The Best Century Series

First Part

التركيت عبدالرحمن محمد

هـ1424 الوطنية فهد الملك مكتبة فهرسةعبدالرحمن محمد التركيت،

األول/ القرون: الجزء خير سلسلة :2ط التركيت عبدالرحمن محمد

هـ1424 الرياض سم23 ص، 117

9960-44-069-9ردمك: العنوان أ والتابعون الصحابة -1

239.9 ديوي 5887/1424

5887/1424اإليداع: رقم9960-44-069-9ردمك:

الكويت مكتبة لدى اإليداع رقم 00194/2003 الوطنيةX -34-58-99906ردمك:

محفوظة الطبع حقوقمجانا وتوزيعه طبعه أراد لمن إال

فله تغيير أو إضافة أو حذف بدون خيرا الله وجزاه ذلك

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The Best Century Series

First Part

Prepared by

Muhammad Abdul Rahman Al-Terkait

Prefaced byProfessor Mahmoud Ahmad Al-Tahhan

Professor of Sacred Hadiths and Hadith Sciences at the College of Shari`a – University of Kuwait

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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Thanks be to God, and prayers and peace be upon Sayyiduna Muhammad, messenger of God, and upon his kin, companions and all those faithful to God.

I have read what my esteemed brother Sayyid Abdul Rahman al- Terkait has written, in his valuable book, which carries the title “the series, named the Best Century”, and found it to be extremely useful, for future generations of Muslims, and in particular for the youth amongst them. This is because the book comprises the sira (biography) of the most virtuous of the companions of the messenger of God, upon whom be peace, the ten given the good tidings of the reward of Paradise (al-Mubasharun bi al-Janna).

The author narrated their blessed biographies, in a simple, easy to understand and, attractive style.

The objective of the author in writing this book, is to demonstrate to the Muslim youth, in a practical and clean-cut manner, the exemplary and virtuous example that they should emulate in their practical life, and their behavioral patterns, in the earnest hope that God would restore to our umma, such glory which He had bestowed on the personages and eras covered by the series “The Best Century”.

The author was successful in narrating the biographies of those great men, the companions of the messenger of God upon whom be peace. He has collected a sizable amount of Hadiths and legacies which expound the virtues of those companions, and highlight shining aspects in the lives of those great leaders and Imams, who had filled the world with justice and equity, and whom God had Chosen to accompany

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the Prophet, and entrusted them with carrying his Shari`a

And while I beseech God to reward the brother author fully for his accomplishment, I recommend to the Muslim youth the reading of this useful book, in order to comprehend the great deeds of our virtuous predecessors and, look up to them for guidance, so that God would change our condition to a better one. He is the glorious and the best giver. And thanks be to Lord of the worlds.

Kuwait 25 RAbi` al-Akher 1424H 25/6/2003 AD

Written byDr Mahmoud Ahmad Tahhan

Professor of sacred Hadiths and Hadith sciences

At the College of Shari`aThe University of Kuwait

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Introduction

Thanks be to the Lord of the worlds, such thanks that are equivalent to His incalculable beneficence. And thanks be to God who has guided us and, without whose guidance we would not have been rightly guided. O Lord, do not change our heart after you have guided us, and grant us from your mercy. O great benefactor. I testify that there is no God but Allah, alone, without any partners, possessor of sovereignty, and to Him be praise. Giver of life and Giver of death, and He is eternally Alive. In His hands is beneficence, and He is capable of all things.

I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His truthful messenger, teacher of this Umma, its leader to good deeds, and educator of the select of humanity, prayers be upon him his kin, and his companions, evermore.

I have not, in this book, brought anything new. We, the generation of this day, are dependent on the accomplishments of our earlier pioneering ‘Ulemas and sheikhs. We are nourished from the banquets of those pioneers, whom God had endowed with such learning and light. What we are doing here, is to exhibit it in a manner which would be appropriate to the generality of people, and in concise form, which would compensate for the paucity of interest and motivation in seeking knowledge.

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Therefore, if the material in this book is old, the need to know it is in need of renewal, in order to present it to one generation after another. This book surveys, in brief, the biography of the select, the Sira of the first batch, of the graduates of the greatest school which humankind has known.

It is the Sira of the best century, the life story of disciples of the giver of good tidings and, stern warnings, the beloved chosen, Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, the prayers of God be upon him and upon his kin even more: The Sira about whom was written in their graduation certificate God’s words God shall be content with them and they shall be content with Him Qur’an: (5: 119).

God Almighty has chosen for His messenger (upon whom be peace) disciples and companions, whom He cultivated into the best of humans, and selected from amongst their ranks ten venerable personages, to whom He gave greater preference and attention, throughout his life, and bestowed upon them the grace which emanates from Him.

The companions, may God be pleased with them, are men, to whom the call of Islam was made. They believed in it, and their hearts opened up to the call, and they took their pledge of fidelity, to the messenger of God. They put their own lives, their properties and their tribal loyalties wholeheartedly at the disposal of the Prophet. They endured uncomplainingly, the bitter ordeals, in the cause of propagating the message of God, and it was a mission which overwhelmed their hearts and minds.

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They exemplified the wonders which accrue from believing in the unseen, the love of God and His messenger, showing mercy to the faithful and tough stances towards the unbelievers, choosing the hereafter over this world, and the later over the instant, and, devoting their lives in spreading the call, and in converting the worshippers from worshipping idols to worshippers of God alone. From the profligacy of false religions to the justice of Islam.

In reading their biographies, souls are humbled in the presence of such formidable men. In the words of the Holy Qur’an: Mohammed, the Messenger of God, and those who are with him are severe against the unbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing, prostrating themselves, seeking munificence from God and gratification. Their mark is on their face, the trace of prostration. Qur’an: (48: 29).

And because the Siras, of those companions, are one of the major sources of faith, from which this Umma is drawing its flicker of faith, the discourses over the era of the companions, may God bless them, are not intended to be a mere boasting about the praiseworthy record of our predecessors; rather, it is intended to serve as a paradigm through which to measure their faith with that of the righteous predecessors, and their Jihad nowadays with the Jihad of those predecessors, and their lives today with the lives of those great men of the past. This would teach them that if they desire paradise, then those predecessors are the people of paradise, and that they are the people of faith and truthfulness with God.

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As we express our admiration for them, with our tongues and hearts, it is incumbent on us to follow their example and, to benefit from their legacies. And in the same manner as they loved God, the Glorious and the High, and His messenger (upon whom be peace), we should, likewise love God and His messenger, and love one another in fidelity to God. What follows are selected examples of their stances, their jihad and their endurance in the service of this religion, which we shall present in this publication. So what are we supposed to do, O faithful?

Know you, that the affairs of this Umma, shall not be set straight, unless they follow the feats and the example of those predecessors. I shall begin this first part, in the series named “the Best Century” with recreating the Islamic consciousness, in order to acquaint the new generations, with the honorable records and exemplary careers of the companions of the messenger of God, starting with (al-Kulafa` al-Rashideen). (The Rightly guided Caliphs, to be followed by the ten given the glad tidings of eligibility for paradise. Thence, in succeeding parts, if God grants me a longer span of live, I shall cover the biographies of all the venerable companions, may God bless them, in order that their life Siras, shall may act as a catalyst to motivate us to follow their paths, in the service of God. Such biographies would enable us to share their lives in an atmosphere of faith, of advocating its call, of heroism and of virtue and humility. They are the people whom the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) described as “the best people were my contemporaries, then the ones who follow them and then, their successors”. Narrated by Muslim.

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He also said: “Take up my Sunna, and the Sunnas of the rightly guided. Hold on to them with all you have”. Narrated by Ahmad, Tirmithi and Tabarani.

And he also said: “Do not denigrate my companions, by God in whose grasp is my soul, if anyone of you were to spend the equal of another in gold, he would not approximate the stature or half stature of any one of them”. Consensus.

The Prophet also said: “honor my companions, then, the ones who follow them and then those who come next”. Narrated by Ahmad.

He also said: “O you people, safeguard me in my kin and my in-laws, God will not ask you for the cover of any of them, for they are not the type to be offered, O you people, lift you tongues from lashing the Muslims, and when a Muslim dies, do not say but good things about him”. Narrated by Tabarani, and Abu Na`eem.

He also said: “let no one speak ill to me of another of my companions, for I love to meet them with a sound heart”. (Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daoud and Tirmithi).

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And, whereas, many people are not familiar with the Siras of the companions of the Prophet (upon whom be peace), and in view of some of the critical comments made against some of those companions and, in particular, what transpired between them in the past, I warn against engaging in such divisive matters, so doing in obedience to the word of God: That is a nation that has passed a way. Theirs is that which they have earned; and yours is what you have earned. And you will not be questioned on what they have done. Qur’an: (2:134).

And in deference to the saying of the Prophet: “my companions will commit, after I am gone, mishaps, which God, the High and Almighty shall forgive, in recognition of their services with me”. Narrated by Ibn ‘Asaker.

The Prophet also said: “whoever maligns my companions, shall be damned by God, His angels and people in general”. Narrated by Tabarani.

I beseech the Almighty to grant me truthfulness and sincerity in seeking and propagating knowledge, and make this a means to gain His forgiveness and His blessing. My success can only be attained by God’s beneficence upon which I depend. And God’s prayers and peace be upon Sayyiduna Muhammad, and on his kin and companions.

Muhammad Abdul Rahman Al-TerkaitRajab 1/1424 HijriAugust 28/2003 a.d

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In The Name Of God, The Compassionate, The Merciful

The Best Century SeriesAbu Bakr Al-Siddiq, May God Bless Him

Name and Family:

Abdullah Ibn Abi Quhapha, Uthman Ibn ‘Amer Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Ka`b, Ibn Sa`d, Ibn Murra Ibn Ka`b, Ibn Luai al-Qurashi al-Timi.

Physical CharacteristicsWhite, slender, narrow-shouldered, facial veins

visible, deep eyes. Dyes his white hair with henna coloring.

Birth:

Born in Mecca, in the tribe of ‘Teem’, a branch of the greater tribe of Quraysh. He was born approximately two years and three months after the birth of the Prophet.

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His upbringing before Islam:

He was raised as one of the patricians of Quraysh, and one of their richest. He was one of their prominent tradesmen, and was an authority on the genealogies of the Arabs, their annals and their policies. He was looked upon as one of the Arabs’ leading personages, and the Arabs used to name him “the learned man of the Arabs”. He never prostrated himself in worshiping idols; he abstained from drinking alcohol and never tasted it; and he was a friend of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) in the Jahiliya (age of ignorance) and in the era of Islam.

Conversion to Islam:

He was the first male convert to Islam, and the most prominent amongst those who endorsed the Prophetic mission.

Some of his life history: He was one of the ten who received the glad tidings of

being chosen to paradise, and five others from amongst the ten, namely ‘Uthman Ibn Affan, Talha Ibn Ubaidullah, and al-Zubair Ibn Al-‘Awam, Sa`d Ibn Abi Waqqass, and Abdul Rahman Ibn Auf, were converted to Islam at his hands. He would be the first to be invited from all the gates of paradise, and one of those whom the Prophet earmarked, as worthy of being emulated after him. He immigrated to Medina with the Prophet, and prepared for this Hejira, two transport animals, one for the Prophet and one for himself.

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He used to repel the attacks of Quraysh against the Prophet by saying: “do you kill a man for merely proclaiming our lord is God? Even while he presented to you his evidences from God?” He was prone to shedding tears whenever his eyes fell on the Qur’an. He was described as reticent and forbearing and had strong feelings towards the general public. He was the most generous contributor, in the cause of God, and the greatest in loving and glorifying the messenger of God.

He was fearful of God in private and in public, and he was the most learned of men. He participated in the company of the Prophet, in all the military encounters, and led the pilgrimage in the ninth year of the Hejira, before the farewell hajj of the Prophet. He used to lead the faithful in prayer as an Imam, in the absence of the Prophet.

He also led the faithful in prayer during the Prophet’s last illness. When he was informed of the Prophet’s death, he came and kissed him, and then went out to the people saying: “whoever was worshipping Muhammad, Muhammad is dead; and whoever was worshipping God, God is living and immortal. He then read the verse: Mohammed is but a messenger preceded by other messengers. Will it be that, if he dies or be slain, you will turn back on your heels? Qur’an: (3: 144).

He was the first to order the binding of the Quran in one volume, and during his Caliphate (which lasted two years, and three and a half months), he implemented faithfully the rule of the Sunna. He died is Medina, in the year 13 of the Hejira, at the age of 63, may God be pleased with him.

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Sayings of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) on his virtues

1- On the authority of Abi Said al-Khudri, the Prophet sat on the pulpit and said: (God had given a servant the choice between receiving all the gifts of this world or that of what God has (Hereafter), and he chose the latter. Abu Bakr cried and said: “we are ready to sacrifice our fathers and mothers for you”. We were surprised at his behavior, and the people present said: look at this old man, the messenger of God informs him of a servant, whom God had given the choice between receiving the best of this world, or what is with God, and he answers by saying: we are ready to sacrifice our fathers and mothers for you. The messenger of God (upon whom be peace), was the one given the choice, and Abu Bakr was the best informed about it. The Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: the one in whom I trust most in companionship and money, is Abu Bakr, and if I were to choose a disciple from my Umma, I would choose Abu Bakr in the brotherhood of Islam. Consensus.

2- On the authority of ‘Amr Ibn al-Aass, may God be pleased with him narrated: the Prophet (upon whom be peace) dispatched me, at the head of the expeditionary force of Um al-Salasil: I came to see the Prophet and I asked him: who are the dearest people to you? The Prophet replied (‘Aisha), then I said: and amongst men? He answered: (her father), whom after? And he said ‘‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab. And then he mentioned other men. Consensus.

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3- On the authority of Khubair Ibn Mut`im, may God be pleased with him said: A woman came upon the Prophet (upon whom be peace), and he ordered her to come back. And she replied, in utmost desperation, and if I come and do not find you? And he replied: if you do not find me, come to Abu Bakr.

4- On the authority of Ibn al-Zubair, may God be pleased with him said: the messenger of God said: if I were to choose a closest companion from amongst my Umma, I would choose Abu Bakr, my brother and companion in the cave. Narrated by al-Bukhari.

5- ‘Aisha, may God be pleased with her said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said to Abu Bakr: “you are spared by God the fire of Hell”. Narrated by Al-Bukhari.

6- On the authority of ‘Urwa, may God be pleased with him, said: the Prophet (upon whom be peace), asked for the hand of ‘Aisha in marriage from Abu Bakr (her father). Abu Bakr replied: But I am your brother. And the Prophet answered: you are my brother, in the religion of God and His Book, and she is to me “halal” permissible. Narrated by Bukhari.

7- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God be pleased with him, said, I heard the messenger of God say: “whoever spends a pair of any thing, in the cause of God, he would be summoned from doors, meaning Paradise, with the call saying: O servant of God this is your choice, whoever belongs to the people of prayer would be summoned from the gate of prayers, and the people of

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Jihad from the gate of Jihad, and the people of alms, from the gate of alms, and the people of fasting from the gate of fasting and, the gate of Rayyan. Abu Bakr remarked: what need is there to make the summons from all these doors, adding: would anyone be called from all those gates, O messenger of God? He answered yes, and I hope that you will be one of them O Abu Bakr. Narrated by Bukhari.

8- On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, may God be pleased with him, the Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: “if I were to take from my Umma a companion, I would have taken Abu Bakr, but he is my brother and friend”. Narrated by Al-Bukhari.

9- On the authority of al-Aswad, who said: we were in the home of ‘Aisha, may God be pleased with her, and we mentioned being punctual and persistent in performing prayers. She said; when the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) fell sick, his last illness, the call for prayer was made: the Prophet said: tell Abu bakr to lead the faithful in prayers. He was told: Abubakr is a melancholic man, if he takes your place, he would not be able to lead the people in prayers. The Prophet repeated his order and they repeated their remark, and when they remarked a third time, the Prophet, said: you companions of Joseph, tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayers. Abu Bakr came out to lead the prayers, and the Prophet came out also, having summoned what energy he could, and his legs were shaking from pain. Abu Bakr, on sighting the Prophet, wanted to pull back and the Prophet signaled him to remain in his place. Then the Prophet was helped to sit next to Abu Bakr. Both were praying and the congregation was following the lead of Abu Bakr. The Prophet signaled with his head, his approval. Abu Mu`awiya added: the Prophet sat to the left of Abu Bakr and Abu Bakr was saying his prayers standing. Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Ahmad and Abu Daoud.

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10- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God be pleased with him. He said that the Prophet said: “Gabriel came, and took my hand and showed me the entrance through which my Umma shall enter paradise. Abu Bakr said: I wished I was with you to show it to me. The Prophet answered: you shall be the first from my Umma to enter paradise”. Narrated by Abu Daoud and al-Hakim.

Some of his virtues, may God bless him.11- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God be pleased

with him, he said that the Prophet had said: who of you, awoke this morning fasting? Abu Bakr answered I. The Prophet then asked: who of you walked in a funeral today? Abu Bakr answered, I. The Prophet then asked: who of you visited a sick person today? Abu Bakr answered I. The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) then said: “No person would combine these duties but would be rewarded in paradise”. Narrated by Muslim.

12- ‘Aisha, God bless her said, that the messenger of God had said: “No people who have Abu Bakr should be led in prayer by anyone else”. Narrated by Tirmithi.

13- On the authority of Abi Huraira, he said that the messenger of God had said: “No one who has rendered a service to us but was rewarded except Abu Bakr. For he has performed services to us which God shall recompense him for, on the Day of Judgment, and no money ever met my needs more than the monies of Abu Bakr, and if I were to choose a close companion, I would have chosen Abu Bakr, lo for you friend is beloved of God”. Narrated by Tirmithi.

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14- On the authority of Abi Sa`id, may God bless him said, the messenger of God has said: “the people of elevated status shall be seen by the people below them, as you can see a star rising in the horizons of the skies. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar are amongst them and they shall be blessed”. Narrated by Tirmithi.

15- On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar said, the messenger of God has said to Abi Bakr: “you are my companion in the basin, and my companion in the cave”. Narrated by Tirmithi.

16- On the authority of ‘Ali, may God bless him. He said, the Prophet (upon whom be peace) has said: “Gabriel came to me and I asked him: who will immigrate with me? And he answered: Abu Bakr, and he shall succeed you in running the affairs of your Umma after you”. Narrated by Dailami.

17- On the authority of ‘Aisha, may God bless her- She said: when the illness of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) became more grave, he said to Abdul Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr: fetch me a board on which to write a message to Abu Bakr, about which there shall be no controversy. When Abdul Rahman stood up to go, the Prophet said: “God Forbid, and also the faithful, that anyone would find anything controversial about you, O Abu Bakr”. Narrated by Ahmad and Tayalsi.

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18- On the authority of Ibn ‘‘Abbass, may God bless him, said, the messenger of God has said: “no one has been more generous to me than Abu Bakr. He gave me his daughter in marriage, he accompanied me to the abode of Hejira (immigration). And if I were to choose a close companion I would chose Abu Bakr, but brotherhood and attachment until the Day of Judgment. Narrated by Tabari.

