayed in Mecca for a considerable time without publicizing his views. He got permission to migrate to Medina shortly before the conquest of Mecca. So he took his wife and children with him and reached Medina. There he publicly proclaimed that he had embraced Islam. This sent a wave of joy and happiness among the Muslims and Hadrat �Abbas began to support the Muslims openly.
Hadrat �Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) was very wealthy before embracing Islam. After the death of his father, he took charge of the management of the Ka �ba and of providing the pilgrims with water. He performed this duty very efficiently till his migration to Medina. His source of income was trade. He lent money on interest. After the conquest of Mecca in 10 A.H. the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered a farewell sermon on the occasion of his last Hajj in which he declared that usury was prohibited (haram) by Allah, He said:
Henceforth the business of lending money on interest is forbidden. And the first interest, I forego, is that of �Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib.�
After this proclamation all the income of Hadrat �Abbas from usury stopped. The business in Mecca has already closed at the time of his migration to Medina. So the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) helped him with the property seized in battles and also gave him some portion of the income from Fidak, a garden which was owned by the Holy Prophey (peace be upon him). Hadrat �Abbas spent this money very generously. He was a very effective. During the caliphate of Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him), once there were no rains and the country faced a dreadful famine. Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him) requested Hadrat Abbas to pray for Allah�s mercy. As soon as Hadrat �Abbas raised his hands in prayer the clear sky was covered with dense clouds and it rained so heavily that there was plenty of water for a good harvest.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had a great regard and respect for Hadrat �Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) on account of his extreme love and effection as well as his great qualities and character. If any one put him to grief, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was displeased and used to say; �Abbas is the uncle of the Prophet of Allah and an uncle is equal in status to the father.�
Sometimes he (peace be upon him) would say: �Abbas is the uncle of the Prophet of Allah. He is the most generous among the Quraish and has great regard of his relations.� Once the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed Hadrat �Abbas thus:
�By Allah Who is my Creator, whosoever does not love you for the sake of Allah and his Prophet, will be devoid of faith. My uncle is just like my father to me.� When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, people went to Hadrat �Abbas to offer their condolences.
Hadrat �Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) has a powerful voice. In the battle field when nothing could be audibel in the noise of the clash of weapons and the shouts of soldiers, Hadrat �Abbas�s voice could be easily heard. Once he said: �In the battle of Hunain, I was holding the reins of the horse of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and was running by its side. At the height of the battle, the enemy made such a wild attack that the Muslims were dispersed. The Holy Prophet cried, �Abbas ! call the spearmen. I had a loud voice, so I shouted, �O you people with spears! Where are you?� The retreating warriors heard the call and turned towards the enemy and made them retreat. Thus a lost battle was won.�
A simple story is related here about Hadrat �Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) which contains many a lessons for those who wish to seek the pleasure of Allah. The story is like this�
�During the days of Hadrat �Umar Farooq, some people complained that the water outlet of the roof of Hadrat Abbas opened towards the holy mosque. When ever it rains the water collected on his roof falls in the courtyard of the mosque and the people offering prayers are put to great difficulty. The Caliph ordered the water outlet to be closed. Hadrat �Abbas filed a suit against the Caliph. In his petition he argued that the water outlet was in the same position even during the days of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), and that it has been closed without his permission.
The Qadi heard the case. He called witnesses and then gave the verdict in favour of Hadrat �Abbas. Hadrat �Abbas opened the water outlet in the presence of Hadrat �Umar Farooq (peace be upon him). When it was done, the uncle of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
�O, leader of the faithfull. Had I forsaken my claim, the people might have suspected that I had done so because of your fear and to gain your favour. Now that I have won the case, I donate this house for the sake of Allah. Now you may use this house as you wish.�
Thus in the pursuit of seeking pleasure of Allah, Hadrat �Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) died at the age of 88. Among his children Hadrat �Abdullah bin �Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) was a renowned companion of the Holy Prophet.
