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Get to know the Companions, the scholars, and the prominent figures.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
I am from the Banu al-Harith tribe of Yemen.
I was tall of stature.
I had a robust build.
I was very dark-skinned.
Whoever saw me was struck with awe.
My conversion to Islam came quite late.
I arrived with my people in Medina in the tenth year of the Hijra.
We pledged our allegiance to the Prophet, peace be upon him, to embrace Islam.
I was known for my asceticism and forbearance.
And for my deep concern for the interests of the Muslims.
On the battlefields,
I was renowned for my courage, bravery, and excellent leadership.
Through my hands, many lands were conquered.
I used to say to the people:
"I do not see matters except through the truth."
"I do not see the truth except through justice."
"And I do not see justice except in the obedience of Allah."
I participated in the Islamic conquests during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
I was a loyal soldier to the army commanders.
In the Battle of Manadhir,
I was with my brother, the Muhajir.
We fought the enemies under the command of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him.
During the battle,
the enemy surrounded my brother,
killed him, and severed his head.
They hoisted it upon a mast overlooking the battlefield.
A fire of vengeance ignited within me.
I said to my martyred brother:
"By Allah, I shall surely avenge you."
When Abu Musa saw the intensity of my grief for my brother,
he relinquished the command of the army to me.
I took charge of the people,
and I bolstered the resolve of the fighters.
Then we descended upon the enemy like a torrential flood.
We left them either as fugitives or captives.
We killed the combatants,
took the families as captives,
and conquered the land.
Then I advanced with the Islamic army,
conquering land after land,
until we reached the borders of Sijistan.
We besieged a city flourishing with magnificent palaces,
surrounded by massive fortifications.
We laid siege to it,
and then Allah granted us victory over it.
Their leader fell captive into our hands.
He came to me,
offering a ransom in exchange for his freedom.
I said to him:
"I will ransom you if you provide a generous ransom for the Muslims."
He asked:
"And how much do you want?"
I brought out a spear over two meters long,
planted it in the ground,
and said to him:
"Pour gold and silver over this spear,"
"until you cover it completely."
He replied, "I agree."
He brought out the treasures he possessed,
and began pouring them over the spear until it was hidden.
I took those funds,
set aside the fifth (khums),
and gave the mujahidin their share.
I did not take anything for myself.
In one of the battles against the Persians,
the war between us was back and forth,
despite our small numbers and the enemy's vast numbers.
Parviz,
the Persian commander, inclined toward peace.
I responded to his request,
and invited him to meet me in the Muslim camp.
I granted him safe passage,
and he agreed to come.
I ordered my men to prepare the place to receive Parviz.
I asked them to pile up around the meeting place
heaps of the corpses of the slain Persians,
and to scatter along the sides of the path he would pass through
other corpses, strewn about in disarray.
When Parviz entered to see me,
his limbs trembled in fear of me,
and his heart was struck with terror at the sight of the dead.
He did not dare to approach me,
nor did he come forward to shake my hand.
He made peace with me on the condition that he would provide the Muslims with a thousand boys,
each carrying a vessel full of gold on his head.
I accepted that from him and made peace with him on those terms.
So, who am I?
Share your answers with us in the comments below the video.
We will pin the correct answer in the comments
when the next episode is released, insha'Allah.