19- On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbass, may God Bless him, he said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) has said: “I did not talk about Islam to anyone but argued with me, except Ibn Abi Quhafa, for whenever I talked to him about some thing he would readily accept and embrace”. Narrated by Abu Na`im.

20- On the authority of ‘Ali, may God bless him, he said, the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said: “they are two most exalted of the people of paradise, of the earlier (generation) and the latter, except for the Prophets and messengers of God. Do not tell them O ‘Ali”, meaning Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Narrated by Tirmithi.

21- On the authority of Abi Umama, may God bless him, he said: the messenger of God has said: “I was brought the hand of a scale balance and placed on it. And my Umma was placed on it. And my Umma was placed on the other hand of the scale. The scale tilted on my side, then Abu Bakr was placed on the hand of the balance scale and the balance tilted on his side and similarly with ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab. The Balance was then raised to the sky while I was watching. Narrated by Abu Na`im.

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22- On the authority of ‘Aisha, may God bless her, she said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said: if your dream turned out to be true, the best of the people of paradise shall be buried in your house. This was said when ‘Aisha said: O Prophet of God, I have seen what appeared as three moons falling on to my room”. Narrated by Tabarani.

The Statements Of The Companions On Abu Bakr, May God Bless him ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may God Bless him said: Abu

Bakr is our master, our best and the master, our best and the most beloved to the messenger of God (upon whom be peace).

‘Aisha, may God bless her said: none of the fathers of the immigrants embraced Islam, except Abu Bakr.

‘Urwa Ibn al-Zubair, may God bless him said: “when Abu Bakr embraced Islam, he owned a balance of forty thousand dinars.

‘Ali, may God bless him said: the messenger of God instructed that Abu Bakr lead the people in prayers. I was a witness to this and, I was in my full capacity. We have accepted for our world what the Prophet (upon whom be peace) accepted for our religion.

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‘‘Aisha, may God bless her said: when Abu Bakr assumed the Caliphate, he threw every dinar and every dirham into Bait Almal (Muslim treasury). He said: I used to trade with them and earn my living. When I was entrusted with their (public) affairs, they pre-occupied me.

Muhammad Ibn S’ireen said: Abu Bakr was the most acute of visonaries of this Umma, after the Prophet.

‘Ali, may God be pleased with him said: on the pulpit, the best amongst this Umma after the Prophet is Abu Bakr and then ‘Umar. He added: God makes goodness where He choses.

‘Ali also said: the one deserving the greatest recompense on matters relating to al-Qur’an is Abu Bakr, for he was the first to order the binding of the Qur’an within two covers.

Hassan Ibn Thabet described Abu Bakr in a poem:As he accompanied the messenger of God on the pilgrimage and his stay with the Prophet in the cave, to evade the pursuit of Quraysh.

‘Aisha, may God bless her said: Abu Bakr never reneged on an oath, until the ‘Kafara’ (forsakenness) of an oath was revealed.

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Some of the Golden statements of Abu Bakr: Abu Bakr, in one of his statement said: “O you

people, beware of lying, because lying is contrary to faith”.

On the authority of Qays, he said: Abu Bakr redeemed Bilal the slave while he was being tortured by his master, at the price of five ounces of gold. They said to him: if you had objected we would have sold it to you for just one ounce. He replied: if you had refused less than one hundred ounces I would have given it to you.

On the authority of al-Hassan, who said: Abu Bakr the truthful said: I wish I were a tree first bitten into then eaten.

Qays Said: I saw Abu Bakr touching an extremity of his tongue and saying: this is what would bring me all troubles.

On the authority of Abi al-Sifr: Abu Bakr fell ill and people visited him and said to him: should we not call you a doctor? Abu Bakr answered that a doctor had seen him – the they said: and what did he tell you? He answered: he said that I am capable of doing what I wish to do.

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Abu Bakr, may God bless him said: Zakat (alms) is that which is due of money. By God, I shall fight whoever tries to differentiate between the duty of prayers and the duty of giving the zakat.

Abu Bakr said: mix desire with apprehension, for God most High praised Zakariya and his household in the verse Truly they used to vie with one another in good deeds, and supplicate Us in eagerness and in fear. And they were venerators to Us. Qur’an: (21: 90).

On the authority of Abi Umran al-J’uni, he said: Abu Bakr the truthful said: “I wish I was a hair in the side of a faithful servant”.

Ai’sha, may God bless her said: I attended my father when he was on his death bed. He became unconscious and I said:

“anyone whose tear is still sealed, he shall once upon a time be buried”

Abu Bakr raised his head and said: my daughter, no, it is not like that. But is like what God most High said: And the death pang comes for certain; that is what you were shunning Qur’an: (50:19).

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‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab

His name and family tree:He is ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab ben Nufayl, ben Abdul

‘Uzza, ben Reyah, ben Abdulah, ben Qurt, ben Ruzah, ben, be ‘Addi, ben Ka’b, ben Lu’ay, al-Qurashi, al ‘Adawi, Abu Hafs.

His physical Characteristics: White with a reddish hue, tall, bald, white haired, dyed

with henna and katm.

Birth: Born thirteen years after the year of the elephant. It

was reported that ‘Umar had said: I was born four years after the great Fujar.

Upbringing Before Islam:He was one of the heroes and lords of Quraysh, and

had the function of the emissary for them. For, whenever Quraysh fought one another, or when they fought against others, they dispatched ‘Umar as their ambassador. And if some one challenged them in debate, or boasted against them they chose him as their speaker and their debator.

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His conversion to Islam‘Umar converted to Islam, in the sixth year of the

prophethood. The messenger of God had all along been praying: “Allahumma strengthen Islam, with the most beloved man to you of these two men: ‘‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab or “’Amr Ibn Hisham”. God accepted the supplications of the messenger of God’s plea for ‘Umar, who converted to Islam following forty men and eleven women, in time sequence.

Ibn ‘Abbass states that thirty-nine men and women converted to Islam with the Prophet, and when `Umar converted, they became forty. And Gabriel (upon whom be peace) came down with God’s verse: O Prophet, God suffices for you and those who follow you of the believers. Qur’an (8: 64).

His Emigration-Hijra: ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taleb said: I have not heard but all of the

emigrants had emigrated in secrecy except ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab. When he had decided to emigrate, he carried his sword and his arrows in his hand, and walked towards Ka’ba, which the people filled its open spaces. He circumambulated seven times, then said his prayers in front of Maq’am of (Ibraheem). Then he stood opposite the people and declared: perish the faces! Whoever wants his mother to be bereaved, and whoever wants his son to be orphaned, and whoever wants his wife widowed, let him encounter me behind this valley. ‘Ali added: No one followed him except a band of weaklings. He taught them, guided them and then continued his journey.

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Period of Caliphate.Ten years, six months and four days. He gave to the

rulers of the world in particular, and to humankind in general, a lesson in truthfulness and honesty, and a lesson unequaled in dedication to duty, during this period of the Caliphate.

His Martyrdom:The Just Caliph and the rightly-guided Imam was

martyred, in consequence of a vile crime, perpetrated in the dark of night by a slave of al-Mughira Ibn Shu’ba, when lu’lu’a Fairuz the Magian, advanced towards one of the corners of the mosque, awaiting the arrival of the commander of the faithful, for his morning prayers.

He Had a premeditated plan to murder him and armed himself with a two-pronged dagger, at his waste, positioned and poisoned. ‘Umar was in the habit of asking worshippers when passing through their lines: stand in line. And after assuring himself that they were standing in straight lines, he would advance to lead in prayers. As soon as he had said Allahu Akbar, the murderer Abu Lu’lu’a jumped out and attacked ‘Umar and thrice thrust the dagger into his body. One was under the navel which was the fatal strike that led to his death at the age of sixty three. He was buried on a Sunday morning, the first of the month of Muharram, in the year twenty four Hijra, and was buried beside his companion Abu Bakr, may God bless them.

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His Life History:He was the second of the rightly guided Caliphs, and the first to be titled “commander of the faithful”. A venerable companion of the Prophet, brave and resolute, and foremost amongst the companions in his firmness and outspokenness. He was adamant in safeguarding right, and hard on those who defied the religion of God. He was humble and supplicant, whose soul was wholly subservient and devoted to God. Even Satan did not dare to tread a path on which ‘‘Umar walked.

The conqueror, the just and whose justice was regarded as a paradigm. Islam remained in hiding until ‘Umar embraced it. He witnessed the battle of Badr and all other major encounters. He was nominated and pledged loyalty as Caliph, the day Abu Bakr died, in the thirteenth year of the Hijra.

During his reign, the Levant and Iraq were conquered, and so were Jerusalem, al-Mada’in, Egypt and the Jezira. It was said that, during his Caliphate, twelve thousand pulpits were erected in the domains of Islam. He was the first to initiate and congregate the faithful for the Tara’weeh prayers. He was the first to establish the Hejira (immigration) as the Muslim calendar. Prior to that historical referencess were made by specific episodes. He established (Bayt Ma’l al-Muslimeen), “the Muslim Treasury”.

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He ordered the construction of the two Iraqi cities of Basra and Kufah. He established the administrative structure in Islam, in order to register the entitlements of those eligible and, the distribution of their salaries. He used to walk the markets alone and, adjudicate between people.

He wrote to the governors of the provinces instructing them to start applying the law to themselves, before administering it to others. And when he faced an intractable problem, he would seek the advise of the youth, to utilize the sharpness of their brains.

When he assumed the Caliphate, one of the first things he did was to return the women captives of the wars of Ridda (the war of the apostates) to their tribes saying: “I hated to see the captivity of women, a source of shame on the Arabs. There are 537 hadiths ascribed to him. And on his ring was inscribed the following: “O ‘Umar, suffice it that death be our counselor”.

The Prophet (upon whom be peace) gave him the title of al-Farouq, and nicknamed him Abi Hafss, and many hadiths in praise of ‘Umar, are ascribed to the Prophet.

Hadiths of the Prophet (Upon whom be peace) about ‘Umar

1- On the authority of Abi Said al-Khudari, may God bless him, said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said: while I was asleep I saw people being presented before me wearing garments, some of them reaching the chest, and some below it. And presented to me also was ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab wearing a garment which he was drawing behind him. They asked the messenger of God: and how did you interpret what you saw? And his answer was al-Deen (religiosity).Consensus

2- On the authority of Abu Huraira, may God bless him said: while we were with the Prophet (upon whom be

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peace) he said: while I was asleep, I saw myself in paradise, and a woman was performing ablution next to a palace. I said: to whom does this palace belong? And they answered; to ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab. I remembered his fear of envy and departed promptly. ‘Umar, cried and said: envious of you O messenger of God?. Consensus.

3- On the authority of Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqass, may God bless him. He said: ‘Umar asked permission from the Prophet to enter the house while the Prophet was surrounded by women who were talking with him and, raising their voices. When ‘Umar asked to enter, they stood up and put on the (Hijab) the “cover”. The Prophet allowed ‘Umar in, and the messenger of God was laughing. ‘Umar then said: may you always be mercy but, and what caused you to laugh. And the Prophet answered: “I was surprised by those women who were seated with me, for when they had heard your vice, they promptly put on the cover. ‘Umar replied: You, messenger of God should have been, the one to be feared by them. ‘Umar then added addressing the women: O you enemies of yourselves, you fear me, but you do not fear the messenger of God? They replied: “You are more brash and more frank than the messenger of God”. The Prophet said to ‘Umar: “by God in whose hands my soul rests, wherever Satan would see you treading a wild path, he would avoid it, and tread another wild one. Consensus.

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4- On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may God bless him, he said: I heard the Prophet of God say: while I was asleep, I was brought a cup of milk, which I drank until I saw its liquid coming out from under my nails. I then gave what remained to ‘Umar Ibn al-Khatab. They asked: and how did you interpret that? And he answered: knowledge. Consensus.

5- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God bless him, he said, that the Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: that there were before your time nations, who included orators, and if my people were included amongst them, mine would have been ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab. Narrated by al-Bukhari.

6- On the authority of Abi Tharr, may God be pleased with him, he said: I heard the messenger of God (upon who be peace) say: God had placed right on the tongue and heart of ‘Umar. Narrated by al-Ha’kim.

7- Abu Bakr may God bless him said: I heard the messenger of God state: the sun has not arisen on a man of good deeds more than ‘Umar. Narrated by Tirmithi and al-Ha’kim.

8- On the authority of ‘Uqba Ibn A’mer, may God bless him, said: the messenger of God said: if there was a Prophet after me, it would be ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab. Narrated by Tirmithi an al-Ha’kim.

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9- On the authority of Ibn Mas’uod, may God be pleased with him. He said: that the Prophet has said: “A man belonging to the people of paradise will appear to you, and Abu Bakr appeared. And then said: a man form the people of paradise shall appear to you, and there appeared ‘Umar. Narrated by Tirmithi.

10- On the authority of Huthayfa, may God bless him. He said: we were sitting with the Prophet (upon whom be peace) when he said: “I do not know how long I shall be with you, so take guidance from those who shall succeed me”. And he pointed to Abi Bakr and ‘Umar. Narrated by Tirmithi, Ahmad and Ibn Maja.

Some of his virtues, may God bless him.11- On the authority of Fadhl Ibn ‘Abbass, may God be

pleased with him, he said, he had heard the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) state: “’Umar Ibn al-Khattab is with me on things which I like, and, I with him on what he likes. Right, after me, is where ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab stands”. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi.

12- On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik, may God bless him, me said, that the Prophet (upon whom be peace) has said: “the most strident in matters pertaining to God, is ‘Umar”. Ibn al Jawzi.

13- On the authority of ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may God bless him. He said that the Prophet had said: “beware the anger of ‘Umar, for God gets angry if ‘Umar is angered”. Ibn al-Jawzi.

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14- On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbass, may God bless him. Said that Gabriel came to the Prophet (upon whom be peace) and said: “Give greetings to ‘Umar and tell him that his satisfaction is a high reward, and his anger is tantamount to a sentence”. Ibn al-Jawzi in History of ‘Umar.

15- On the authority of Jaber, may God be pleased with him: he said, he heard the messenger of God state: “no hypocrite is he who would love Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and no faithful is he who would hate them”. Ibn al-Jawzi in History of ‘Umar.

16- On the authority of ‘Ali, may God be pleased with him. He said: I heard the Prophet (upon whom be peace) state: “the best in this nation after its Prophet is Abu Bakr and ‘Umar”. Ibn Asakir.

17- On the authority of Arwa al-Dousi, may God bless him. He said, we were sitting in the presence of the Prophet (upon whom be peace) when Abu Bakr and ‘Umar departed. The Prophet said: “Thank God for supporting me with them” narrated by Ibn Asakir and Ibn al-Najjar.

18- On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, may God be pleased with him. He said: a man came to the messenger of God and said: o messenger of God: who is the best of men (people)? He answered: the messenger of God. Then, who, the man asked? The Prophet answered: if the virtuous are counted, then the best is Abu Bakr. The man then said: and who comes next? If the Mujjahidun (struggler, fighters), then it is ‘Umar ib al-Khattab. The Prophet continued: ‘Umar is with me wherever I go, and I am with ‘Umar wherever he goes. Whoever likes ‘Umar likes me, and whoever hates ‘Umar hates me” Narrated by Ibn ‘Asaker and Ibn Mardawaih.

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19- On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbass, may God bless him, said: the messenger of God wanted to send an emissary, on a mission of importance. Abu Bakr was on his right and ‘Umar on his left. ‘Ali said to the Prophet: what prevents you from sending these two men? And the Prophet answered: how can I send them, when they are to religion what hearing and seeing are to the head”. Narrated by Ibn al-Najjar.

20- On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may Gd bless him. He said: the messenger of God went out with Abi Bakr and ‘Umar and then said: “this is how we die, this is how we shall be buried, and this is how we shall enter paradise”. Narrated by Ibn ‘Asakir.

21- On the authority of Um Salama, may God be pleased with her. She said, the Prophet (upon whom be peace) has said: “there are two angels in heaven, one of them orders hard punishment and, one orders flexibility, and both are right. The one is Gabriel and the other Michael; and there are two Prophets, one is stern in judgment and one is flexible, and he mentioned Ibrahim and Noah and I have two companions - one instructs flexibility, and the other orders firmness - and he mentioned Abu Bakr and ‘Umar”. Narrated by Ibn Asaker.

22- On the authority of Ibn ‘‘Abbas, may God bless him: he said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said when ‘Umar embraced Islam, that Gabriel came to him and said: “the people of the heavens rejoiced at ‘Umar’s conversion to Islam”. Narrated by al-Hakim, in al-Mustadarak.

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What the companions said of ‘Umar:

Abdulah Ibn Mas’oud, may God be pleased with him said: we have remained impregnable since ‘Umar’s conversion to Islam. Narrated by al-Bukari.

‘Ali, may God bless him said: “God, most High, has made of Abi Bakr and ‘Umar an authority and witness against rulers who would succeed them, until the Day of Judgment. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi, in his History of ‘Umar.

M’alik Ibn Anas, may God bless him said: the forefathers used to teach their sons the love of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.

Abu Ja‘far Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir said: whoever does not recognize the virtues of Abi Bakr and ‘Umar, must be ignorant of the Sunna. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi, in History of ‘Umar.

‘Ali Ibn al-Hussein Zain al-AAbiddin, may God bless him said: the standing of Abi Bakr and ‘Umar in the esteem of the messenger of God is akin to their rank as they lie buried next to him. Ibn al-Jawzi, in the History of ‘Umar.

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‘Ali, may God bless him said: the best of this nation after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, and after Abu Bakr is ‘Umar. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi, in History of ‘Umar. And also by Ibn Maja and Abu Na’im, in Al-Hillya.

Ibrahim al-Nakha’i, may God bless him said: the first one to be assigned by Abu Bakr, the administration of some of the affairs of the Muslims, was ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab. He was assigned the judiciary, and was the first Qadi in Islam. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi in “History of ‘Umar”.

Ibn Mas’oud said: ‘Umar was the most pious amongst us, and foremost in reading the book of God. Narrated by al-Hakim.

‘Ali, may God bless him said: we didn’t think it far-fetched for tranquility to be manifest in the spoken words of ‘Umar. Narrated by Suyuti.

Abu Bakr, may God bless him said: nothing on the face of the earth is dearer to me than ‘Umar. Narrated by Suyuti.

Mu’awiya, may God bless him said: As for Abu Bakr, he did not want the world, and the world did not want him. As for ‘Umar, the world wanted him, but he did not want it. As for us, we are immersed in it, belly and back. Narrated by al-Zubair Ibn Bakkar.

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Ja’far Ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, may God be pleased with him said: “I am free of those who spoke about Abu Bakr and ‘Ali, in any tone other than praise”. (Related by Suyuti)

Some of ‘Umar’s Golden Sayings:

1- ‘Umar, may God bless him said: I was in line with my God thrice: I had said: o messenger of God, I wish we would take the Maq’am (The mausoleum of Ibrahim) as a place for prayer. And the verse in the Qur’an was revealed: Take Abraham’s station for a place of prayer Qur’an: (2: 125). And then the verse on al-Hijab (cover). I had said: o messenger of God, I wish you ordered your women to take cover (Hijab), because the righteous and the unrighteous talk to them. Then the verse on the hijab was revealed. The women of the Prophet (upon whom be peace) then assembled together, to express their jealousy towards him, and I said to them: hopefully, if he divorced you, God would grant him wives better than yourselves, and this verse was revealed. Narrated by al-Bukhari.