Hadrat Ja �far Tayyar was the brother of Hadrat �Ali (Allah be pleased with him. His father�s name was Abu Talib. By this relation Hadrat Ja �far was a first cousin of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). After the death of his parents and his grandfather, the Holy Prophet )peace be upon him) had lived with Abu Talib. Hence Hadrat Ali and Hadrat Ja �far Tayyar (Allah be pleased with them) loved him very much. Since they had been so close, they were well acquainted with each other. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) loved Hadrat Ja �far not because he was his first cousin, but because of his virtues.
When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) preached Islam to the members of his own family for the first time, Hadrat �Ali (Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam at once. After a few days when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was offering his prayers with Hadrat �Ali (Allah be pleased with him), Abu Talib suddenly came in with Hadrat Ja �far, Abu Talib saw his son and nephew engaged in prayers with great reverence. He was much impressed by this scene. He said to Hadrat Ja �far, �My dear son, you may also join them.� Hadrat Ja �far (Allah be pleased with him) at once stood at the left side of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He said the prayers. For the first time in his life he felt such exceeding joy in offering worship to one Allah that never again did he think of worshipping any other god. He testified faith in one Allah and ever remained a faithful follower of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
In those days it was not easy to follow Islam. The infidels of Mecca constantly harassed and persecuted even highly placed persons for the �crime� of embracing Islam. When Abu Talib was alive he restrained the infields to a great extent with his personal influence and kind temper. But after his death the persecution of the infidels became unbearable. Hazrat Ja �far was no exception. When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) saw that the cruelties of the Quraish had become intolerable, he ordered the Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia. By the order of their beloved Prophet (peace be upon him ), a party of Muslims migrated to Abyssinia. Hadrat Ja �far accompanied them.
The immigrants had hardly reached Abyssinia when a group of Quraish pagans arrived. Their sole purpose was to bring back the immigrants to Mecca, and take revenge from them. They presented themselves in the court of the Najashi, king of Abyssinia, and said.
�O king, some of our misguided youth have forsaken the religion of their ancestors and have embraced a new faith. They have run away from their motherland to your kingdom. We have been sent by their elders and relations to you with the request that they be asked to go back with us. We hope you will kindly allow us to take them back.�
Najashi was a very intelligent and good-natured king. He did not think it proper to hand over the immigrants to them without making an enquiry. He called the Muslims to his court and said: �What is that religion for which you left the religion of your ancestors ?�
The Muslims deputed Hadrat Ja �far to answer Najashi. On that occasion Hazrat Ja �far delivered a remarkable speech before the non-Muslims. His speech contained good criticism of the existing society on the one hand, and on the other, it was a comprehensive account of Islam, and its values. This speech, though short, was very eloquent. He said:
�O king, our people were ignorant and wild. We worshipped idols. We ate the flesh of the dead. We committed evil. We teased our neighbours. The strong tormented the weak. We usurped the rights of our relations. Oppression and evil was our daily routine of life, when Allah, with all his kindness sent towards us a man from amongst us as His Prophet. We knew him well and found him most honest and trust worthy, pious and virtuous, who commanded great respect and confidence in Mecca. He forbade us to worship idols and associate other deities with Allah. He convinced us of the Oneness of Allah, and truth and honesty. He taught us how to love the neighbours and relations and avoid telling to lie. He told us not to murder any one without reason. He prohibited deception, wrangling and evil and warned to keep our hands off the orphan�s property. He forbade us to make false accusation against anybody. He called the people to abandon idolatory, believe in one God, offer prayers, observe fasts and pay zakat. We have full faith in him and follow the way of life practiced by him. We abandoned idolatory and submit to One God. We came to know of lawful and unlawful. Consequently our own community and our friends turned into foes because of the change in our life and our views. They were determined to bring us back to idolatory and other evil practices by tormenting us and even take our lives if necessary. When their brutalities became unbearable we migrated to your country under orders of our Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
Najashi listened to this speech attentively and then he said: �Recite to me some verses from the Book revealed to your Prophet.� Hadrat Ja �far (Allah be pleased with him), recited some verses from Surah Maryam. Najashi was deeply moved. He said: �By Allah! Your Holy Book and our Holy Book, the Old Testament, get light from the same source.� Then he told the Meccans very plainly, �By Allah, I will never hand over the Muslims to you.�
Having failed in their trick, the Quraish thought of another plan. They again presented themselves in Najashi�s court and said: �Sire, Do you know what is the opinion of these Muslims about Christ?� Najashi called the Muslims again for a reply. The Muslims hesitated because Islam refutes the Chiristians� belief that Christ is the son of God. They feared that Najashi would get angry on hearing the truth. But Hadrat Ja �far (Allah be pleased with him) resolved that he would speak the truth at all cost and that he would present before Najashi the correct view of Islam about Jesus Christ. He said, �We believe in Christ as a devotee of Allah, a Prophet and His soul,� Najashi picked up a piece of straw from the ground and said: �By God, The Christ, son of Mary, is nothing more than what you said, not even to the worth of an straw.
The Quraish returned without any success, and Hadrat Ja �far stayed in Abyssinia with other Muslims. Meanwhile the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) migrated to Medina from Mecca. Khyber was conquered in 7 A. H. Now, the Muslim immigrants in Abyssinia also went to Medina. The love and affection, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had with Hadrat Ja �far, may be judged from the way they both met. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) embraced his dear consin as he came to him and kissing his forehead with affection said, �I do not know whether the return of Ja �far has pleased me more, or the conquest of Khyber.�
In the eighth year of Hijrah three thousand Muslims met one lakh Romans in the battle of Mauta. Hadrat Zaid bin Haritha led the Muslim army. Hadrat Ja �far also took part in this battle. Hadrat Zaid laid down his life for the cause of Islam.
Next to him Hadrat Ja �far commanded the Muslim army. He broke through the ranks of the enemy with the Muslim flag in his hand, and pushed the enemy back. But the overwhelming number of the enemy held sway everywhere. Hadrat Ja �far�s whole body had innumerable wounds upon it. He lost both of his hands. He was so dauntless that when one hand was cut off and it fell to the ground, he supported the banner with his second hand. And, when the second hand was also cut off, the bold soldier of Islam did not allow the banner to fall down, but pressed it to his breast, and the Romans killed him in that position.
�Abdullah bin �Umar (Allah be pleased with him) had also joined this battle. He says, �When I searched out the dead body of Ja �far (Allah be pleased with him), I counted fifty wounds on his body at the front; the number of all the wounds over the whole body was more than ninety. But, by Allah, he had no wound on his back.�
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) at once knew about the couse of events in this battle through the Holy Ghost. Tears began to flow from his eyes. Gabriel, the Holy Ghost had also informed the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that Allah had given two wings to Hazrat Ja �far in place of his lost arms, with which he was flying about in the Eternal Gardens. In the Arabic language the flier is termed �tayyar�. So he became known as �Ja �far Tayyar� (Allah be pleased with him).
Hazrat Ja �far Tayyar (Allah be pleased with him) possessed many other qualities besides courage and chivalry. He was associated with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) ever since his childhood, and was fully acquainted with the spirit and implications of Islam. He strictly followed the commandments Allah and the Holy Prophet throughout his life and acquired a very high and respectable position among the companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Hadrat Abu Huraira says: �On several occasions I tied pebbles to my stomach to lesson the pangs of hunger. And, while in desperate hunger, I used to ask the meaning of some Qur�anic verses from well to do persons, (although I knew their meaning) in the hope that they would take me home and feed me. In helping the poor and needy I found Ja �far (Allah be pleased with him) better than others. He would take us home and put before us anything he had. Sometimes he served us with an empty bag of honey or butter and tore it open, so that we could satisfy our hunger by licking it.
This shows that Hadrat Ja �far (Allah be pleased with him) was very hospitable. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to call him �Abul Masakeen� (guardian of the needy). The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) once said.
�Ja �far! You resemble me in features as well as in habits.�
That was why the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) regarded him as one of his fourteen trusted friends. Hadrat Ja �far�s son �Abdullah says :
�Whenever I asked my uncle, Hadrat �Ali (Allah be pleased with him) for something, he refused; but when I demanded anything in the name of my father, Ja �far, he would never refuse.