2- ‘Umar said: Anyone who employs an unrighteous person, while knowing of his unrighteousness then, both men are alike. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi

3- ‘Umar, may God bless him said: I felt like sending a message to al-Ansar that, no person who had come of age, and was financially capable, and yet failed to perform the pilgrimage, would be spared the imposition of the jizya. By God, those (who do not perform hajj) are not Muslims, by God those are not Muslims. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi.

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4- The first words uttered by ‘Umar, may God bless him, when he ascended the pulpit was: “Allahumma, I am harsh, I beseech you to soften me, I am weak, strengthen me, I am miserly, thus make me more generous”. Ibn al-Jawzi.

5- ‘Umar, may God bless said: “suffice it for a person, to eat all that he desires, to be judged extravagant”. Narrated by al-Suyuti.

6- ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him, hung on one occasion a water-holder to his neck. When questioned about it, he answered: I became an admirer of myself, so I decided to humiliate it.

7- ‘Umar, may God bless him, said to one of his servants: be kind to Muslims and, beware the curse of one who has been treated unjustly, because his supplications would be answered. Narrated by M’alik in al-Muwwatta’).

8- ‘Umar, may God bless him said: “there is no share in Islam for one who has forsaken prayers”. Narrated by Ibn Sa‘d.

9- ‘Umar, may God bless him said, while on his deathbed, and while placing his head on the leg of his son Abdullah: “place my cheek on the ground. Abdullah did so. Then ‘‘Umar said: “damnation to me and to my mother, if God does not have mercy on me”. Narrated by al-Mustadrak of Hakim and Ibn Sa‘d.

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‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affan

Name and lineage: He is ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affān Ibn Abi al-‘Āāss, Ibn

Ummayya Ibn ‘Abd Shams, Ibn abd Manāf al-Qurashii al-Ummawiyy. His lineage converges with that of the Prophet in the person of Abd manaf. He was knicknamed Abu Abdullah and Abu ‘Amr.

His Physical Characterizations:Squarely built, white, thin skinned, good looking,

heavy wide shoulders, with plenty of hair on his head, and a thick beard, which he used to dye into a yellow color.Birth:

Born in Mecca, in the sixth year of the Year of the Elephant, i.e six years after the birth of the Prophet (upon whom be peace).His upbringing before Islam:He was a rich notable, a very well-to do merchant, which enabled him to live a life of luxury and extravagance. He used to wear the most expensive and beautiful of garments

His conversion to Islam:‘Uthman was approaching his thirty fourth year, when

Abu Bakr called on him to embrace Islam. He was not known to be ambivalent, but promptly accepted the call of Abu Bakr, and was therefore, one of the earliest converts to Islam, in fact, the fourth convert amongst men.

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His Caliphate:

‘Uthman was pledged the Caliphate on a Monday one night before the end of the month of Thul Hijja, in the year twenty-three. His Caliphate commenced in the month of Muharram in the year twenty-four Hejira, and it lasted twelve years.

His martyrdom

He was martyred on a Friday, the eighteenth of Thul Hijja, in the year thirty-five, Hijri in his home, while he was reading the Qur’an. He was murdered by a band of transgressors against Islam, who were demanding his abdication. ‘Uthman, had refused their request because the Prophet (upon whom be peace) had told him: “o ‘Uthman, God, most High is clothing you with a garment that if hypocrites would ask you to take it off, you must decline”.

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And what the Prophet (upon whom be peace) had told Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari of ‘Uthman: “give him permission to enter, and convey to him the good tidings of paradise, in recompense for an ordeal which will afflict him”. ‘Uthman was killed at the age of eighty two, and some surmise, at the age of eighty eight. He was murdered in the year thirty five of Hejira and died as a martyr. He was buried at the al-Baqee‘cemetery beside the companions of the Prophet, may God bless them all.

Some aspects of his career:

He is commander of the faithful, Thu al-Nurayn (possessor of the two lights), the third of the rightly guided Caliphs, and one of the ten given the glad tidings of paradise. He was also one of the six whom ‘Umar chose to constitute the Shura (Consultative body).

He was informed that the Prophet before he died had expressed his satisfaction with them. He was one of the five who converted to Islam, at the hands of Abu Bakr, the truthful, (may God bless him). The Prophet gave his daughter Ruqayya in marriage to ‘Uthman, and the latter was the first to immigrate to Abyssinia with his wife Ruqayya, daughter of the Prophet . The Prophet said of him when he immigrated: God’s speed, ‘Uthman is the first to immigrate in the cause of God after Lot, upon whom be peace.

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Subsequently, he immigrated with Ruqayya to Medina. She was at his side when the Muslim made preparations to go after the Quraysh convoy at Badr. But she fell sick and the Prophet left him behind to look after her, but died of her illness as Zayd Ibn Haritha rushed to give the Muslims the good tidings of victory over Quraysh. The Prophet (upon whom be peace) allocated to ‘Uthman his share and his reward for the battle of Badr, as though he had participated in the encounter. The messenger of God then gave his second daughter, Um Kulthum in marriage to ‘Uthman and she died in his life time. The Prophet said: if I had a third daughter, I would have given her in marriage to ‘Uthman.

‘Uthman leant the Qur’an by heart, and the first to complete reading the Qur’an in prayer. He devoted his wealth to financing the Muslim forces, and one of his accomplishments was to defray half the cost of the army of ‘Usra. He contributed three hundred camels with their full loads, in addition to one thousand dinars. He also bought the well of Ruma with twenty thousand dirhims and endowed it for charity.

He established a house for the judiciary and he adjudicated on conflicts between citizens. During his Caliphate, conquests reached as far Armenia, the caucuses, Khurasan, Karaman, Sajistan, Africa and Cyprus. He instructed the collection of the Suras of the Quran and their binding between two covers. Abu Bakr had, during his Caliphate, ordered the collection of the Qur’an and allowed people to keep what pieces and articles they had on which there were Qur’anic inscriptions. When ‘Uthman became the Caliph, he ordered that the collection of Abu Bakr be adopted and copies to be made of it only, and all else burnt. He narrated 146 hadiths of the Prophet.

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The inscription on his ring read, ”‘Uthman believed in God most High”. He and was nicknamed Thu al-Nurayn (the one of the two lights), because he had married the Prophet’s two daughters - Ruqiya and Um Kulthum. The Prophets commended ‘Uthman in many Hadiths.

The Hadiths of the messenger of God on ‘Uthman Ibn Affan

1- On the authority of Abi Musa, he said. The Prophet upon whom be peace, entered a defended wall and instructed me to protect its door. A man came and asked permission to enter. The Prophet answered: let him in. then another came and asked permission and the Prophet ordered that he be let in. it was ‘‘Umar. Then a third one came asking permission. The Prophet paused for a while and then said: “let him in, and give him the good tidings of paradise, on account of a catastrophe which shall befall him. The man was ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affān. Narrated by Bukhari.

2- On the authority of Anas, may God bless him. He said, that the Prophet upon whom be peace ascended the mount of ‘Uhud, accompanied by Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman. The mount shook, and the Prophet said – he may even struck it with his foot: Be still, ‘Uhud, for none is standing on you but a Prophet, a truthful man and two martyrs. (Narrated by Bukhari).

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3- On the authority of ‘Aisha, may God bless her. She said: the Prophet was lying down in his home, with his legs uncovered. Abu Bakr asked to be admitted and he was admitted, while the Prophet remained seated, as before. Then ‘Umar asked that he be admitted and the Prophet remained in the same position. Then ‘Uthman Ibn Affan was admitted and the Prophet corrected his posture and set up covering his body. After he had departed, ‘Aisha said to the Prophet: Abu Bakr came in, and you did not came to correct your seating position, and ‘‘Umar came and you did not take heed of his presence, and whom ‘Uthman came in, you sat up and covered yourself with your garment. The Prophet replied: would I not be ashamed in the presence of a man in whose presence the angels would be ashamed?. Narrated by Muslim.

4- On the authority of Talha Ibn ‘Ubaid Allah, may God bless him, he said the messenger of God has said: “Every Prophet has a companion, and my companion in Paradise in ‘Uthmān. Narrated by Tirmithi.

5- On the authority of Abdul Rahman Ibn Khalbal, may God bless him, he said: I witnessed the Prophet while he was urging the dispatch of the army of al-‘Usra. ‘Uthman Ibn Affan stood up and said: O messenger of God, my contribution is one hundred beasts of burden with their full attires in the cause of God. Then the Prophet made further pleas for the army, and ‘Uthman stood up and said: my contribution of two hundred beasts of burden with their full attire, in the cause of God. The Prophet made additional urgings and ‘Uthman Ibn Affān said: my contribution shall be three hundred beasts of burden with their full compliments, in the cause of God. Abdull Rahman concluded: I saw the messenger of descend from the pulpit saying: ‘Uthman need not be held accountable for anything after this”.Narrated by Tirmithi.

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6- On the authority of Anas Ibn M’alile, may God bless him, he said: when the messenger of God, upon whom be peace, ordered the pledge-taking at Radhwan, ‘Uthman Ibn Affān was the messenger of the messenger of God to the people of Mecca. Those present gave their pledges to the Prophet, after which the Prophet said: ‘Uthman is the favored of God and the favored of his messenger. Then, he clapped his two hands together, and the hand of ‘Uthman to that of the Prophet, was weightier than their own hands to themselves. Narrated by Trimithi.

7- On the authority of ‘Āisha, may God bless her, she said that the Prophet said: O ‘Uthman, it is hoped that God would place on you a garment, and if they ask you to take it off, do not do so upon their request. Narrated by Tirmithi.

8- On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may God bless him. He said, the Prophet has said: the messenger of God mentioned an insurrection, in which ‘Uthman Ibn Affan would be killed unjustly, may God bless him. Narrated by Tirmithi.

9- On the authority of Jaber. He said: the Prophet was brought the coffin of a deceased man for funeral prayers. The Prophet declined to perform the prayer. The people around him said: o messenger of God, we have never seen you decline saying prayers on a dead person before? The Prophet replied: he used to hate ‘Uthman, and so God made him hated. Narrated by Trimithi.

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10- On the authority of ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may God bless him. He said: I heard the messenger of God say: if I had forty daughters, I would have given them in marriage to ‘Uthman, one after the other, until not one remained. Narrated by Asad al-Ghabah.

Some Of His Virtues, May God Bless Him:11- On the authority of Muslim Ibn Yasar, may God bless,

he said: the Prophet upon whom be peace looked towards ‘Uthman and said: “the likeness to Ibrahim, and the angels would be at unease in his presence narrated by al-Baghawi.

12- On the authority of Hassan Ibn attiya, may God bless, said, the Prophet has said: “may God forgive you, o’Uthman, for what you have done and, what you shall do, what you have kept secret, and what you have announced, and what might be, until the day of judgment. (Asad al-Ghabah).

13- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God bless, he said the Prophet said: “the messenger of God talked of a sedition which he warned against. They asked: what do you instruct those of us who shall witness it to do? The Prophet answered: support the honest one and his companions and he was pointing at ‘Uthman Ibn Ibn Affan. Narrated by Ibn Na‘eem and Ibn ‘Asaker).

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14- On the authority of Ibn Abbas, may God bless, said, the Prophet said: God has inspired me to give my two daughters in marriage to ‘Uthman. Narrated by al-Dāra Qutni and Ibn ‘Asakir.

15- On the authority of Anas, may God bless him. He said, the Prophet peace be upon him, has said; “whoever enlarges this mosque of ours, God shall build for him a house in Paradise! ‘Uthman thereupon bought the house [adjacent to the mosque] and thus enlarged the mosque. Narrated by Ibn ‘Assaker.

16- On the authority of Anas, may God bless, said, the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) has said: “I entered Paradise and picked up an apple, I split it and there emerged a beauty, whose eyelashes resembled the feathers of an eagle. I asked: to whom does it belong? And the answer was, to ‘Uthman Ibn Affan. Narrated by Ibn ‘Asaker.

17- On the authority of ‘Āisha, may God bless. She said, the messenger of God has said: “I wish I had with me some of my friends. She said: o messenger of God shall we call for you Abu Bakr, and the Prophet kept his silence, I said ‘Umar? And he kept silent, and I said ‘Ali and he kept silent, and then I said ‘Uthman and he answered, yes. Then we sent after ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affan. Narrated by Tirmithi and Abu Hatim.

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18- On the authority of Abdul Rahman Ibn Samara, may God bless him. He said: ‘Uthman Ibn Affān came with one thousand dinars in his pocket, when he was financing the campaign of al-‘Usra army. He poured it into the front garament of the Prophet (upon whom be peace). The Prophet then inspected it saying: No harm shall befall ‘Uthman after what he has done today. Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad.

19- On the authority of ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him. He said, I heard the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) say: “when ‘Uthman dies, the angels of heaven shall pray for him”. I said: o messenger of God, ‘Uthman in particular or people in general? And he answered: ‘Uthman, in particular. Narrated by al-Hfiz al-Dimashqi.

20- On the authority of Jaber Ibn Afdullah, may God bless he said, we were in the company of the messenger of God, with a number of immigrants, including Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, Talha, al-Zubair, Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, and Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqśś. The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said: let each one of you stand up beside his equal, then the Prophet stood up and moved towards ‘Uthman and embraced him saying: you are my guardian in this world and the hereafter. Narrated by Ibn Kather in “al-Bidāya wa al-Nihāya”, and Ibn al-Atheer Asad al-Ghabel.

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21- On the authority of Ibn ‘‘Abbass, may God bless him. He said, the Prophet has said: ‘Uthman shall plead, on the day of judgement, on behalf of seventy thousand of my Uma of those deserving Hellfire, when the scales are measured”. Al-Muhib al-Tabari fi al-Riyadh al-Nadhira.

22- On the authority of ‘Ismat Ibn Malik, he said: when the daughter of the messenger of God died while she was wife to ‘Uthman, the Prophet said: get ‘Uthman married (to his other daughter), and if I had a third daughter, I whould have given her in marriage to him, and I gave her in marriage to him by an inspiration from God. Al-Suūli).

23- On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may God bless him, the Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: “the angels are comely with ‘Uthman, as they are in the pressene of God and his messenger. Narrated by al-Suūty.

24- On the authority of Anas, may God bless, said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) has said: “the most merciful of my Uma towards my Umma is Abu Bakr, the most strident in matters of religion is ‘Umar, and the most genuinely comely is ‘Uthman”. Narrated by Ibn “Asaker.

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The Sayings of the Companions on ‘Uthman: Abu Huraira, may God bles said: ‘Uthman bought

from the messenger of God, Paradise twice: on the day of Ruma, and on the day of the army of al-‘Usra. Narrated by al-Hākim in al-Mustadrak, and Abu Na‘im.

Ibn siren, may God bless said: the most learned on matters of religionous observances was ‘Uthman, followed by Ibn ‘‘Umar. Narrated by Ibn ‘Asāker.

‘Ali, may God bless, said of ‘Uthman: he was the most fastidious in maintaining kinship relation, and most pious before God. Safwat al-Safwa.

Ibn ‘Umar, may God bless said: “the one who stays up the night in devotional prayers, prostrating and standing, fearful of the Hereafter and hopeful of God’s mercy, is ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affan. Safwat al-Safwa.

‘Ali, may God bless said: he is the person named in the Hereafter “Thu al-Nūrayn”, he had married two daughters of the messenger of God, and has ensured an abode in Paradise. (Asad Al-Ghaba).

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‘Ali said to a man who asked him about ‘Uthman: he was among those who fear God and believe, and do virtuous deeds, then fear God and do benevolent deeds. And God loves the benevolent. Qur’an: (5: 93). By Ibn Marthuwaih and Ibn ‘Asaker.

Sa‘d Ibn Malik, may God bless him said: “when we were all in the company of the messenger of God (upon whom peace), he was the best in washing (for prayers), the longest in prayer span and the most generous contributor, in the cause of God. (Ibn ‘Asāker).

Anas, may God bless said: ‘Uthman was one of the disciples, the disciples of the messenger of God. Narrated by Ibn ‘Asaker.

Huthaifa, may God bless him said: the first episode of sedition was the murder of ‘Uthman, and the last shall be the emergence of al-Dajjāl (The Impostor). By God, in whose hands rests my soul, no man shall die in whose heart is a speckle of favoring the munder of ‘Uthman, but shall become a follower of The Impostor, if he lives to be his contemporary, and if not, shall follow him, while in his grave”. (Al-Suyuti).

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Some of ‘Uthman’s Golden Sayings:

‘Uthman said: o you people, be pious towards God, for he who does that gains. The most prudent is one who disciplines himself and works for the Hereafter, and who gains from the light of God, the light that would eliminate the darkness of the grave. Let a servant beware lest God replace his vision with blindness. Narrated by Ibn ‘Asaker.

‘Uthman said: know you, that whoever God is on his side need not fear anything and, whoever God is not on his side then, whom shall he supplicate to ?. Narrated by Ibn ‘Askar.

‘Uthman said: whoever does not increase his good deeds day by day, then he is a man who prepares himself, not unaware, for the fire of Hell.

‘Uthman said: night is to them a time for rest. If they talk to Him, why does He not request him his servants to get up at night, to prepare ablution for him. Narrated by Ibn Sa`ad

‘Uthman said: I have not sung nor lusted, nor masturbated since I pledged allegiance to the messenger of God (upon whom be peace), nor have I committed adultery in the Jāhiliya (the age of ignorance) nor in Islam. Nor have I stolen anything in Jāhiliya or in Islam. Al-Suyūty.

‘Uthman said: No Friday has gone by without me liberating a slave, unless I had nothing at my disposal with which to liberate a slave, but then I would do it subsequently. Suyūti.

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‘Ali Ibn Abi Tāleb, May God Bless

Name And Family:

He is ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (and the name of Abi Taleb is Abd Manāf), Ibn Abdul Muttaleb, Ibn Hashem, Ibn Ka’b, Ibn luāi al-Qurashi al-Hashemi. He was nicknamed Abu al-Hassan and Abu Turāb.

His Physical Characteristics:

He was very affable, bald, hairy, squarely built to short, big belly, had a beard which covered a span between his shoulders. His beard was as white as cotton.

Birth: Born in Mecca

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His Upbringing Before Islam:

Abu Taleb had to carry a heavy burden in supporting a large family, and yet he possessed little money. The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) meaning to alleviate the bunden of his uncle, and to recompense him for supporting him as an orphaned child, took ‘Ali into his home and looked after him, and ‘Ali was brought up in the house of his cousin, the house of Prophethood.

His embrace of Islam:His conversion to Islam came after the conversion of

Khadeeja, wife of the Prophet, and her prayer alongside the Prophet (upon whom be peace) ‘Ali came in one day and saw them pray together and he said: o Muhammad, what is this? The messenger of God answered: This is the religion which God has chosen, and for which he sent his emissaries, and I ask you to embrace the religion of God and, to worship Him. ‘Ali replied: I shall not do any thing before consulting Abu Taleb. The Prophet replied: o ‘Ali, if you do not embrace Islam, keep this a secret. ‘Ali spent that night pondering, and God endeared Islam to his heart, and in the morning, he went to the messenger of God and embraced Islam, at the age of ten.