HADRAT UBAIDA BIN AL-JARRAH
CUSTODIAN OF THENATION (Aminul Ummah)
(Allah be pleased with him)
Hadrat �Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah (Allah be pleased with him) is one of those ten holy companions who received the tidings during lifetime that they are destined to go to Paradise. Another distinction of Hadrat �Ubaida was the title of �Amin-ul-Ummah�, i.e. �Custodian of the Nation,� conferred upon him by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). An account of his life would inspire us to follow the trial set by him and serve the cause of Islam with same zeal and fervour to earn the pleasure of Allah and an eternal reward.
Before embracing Islam, Hadrat Abu �Ubaida was one of Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq�s friends. When Siddiq-i-Akbar (Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam, he invited all of his friends to Islam. None of his intelligent and sensible friends lagged behind in acquiring the blessings of Islam. Such famous companions as Zubair and Talha (Allah be pleased with them) embraced Islam on the invitation and preaching of Siddiq-i-Akbar (Allah be pleased with him). Also, persons of sound judgement like Abdul Rahman bin �Auf, zealous warriors like Sa�d bin Waqqas, persons of intergrity like �Othman bin �Affan and Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with them) embraced Islam through his efforts.
Hadrat �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) ranks high in the merit list of first converts to Islam who endured the unbearable, torments of the infidels of Mecca. He went through all their barbarities and persecution and never did he stagger. He had to leave his home, family, wealth and property. Twice he migrated to Abyssinia and made his third migration to Medina. There too the Muslims were not allowed to live in peace. The infidels of Mecca challenged the Muslims in the battle of Badr. Hadrat Abu �Ubaida took part in the battle with great zeal. This can be judged from the fact that Hadrat �Ubaida was in the ranks of the Muslim army, while his father opposed him in the enemy forces. The father tried his best to make his son, Abu �Ubaida, a target of his arrows, while the son avoided confrontation with his father. But when �Ubaida saw that his father did not refrain from aiming at his own son, the love for Allah overcame the filial affection, and he killed him with one stroke of his sword. This shows that, in matters of religion, all relations such as mother, father, sisters, brother, and ties such as race and nation are severed, and a devotee of Allah is cut off from every body and devotes himself to the service of Allah only. The Holy Quran says about such devotees of Islam:--
�You will not find folk who believe in Allah and the last Day loving those who oppose Allah and his Messengers, even though they be their fathers or their sons or their brethren or their kin. As for such, He has written faith upon their hearts and has strengthened them with a devotion to Him.� 58 : 22
The battle of Badr was followed by the battle of Uhud. In this battle his Holy Prophet received an injury on the face, and two pieces of iron from the armour were plunged into the flesh of his face, Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) pulled out the splinters with his teeth, and in this process broke two of his teeth. But that devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) did not take any notice of that until he had extracted the iron pieces.
Besides the battles of Badr and Uhud, Hadrat Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) stood by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in all the other battles too. He always fought gallantly against the enemy. In addition to taking part in all these battles, Abu �Ubaida completed with success every assignment given to him by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) once dispatched Umar bin al�As (Allah be pleased with him) with a body of troops on an expendition. On reaching there Umar bin al�As (Allah be pleased with him) asked for some reinforcements to be sent to him. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) sent two hundred warriors under the command of Hadrat Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him).
The importance of this auxiliary force can be judged by the fact, that among others it included men like Abu Bakr Siddiq and �Umar Farooq (Allah be pleased with them).
With the arrival of the reinforcement a problem cropped up. In the presence of the most eminent companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) who should command the forces? Hadrat �Amar bin al�As (Allah be pleased with him) was no match to Hadrat Siddiq Akbar, Hadrat Umar Farooq and Hadrat Abu Ubaida. Amar bin al�As insisted that he should continue as the commander for strategic reasons. Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) agreed with him. This event shows the loftiness of Abu �Ubaida�s character. He had gained so much in the company of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in terms of piety, virtue and character that after the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq and Hadrat �Umar Farooq (Allah be pleased with them) entrusted him with missions of great responsibility. The invasion of Syria was an important Issue during the period of the first two caliphs. Serious encounters had taken place with the Christians at Damascus, Makhal, Ladqia,Yarmouk and several other places. Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) commanded the Muslim armies very efficiently. A few events of the battle at Yarmouk are cited here, as example.
Hadrat Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) marched intoi the territory of the Roman emperor Hercules, after defeating his armies and conquering several forts. The Roman Emperor was aghast, He warned all the Christian states about the looming danger. He raised a huge army and the Christians made a vow to drive the Muslims out of their land. Receiving the news Hadrat Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) halted at Hamas and called a meeting of his subordinate officers. After delivering a fervent address, he held a council of war.
A veteran suggested: �We should go out to meet the enemy leaving the women folk and the children in the city. We should write at the same time to Hadrat Khalid bin Walid and Hadrat �Umar bin al�As (Allah be pleased with them) to reach here as soon as possible from Damascus and Palestine.� By the time the Muslim had occupied Hamas and its Christian inhabitants had agreed to pay Jizia (protection money) and remain faithful to the Muslim. But the Muslims and the Christians had no experience of one another. So, another Muslim veteran said:
�We should not leave our families at the mercy of Chiristians.�
General Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) observed
�Should then we get the city evacuated by the Christians as our first step..�
Sharjil bin Hasana (Allah be pleased with him) rose and said:
�O our leader ! It would be breach of faith and a violation of agreement in the eyes of Islamic law, and you cannot do that.�
The custodian of the Muslim nation, Abu �Ubaida (Ameen ul Millat), could not imagine to go against the principles of Islam at any cost. He conceded the point and returned the protection money received as Jizia to the Christians of the city with the remarks,
�Jizia was collected from you as a token money for your protection. Since we are not ina position to guarantee protection to you we have no right to keep the money with us.�
The Christians of Hamas had never seen such a character and fairplay. They were moved to tears and prayed �May Allah bring you back soon!
On learning the evacuation of Hamas by the Muslim occupants, Hercules as greatly encouraged. The Romans gathered a huge force in Yarmouk to rout the Muslims and remove the danger of Islam for ever. But there were men among the Romans who knew the metal of Muslims and their courage and fearlessness. They advised their courage and fearlessness. They advised their leadership to avoid confrontation with the Muslim forces. Consequently a Roman named George was sent as a messenger to negotiate with the Muslims, he was very much impressed with their honesty and character. He also met Hadrat Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) and discussed religion with him. He could not resist the appeal and embraced Islam. Now he had no desire to return; but his stay was likely to arouse suspicions in the Roman forces. Hadrat Abu �Ubaida said: �Go back now ; tomorrow when some persons from our side shall go in your army, you may come back with them.�
Next day some persons from the Muslim army went to the Roman camp, but the terms of truce could not be agreed upon and the battle started, The enemy was several hundred thousand strong while the Muslims were thirty-two thousand only. However, the commander of the Muslim army planned his strategy with such skill that, by the grace of Allah, the enemy was completely routed. Seventy thousand of their troops lay dead. It proved a decisive blow and the Roman lost all the forts one by one.
Hadrat Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him) was not only a good military strategist but a diplomat too, who commanded a great respect among the infidels of Mecca. The treaty of Hudaibia between the Mecca and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), bore the witnesses of Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him).
In the ninth year after Hijra, some people from Najran presented themselves to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and requested him to send with them a learned and pious person to educate them in Islam. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) deputed Abu �Ubaida for the purpose and said:
�He is the custodian of Muslim nation I am sending him with you.�
After the death of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), when the election of Caliph was under discussion Hadrat Siddiq-e-Akabr (Allah be pleased with him) proposed Abu �Ubaida�s name for this office and said to the Muslims:
�Here is Abu �Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah (Allah be pleased with him). He has been bestowed with the title of Amin-ul-Ummah. If you agree he is best suited for the job. Hadrat Abu �Ubaida stepped forward and took an other of allegiance to Hadrat Siddiq-e-Akbar (Allah bepleased with him). After him all the Muhajirin and Ansars took oath of allegiance.