His immigration:‘Ali stayed back in Mecca, three days and nights after the Prophet’s immigration to Medina. This is because the messenger of God had asked him to delay his departure, and had instructed him to fulfill the obligations which he owed to people. And when he had finished with this, he followed, in the footsteps of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace), and stayed with him, at the abode of Kulthum Ibn al-Hadm.

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His Caliphate and its duration:When ‘Uthman was murdered, the companions of the messengers of God came to him and said: there must be an Imam to the people, and we do not find anyone today who is more deserving to assume it other than you, and no one who had a greater precedence, or was nearer to the messenger of God (upon whom be peace). He tried to dissuade them but, they insisted on the Bay’a (pledge of allegiance). He replied that, if this was the case, then let the pledge be in the mosque, because the pledge can only be legitimate if made with the acceptance of the Muslims (community). The immigrants and the “Ansār” (people of Medina who supported the Prophet) entered the mosque ad made their pledges. And they were followed by the general public of Muslims. His Caliphate lasted four years and nine months.

His Martyrdom:Three persons belonging to al-khawaraj (dissident extremists) vowed to rid the Muslims of the heads of disputant parties to the question of ‘Uthman’s murder. They were Abdul Rahman al-Munjid al-Murādi, al-Burak Ibn Abdullah al-Timi, and ‘Amr Ibn Bakr al-Tamimi. They met in Mecca and conspired to kill ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, Mu‘āwiya and ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘Āass. Ibn al-Muljem said: I will kill ‘Ali. Al-Burak said: I will kill Muāwiya. And Amr Ibn Bakr said: I will kill ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Āāss. Then each one of them dispersed towards the province in which his target was present. Abdul Rahaman Ibn Muljem went to the city of Kufah.

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And met there Ibn Muljim Shabeeb Ibn Bajra al-Ashja‘i, told him of his plan and, invited him to join in. The man agreed, and both took their swords and lurked near the platform from which ‘Ali passes to perform his prayers. When ‘Ali emerged, Shabeeb attacked but missed. Ibn Muljem then hit ‘Ali on the head and ‘Ali said: Do not let the dog get away. The people surrounded him from every corner and arrested him. Shabeeb fled, and ‘Ali, may God bless him said: catch him and if I should die kill him, and if I don’t die, the matter shall rest with me, concerning whether he should be punished or acquitted. When ‘Ali died, his sons set upon Ibn Muljim and killed him.

‘Ali, may God glorify him, passed away on a Sunday night, the 19th of Ramadan in the Hejira year 40 at fifty eight years old and, in another report, he was sixty three. He was buried in Kufa, may God have mercy on him and on his whole household.

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Some aspects of his life: He was commander of the faithful, the fourth of the

rightly-guided Caliphs, and one of the ten celebrated companions, given the good tidings of paradise. He was a cousin of the Prophet, and his son in law. He was one of the most courageous of fighters, a hero in combat, as well as a foremost speaker and an outstanding jurist. He converted to Islam early on, after Khadeeja, and some say after Abu Bakr, he fought alongside the Prophet in most of the major encounters including the battles of Badr and Uhud, but missed the battle of Tabuk because the Prophet instructed him to safeguard the household. He was the flag-bearer in most encounters.

The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) gave him his daughter Fatima al-Zahrā’, the first lady of the people of paradise, in marriage. They formed a happy family, the offspring of the messenger of God al-Hassan, al-Hussein, Muhsin, Um Kulthum and Zainab.

He had a stout physique, he was decisive, just in adjudication, respectful of the religious ‘Ulemas, tender and concerned towards the poor. He would not allow the strong to abuse their power, nor would he let the weak despair of his justice, During his Caliphate, emerged some insurrections and civil wars such as the battles of al-Jamal, Siffeen, and Nahrawan, and such movements as al-Khawarij (the extreme dissidents). He took up residence in the city of Kufah (house of the Caliphate) in Iraq, until he was murdered by Abdul Rahman Ibn Muljim. He narrated (586) hadiths, attributed to the Prophet. The insignia on his seal was: “God is Sovereign”. The messenger of God (upon whom be peace), nicknamed him Abu Turāb, and he earned considerable commendation in the hadiths of the Prophet.

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Hadiths of The Messenger of God (Upon whom be peace) on ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taleb:

1- Mus‘ab Ibn Sa‘d, quoting his father said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) went out to the battle of Tabūk, and entrusted ‘Ali with the responsibility, pending his return. ‘Ali said to the Prophet: are you placing me in charge of women and children? And the Prophet answered: are you not satisfied to be to me, as Haroun was to Mussa? Save that there is no Prophethood after me. Agreed upon tradition.

2- Sahl Ibn Sa‘d, may God bless, said, that the messenger of God said, on the day of Khaibar: “I shall give this flag to a man, to whom God shall grant victory. One who loves God and his Prophet and God and his Prophet love him”. The people spent the night wondering who shall be the standard-bearer. In the morning, they went to the messenger of God, all hoping to be the recipient of the flag. The Prophet said: where is ‘Ali Ibn Abi Tālib? And he was told that ‘Ali was complaining of a malady in his eyes. The Prophet asked that ‘Ali be summoned and, when he came, the Prophet spit in his eyes and supplicated for his recovery. ‘Ali recovered and the Prophet gave him the flag. ‘Ali, then asked: o messenger of God, shall I fight them until they became like us? The Prophet answered: go until you reach their plaza, and invite them to embrace Islam and, inform them of what are the things due to God from them. For, by God, if God shall guide one man through you, is far preferable to you than to have the most desirable of delights. Agreed upon tradition.

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3- Sahl Ibn Sa‘d, may God bless, said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) came to the house of Fatima, but did not find ‘Ali in the house. He inquired of her: where is your cousin? And she replied: there was some misunderstanding between him and me and we quarreled. He, thereupon, left the house and did not return. The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said to a man there: go and see where he is? The man returned and informed the Prophet that ‘Ali was lying down in the mosque. The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) went to the mosque where he saw ‘Ali lying down in the mosque, with dirt touching his garment on the floor. The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) started cleaning the dirt and saying: Get up o Abu Turab, Get up o Abu Turab. Agreed upon tradition.

4- Zayd Ibn Arqam, may God bless him, said, that the Prophet (upon whom be peace) has said: whoever I am his guardian, ‘Ali is his guardian too.

5- Um Salama, may God bless said: the messenger of God used to say; No unscrupulous person would love ‘Ali, nor would a person of faith hate him. (Related by Tirmithi).

6- On the authority of Ubshi Ibn Junada, may God bless, said the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said: ‘Ali is one with me, and I am one with ‘Ali, and no one shall be empowered to act on my behalf beside me except‘Ali. (Related by Tirmithi).

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7- ‘Umar, may God bless said: the messenger of God fraternized between his companions, and ‘Ali, with tears in his eyes, came and said: o messenger of God, you have fraternized between your companions, but did not fraternize between me and anyone else. The messenger of God replied: you are my fraternal brother in this world and the Hereafter. (Tirmithi).

8- Anas Ibn M’alik, may God bless, said: the messenger of God had a pigeon (for eating) and he said: Allahuma, send me the dearest to you, to share with me eating this pigeon. ‘Ali came and shared the food with him. (Tirmithi).

9- Jaber, may God bless said: the messenger of God invited ‘Ali, on the day of Ta’if, for an exclusive meeting. The people started saying: his meeting with his cousin has been overextended. The messenger of God, in reply said: I did not meet exclusively with ‘Ali, but that God had wished it to be so”. Narrated by Tirmithi.

10- Ibn ‘Abbass, may God bless said. The messenger of God was one day shaking the hand of ‘Ali and saying: whoever hates this one, hates God and his messenger, and whoever loves ‘Ali, loves God and his messenger. (Narrated by Ibn al-Najjar.).

11- ‘Amar Ibn Shāss al-Aslami, my God bless said: I heard the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) say: whoever harms ‘Ali, would have harmed me. (narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad).

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12- On the authority of ‘Āisha, may God bless, she said: I was sitting with the Prophet (upon whom be peace) when ‘Ali was coming towards us. The Prophet said: o ‘Āisha, he is the Sayyid (over lord) of the Arabs. I said: o messenger of God: are you not the Sayyid of the Arabs? The Prophet replied: I am the Sayyid of the sons of Adam, and he is the sayyid of the Arabs. Narrated by al-Hākim and Abu Na‘eem.

13- On the authority of Jaber, may God bless him. He said: we went in the company of the messenger of God, to a plam trees grove, belonging to a woman of the (ansār) Supporters of the Prophet. The Prophet said: there shall emerge before you, a man from the people of paradise, and there emerged Abu Bakr and we gave him the good tidings. Then, the Prophet said, there shall emerge before you, a man from the people of paradise and ‘Umar emerged and, we gave him the good tidings. Then the Prophet said there shall emerge before you, a man from the people of paradise, and he started gazing through the orchard of palm trees, saying: Allahumma, by your wish, let him be ‘Ali. And ‘Ali emerged. (al-Hākem in Al-Mustadrak).

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His virtues, may God bless him14- On the authority of Abu Saeed, may God bless him. He

said: I heard the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) say: some of you will fight over the interpretation of the Qur’an, as I have fought for its revelation. Abu Bakr said: am I he? The Prophet said no. Then ‘Umar said am I the one? The Prophet said no, adding that he is one who is wearing a grafted sole, and he had given ‘Ali his shoes for grafting. Narrated by Tirmithi and Ahmad.

15- On the authority of Fatima, daughter of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace), she said: the messenger of God emerged to us, on the eve of ‘Arafa saying: “God the most High praised you and forgave you, in general and, ‘Ali in particular, and I am the messenger of God, and I am not being partial towards my relative”. Narrated by Ahmad.

16- On the authority of Anas, may God bless said the Prophet (upon whom be peace) has said: the foremost judge in my Umma is ‘Ali. Narrated by Abu ‘Umar.

17- Anas narrated that the Prophet (be be upon him) had said to his daughter Fatimah: “I have given you in marriage to the most wise of men, earliest to embracing Islam, and the most knowledgeable”. Narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad.

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Statements of the companions, may God bless them, on ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib:

1- Abu Bakr the truthful, may God bless him, said of ‘Ali: ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib is the pedigree of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace). Narrated by al-Baihaqi.

2- ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him said, “the most judicious amongst us is ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib”. Narated by al-Salafi.

3- ‘Āisha, may God bless her, said of ‘Ali: “he is foremost in his grasp of the Sunna” (Tradition of the Prophet). Narrated by Abu ‘Umar.

4- Ibn Mas`ud, may God bless said: “the most knowledgeable, religious and the most judicious in judgment is ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib”. Narrated by al-Suyuti.

5- Ibn Abbas, may God bless him, said that the verse: They who spend their wealth night and day, in secrecy and in the open, shall have their recompense with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them, neither shall they grieve. Qur’an: (2: 224)- had been revealed in connecton to ‘Ali. For he had four dirhams: he spent one dirham in the evening, one during the day, one dirham secretly and one openly. Narrated by al-Tabarani and Ibn Abi Hatim.

6- ‘Umar, may God bless him, said of ‘Ali: the messenger of God died with a feeling of satisfaction towards ‘Ali. Narrated by al-Bukhari.

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7- Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqāss, may God bless said: when the verse say, ‘Come, let us call our sons and your sons, and our women, Qur’an: (3: 61), was revealed, the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) called ‘Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussein saying: “Allahumma those are my kinship”. Narrated by Moslim.

8- Abu Bakr, may God bless said: “whoever wishes to look at the one nearest in lineage to the messenger of God (upon whom be peace), and the most indispensable to him, and the one enjoying the highest esteem, let him look at, and he pointed his finger towards ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib. (Ibn al-Samman).

9- ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him, said: ‘Ali was given three awards, if I had been granted a bit of one of them, would be dearer to me, than being given the most precious of the red camels. He was asked: what were they? And he replied: his marriage to the Prophet’s daughter Fatima, his abode at the mosque, and in which what is legitimate to him is not legitimate to me, and being given the flag at the encounter of Khaibar. (Al-Suyūty).

10- Abdul Rahman quoted his father Habib, may God bless him, as saying: when ‘Ali had finished giving his will, he said: I read to you the peace, mercy and blessing of God (as salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh). Then ‘Ali did not utter any words except (there is no God But God) until he died. May God bestow mercy and blessings on him. (Asad al-Ghabah).

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Some of The Golden Sayings of ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taleb:

‘Ali, may God bless him said: two types of people find no favor with me: a dubious hater and an excessive praiser. (Narrated by Nuwairi in Al-Istee`ab Wa Nihayat Al Irab).

‘Ali, may God bless said: O you merchants, take your due and give what is right, and you would be safe. Do not turn back that whose return is small, lest you be denied that whose return is plenty. (Ibn al-Jawzi).

‘Ali, may God bless, said: the world is akin to a corpse, whoever wants something from it, let him be patient in sharing it with the dogs. (Asad al-Ghabah).

‘Ali, may God bless him said: be in accepting works more intensely concerned than in the work itself. For no work diminishes one, if it is done with piety, and how would work lead to diminution if done willingly? (Al-Suyuti).

‘Ali, may God bless him, said in reply to a question about generosity: generosity is the volitional, but what was given in response to a request, would be in the category of shame and affectedness. (Suyuti).

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‘Ali, may God bless said: the close one is he whom friendship renders close, even though his family interrelatedness be far, and the distant one is he whom enmity renders far, even though his family relatives be close in lineage. There is nothing closer to the body than the hand, and if it were afflicted with a malady, it would be cut off, and once it is severed the problem is decisively ended. (Suyuti).

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‘Ali, may God bless said: Seven are works of Satan: intense anger, intense sneezing, intense yawning, vomiting, nosebleed, secret conversation, and sleeping during recitation of the name of God. (Suyūti).

‘Ali, may God bless said: Take five advises from me: No one of you should fear any thing but his own sins, and no one should hope to attain anything without God’s mercy, and no one should be ashamed if he were asked about something and did not know the answer to say: God knows, and showing patience in relation to faith is like the head to the body. If patience goes, so would faith, and if the head goes, so would the body. (Suyūti).

‘Ali, may God bless him, said: I won, by the God of Ka‘ba, when Ibn Muljim attacked him in the mosque. (Asad al-Ghabah).

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Talha Ibn ‘Ubaidillah, May God Bless Him

Name, family, title and nickname:He is Talha Ibn ‘Ubaidillah Ibn ‘Amr, Ibn Ka‘b, Ibn

Sa‘d, Ibn Taim, Ibn Murrah, Ibn Kab, Ibn Lu‘ai, Ibn Ghaleb, Ibn Fahr, Ibn Malek al-Nadher, Ibn Kināna al-Qurashi, al-Makki.

His Mother:Assa‘bah bint Abdullah Ibn ‘Abād, Ibn Malek, bin

Rabia‘a al-Hadhrami, sister of al-‘Alaa, Ibn al-Hadrami. (She embraced Islam and immigrated). His nickname: Abu Muhammad.

Physical Characteristics:Some narrations describe him as hairy, but has short

hair, not curly. Good looking, and he walked in quick steps. Square to short in build, broad chest, and lager feet.

Birth:Born in Mecca thirteen years before Islam.

Pre-Islamic:Brought up in Mecca where he learnt the arts of war such

as the arrow and javelin throwing. When he came of age, he chose trade for a career, and became well-known in the trade routes and markets of Busra al-Sham, and attained a reputation of an honest, experienced and liberal trader. He, therefore, spent a good deal of time traveling between trade routes and convoys.

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Conversion to Islam:He was one of the first eight to embrace Islam, and his

conversion is described in a story which he narrates as follows: I attended the market of Busra when I heard a priest in a hermitage state: ask those attending this market season, is there amongst then one heading from the Haram (Ka‘bah)? Talha replied: I am. The priest then said: has Ahmad appeared yet? I answered: who is Ahmad, and he replied: Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Muttaleb, and this is the month of his appearance, and he shall be the seal of the Prophets and, shall depart from Mecca to a city of palm trees. Beware lest anything hinder you from going to him. Talha added: this talk touched my heart and I departed in haste to Mecca. When I arrived, I inquired: has any thing happened? And they answered: yes, Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, the honest, has assumed Prophethood and Ibn Abi Quhāfah (Abu Bakr) has followed him. He added: I went straight to the home of Abu Bakr, may God bless and asked him: have you followed that man? He replied, yes, adding: go to him, meet him and follow him, for he is advocating the truth. Talha informed Abu Bakr of what the priest had said at the market place, and the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) was pleased of what he had heard. Narrated by al-Hakem, in al-Mustadrak. When Abu Bakr and Talha had embraced Islam, Nawfal Ibn Khuwailed took them and tied them together, and they were not aided by Banu Tamim (tribe). This is why they were nicknamed (al-Qareenayn) “The Companions”.

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Character:He had many lofty and praiseworthy characteristics

including bravery, generosity, piety, and eloquence. He was quoted to have said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) when seated in his council would inquire: “why is it that I do not see the beaming, radiant and eloquent one here?” Narrated by Ibn ‘Asāker) in his history, and mentioned by Tabari in his book, “Al-Riyādh al-Nadhira”. He, therefore, is regarded as one of the most eloquent of the companions of the Prophet, for his eloquence and versatility, by the testimony of the messenger of God.

An example of his unique and telling statements is: “not least of a man’s shortcomings, is staying at home”.

Another of his sayings was: good attire is a recognition of God’s bounty, and the application of ointments removes depression, and benevolence to servants silences detractors.

Some of his characteristics: incisiveness and sound judgment of people. He would never consult a miser on family giving, nor a coward on question of war, or a youth on a slave concubine.

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He had many lofty characteristics but, the most famous of which was (generosity and giving in the causes of God). Therefore, he earned from the Prophet the title of: Talha the beneficent, Talha the generous and Talha the copious. Ibn ‘Asāker has narrated that the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) used to say: “O Talha, you are none other than over flowing”. Many stories corroborated his entitlement to these titles.

On his generosity:- The story narrated by his son Musa, as follows: Talha has

given away in one day, a hundred thousand.- And the story narrated by his son Musa, as follows: Talha

had received money from Hadhramout, in the amount of seven hundred thousand. He spent the night restless. His wife inquired: what is the matter with you? And he answered: I was thinking and saying to myself: would not a man think of his God while this amount of money is in his house? She answered: Think of some of your trusted friends, and when morning breaks divide it between them. When he woke up he divided it between al-Muhājrin and al-Ansār. His Wife said to him: Abu Muhamad, have we no share in this money? And he answered: where were you since today and your share is the balance. And her share was around a thousand Dirhams. Narrated by Fadhāili, in Nuzhat al-Absār.

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- On the authority of Jāber, may God bless, he said: I have accompanied Talha, and I have not seen a man give with such profusion of his money, and without being solicited, as Talha.

- A son of Talha narrated the following: Talha wore a lavish dress, and while he was walking, a man jumped him and stole his dress. The people around, took it back to Talha, but he declined to accept it, and asked that it be returned to the thief. When the man saw what Talha did, he felt ashamed of himself and threw it back to Talha. And Talha, may God bless said: Take it man, and may God bless your taking it, for I feel ashamed before God that someone was pinning hope on me, and I let him down. (Narrated by Fadhāili, in his Nuzhat al-Absar).

His struggle and his combat record in expeditions:

He participated in all the expeditions, in the company of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace). He distinguished himself in each of those expedition and exhibited great courage and faith in God and his messenger. In the battles of Badr and al-Khandaq he fought heroically. He also attended Bay’at al-Radhwan (allegiance to the Prophet of Radhwan). During the encounters at Tabūk, he contributed generously of his money towards its prosecution. But, a highlight of his heroism was his steadfastness in the battle of Uhud.

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In facing adversity at this battle, he fought relentlessly at the side of the Prophet showing great bravery and heroism while others fled away. When the messenger of God fell into a ditch during the battle, it was Talha who lifted him up, and Abu Bakr said: whenever the battle of Uhud was mentioned, it was named the day of Talha.

His virtues: He was one of the Sayyids (notables) of Quraish, during the pre-Islamic Jahiliyah and after the advent of Islam. He was a close confidant of the Prophet, because of his virtues, piety and his early conversion to Isam, as well as his sacrifices, in the cause of its triumph. There are many hadiths of the Prophet commending Talha.

- Amongst them: the hadith of the Prophet on those companions given the promise of paradise. Saīd Ibn Zayd, may God bless him, said: The messenger of God (Upon whom be peace) said :Ten shall have their abode in paradise: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, Talha, al-Zubayr, Sa‘d, Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf, and Abu ‘Ubaida. Those numbered nine and when asked who was the tenth? Sa’id went quiet but they persisted saying: we beseech you by God, o Abu ‘Aawar, tell us who is the tenth? Sai’d said: you beseeched me by God, then I should tell you Abu al-‘Aawar (meaning himself) is in paradise [i.e. the tenth) Narrated by Tirmithi.

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- The Prophet said: whoever is pleased with the sight of a martyr walking on the face of the earth, let him look upon Talha Ibn al-Zubayr. (Tirmithi).

- He also said (upon whom be peace): “Talha and Zubayr are my companions in Paradise”. Narrated by Tirmithi and Ibn Maja.

- He also said (Upon whom be peace) to Talha and Zubayr: you are my disciples in Paradise, similar to the disciples of Jesus the son of Mary. (Narrated by al-Hafez al-Dimashqi and al-Baghawi in his Mu`jam, as well as many other traditions).

Some of the statements of the companions on Talha: - A saying by ‘Ali, may God bless: when Talha died,

‘Ali went to his home. He dismounted and started to dust off his face and beard saying: I wish I had died many years before this day.

- He also said: Talha is a handsome and generous man.- Jaber Ibn Abdulah, may God bless said: I have

accompanied Talha and I have not seen a man, more generous than him in giving without being asked. Narrated by Abu Naīm in Hilyat Al-Awliyaa.

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- Ibn ‘Abbas, may God bless him said of Talha and al-Zubayr: may God have mercy on them, for they were stout and faithful Muslims, with piety and purity. God has afflicted with ignorance until the Day of Judgement those who despise them.

- Death:- He died on the day of al-Jamal encounter, when an

arrow hit him in the leg. He bled profusely until he died in the year thirty six Hejira, at the age of sixty two.

-- It has been related that after his death: his next of kin

saw him in their slumber thirty years after his death saying: Will you not relieve me of this water? For the seepage has done me harm. And so they exhumed him and removed the water from him, and nothing had changed of him except some hair on one of the sides of his beard, and they bought for him a house and entombed him in it. May God bestow on him his mercy and may He muster us with his group. Amen

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Al-Zubayr Ibn Al-‘Awam

Name And family: Al-Zubayr Ibn al-‘Awam Ibn Khuwailed, Ibn Asad, Ibn Abdul-Azza, Ibn Kilāb al-Qurashi, al-Asadi al-Makki. (His nickname: Abu Abdullah).

Mother: Saffiya bint Abdul Muttaleb, aunt of the Prophet (Upon whom be peace)

Physical characteristics: Al-Wāqidi described him as follows: al-Zubayr was neither tall nor short, dark skinned and hairy, and would not conceal or dye his white hair. He was of strong build and had strong arms.

Birth and upbringing before Islam:He was born in Mecca and brought up there. His family tree shows him as belonging to a notable family, with an effective role, both during al-Jāhiliya as well as after the advent of Islam. It had a martial tradition and showed exemplary heroism in the encounters.

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Wherefore, his upbringing was a harsh one, and he was versatile in the arts of war, horsemanship and other martial pursuits. His mother took care of his upbringing because his father had died during the al-Fajjar war. His mother Saffiyya was very tough with him and would beat him mercilessly. She was rebuked for her harshness, and was told that she almost killed him. She replied: I am beating him because I am training him to command armies which can bring booty. This was, indeed, the impact on the life and courage of al-Zubayr, as we shall see in his exemplary courage at the various military expeditions.

His Islamization:

He was one of the earliest converts to Islam fourth or fifth, according to some narrations, at the age of sixteen. And, notwithstanding his young age, he was steadfast in his faith, notwithstanding his torture at the hands of his uncle who pressed him to disavow Islam.

Immigration: He, may God be pleased with, immigrated twice:- The first time to Abyssinia, together with the first batch of Muslims, to immigrate there, when the Mu‘athen called upon Muslim to immigrate to Abyssinia, where the Najashi (Negus king) gave them every kind of hospitality

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and patronage. But, and, in spite of that, those immigrants could not stay away from the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) for long. For as soon as they heard that the Prophet had concluded a truce with Quraysh, they opted for a prompt return, but sooner did they discover that the said truce was a devious ploy by Quraysh.

- The second flight was to noble Medina, accompanied by his wife Asmā, daughter of Abu Bakr, may God bless them. It was in Medina that the messenger of God (upon whom be peace), fraternized him with Salama Ibn Salamah Ibn Waqsh of the tribe of Aws. In the first year of Hejira. Al-Zubayr begot his first son -Abdullah Ibn Al-Zubayr, the first son to be born to the immigrants in Medina. It is worth noting, that the Muslims were overjoyed with the birth of Abdullah because the Jews at Medina had been taunting them and circulating the myth that, they had bewitched the Muslims and that as a result, the Muslims had been rendered sterile. God exposed their false claims, by the birth of Abdullah Ibn al-Zubayr.

His Virtues and character:His virtue stems from the fact that, he was one of the

disciples of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) and his cousin. He was one of the ten companions given the promise of Paradise, and one of the six members of the Shura council (consultative), who were confidants of the Prophet until he died. There were many Hadiths in his commendation and, his high standing in Islam. They include:

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The testimony of the Prophet (upon whom be peace) when the mount of Harrā shook and the Prophet exclaimed: “Stay put Harrā, for standing on you is no less than a Prophet, a companion or a martyr”. Standing on the mountain then were, Abu Bakr, ‘‘Umar, ‘Uthman, Talha and al-Zubayr. Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih 4/1880.

Unique advantages:He distinguished himself amongst others by unique

characteristics, which placed him in a pride of place, in the sight of God and his messenger (upon whom be peace).The First of his assets was that he was the first to unsheathe his sword, in defense of Islam. Ahmad and al-Hākem, quoted ‘Urwa Ibn al-Zubayr as having narrated: when the disblievers spread the word that the messenger of God had been killed, al-Zubayr still a youth, came out with his sword unsheathed. This surprised the people around who said: this youth is carrying the sword unsheathed. When the Prophet (Upon whom be peace) returned, he saw al-Zubayr in this posture and asked: what is the matter with you, o al-Zubayr. He replied: I came out to hit, with my sword, whoever wanted to molest you: the Prophet, prayed for him and blessed his sword, and thus, this was one of the first swords to be unsheathed in defense of the incipient days of Islam.

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- Amongst his attributes was the fact that he was a disciple of the Prophet, who said: (to every Prophet there are disciples, and my disciple was al-Zubayr). Consensus.

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- His record includes the following: the messenger of God (Upon whom be peace) had invoked the name of his own parents on al-Zubayr’s behalf. For on the day of the battle of al-Khandaq (the ditch) the Prophet had said: who is prepared to go to the habitation of Bani Quraitha and bring me back intelligence on them? When al-Zubayr heard this, he went straight to the said habitation, and when he returned, the messenger of God (Upon whom be peace) was pleased with him that he invoked the names of both his parents saying: may my father and my mother be a sacrifice in your cause. Consensus.

- One of the stories narrated by Ibn ‘Asāker was that, during the battle of Badr, the angels were wearing a yellow headgear, like the yellow ‘imāmah (headgear) of al-Zubayr. Mentioned by Ibn Asaker in his tarikh, as well as many good qualities that cannot be summarized.

His Character:He possessed, may God be pleased with him, all the lofty features of a man of faith- piety, concern for kinship duties. He was generous, courageous, magnanimous in trade dealings, and noble instincts. But, two of such attributes stand out: (generosity and bravery). He was foremost, amongst the companions, with his generosity and readiness to spend in the cause of God.

- Traditions narrate that he owned a thousand slaves who -

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were paying to him, dues. Not one Dirham of such revenues ever entered his treasury. He used to give them away in alms to the needy.

- On the authority of Ibn Ishaq al-Subai‘i, he said: I asked a gathering which included twenty of the companions of the Prophet (Upon whom be peace): who was the most generous of people in the era of the messenger of God upon whom be peace? The gathering replied: al-Zubayr and ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taleb may God bless them.

His brivary and conduct in Batels:At the battle of Badr, he fought with great tenacity,

and was able to vanquish quite a number of the adversaries from amongst the chivalrous warriors and heroes of Quraysh, including ‘Ubaidah, Ibn Sa‘eed, Ibn al-‘A‘ass, and Nawfal Ibn Kuwailed Ibn Asad, and Zubayr suffered two deep wounds. The angels descended wearing yellow headgear of the color of the headgear that he wore. Narrated by Ibn ‘Assaker and the author of Kanz Al-‘Ummal.

In the battle of Uhud: it is narrated that when Talha Ibn Abi Talha al-‘Abdari, challenged adversaries to a duel, people present refrained from accepting the challenge until after the third time he called al-Zubayr went out to meet him while mounted on a camel. Zubayr jumped and came on equal level with his opponent on the back of the camel. A hand to hand combat ensued, and the messenger of God (upon whom be peace), watching the dual commented: the one who falls to the ground is well-nigh dead. The disbeliever fell to the ground and Zubayr fell upon him and finished him with his sword.

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Thereafter, fighting flared between the Muslims and the disbelievers, and Zubayr was amongst the few who remained steadfast around the messenger of God, and who had pledged his loyalty unto death. He even followed the disbelievers in hot pursuit. ‘Aāisha, may God bless her said: Zubayr and Abu Bakr were amongst Those who responded to the call of God and the Messenger, after injury had smitten them, Qur’an: (3: 172).

In the battle of al-Khandaq (the ditch): Zubayr was the one who came with the news on Bani Quraitha. This was in response to the call by the Prophet in which he said: who, amongst you can bring me news of Bani Quraitha? Zubayr answered: I will, and he mounted his horse, went to the abode of Bani Quraitha and, reported back on them to the Prophet. At the request of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) Zubayr carried out a second and a third mission, and the Prophet, in appreciation said: “Every Prophet has disciples and Zubayr is my disciple”. During this Ghazwa (raid) also, the Prophet said to Zubayr: shoot your arrows, may my father and mother be Fidāk (your sacrifice). And, in this same battle Zubayr stuck ‘Uthman Ibn Abdullah Ibn al-Mughira with his sword and cut him into two halves.

In the battle of Khaybar: during this battle, al-Zubayr relieved the faithful of one of the staunchest Jewish fighters - namely, Yāser, brother of Marhab. It is narrated that, when ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, may God bless, killed Marhab, Yāser brother of Marhab, pursued the Muslims with his spear. The Imam ‘Ali intercepted him, but Zubayr implored ‘Ali to let him do the combat which he did. Zubayr took the field and, when Saffiyya, his mother saw what happened she said: o messenger of God, do not let my only son get killed, to which the Prophet replied: no, he will kill and not be killed. Zubayr emerged victorious and the Prophet gave him full commendation. (Narrated by Ibn Jareer al-Tabari).

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The Jihād of the esteemed companion al-Zubayr Ibn al-‘Awam, may God bless him, was not confined to the era of the Prophet, but continued under the commander of the rightly guided Caliphs until his death.

In the battle of Yarmuk, Zubayr fought with great gallantry and steadfatness, and crossed the lines of the enemy unperturbed. But, he was wounded badly in his back; so deep were the wounds that his son ‘Urwa would say: I used to put my fingers in those holes when I was a child.

In Egypt: Zubayr accompanied ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Aāss in the conquest of Egypt. The Muslim army surrounded the citadel of Babylon and the siege lasted seven months. During this siege, al-Zubayr was told that plague had become rampant in the land and we advise you not to enter it. He replied: I came out to battle with the sword, as well as with plague. Al-Zubayr, with the approval of the commander in chief ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Āass, advanced and placed a ladder on the wall of the citadel. He climbed the ladder, and said to his compatriots in the Muslim army: when you hear my call of Allahu Akbar answer back in one voice. He, thus, surprised the garrison defending the citadel, which was over–awed when they saw al-Zubyr at the head of Muslim warriors, calling Allahu Akbar and his troops rushing in great numbers to seize the citadel. The battle ended with the seizure of the citadel, and the Muqawqas (ruler of Egypt) requested peace. The Muslims accepted the offer of peace, and the sons of Zubayr (Abdullah and Muhamad) witnessed the conclusion of this peace agreement, which was subsequently ratified by the Caliph ‘Umar, may God bless him.

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What the companions said of Al-Zubayr:-‘Umar Ibn al-Kahttab, may God bless him, said: if I have left a legacy behind me, the most endearing to me would be Zubayr Ibn al-Awām, for he was one of the ramparts of religion.

-He also said: they say to me choose someone to succeed you over us, and my answer was that, if something happened to me, decision should be assigned to the six, including Zubayr.

-‘Uthman said: by God, who ordains the fate of my soul, he –meaning Zubayr- was the best of them, and the most endeared to the messenger of God (upon whom be peace).

-‘Ali, may God bless him, was asked: who is the bravest of men? He said: that man whose anger is identical with the anger of the tiger, and whose jump is the jump of the lion. And he pointed with his finger towards Zubayr.

-Imam ‘Āamer al-Sha‘bi said :I have been a contemporary of more than five hundred of the companions who expressed the conviction that ‘Ali, ‘Uthman, Talha and Zubayr, were in Paradise.

-Sufyan al-Thawri said: those three – ‘Hamza Ibn Abdul Muttaleb, ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taleb and Zubayr Ibn Al’Awām, are the ramparts of the companions.

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Family:He married four wives, they are: Asmā bint Abi Bakr, ‘Āatika bint Zayd Ibn ‘Amr, Ibn Nufayl, and Umm Khaled bint Khaled Ibn Sa‘īd, Umm Mis‘ab al-Kalbiyah.

Offspring:Eleven males and nine females, and he used to give to his children the names of the companions.

Death:He died in the month of Rajab, in the year 36h, in the battle of al-Jamal, but this happened after the fighting was over, at the hand of a man named Jarmoose. Imam ‘Ali, may God bless him, narrated a saying by the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) that the fate of the murderer of Zubayr, shall be in the inferno. He died at the age of 64.

The mercy of God be upon him. We pray that we will be in his company in the Hereafter, in Paradise. For he was truly one of the most chivalrous Muslims, and the commander endowed with sound judgment, weighty reason and, stoutness in fighting enemies.

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Sa‘d Ibn Abi WaqqāssHis Name and Lineage:

Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqaāss is narrated to have told the Prophet (upon whom be peace): who am I o messenger of God? The messenger of God replied: you are Sa‘d Ibn M’alik Ibn Waheeb Ibn ‘Abd Manāf Ibn Zahra Ibn Kilab Ibn Murra Ibn Ka‘b, Ibn Luāyy. Any one who says otherwise deserves God’s damnation. His nickname was Abu Ishaq al-Qurashi, al-Zahri, al-Makki.

Mother: Hassna bint Sufyan Ibn Abi Ummayya Ibn ‘Abd Shams.

Physical Characteristics: He was short – although some report him to be tall - and shabby, with a high neck, thick hair, which also covered his body. He was in the habit of dyeing his hair black. He lost his eyesight later in life.

Pre – Islamic Upbringing:He lost his father early on, and it fell upon his mother

to bring him and his brother up. They lived together until the advent of Islam, when each one of them took his separate ways. He used to manufacture arrows, as well as to sharpen them in the Jahiliya era.His Embrace of Islam:

He was sixth in embracing Islam, at the age of seventeen. He is narrated to have said that, he converted to Islam before prayers were instituted.Story of his Conversion:

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On the authority of ‘Aāisha bint Sa‘d, she said: I heard my father say: I saw in my dream before I embraced Islam three phenomena – I saw myself in utter darkness, except what moonlight emitted and, which I followed as though I was watching those who preceded me to that moon. I would see Zayd Ibn Hāritha, ‘Ali Ibn Abi Tāleb and Abu Bakr, and as though I was asking them: when did you arrive here? I was informed that the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) was propagating Islam covertly, then I saw him in the pathways of Ajyād having performed the afternoon prayers. I said to him: you are propagating what? And he answered: “testify that there is no God but God and Muhammad is his Prophet”. I said: “I testify that there is no God but God and that you are the messenger of God”, and no one had preceded me except them – meaning (Abu Bakr, ‘Ali and Zayd Ibn Hāritha).

When his mother learnt of his conversion to Islam, she became very angry and, swore mightily that she would not eat or drink or take cover under a shade, until Sa‘d had repented and reverted from faith in Muhammad (upon whom be peace).

We should ask as to the reaction of such a man of faith and fortitude, in face of such blatant challenge, taking into consideration his emotions towards his mother and his love and obedience to her. Let us hear his answer, may God bless him: I was a man of fidelity and devotion to my mother, and when I embraced Islam, my mother said: o Sa‘d, what is this religion that you have embraced? You shall abandon this religion, or else I shall abstain from food and drink until I die, and you shall be shamed for what has happened to me. They would tell you: o murderer of your mother. I answered: please mother, do not do it, because I shall not forgo this religion, no matter what. She lived a day and night without food or drink and woke up fatigued. She spent another day and night without any intake of food and, awakened in the morning

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even more fatigued. When I saw what happened I said to her: o mother, know you by God, that if you had a hundred souls, and these souls departed from you, one by one, I shall not abandon this faith. So, choose to eat or not, it is only up to you. When she had ascertained my position she ate, and it was on this occasion that the verse eight of Sura Al-‘Ankabūt was revealed. It reads: And we have commanded man to be kind to his parents. But if they contend with you that you may associate with Me that which you have no knowledge of, do not obey them. To Me shall be your return, then I shall apprise you of what you were doing Qur’an: (29: 8).

It will be observed that, the stand of Sa‘d, may God bless him, reveals his attributes of chivalry, his faith, his determination and his loyalty to his religion and his Prophet. He did not weaken in his resolve, and his personality was not shaken by emotional family considerations.

He focused his choice on faith in God Almighty and the satisfaction of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace). Such characters are not daunted by formidable challenges.