Hadrat Abu �Ubaid (Allah bepleassed with him) was very much particular about the Islamic principles of equality. He faithfully obeyed Allah and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He knew no distinction between an officer and his subordinate. Once during a battle he camped at Makhal. The enemy sent a messenger to him to negotiate peace. When the messenger arrived in theMuslim camp he was amazed to see that every Muslim, high or low, was imbued with the same spirit. He looked in every direction to locate the tent of the commander, but he could not. He was perplexed and enquired: �Who is your commander, please?� The men took him to Hadrat Abu �Ubaida (Allah be pleased with him), who was sitting on the ground. The messenger was stunned, by this humility and said: �Are you the chief, really?� Then he discussed with him some important matters and went away.
Many welfare projects started by Hadrat �Umar Farooq (Allah be pleased with him) in Syria, were completed by Hadrat Abu �Ubaida. When famine struck Arabia in 18 A. H. he sent four thousand camels loaded with grain from Syria. He was so keen in the propogation of Islam that he never forgot his duty. Thousands of Romans and Syrians embraced Islam impressed by his high character and excellent conduct.
Although Abu Ubaida was the Governor General of Syria, he was so simple that he wore very ordinary dress and kept only one she-camel for personal conveyance. The camel too had no decorations and was stringed with an ordinary cord. Once Hadrat �Umar Farooq (Allah be pleased with him) paid a visit to Syria. He came to see his governor and found nothing with him except a sword, a shield, and a camel�s saddle. Hadrat �Umar said:
�What a pity, Abu �Ubaida you should at least have provided yourself with some bare necessities of life.
Abu �Ubaida replied: �Sir, all that I possess is more than enough for me.
Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him) sent to him four hundred dinars and four thousand dirhams. Abu �Ubaida accepted the money and distributed it among the troops. When Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him) came to know of this, he said:
�All praise be to Allah! What a sort of persons have been produced by Islam.�
Thus the �Custodian of the Muslim nation� passed whole of his life in obedience to Allah and His Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Even in the last moments of his life he followed the teachings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He was infected by plague at Jabia and breathed his last in the epidemic. He refused to leave the epidemic ridden locality to save his life as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) disapproved of it to run away from any place for fear of life.
Hadrat Saeed (Allah be pleased with him) enjoys the odd distinction among the companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that his father, Zaid hated idolatory and its attendant evils even before the advent of Islam. He was so temperate that the advent of Islam. He was so temperate that he refused to accept the meat offered to gods as sacrifice and said boldly, �I do not taker the meat of animals sacrified for your gods��� But, although he did not believe in idol-worship, he wondered which is the path that leads to one Allah. He traveled far and wide in search of the truth. He met the learned rabbis among the Jews. He visited the Christian priests and put before them his spiritual dilemma. They said, �You will find pure �Tauhid (belief in one God) in �Deen-e-Haneef, only. Zaid said, �what is Deen-e-Haneef.�
They explained, �Deen-e-Haneef is the religion of Hadrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him)�. They could not tell anything else about it. Zaid returned to Mecca with the name of Deen-e-Ibrahim and a great curiosity for it. People would see him often sitting with his back to the wall under the Holy Ka �ba, and saying �By Allah, none among you, besides me, adheres to the religion of Ibrahim.�
This pious man died with a burning desire in his heart to see Deen-e-Hanif in its complete and pure form. However, his virtuous son responded zealously to the call of Din-I-Ibrahim (Islam) in its complete form, presented by Hadrat Muhammad (peace be upon him). For , to him, the call to Tauhid was not unfamiliar. His faithful wife also joined him in embracing Islam.
Those were the days when the pagans could not tolerate anybody embracing Islam, especially, when a person from their own family turned Muslim, the other members of the clan considered it a mark of personal shame before their friends and relatives.
Hence the person who inflicted the most painful torture upon his Muslim relation was foten his non-believer father, brother, or some other close relative.
The wife of Hadrat Saeed (Allah be pleased with him), Fatinah, was the sister of Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him). The sister got the treasure of Islam through her husband ; but the brother embraced Islam through his sister!
It is an awe-inspiring event of history. The infields of Mecca pressed Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him) to kill the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him) took his sword and went out to find the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) took his sword and went out to find the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).In the way he met a friend who said, �Where are you going �Umar ?�
�I am going to kill Muhammad �, said �Umar.