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Attributes: He had many good attributes including:He was the first to throw arrows in the cause of God.

Qays has testified: I heard Sa‘d say: I was the first Arab to throw an arrow in the cause of God; we used to accompany the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) on expeditions, carrying no food other than the leaves of Habla- akin to what goats eat.

The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) boasted of his kinship to him, and Jaber, may God bless said: Sa‘d was approaching and the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) remarked (this one is my uncle, let another show me his uncle). Narrated by Tirmithi.

What is meant by Sa‘d, being an uncle of the messenger of God, is derived from the fact that he belongs to the tribe of his mother Aāmina. It was traditional amongst Arabs to call every member of the mother’s tribe as uncle.

He was the first to shed blood, in the cause of God, Almighty. Ibn Ishāq has narrated: the companions of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) were in the habit of going to the defiles for the performance of prayers in hiding away from their co-nationals in Mecca. One day, Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqāss, was in the company of some companions of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace), in one of the quarters of Mecca, when they came upon a group of disbelievers. The latter started dauntingly ridiculing the believers in their religion and, an encounter ensued. In the encounter, Sa‘d hit one of the disbelivers with the jaw teeth of the camel and bled him. Wherefore it is narrated that, he was the first to shed blood in Islam.[[

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The messenger of God (peace be upon him) by invoking his father and mother as sacrifice for him: Sa‘d reported that, he was throwing arrows in the battle of Uhud, when the messenger of God (peace be upon him) started providing him with arrows and exclaiming: throw, may my father and mother be your sacrifice. He would even hand me arrows without arrow heads.

Ibn al-Musayeb has narrated, he said: ‘Ali, may God bless him, has said: I have not heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) invoke his parents as sacrifice for someone to any person, except to the parents of Sa‘d.

He was a sharp shooter, and one whose supplications were answered; he was also popular amongst people, and people had much credulity in his supplications that they feared them. Narrated by Tirmithi.

Some stories have been narrated to support these extra powers of Sa’d and that his prayers were answered, and this is confirmation of the prophethood of Muhammad.

The report narrates, Sa‘d heard a man cursing ‘Ali, Talha and Zubayr. Sa‘d warned him to stop but, his warning went unheeded. And the man commented: he is threatening me as a Prophet would do. Whereupon Sa‘d said: Allahumma if you know that, he had cursed people, who had been in your favor and, this caused your displeasure, show him today a sign which would be a sign to all people. Whereupon a stray camel appeared and stomped him to death.

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His sighting of Gabriel and Michael on the right and on the left of the Prophet (peace be upon him), on the day of the battle of Uhud. Sa‘d narrated: I saw on the right and on the left of the Prophet (peace be upon him), on the day of the battle of Uhud, two men clad in white clothing, fighting ferociously in his defense. I had not seen them before or after. Narrated by Sheikhan and Abu Hātim.

His virtues and qualities:He is one of the mst esteemed prestigious companions

of the Prophet, and one of the foremost luminaries of the Umma. A hero amongst the early heroes, and one of the six members of the consultative caucus who were favored by the messenger of God (peace be upon him) until he died. He was, also, one of the most well – versed of the companions, in the field of Islamic jurisprudence and had accumulated a considerable volume of the hadiths of the messenger of God (peace be upon him), narrated to be in the range of two hundred and seventy Hadiths.

One of the most edifying and noblest of Sa‘d’s attributes, was the purity of his soul, for he had never contemplated ill to any other Muslim, and never uttered but good words and tidings. This may be explained by the fact that, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said supplications in his favor, in the course of the farewell pilgrimage. The Prophet is narrated to have said: Allahumma keep tribulations away from him, God and Sovereign of all people, You are the Curer, for there is no curer other than You. In the name of God, I guard you against all things which cause you harm,, from envy and malignant eyes. Allahumma, make healthy his heart and body, make him overcome his sickness and respond to his supplications.

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Many Hadiths have come down to us commending his qualities, including:

The messenger of God (peace upon be him), said to his companions, one day: from this door will come to you a man from the people of Paradise. He said it three time, whereupon Sa‘d, may God bless him, appeared. Narrated by Fadhaili.

Jaber, may God bless him, narrated: we were with the messenger of God when Sa‘d Ibn Malik suddenly came. The messenger of God said (this man is my uncle, let someone else show me his uncle) Narrated by Tirmithi.

Abu Huraira, may God bless him, narrated, that the messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: (o Sa‘d, you are a pillar of Islam wherever you may be). Narrated by Al-Malla in his Sira.

Ibn ‘Abbāss, may God bless him, narrated that, he had heard the messenger of God (peace upon be him) state (Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqāss is equivalent to one thousand knights).

His Standing in battles:

His first jihād was in Mecca, as we have mentioned earlier that, he had been the first to shed blood, in the cause of Islam, and the first one to throw arrows in this cause.

He was also, may God bless him, the first to fight in the cause of Islam, after Hejira. Al-Zuhri narrated: the messenger of God sent a platoon, which included Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqāss, to a location in Hejāz, named Rābegh, close to Jahfa. The disbeliveers turned on the Muslims and, it was Sa‘d who by his arrows repulsed the onslaught.

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His record in the Ghazwas (expeditions) was outstanding and honorable. During the battle of Badr, he fought courageously defending the messenger of God. He would load his bow with an arrow saying: Allahumma, shake the ground from beneath their feet, and bring terror into their hearts. And the Prophet (peace be upon him) would respond: (Allahumma, answer the call of Sa‘d). At the end of the battle, he led away two prisoners of war, from the ranks of the disbelievers.

During the battle of Uhud, he defended the positions of the messenger of God (peace be upon him), and the Prophet would declare: (May my father and my mother be your sacrifice). Narrated by Sheikhān. On the day of Uhud, Sa‘d struck dead with his arrows, three men of the enemy. In the battle of Uhud also, he saw Gabriel and Mechael, fighting in defense of the Prophet, as we have mentioned enrlier.

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Sa‘d, may God bless him, participated in all the encounters, alongside the messenger of God, and fought with great bravery and distinction. He partook in the encounters of al-Khandaq, al-Hudaibiya; he gave the celebrated oath of allegiance (under the tree) in the earliest phases of Islam; he also partook in the battle of Khaibar and, in the conquest of Mecca. In the latter expedition, he was one of three flag-bearers from amongst the Muhajrrin (the immigrants). During the battle of Hunayn, and what tribulation Hunayn was! he was one of the one hundred knights, who stood their ground, and whom God took upon Himself, their sustenance, and the sustenance of their households, in Paradise. He was called: the knight of Islam.

The struggle of Sa‘d was not confined to the era of the messenger of God (Peace be upon him), but extended beyond to the era of the rightly guided Caliphs, where he took a distinguished role in the Islamic conquests. During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr, may God bless him, he fought, alongside Usāma Ibn Zayd, in his expedition to al-Balqā region (Trans Jordan) in Bilaad Asshaam.

The Qādissiyya battle in brief:Since the decisive battle of Qādissiya is associated with

the name of Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqāss, may God bless him, and whereas, whenever it is mentioned the name of Sa‘d is mentioned, and whereas this battle was a decisive battle which ended the life of the Persian empire, it is worthwhile to speak of this great battle.

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During the Caliphate of ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattāb, may God bless him, the power and influence of Persia was grouping steadily and the Caliph ‘Umar decided to lead, in person, the expedition to contain it. The Caliph called a council of the esteemed companions, to solicit their judgment, and they met at the outskirts of Medina. During the meeting, all the companions approved his plan to lead an expedition, to meet the Persians except Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, may God bless him. He said, with great foresight: o commander of the faithful, I fear, if you were to suffer a set back, that such reverse would weaken Muslims throughout the world. My advice is that you send another man to lead, while you return to Medina. ‘Umar saw eye to eye with Abdull Rahman, and then so did the esteemed companions.

At this point, ‘Umar turned to Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf and said: oh Abdul Rhaman, whom do you advice we send to Iraq, to lead the fight against the enemies of God, the Persians? Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf replied, with a smile on his face: I have found him, o commander of the faithful: and ‘Umar, in surprise asked: and who is he Abu Muhammad? And Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf answered: o commander of the faithful: he is the lion whose jaws embody the knight of Islam, the companion of the messenger of Ged (peace be upon him), the Sayyid whose orders are obeyed, the valiant, the virtuous Sa‘d Ibn Malek al-Zahri.

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‘Umar accepted the advise of Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, and sent for Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqāss. He appointed him commander over the expedition to Iraq, and gave him the historic order of the day, which inspired the Muslim warriors with the virtues of character and chivalry, the advice of a commander in chief to one of the commanders of his army.

The historic order of the day reads as follows: O Sa‘d: do not feel conceit, if you were called: uncle

of the messenger of God (peace be upon him), and his companion. For God, Almighty, does not erase the bad with the bad, but erases the bad with the good. And God, the Omnipotent, does not have lineage with anyone, save through His obedience. For people, whether noble or common, are equal in the sight of God. God is their Lord and they are His servants, differentiated by good behavior, and gaining God’s satisfaction by obedience to Him. Consider your assignment, guided by what you have learnt from the messenger of God (peace be upon him), from the moment he was sent, until he departed from us. Adhere to it, for it is my order. This is my advice to you, if you abandon it, and deviate from it, your mission shall suffer failure, and you would be the loser.

The battle of Qādissiyya was on and, indeed it was a great battle, unlike anything that took place in Iraq. At the start of the battle, Sa‘d led the army in prayers, and followed that by preaching and encouragements. He read to them, the Quranic verses on Jihād and then recited Allahu Akbar four times and people got engaged in combat.

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The Persian army was fortified by elephants, which posed as an element of surprise to the Muslim army. The battle raged on, for several days, and the elephant factor was beginning to take its toll, on the ranks of the Muslim army. But the wise and daring spirit of the Muslim commander soon nullified this novel armament, which the Arab fighters had not been familiar with before. Embodied camels, mounted by camouflaged knights and, carrying flames and surrounded by stout men to protect them, hit the advancing elephants pointedly in their eyes which blinded them and caused them to flee the battle field, in full retreat.

There was great confusion and disarray in the ranks of the Persian army, and they were followed in hot pursuit by the Muslim cavalry under the exemplary commander of Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqāss. He urged them to pursue the enemy, kindling their enthusiasm by calling them: o companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him), o people of Badr, o heroes of the battle of Yamāma (against disbelievers), advance, for God is on your side and will deliver victory unto you. Sa‘d would raise his hands towards heaven and supplicate to God: Allahuma, your victory which you have promised, Allahumma grant us victory.

A voice, known to Sa’d, thundered with the call Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. It was the voice of Hilāl Ibn ‘Alqama. And in the course of this ferocious battle, Rustum, commander of the Persians was killed, and so was Galinious, standard bearer of the Qādissiyya Persian phalanges. The Muslims were victorious and the Persians fell back in full retreat, and the Muslims gained enormous and indescribable booty.

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Sa‘d, may God bless him wrote a letter, to the commander of the faithful, ‘Umar, in which he communicated to him the good tidings of victory and, how it was achieved. He said:

“In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. God the Omnipotent has granted us victory over the people of Faris (Persia), after long and ferocious fighting and great tribulation. They confronted the Muslims with armaments and equipment, the like of which had not been seen before, but all these were to no avail. They were seized by the Muslims, who pursued the defeated enemy across rivers and thick forests and, along Fujāj (valleys between mountains). Amongst the wounded in Muslim ranks, was Sa‘d Ibn ‘Ubaid, the Quranic reciter, and many others whose identity only God knows. They would recite the Qurān when night falls, in a confluence of voices similar to that of bee-hives, and during the day, they were lions.

Sa‘d, may God bless him, continued his campaign of conquest, including the campaign of Madāin, in Iraq, two years after the battle of Qādissiya, and in which Sa‘d, as commander in chief, played a pivotal role. The historian Ibn Khathir narrated, in his book “al-Bidāya wa al-Nihaya”: Sa‘d, ordered the Muslims to say – Hasbuna Allah wa Ni‘ma al-Wakeel – (Suffice it our God for He is the best Custodian), and thence crossed the river Tigris, on horseback, followed by his entire troops. The phalanges crossing the river, cavalry and infantry alike, so thick that it was almost impossible to see the water flow of the river.

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Sa‘d occupied the white palace and used the throne hall of the Chosros to be his prayer niche. He made no alterations to the place, and when he first entered the place he would read the verse: How many a garden and spring did they leave behind and tillage, and highly esteemed dwellings and a favor they reveled in So it was. And we bequeathed them on another people Qur’an: (44: 25).

Sa‘d distributed the booty amongst his soldiers, and the share to each member of the cavalry was nine thousand, plus nine beasts of burden. The conquest of Jalūla province in Persia, was under his command, in the month of the al-Hijja, in the year 16H. In this battle, the Muslims gained great booty, and Jalula was named the conquest of conquests; because of the enormity it decisively dislocated Persian and fire-worshiping forces.

It was Sa‘d who ordered the building of the city of Kufah, in the year 17H.

Statements on Sa‘d:

A statement by the Caliph ‘Umar on his deathbed, in which he appointed Sa‘d, as one of the six consultants (ashāb al-Shurā). He said on that occasion: If Sa‘d is selected to assume (al-emara) (The governance) good and well. But if not, then advise the Caliph who will succeed me to utilize him, because I did not discharge him, on grounds of incompetence or treachery. ‘Umar advised his son Abdullah: if Sa‘d talks to you on hadiths, do not ask anyone else about it:

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- ‘Ali, may God bless him, said: I have not heard the messenger of God (peace be upon him) invoke both his own parents to anyone, except to Sa‘d. He also said: to God is a house, in which lived Sa‘d Ibn Malek and Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar. By God, if their staying away from the insurrection be a sin, then it is small and forgivable, and if it is good, then its reward shall be great.

- Abu Ishaq said: the most formidable amongst the companions were four: ‘‘Umar, ‘Ali, al-Zubayr and Sa‘d.

- We have aheady quoted the statement of Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf, on him, in connection with the battle of Qādissiyya.

- Al-Hassan said of him: when the insurrection occurred, a man made a point of asking, as to who were the best amongst the companions, and all the people he had asked pointed to Sa‘d Ibn Malek.

Some of his sayings:- When ‘Uthman, may God bless him, offered him

governorship of Kufa, he said: I would not wish to take charge of a people who say that I do not say prayers properly.

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- On the authority of Muhammad, he said: I was told that Sa‘d had said, when the insurrection broke out: I will not fight until they bring me a sword, with two eyes placed on it, and a tongue which says: this one is a believer and this one is a disbeliever.

- His sayings concerning wills and inheritances: on the authority of ‘Aāmer Ibn Sa‘d, quoting his father: I fell sick on the day of al-Fath (Conquest), but I recovered. The messenger of God (peace be upon him), came to visit me and I said: o messenger of God, I have plenty of money, and I only have a daughter, shall I will all my money? And the Prophet said no: I said, a portion of it, and he said no: I said a third? And he said: a third is too much: for leaving your offspring prosperous, is better than leaving them impoverished and dependent on people for charity. Perhaps, you delay giving all your acquaintances, and you shall not spend a charity for which you aspire to Godly reward, before you have given your wife full measure. I then said: o messenger of God, I fear dying in a land, from which I had emigrated. The messenger of God replied: Perhaps you may stay there so that some people benefit from your presence there and others shall suffer harm, in consequence. Allahumma, make a success of my companion’s immigration, and turn them out to where they came from. But the unfortunate - Sa’d Ibn Khawlah, is lamented for having died in Mecca. Narrated by Sheikhan.

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Marital status:He married, may God bless, ten women, and his offspring numbered thirty four children – seventeen boys and an equal number of girls.

Death:Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqāss, may God bless, died in the year 55h, according to Waqidi, which is the prevalent opinion. Abu Na‘m al-Fadhli Ibn Dakeen, narrated that he died in the year 58h. Al-Zubayr, ‘Amr Ibn ‘Ali and al-Hassan Ibn ‘Uthman expressed the opinion that Sa‘d died in the year 54h.

His death occurred in al-‘Aqiq, seven miles from Medina. He was carried on the shoulders of men to Medina, where he was brought to the mosque. Marwan and the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) said prayers for him. At Baqee‘ cemetery lies the remains of the knight of Islam Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqāss, may God be pleased with him, at the age of eighty.

His son ‘Aāmer said: Sa‘d was the last of the immigrants to die. At his deathbed, he requested that a woolen garment be brought saying: bury me enclosed with it, for when I encountered the disbelievers at the battle of Badr, I was wearing one, and I had preserved it for such a moment. ‘Ali Ibn al-Medini said: Sa‘d, may God bless, was the last of the ten (men of Paradise) to die.

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Mus‘ab Ibn Sa‘d said: the head of my father was placed in my lap while dying. I wept. He raised his head and said: my son, what causes you to cry? I said, for your situation and what I see happening? He replied: do not weep and God would never punish me and, I am one of the people promised Paradise. God rewards the faithful for their good deeds, so work in the service of God! As for the disbelievers , God reduces their punishment, in proportion to their good deeds, and if they had been exhausted, then let each one of them ask for the good deeds he had rendered to others.

May God be pleased with Sa‘d, and may God render us amongst those who acknowledge and those who appreciate the heroic acts of those heroes and, ones to follow in their footsteps, in all fields of endeavor- building the monuments of society and being an efficacious agent who tries his utmost so that the banner of truth and manifest victory is held high in all lands and places.

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Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘AwfProname and family:

Abdull Rahmān Ibn ‘Awf Ibn ‘Abd al-Hārith Ibn Zahra Ibn Kilāb, al-Qurashi, al-Zahri.

His Nick name:Abu Muhammad. His name in the era of Jāhiliya (age

of ignorance), was ‘Abd ‘Amro, and in another report, ‘Abd al-Ka‘ba.

Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf said: my name was ‘Abd ‘Amro, and the messenger of God (peace be upon him) renamed me Abdul Rahman.

Mother:Al-Shifā bint ‘Awf Ibn Abdul Harith al-Zahriyah.

Birth: He was born, twenty years after the year of the

elephant.

Physical Characteristics:He was, may God bless him, tall, good looking white thin

skinned, somewhat reddish. He would not dye his hair, with a hooked nose, long neck, with a spot under his ear, heavy palms and fingers, left handed and limping in walking.

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Pre-Islamic Upbringing:He was brought up in a puritanical environment. He was

wise and of sound judgment. He did not indulge in the life style of the Jahiliya and its customs. He was one who advocated abstinence from alcoholic drinks and wrote poetry to this effect:

I have witnessed that the drinker of wine is concerned with The echo of speech or decisive words

Conversion to Islam:He was one of the earliest converts to Islam, and before the

messenger of God entered the house of al Arqam Ibn al-Arqam. He embraced Islam at the hands of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. The story of his conversion to Islam is one that is worth narrating. This is how Abdul Rahman narrates it: I traveled to Yemen one year or so before the advent of the message of the messenger of God. I stayed at the home of ‘Aslān Ibn ‘Awāken, the Himyarite, and he was a man well advanced in age.