�Well, look to your own house fisrst. Go and see your own sister and husband. They have embraced Islam� taunted the friend.
These words added fuel to his rage. Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him) went to his brother-in-law�s house in a fit of frenzy. He began to beat his brother-in-law Hadrat Saeed (Allah be pleased with him) mercilessly.When Fatimah (Allah be pleased with her) saw her brother�s cruelty and her husband�s perseverance, she came forward to intercede. Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him) became more enraged, and he beat his sister even more. But he could not lead both of them astray from the path of Islam. The sister said very boldly.
�O �Umar ! You may take our lives but you cannot take Islam out of our hearts. If you do not follow the truth, your Creator will take revenge from you.�
Seeing the fortitude of his sister and brother-in-law, Umar (Allah be pleased with him) stood aghast. The sister�s words moved his heart. He grew calm, and said, �Then let me listen to what you were reading.� Hadrat Saeed (Allah be pleased with him) recited some verses from the Holy Qur�an. The time had come. Allah�s blessings were with him. So when he pondered over the meaning of those verses, he was altogether changed. He had come to slay his sister and her husband, but when he got up to depart, the truth of Islam had fully dawned upon him. He had no way out but to go to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and embrace Islam. Thus by the will of Allah, Hadrat Saeed (Allah be pleased with him) became an instrument to lead Hadrat �Umar (Allah be pleased with him) to embrace Islam.
From the books on the life-history of Hadrat Saeed (Allah be pleased with him), we come to know that he never did any thing throughout his life against the teaching of Allah and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). A phrase by a historian depicts a very true picture of him. It says that �Hadrat Saeed (Allah be pleased with him) always covered the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) keeping himself ahead and in front of him in the battle and always stood behind him in prayers. He took part in a number of battles, even after the death of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), for the sake of Islam, and fought very bravely.
He was offered the office of a Governor on account of his courage and administrative abilities, but he did not accept it.
Once he was appointed Governor of Damascus without his consent. He wrote to Hadrat Abu �Ubaidah (Allah be pleased with him), �I am unable to offer such a sacrifice : You will perform Jehad while I will be deprived of it. Please send someone else to replace me as soon as you receive this letter. I am coming to you soon.� Later, he fought as an ordinary soldier in all the battles which were waged for the cause of Islam. He passed the rest of his life in perfect peace. Allah had favoured him with a heart full of patience and resignation. He did not ever incline towards the mundane pleasures of life. He disliked taking an oath. Once he had to attend a court of law in connection with a suit. The Qadi asked him to speak on oath. He withdrew his case and abandoned his claim. His submission to faith, his fear of Allah, and his services for the cause of Islam, earned him the glad tidings from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) during his lifetime that he would enter the Eternal Gardens in the life hereinafter. He expired at the age of seventy years, and met his Creator striving continuously to seek His Pleasure.
HADRAT TUFAIL BIN �AMAR DOSI
(Allah be pleased with him)
Wicked people adopt many ways to suppress the truth. One of their methods is to spread false propaganda against the person who calls to the truth. They try to stop the people from coming into contact with such person and let them not to listen to him.
Those who know not the truth fall an easy prey to such false propaganda and keep themselves away from such person. But at the same time it is also a fact that as and when people come to know the truth and it appeals their good sense, they cannot remain a silent spectator and follow the truth with spirit and fevour. The case of Hadrat Tufail Doosi (Allah be pleased with him) is an illuminating example of the fact stated above.
Hadrat Tufail bin �Amar Dosi (Allah be pleased with him) belonged to a prosperous tribe of Yemen called Doos and was the chief of his tribe. By profession he was a merchant. He often visited Mecca in connection with his business. He was a poet also and had very good relations with the elite of Mecca.