If the old man becomes deaf without speech And can’t hear but a little bit

Such is the ailment without a cure Except for death bespeaking affliction

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And I repeated my visits to Yemen and each time, I would make a point of visiting him. He would query me about Mecca, the Ka‘ba, and the well of Zamzam by asking: has a man appeared from your midst who was note worthy? Has anyone from amongst you dissented from your religion? And I would answer no, and I would name to him some of the names of the notables and celebrities of Quraysh. This was the case until I made my last visit, in the year after the messenger of God (peace be upon him) had been given the summons of Prophethood. When I visited him, he was frail and almost deaf. He asked me to tell him my genealogy, o brother of Quraysh. I said: I am Abdulrahman Ibn ‘Awf Ibn al-Hārith Ibn Zahra. Whereupon, he said: is it sufficient that I shall give you a good tiding, which is worth more than your trade? I said yes, please do.He said: I give you the tidings that God, the Almighty, the

Omnipotent, has sent, on the first month, a Prophet from your midst, and has revealed to him a book, and stipulated rewards, and forbade the worship of idols, and advocated embracing Islam, which, orders and pursues the right path and, warns against the committal of evil. I said: who is he? And he replied: from the clan of Bani Hashem and you are his uncles. O Abdul Rahman. Make speed of your return, and then go to him, believe in him and grant him your support. Then, this old man gave to Abdul Rahman a few verses of poetry and asked him to read them in the presence of the messenger of God (peace be upon whim)Abdul Rahman added: I finished my business and returned

to Mecca, where I saw Abu Bakr, may God bless him, who was my friend. I told him of what I had heard from the Himyarite in Yemen, and he said: This is Muhammad Ibn Abdullah whom God had sent as a messenger to the world, go and see him. Abdul Rahman continued:

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I went straight to see him, while he was in the house of Khadija, may God bless. When he saw me, he laughed and said: “I see a venerable face to which I wish all good”. I declared my Islam and testified that there is no God but God. I then recited to him the poem of the Himyarite and relayed to him what I had heard from him. The messenger of God (peace be upon whim) whereupon said: there may perhaps be a person of faith who has not seen me, and a supporter of me who does not know me. Those are truly my brethren. Narrated by the author of Kanz Al-‘Ummāl and Ibn ‘Asaker, in his History.

After his conversion to Islam, Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, suffered gruesome torture, much like other pioneers of Islam, but, he withstood his ordeal with great steadfastness, and held on unflinchingly to his Islamic allegiance.

Immigration:As just mentioned he bore his ordeal with unparalleled

steadfastness, until the messenger of God (peace be upon whim) permitted him to immigrate to Abyssinia to where he immigrated twice: a first Hijra and a second Hijra. Then, he returned to Umm Al-Qura (Mecca), and subsequently immigrated to Medina. Wherefore, ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affān, may God bless, would, whenever he saw Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, state: “No one has a greater claim to virtue than this Sheikh Abdul Rahman, for his multiple immigration”.When he immigrated to Medina, he stayed at the home of Sa‘d Ibn Al-Rabbee‘ al-Khazraji, may God bless him. Then the messenger of God (peace be upon whim) fraternized between him and Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, and it was reputed to have been a most outstanding and unique fraternization, and became an example of how fraternization might be between immigrants and Al-Ansār (supporters).

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Al-Bukhari, may God have mercy on him, narrated in his Sahīh (authentic), the following story on Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf. He said: the messenger of God (peace be upon whim) fraternized between him and Sa‘d Ibn Al-Rabee‘, may God bless. Sa‘d offered to divide his assets between himself and Abdul Rahman, and said to him: look, which of my two wives is more to your liking and, I shall relinquish her for you, and when her (‘Udda) waiting period has passed after relinquishment, you can marry her. Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf refused and said: may God bless you, your household and your money, but please show me the market place. He showed him the market place, where he bought and sold until he amassed some money, with which he was able to marry a woman from (Al-Ansar), for a particle of gold. The Prophet said to him: throw up a banquet, even with, but a goat. Narrated by Bukhari.

His characteristics and virtues:

He was, may God bless him, learned and unassuming, and fearful of God. He was, in both his religion and wordly affairs, a man of integrity and devoid of lust and envy towards others. He was a hero and a man of immense courage in combat, in the cause of Islam. He fought alongside the messenger of God (peace be upon him) in all the encounters, and never wavered or retreated in any of the encounters.

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He was a man of sound judgment, faithful to kinship obligations, including those relating to the wives of the Prophet. The rightly guided Caliphs often sought and obtained his sound advise.

His most notable characteristics were generosity and sound judgment. He was one of the rich amongst the companions of the Prophet and one of the most generous. There are many examples which prove his generosity, including:

- What was narrated by Imam al-Zahri, may God have mercy on. He said: Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, may God bless, in the era of the messenger of God, gave charity from his assets, in the amount of four thousand dinars. On subsequent occasion, he gave forty thousand dinars. On another occasion, he gave away the burden of five hundred horses, and the burden of one thousand five hundred beasts of burden. On one occasion, he had received a convoy of goods from his trade with Syria which he donated to the messenger of God (peace be upon whim). He supplicated for him and said: God bestows upon you peace. Give him greeting of peace and the good tidings of Paradise. Narrated by Qurtubi and Ibn ‘Iraq. His fortune was entirely amassed from trade.

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Ibn ‘Abbāss has narrated, he said: when Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf fell sick, he willed a third of his money for charity. When he recovered from his illness, he distributed the amounts of his will, with his own hands. Then he said; O companions of the messenger of God (Peace be upon him), whoever amongst you was a participant, in the battle of Badr, then I owe him four hundred dinars. ‘Uthman stood up with the others to collect his share, and was told: Abu ‘Umar, are you not rich? And he answered, this is a gesture of a gift from Abdul Rahman and not a charity, and as such is legitimate money.

On that day, Abdul Rahman distributed a total of one hundred and fifty thousand dinars. When night fell, he sat in his house and wrote a paper, containing his decision to distribute his entire wealth amongst the immigrants and al-Ansar. He went to the minutest detail. To the extent that he distributed the very shirt he was wearing to so and so, and his headgear to so and so. He did not keep any part of his wealth, but distributed all to the poor.

In the morning, while he was praying behind the messenger of God (peace be upon him), Gabriel descended and said to the Prophet: O Muhammad, God is telling you: convey from me to Abdul Rahman, greetings of peace, then accept from him the jarīda (written will), and then return it to him and, tell him: God has accepted your charity, and that you shall be the vicegerent of God and of his messenger. Do with your money whatever you wish to do, and utilize it in the same manner as you did before you gave it away, without any reckoning. And give him good tidings of Paradise. Narrated by Ibn Sa’d, in Tabaqāt al-Kubra and al-Suyuti in al-Durr al-Manthur.

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God, Almighty, the Omnipotent has acknowledged in more than one reference, the generosity of Abdul Rahman. In the Sura of Tawba, verse (79), the Quran states: Those who cavil at the volunteers among the believers who give free offerings. The Muttauwieen in this verse, refers to Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, may God bless.

Imām al-Rāzi, in his interpretation of a narration by Ibn ‘Abbās, may God bless him, said: the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) addressed the faithful one day, and urged them to collect charities. Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf presented four thousand Dirhams saying: I have given to my God All-Merciful, Almighty. The messenger of God (peace be upon him) whereupon said to him: “may God bless what you have given and what you have withheld”. Narrated by Ibn Hajar and Qanz al-‘Ummal and in al-Durr al-Manthūr.

‘Uthman may God bless him, did likewise, and the devious persons, in an effort to degrade the offerings of those virtuous men, alleged that they had made their contributions as a show-off and not in sincerity. Whereupon this verse of the Quran was revealed.

In the expedition of Tabuk, Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf participated in combat, in addition to contributing to its financing, in response to the instructions of the messenger of God (peace be upon him). Indeed, he was the foremost contributor, in the amount of two hundred ounces of gold. The messenger of God (peace be upon him) said to Abdul Rahman on that occasion: did you leave any money to your household? Abdul Rahman answered: More than I have contributed to the expedition, and more blessed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) inquired: how much? And Abdul Rahman replied: what God and his messenger have promised in bounty and good deals. (Narrated by Kanz al-‘Ummal).

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Abdul Rahman was second to none, in looking after the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He used to escort them in travel, accompany them in performing the pilgrimage, and place the (hawdaj) saddles on their camels for travel.

‘Aāisha, may God bless her, used to say: I heard the messenger of God (peace be upon him) say: No one would look after you, after I am gone, except the patient. May God enable Ibn ‘Awf, to drink from the fresh cool water of Paradise.

He also said: you will be safeguarded after me by the faithful and the patient. Narrated by Ahmad, Tirmithi, al-Hākem and others. Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf was the man to whom the Prophet was referring in the statement just narrated.

Amongst the great and innumerable vitues and attributes of Abdul Rahman were:

- The Prophet (peace be upon him) testified that he shall be one of the ten companions given the promise of Paradise. Also, that he was amongst the people of the (battle) of Badr, about whom the following verse in the Quran was revealed: God is well content with the believers when they swore fealty to you beneath the tree. Qur’an (48: 18).

- Narrated by Imama al-Zhahabi in his book (Siyar A‘lām al-Nubalā) ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, may God bless said: I heard the messenger of God (peace be upon him) say (Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf is a trustee on earth and a trustee in heaven). (Narrated by al-Hākem).

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- On his authority also: the messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: “Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf is visegerent of God on earth”. Narrated by al-Hākem.

- The messenger of God (peace be upon him) is narrated to have said: Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf is a Sayyid (notable) among the Sayyids of Islam. Narrated by al-Hākem.

- We have mentioned earlier his generosity and the messenger of God’s acknowledgement of his contributions and his multi-faceted virtues, and the Prophet’s pledge that he shall be of the people of paradise, and his characterization by the Prophet that he is the enduring and the true. And the Prophet prayed for him abundantly.

- One episode stands out in his career, and singles him out from other companions of the Prophet. This is related to the battle of Tabuk, in the course of which, the messenger of God followed him in prayers. Consensus.

Let us get to know this unique episode in details: ‘Amr Ibn Wahb al-Thaqafi narrated: we were with al-Mughira Ibn Shu‘ba when he was asked: has anyone of this Umma led the Prophet in prayers other than Abu Bakr? May God bless. He answered: we were with the messenger of God (peace be upon him), in travel.

At dawn, he hit the neck of my camel, and I thought that he must be in need of something, so I directed my camel alongside his, until he distanced himself from the rest of the people.He then dismounted, and walked a distance away from me until I could not see him: when he returned, he said: have you no water? And I answered in the affirmative. I brought my water jar and poured water over his hands, which he washed thoroughly. He then washed his face and wrists ,and he was

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wearing a tight Damascene shirt. He folded the shirt and washed his arms, face and hands, then his ‘Imama (headgar). We mounted our beasts and went back to join the rest of the expedition. The prayers had already started, and Abdul Rahman was in the forefont, having performed one Ruk’s and was about to start the second. At this moment, the messenger of God arrived and I tried to stop Abdul Rahman from resuming the prayers but, the messenger of God (peace be upon him) said no, let him finish. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) prayed behind with the rest of the people, and when Abdul Rahman had Finished his prayers, the messenger of God (peace be upon him( and to the people present: you have acted correctly and have done well, by being punctual in saying your prayers. Narrated in Sahihan.Sound Judgment:The rightly – guided Caliphs always sought his judgment – because they held him in highest esteem and consulted him on the most crucial issues. Abu Bakr, for example, sought his opinion in nominating ‘Umar as Caliph to succeed him.Likewise, the Caliph ‘Umar sought his advise on major issues, and he accompanied ‘Umar in most of his voyages, expeditions and conquests. In the battle of Qādissiya, it was he who suggested that the campaign be commanded by Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqass, and that ‘Umar should not go in person to lead the faithful, in battle, for fear of a reversal which might impact on the entire Islamic movement, if the Caliph himself were involved. ‘Umar used to describe him as the just and the judicious.

He sought his opinion regarding the punishment for those who drink alcoholic drinks, and it was he who suggested that the minimum punishment be eight lashes for the violator. It was the Caliph ‘Umar, who appointed him amongst the consultative council of six, and whose task was to select a successor to the Caliph. Indeed, it was Abdul Rahman who nominated ‘Uthman, to succeed ‘Umar in

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Caliphate, and subsequent to that, ‘Ali.

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This was mentioned in some of the biographies of notables and in the book Fursan about the age of Prophethood, and others which are indicative of his long-sightedness and the trust the companions placed in him.

He was unenthusiastic about assuming the Caliphate himself, because he fully understood the grave responsibilities incumbent upon this office, before God Almighty and the people.

Al-Masour has narrated: when Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf became a member of the consultative council, nothing was dearer to me than to see Abdul Rahman assume the Caliphate, and after him Sa’d. Thereupon, ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Aāss came to me and said: what would God Almighty think of your uncle (meaning Abdul Rahman) if he selected someone else to assume it, knowing that he was better qualified than that person? I came to Abdul Rahman and repeated what ‘Amr had said to me, and he replied: By God, if a knife were to pierce my neck all through to the other end, would be more palatable to me than that”.

When ‘Uthman, may God bless, felt that his end was nearing, he ordered his clerk Hamran, to write his nominee for succession to be Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, may God bless. When Abdul Rahman knew about it, he supplicated saying: ‘Allahumma, if ‘Uthman had, indeed, nominated me to succeed him, I implore you to ordain my death before him.

Family:Abdul Rahman married twelve wives, and his children

from those marriages, numbered thirty six – twenty eight boys and eight girls.

Death:

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Died in Medina during the Caliphate of ‘Uthman after a long illness.

On his illness, his son Ibrahim, narrated the following: My father, during his illness, lost consciousness on one occasion, to the extent that people around thought that he had passed away. They covered him with a blanket and watched him for one hour lying unconscious. Then, he awakened, and the first thing he uttered was Allahu Akbar, and members of the household repeated after him Allahu Akbar. Then he inquired, did I go unconscious?

And they answered yes. He then said, you are right and, in the course of my unconsciousness, two men followed me, who were repugnant, harsh and rough. The said: let us go and take him to trial before the honest and venerated. They went away with me until I came across a man who asked: where are you taking this man? They answered: we are taking him to the honest and the venerated for trial. He answered: go back from where you came, for he is one to whom God has ordained happiness and forgiveness, while in the womb of his mother. And his offspring shall enjoy similar endowment forever after. Narrated by al-Hākem in al-Mustadrak.

Ibrahim, his son, added: he subsequently lived for one month, and died in the year thirty two hijri at the age of seventy five. ‘Uthman led the mourners in prayers, and he wad buried at al-Baqee cemetery, bidden farewell by the most prominent of the comparisons of the Prophet.

May God have mercy on the great companion Abdel Rahman Ibn Awf- the pure and believing- and may his abode be the higher paradise, and may we be mustered with him among the Prophets, saints and martyrs- who are the best of companions.

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Abu ‘Ubaida ‘Āamer Ibn al-Jarrāh

Name and Lineage:‘Āamer Ibn al-Jarrah Ibn Hilal Ibn Ahyab, Ibn

Dhabba, Ibn al-Hareth, Ibn fahr, Ibn Malek, Ibn al-Nadher, Ibn Kinana. His genealogy meets with that of the messenger of God (peace be upon him) in Fahr Ibn Malek.

Nick name:Abu Ubaida, which became the more common name

than his own.

Physical Features:

He was, may God bless, tall and thin with a distorted face because of the loss of his front teeth, when he extracted with them, two arrows from the face of the messenger of God, on the day of the battle of Uhud.

Embracing Islam:He was one of the early pioneers in embracing Islam,

alongside ‘Uthman Ibn Math`un and, a group of companions, as narrated by Yazeed Ibn Ruman, who said: Ibn Math‘ūn, ‘Ubaida Ibn al-Harith, Abdul Rahman ‘Awf, Abu Salama Ibn ‘Abd al-Assad and, Abu ‘Ubaida Ibn al-Jarrah – went together to the messenger of God (peace be upon him) where he presented Islam to them and explained its basic principles and laws. They all embraced Islam within one hour, and before the messenger of God (peace be upon him) had entered the house of Arqam and made it the center of his call.

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Immigration:

He immigrated twice, in the cause of Islam: the first one was to Abyssinia, along with those early immigrants who went there. The second was when the ill-treatment and even torture, perpetrated by the disbelievers intensified. But, he did not stay away for long, because he was keen to be near the messenger of God (peace be upon him), and to hear the recitation of the verses of the Qur’an as they were being revealed to him.

No sooner had he heard that a truce had been concluded between Quraysh and the messenger of God (peace be upon him), than he decided to return to Mecca. But it was quickly discovered to have been a rumor, without basis in fact.

The second time: his hijra to Medina- when he returned to Mecca, Quraysh reverted to its malpractice of torturing the faithful. When he heard that the messenger of God had immigrated to Medina, he decided to follow suit. When he arrived in Medina, he went straight to meet the messenger of God (peace be upon him). The Prophet could hardly recognize him, because accumulation of dust had covered him during the journey. The messenger of God welcomed him and fraternized him with Muhammad Ibn Salam al-Ansari.

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His struggle and his combat record:

He was inherently a sturdy warrior and, a man of chivalry. In addition to that, from the first day of his arrival in Medina, he had taken it upon himself to devote his life to combat, in the furtherance of the religion of God- in addition to the fact that he was physically and psychologically strong and fearless. No wonder he never missed any military expedition, in the company of the Prophet. In each and every one of them, he showed unrivalled heroism. Following is a brief on some of his military exploits:

Abu ‘Ubaida in the battle of Badr: Badr was the first major battle between Islam and the disbelievers. Those who participated in it, became luminaries and were accorded a position of pre-eminence. Their ranks included Abu ‘Ubaida, may God bless, and his role was a profound expression of his deep and unshakeable faith, as it illustrated in the following: Abdullah Ibn al-Jarrah, father of Abu ‘Ubaida, was fighting on the side of the disbelievers. In the course of the battle, he came close to killing his son, but Abu ‘Ubaida, evaded his father, lest he inflict any harm on him. But the father persisted in the engagement, to the point where Abu ‘Ubaida slew his own father, in the cause of his religions belief.

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Wherefore, was revealed the following verse in the Qur’an: you shall not find a people that believe in God and the Last Day to be in friendly relations with those who antagonize God and his messenger. Even though they be their fathers, or their sons, or their brethren, or their clan. Such as they, upon their hearts He has written faith; and He has supported them with a spirit from Him. And He shall admit them to gardens underneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever, having the gratification of God, and they shall be well content with Him, Such are the party of God. And surely God’s party shall be the prosperous. Quran (58: 22).

In the battle of ‘Uhud, he was one of the staunchest fighters in defence of the messenger of God, when he was besieged. Abu Bakr has described the role of Abu ‘Ubaida in this battle as follows: “the messenger of God (peace be upon him) was hit by two arrows in the face. I hurried towards the messenger of God (peace be upon him), when I saw a man, rushing from the east like a man in flight, I said: Allahumma, reward this endeavor. When I arrived at where the messenger of God was, I found that Abu ‘Ubaida Ibn al-Jarrah had arrived before me. He said to me: “I beseech you by God, oh Abu Bakr, to leave me to extricate them from the face of the messenger of

God (peace be upon him). I left him to do what he had requested, and he proceeded to extricate the first and then the second. It was so strenuous that Abu ‘Ubaida lost his front teeth and fell to the ground. He took out the second arrow and the same thing happened. This altered his facial looks, and someone remarked no one has a better facial look than Abu ‘Ubaida, after he had lost his two jaw teeth.

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His combat record was one of unparalleled courage and dedication in all other encounters.

And when the messenger of God passed away he continued his military career in the Islamic conquests which followed. He was one of the most prominent commanders in the ferocious battles against the apostates, who endangered the Muslim community, after the death of the messenger of God (peace be upon him). The Caliph Abu Bakr appointed him the Emir of the city of Homss in Syria.

During the Caliphate of ‘Umar, he was commander, in the conquest of many cities in Bilaad el-Shām – twenty eight towns and cities including Damascus, Jerusalem, Ba‘labak, Aleppo, Antioch and Raha. He left deep imprints in each and every one of them.

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Great stand:

When the Caliph ‘Umar, ordered Abu ‘Ubaida, to assume overall command of the Muslim armies in Bilad el-Sham (Syria) in place of Khaled Ibn al-Waleed, Abu ‘Ubaida, upon receiving the special envoy of ‘Umar, with instructions to this effect, requested the envoy to keep the order secret, until Khaled had victoriously completed his conquest. After this had been achieved, Abu ‘Ubaida, with tact and gentleness communicated to Khaled the order of the Caliph ‘Umar, dismissing him from command.

Khaled asked him: what prevented you, Abu ‘Ubaida, from communicating the dismissal order, when you first received it? The trustee of the Umma, Abu ‘Ubaida replied: I hated to undermine the momentum of your battle. We do not seek worldly gains, nor are we working for worldly gains. All of us are dedicated to the service of God.

His virtues and his standing with the messenger of God (peace be upon him):He was foremost in the trust and esteem of the messenger of God (peace be upon him), and his record in the cause of Islam was outstanding. He was one of the ten companions of the Prophet promised the reward of Paradise. The virtues of Abu ‘Ubaida, included:

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- Abu ‘Ubaida was named by the messenger of God (peace be upon him) to be (Ameen al-Umma) “trustee of this Umma”. In another version of the narration: Every Prophet has a trustee, and my trustee is Abu ‘Ubaida: Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim and Tirmithi.

- The messenger of God’s affection towards Abu ‘Ubaida: ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Aāss, may God bless him, narrated the following: the messenger of God was asked: o messenger of God, who is the most endeared to you? And he answered (‘Aāisha). Then who is the most endeared amongst men? And he answered: Abu Bakr. Then who? And he answered: Abu ‘Ubaida Ibn al-Jarrah. Narrated by al-Hākem.

- The messenger of God’s admiration for Abu ‘Ubaida’s character: al-Hassan said: the messenger of God said: “No one of you, if I had wished, but I would find in his character some blemish, except Abu ‘Ubaida”. Narrated by al-Hākem.

His standing amongst the companions, may God bless:

Abu ‘Ubaida was held in the highest esteem by his companions because of his exemplary character. This can be discerned from the statements of commendation uttered by them, as we shall see below:

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- Abu Bakr, the truthful, may God bless, used to tell tribes which had sought his advise on nominating a commander: chose this man of flexibility and temperance, a man who if grieved, would not cause anyone to be grieved, and if maligned would forgive, and if relation were severed would rejoin - merciful with the faithful, hard on the disbelievers, choose Abu ‘Ubaida! May God bless him.

- ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him, said: if death comes and Abu ‘Ubaida is alive, I would chose him to succeed me. And if God asks me, why did you choose him to be in command of the nation of Muhammad (peace be upon him), I would reply: I have heard the messenger of God say: “for every Prophet, there is a trustee, and my trustee is Abu-‘Ubaida Ibn al-Jarrah”. And ‘Umar once said to his companions: make a wish, and each one of them made a wish. ‘Umar, may God bless said: my wish is that this house be filled with men, the like of Abu ‘Ubaida. Narrated by al-Hakem and Ahmad.

- ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Āass said: three men from Quraysh have the most pleasant of countenances, the finest characters and are the shyest. It they talk to you they would not lie, and if you talked to them, they would not belie you: Abu Bakr, the truthful, ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affān, and Abu-‘Ubaida Ibn al-Jarrah, may God bless them all.

- Ibn Mas‘ud said: my comrades from amongst the companions of the messenger of God (peace be upon him) are three: Abu-Bakr, ‘Umar, and Abu-‘Ubaida.

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Ibn ‘Umar was asked: what was Ibn al-Jarrah like? And he replied: he had the most pleasant of countenances, the best character and the most shy.

His character and statements, may God bless:

He took the messenger of God (peace be upon him) as his ideal, in character and morals. He therefore, embodied the highest Islamic and humanistic characteristics such as piety, faith, fear of God, truthfulness, honesty, bravery, modesty, generosity, knowledge, wisdom, magnanimity, mercy, kindness and modesty in living. We can discern some of these attributes from his statements and his behavior.

His modesty in living:

When the caliph ‘Umar came to Jerusalem and was received by the Emirs and the commanders, he inquired saying: where is my brother Abu ‘Ubaida? They replied: he shall be coming to you now. He came riding an unsaddled camel, drawn by a rope. He saluted him and asked the throng to leave. ‘Umar then went with Abu ‘Ubaida to his abode where both dismounted. When ‘Umar entered the abode, he did not see any furnishing, and the only thing he saw was his sword, his shield and his beast of burden. ‘Umar was overwhelmed with emotions at the sight of Abu ‘Ubaida, living in this barren home, notwithstanding the fact that he was commander in chief of the Muslim armies. On his part, Abu ‘Ubaida told ‘Umar that easy life would destroy us.

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His generosity:‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him, sent four

thousand dinars, in some narrations four hundred, and told his emissary: see what he will do with this money. The emissary came back and told ‘Umar that, Abu ‘Ubaida distributed the sum in its entirety, in the cause of God. ‘Umar, upon hearing this said: thanks be to God, who has ordained people in Islam, to behave in this manner.

His modesty:Thabet al-Banāni narrated that, Abu Ubaida had said: o

you people, I am one of Quraysh, and no one amongst you, whether red or black, who is more virtuous than I am, would I not wish to be in his skin.

When ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab wrote to Abu ‘Ubaida, asking him to return to Medina, to spare him the plague of Emmuās in Palestine, Abu ‘Ubaida replied: I have understood your intent, so pray, release me from your order. For, I am but a soldier amongst the soldiers of Islam, and I would not wish to be preferred over them.

His fear of GodQutada quoted Abu ‘Ubaida as saying: I wish I were a ram for sacrifice in the cause of Islam.

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His readiness for martyrdom in the cause of Islam: ‘Urwa narrated that Abu ‘Ubaida and his kin, were

spared the plague of Emmuāss. Abu-‘Ubaida supplicated God saying: Allahumma, Your share of the household of Abu ‘Ubaida. A sore spot appeared on his little finger as he spoke. He looked at it intently. They said to him: it is tiny and has no significance, and he replied: I hope God would bless it, because if he blesses the little, it would become plenty.

His Wisdom:When inspecting in army camp, he used to utter the

following: perhaps, there may be people who clean white their clothes, but desecrate their religion, there may be people who glorify themselves but, in doing so humiliate it, wipe out old sins by new good deeds, for if someone had committed sins that link the earth and the sky in enormity, and then offered a good deed, it would supplant and conquer all previous ills.

His Death:Died in the year eighteen Hejira during ‘Umar’s

Caliphate, of the plague of Emmuās in Jordan where he is buried. He was fifty eight years of age.

Ma‘āth Ibn Jabal, one of the companions of the Prophet, said the prayers on his tomb, and his burial was attended also, by ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Aāss and al-Dahhāk Ibn Qays, may God bless them.

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His Will Before Death: Sa’id Ibn al-Mussayeb has narrated: when

Abu-‘Ubaida was afflicted with the plague while in Jordan, he summoned Muslim notables present and said: I am leaving with you a will which, as long as you adhere to, you shall be well: observe your prayers, fast the month of Ramadan, pay alms, perform the ‘Umra and the pilgrimage, keep your friendly relationships, give sincere advice to your Emirs and do not misguide them, and do not be beholden to this world for, if anyone were to live a thousand years, he would inevitably face, as I am facing before you, death. God, the Almighty, the Omnipotent, has ordained death to the breed of Adam, for they will all meet death. The wisest amongst them, is he who is obedient to God and does good deeds, for his return to the Day of Judgement. And the peace and mercy of God be upon you all.

Family:It is worth mentioning that Abu ‘Ubaida, may God

bless him, had only two sons –Yazeed and ‘Umair, from one mother- Hind bint Jaber, but the two sons died without begetting any offspring.

May God bless the soul of Abu ‘Ubaida, and award him an abode of peace, for he exemplified all the best ideals and principles of Islam, and walked the right path.

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Saīd Ibn Zayd Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Nufayl,May God bless Him.

His Name and Lineage:

Sa‘īd Ibn Zayd Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Nufayl Ibn abd al-‘Uzza Ibn Riyah Ibn Abdullāh Ibn Qart Ibn Razah Ibn ‘Addii Ibn Ka‘b Ibn Lu’ai al-Qurashi al-‘Adawi.

He is the cousin of ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless, and married to his sister. His nick name: Abu al-A‘war.

Physical Features:

He was tall and thick haired

Pre-Islamic upbringing:

He was brought up in Mecca, but he always felt averse to the deeds of his fellow Meccans, and their adoration and worship of idols. These customs and rituals were repugnant to him.

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Embracing Islam:

He and his wife Um Jameel Fatima bint al-Khattab – sister of ‘Umar, embraced Islam early on. In fact, his conversion to Islam preceded that of ‘Umar. Indeed, ‘Umar’s conversion was prompted by that of his sister and his brother in-law, as is narrated in his Sira (biography).

His Immigration:Sa‘id Ibn Zayd, may God bless him, remained in

Medina, to face the persecution which the disbelievers inflicted on the faithful. But he was patient and steadfast, and immigrated to Medina with his wife, as soon as he was given the signal to do so. The messenger of God (peace be upon him) fraternized between him and Ubay Ibn Ka‘b.

His struggle in the cause of Islam:Some historians have narrated that he had taken part

in all the encounters, in the company of the messenger of God (peace be upon him) except the battle of Badr. But, al-Wāqidi has narrated that the messenger of God (peace be upon him) had sent him, along with Talha Ibn ‘Ubaidillah to Damascus, to gather intelligence on the situation there. When they returned to Medina, the battle of Badr had already been engaged, and therefore, they could not participate in it. But, nonetheless, they were regarded as Badriyyeen (people of Badr) and were allocated a share of its booty.

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But there is agreement that he had participated in all the other encounters, as was reported by Sa‘id Ibn Jubair. He said: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, Talha, al-Zubayr, Sa‘d, Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf and Sa‘id Ibn Zayd Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Nufayl, were in the forefront of the messenger of God (peace be upon him) in battle, and behind him in line, in performing prayers. And no one from amongst the immigrants or al-Ansar, had the right to replace any of them, whether they were present or absent.

After the death of the messenger of God (peace be upon him), Sai‘d ib Zayd, may God bless, was one of the commanders of the Muslim armies in the major and decisive battles, such as the battle of Yarmuk, where he played a major role, as commander of one of the most important of the Muslim legions partaking in the battle.

Ibn ‘Asāker, the historian, narrates that when Sa‘id saw the numerically superior Roman legions, he was taken aback in apprehension. Then he fell to the ground and sat on his knees, waiting for the enemy to advance. When the Roman legions drew near to him he speared the first of their fighters upon approach, and then led his forces into a victorious counter attack.

Sa’id persisted in combat until the end of his life.

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His Virtues And Attributes:The venerable companion of the messenger of God

(peace be upon him) Sa‘id Ibn Zayd, was one of the closest companions, and one who kept company with the Prophet in all of his activities, travels and encounters. He was one of the ten companions, given the promise of Paradise, as was narrated by al-Tirmithi, as we have already mentioned. He was, also, one of the earliest converts to Islam, and one of the first to follow the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet testified about him in the sound tradition narrated by Tirmidhi on the authority of Sa`eed Bin Zayd he said: we were with the Messenger of God at Harraa- mountain- and he said (be firm Harraa for upon you is but a Prophet or a saint or a martyr); the Prophet is Muhammad and the saint is Abu Bakr, as for the martyrs- among them was Sa`id Ibn Zayd.

He gained the confidence of the messenger of God (peace be upon him), who used to send him on important missions. After the encounter with Bani Quraytha, he sent him along with the captive women of Bani Quraytha to Najd, to barter them with the purchase of horses and arms, to strengthen Muslim forces. And, in recognition of his virtuous character, Um al-Mu‘mineen (mother of the faithful) Zaynab bint Jahsh, willed that Sa‘id lead the faithful in prayer, in her funeral. He enjoyed a position of eminence, with the rightly guided Caliphs, and ‘Umar did not appoint him to the consultative council, only because he wished to avoid being tainted with favoritism, on account of his cousin Sa‘id.

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His attributes were many, including:His supplications were answered: it has been narrated

that Arwa contested his part ownership of her house. He answered: leave her to do what she wished, for I have heard the messenger of God (peace be upon him) say: whoever takes a span of land, unjustly, he shall be encircled in seven layers of land, on the day of resurrection. Allahumma, if she be lying, blind her sight and make her grave in her house.

Muhammad Ibn Zayd has narrated: I saw her blind stretching her hands to touch the wall and saying: the imprecation of Sa‘id has hit me. And while she was walking in the house, she fell into the well of the house and drowned, and it became her tomb.

Some of the ‘Ulemas have singled out for recognition his father: (Zayd Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Nufayl). He was the most outstanding father, amongst the fathers of the companions of the messengers of God. He was a faithful Unitarian during the era of al-Jāhiliya. He would repudiate and rebuke Quraysh, and other Arab tribes for worshipping idols, and he traversed Bilaad el-Shaam, in search of the true religion. He encountered Judaism and Christianity but did not favor them. Finally, he declared: Allahumma, I adhere to the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham), and was, therefore, among those who attained salvation. The messenger of God (peace be upon him) said of Him (I saw Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl, alone, resurrected as an Umma “a nation”). Narrated by Ahmad and al-Hākem. Also another saying: ‘I entered Paradise and saw two lofty trees belonging to Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl”. Narrated by the author of Kanz al-‘Ummāl, (even though Sa‘id preceded the advent of Islam and did not, therefore embrace it). There are many narrations about him indicative that he was a monotheist, among which:

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He used to combat infanticide: he would tell a father who intended to commit the crime of infanticide: pray, do not kill her, I shall undertake to sustain her. After bringing her up, he would go to the father and say: if you wish to take her back, I shall give her to you, and if you do not, I shall spare you her care. Narrated by Bukhari.One of his attributes is that he would not eat meat slaughtered on an altar for idols.

He used to preach against adultery: Asma’ has narrated: I have seen Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl, supporting his back at the wall of the Ka‘ba, and exclaiming: woe unto Quraysh, beware adultery for it begets poverty.

And other narrations and reports indicating that he was an upright person.

Death of Sa‘id Ibn Zayd Ibn Amr, may God bless him: he died on a Friday, in the year fifty one Hejira at the age of seventy plus years, at a spot named al-‘Aqiq. He was buried in Medina, and his funeral was attended by Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqāss, Ibn ‘Umar, companions of the messenger of God (peace be upon him) his people, and his household, including his sons. May God have mercy on his soul!

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The foregoing has been a series of briefs on the Siras (biographies) of the ten companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who have been given the promise of Paradise. But researches on those great leaders are endless. Nonetheless, the legacy which they bequeathed to us shall be a source of inspiration to us and to our descendents until the Day of Judgment.

I pray to God, the Omnipotent, to render this effort palatable to our younger generations, so that they discern in the Siras of the companions of the messenger of God (peace be upon him), a source of inspiration, which would obviate the need to seek inspiration from false ideas and models, which are in vogue in the present – day world.

In order to achieve this, we need to follow up with the Siras of the succeeding generations of companions, who have set an example of fortitude, sincere faith and leadership in all walks of life. This we shall see in the next series of publication, under the title “The Best Century”, God willing. May God preserve you and bestow on you his beneficence. And thanks be to the Lord of the worlds.

References

Books Authors

1. Sahih Al-Bukhari Imam Bukhari

2. Sahih Muslim Imam Muslim

3. Jami` Al-Tirmidhi Imam Tirmidhi

4. Sunan Abi Daoud Imam Abu Daoud

5. Sunan Al-Nissa`i Imam Nissa`i

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6. Sunan Ibn Maja Imam Ibn Maja

7. Al-Jami` Bayn Al-Sahihayn Saleh Ahmad Al-

Shami

8. Sahih Ibn Habban Imam Ibn Habban

9. Jami` Al-Masaneed W`al Sunan Ibn Kathir

10. Fath Al-Bari Sharh Sahih Al-

Bukhari

Ibn Hajar

Al-‘Asqalani

11. Al-Sira Al-Nabawiya Ibn Hisham

12. Al-Sira Al-Halabiya Ahmad Zeini

Dahlan

13. Hayat Al-Sahaba Al-Kandahlawi

14. Al-Bidaya W`al Nihaya Ibn Kathir

15. Kanz Al-`Ummal Fi Sunan Al-

Akwal W`al Aff`aal

Al-Muttaki Al-

Hindi

16. Al-Muntadham Fi Tarikh Al-

Umam W`al Muluk

Ibn Al-Jawzi

17. Sifat Al-Safwah Ibn Al-Jawzi

18. Tarikh ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Ibn Al-Jawzi

19. Assad Al-Ghaba Fi Ma`rifat Al-

Sahaba

Ibn Al-Athir

20. Tarikh Al-Khulafa`a Al-Suyuti

21. Siyar A`laam Al-Nubala`a Al-Dhahabi

22. Tahthib Al-Tahthib Ibn Hajar Al-

Asqalani23. Tarikh Al-Islam Wawafiyyat

Al-Mashahir W`al A`laamAl-Thahabi

24. Al-Riyad Al-Nadera Fi Manaqib Al-`Ashara

Al-Muhhib Al-Tabari

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25. Jawlah Tarikhiya Fi ‘Asr Al-Khulafaa Al-Rashidin

Muhammad Al-Sayyid Al-Wakil

26. Suwar Min Siyar Al-Sahaba Abdel Hamid Al-Sajibani

27. Shatharat Al-Thahab Ibn Imad Al-Hanbali

28. Al-A`laam Khayr Eddine Al-Zirikili

29. Al-Ikmal Ibn Makula30. Al-Wafi B`il Wafiyyat Al-Safadi31. Fawat Al-Wafiyyat Al-Kutbi32. Wafiyyat Al-A`yan Ibn Khalkan33. Fursan Min ‘Asr Al-Sahabah Ahmad Khalil

Jum`a34. Al-Mu`jam Al-Kabir L`il

TabaraniImam Tabarani

35. Al-Hilya Ibn Nu`aym

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الفهرسالصــفالموضوع

حةالطحان محمود الدكتور مقدمة

المقدمة

الصديق بكر أبو

الخطاب بن عمر عفان بن عثمان

طالب أبي بن علي

الله عبيد بن طلحة العوام بن الزبير

وقاص أبي بن سعد

عوف بن الرحمن عبد الجراح بن عامر عبيدة أبو

زيد بن سعيد

المراجع

الفهرس

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