When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) invited the Meccans to follow the path of truth and embrace Islam, Tufail bin �Umar Doosi happened to be present in Mecca. His friends extended to his hospitality and entertainment as usual, but they gave him a warning also. They said, �Beware of the person called Muhammad. Do not listen to him, otherwise you will fall a prey to him. His discourse is so charming that anyone who listens to him follows him blindly. He separates the brother from his brother, wife from her husband, and the son from his father. He has played havoc in our city and has ruined our peace and tranquility. You are our guest, so we have given you a piece of advice ; otherwise you are intelligent enough to know what is good or bad.�
The friends misled Tufail Doosi (Allah be pleased with him) in such a manner that he said to himself, �They are my well-wish-ers. Whatever they say must be true. Why should I meet that man Muhammad!� Then he plugged both of his ears with pads of cotton so that he could not hear the voice of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) , But, he was destined by Allah to be blessed with Islam and all these devices proved futile.
One day as he passed by the Ka�aba he saw the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) saying his prayers. The recitation of Qur�anic verses came to his ears. He stopped to listen to it as the charm of the verses attracted him. He said to himself, �What a fool I am! I am myself a good poet and can judge very well the standard and quality of a piece of literature, why shouldn�t I listen and talk to him. If it is worth appreciation I must acknowledge it with open heart; if it is something worthless then I will certainly not fall a prey to him.
Hadrat Tufail (Allah be pleased with him) stopped near the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and listened attentively to the Qura�nic verses recited by him. After the prayers when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) proceeded towards his house, Tufail (Allah be pleased with him) followed him and met him at his residence. He told him what ever the Meccans had said about him adding, �I plugged my ears with cotton pads so that I could not hear the Holy Qur�an. The pagans deceived me. Kindly recite some more verses from the Holy Book.�
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) at first told him about Islam and its teachings and then recited some verses from the Qur �an. When Tufail bin Umar Doosi (Allah be pleased with him) heard the Holy verses, he was struck with awe. Suddenly he exclaimed, �By Allah! My ears never heared any verses better than this before; nor my eyes have ever seen a religion more attractive than Islam. I accept with all my heart the teachings and commandments of the true religion of Allah.�
After embracing Islam, Hadrat Tufail bin Umar Doosi (Allah be pleased with him) returned to Yemen. He had learnt by heart the teachings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He, therefore, started propagating Islam in his country. In the first instance he invited his own father towards Islam. He accepted the faith. Then he preached to his wife. She too accepted Islam. Thus, he invited his whole family to Islam all of whom accepted it. After that all of whom accepted it. After that all the members of his family began to work for Islam, but they gained little success in their mission. Hence he again went to Mecca. He met the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and requested him to pray to Allah for guiding the people of Yemen to the right path. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed and then said to Tufail (Allah be pleased with him) �Invite the people to Islam politely and affectionately.� The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) gave this advice, because Tufail (Allah be pleased with him) was a wealthy person of his clan and such persons develop aristocratic manners.
Tufail bin Umar Doosi (Allah be pleased with him) returned home with the new instructions from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He started preaching Islam to the individuals he found receptive and intelligent and within a short period most of the people of his tribe turned Muslims.
Hadrat Tufail preached Islam in his own land and visited Mecca off and on to see the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). In Mecca he heard about the atrocities committed on the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers. He saw that the torments and cruelties on the Muslims were becoming unbearable. He was the owner of a strong fort in Yemen. His entire family has accepted Islam. So he invited the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to migrate to Yemen. He gave him every guarantee for his safety and peace of mind. But the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) waited for a sign from Allah. He did not agree to migrate and said, �Please go to your tribe and try to bring the rest of the people to Islam.�
Hadrat Tufail (Allah be pleased with him) returned to his country and engaged himself in preaching Islam. By his influence a great number of people of Yemen embraced Islam. When he heard after some time that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had migrated to Medina, Hazrat Tufail also left for Medina with people of the Doosi clan. They heard at Medina that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was out on an expendition to Khyber. At Khyber the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) posted young men of that party at strategic positions. These brave youngmen proved their worth. After the conquest of Khyber they returned to Medina in the company of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and stayed there. Hadrat Tufail engaged himself in the service of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and attained full knowledge of Islam.
He was very eager to die as martyr. After the death of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and during the reign of Hazrad Abu Bakr Siddiq (Allah be pleased with him), his long felt, desire was fulfilled. He took part in the battle of Yamama and laid down his life to uphold the Kalima which he had recited while embracing Islam. May Allah be pleased with him. | 
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