1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,320 Mawaddah Association is pleased 3 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,320 to present to you snapshots from the lives of the Companions, 4 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,320 by Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 5 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,350 may Allah have mercy on him. 6 00:00:27,350 --> 00:00:33,729 Abdullah ibn Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with him: 7 00:00:46,359 --> 00:00:49,359 the Companion whose account we are listening to now, 8 00:00:49,359 --> 00:00:53,359 was closely tied to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 9 00:00:53,359 --> 00:00:57,359 and was one of the foremost pioneers in Islam. 10 00:00:57,359 --> 00:01:00,359 He was the maternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 11 00:01:00,359 --> 00:01:04,359 as his mother was Umaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib, 12 00:01:04,359 --> 00:01:07,359 the paternal aunt of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. 13 00:01:07,359 --> 00:01:11,359 He was also a brother-in-law of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 14 00:01:11,359 --> 00:01:14,359 as his sister, Zaynab bint Jahsh, 15 00:01:14,359 --> 00:01:16,359 was a wife of the noble Prophet 16 00:01:16,359 --> 00:01:19,359 and one of the Mothers of the Believers. 17 00:01:19,359 --> 00:01:22,359 He was the very first person for whom a banner was tied in Islam, 18 00:01:22,359 --> 00:01:26,359 and after that, he was the first to be called Commander of the Faithful. 19 00:01:26,359 --> 00:01:29,359 He is Abdullah ibn Jahsh al-Asadi. 20 00:01:29,359 --> 00:01:32,459 Abdullah ibn Jahsh embraced Islam before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, entered 21 00:01:32,459 --> 00:01:35,459 Dar al-Arqam, 22 00:01:35,459 --> 00:01:38,459 so he was among the earliest converts to Islam. 23 00:01:38,459 --> 00:01:41,459 When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, permitted 24 00:01:41,459 --> 00:01:44,459 his Companions to migrate to Medina 25 00:01:44,459 --> 00:01:47,459 to flee with their religion from the harm of Quraysh, 26 00:01:47,459 --> 00:01:50,459 Abdullah ibn Jahsh was the second of the emigrants, 27 00:01:50,459 --> 00:01:53,459 for no one had preceded him in achieving this virtue 28 00:01:53,459 --> 00:01:56,459 except Abu Salamah. Yet migrating for the sake of Allah 29 00:01:56,459 --> 00:01:59,459 and parting from family and homeland in His cause 30 00:01:59,459 --> 00:02:02,459 was not something new to Abdullah ibn Jahsh, 31 00:02:02,459 --> 00:02:05,459 for he and some of his family members had already migrated 32 00:02:05,459 --> 00:02:08,460 before that to Abyssinia. 33 00:02:08,460 --> 00:02:11,460 However, his migration this time was far more comprehensive and complete: 34 00:02:11,460 --> 00:02:14,460 his entire household and relatives migrated with him, 35 00:02:14,460 --> 00:02:17,460 including all the children of his father—men and women, 36 00:02:17,460 --> 00:02:20,460 elderly and young, boys and girls. 37 00:02:20,460 --> 00:02:23,460 His home was a household of Islam, 38 00:02:23,460 --> 00:02:26,460 and his clan was a clan of faith. 39 00:02:26,460 --> 00:02:29,460 No sooner had they departed from Mecca 40 00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:32,460 than their dwellings appeared somber and desolate, 41 00:02:32,460 --> 00:02:35,460 becoming entirely empty and deserted, 42 00:02:35,460 --> 00:02:38,460 as though no dweller had ever lived in them before, 43 00:02:38,460 --> 00:02:41,460 and no evening gatherers had ever conversed within their grounds. 44 00:02:41,460 --> 00:02:44,460 Not long after the migration of Abdullah and those with him, 45 00:02:44,460 --> 00:02:47,460 the leaders of Quraysh went out making the rounds 46 00:02:47,460 --> 00:02:50,460 through the neighborhoods of Mecca to find out who had departed 47 00:02:50,460 --> 00:02:53,460 among the Muslims and who remained. 48 00:02:53,460 --> 00:02:56,460 Among them were Abu Jahl and Utbah ibn Rabi'ah. 49 00:02:56,460 --> 00:02:59,460 Utbah looked at the homes of 50 00:02:59,460 --> 00:03:02,460 Banu Jahsh, where the blowing winds 51 00:03:02,460 --> 00:03:05,460 were howling and their doors were violently 52 00:03:05,460 --> 00:03:08,460 slamming, and he said, "The homes 53 00:03:08,460 --> 00:03:11,460 of Banu Jahsh have become empty, weeping for their inhabitants." 54 00:03:11,460 --> 00:03:14,460 Abu Jahl replied, "And who are these people 55 00:03:15,460 --> 00:03:18,460 that the homes should weep over them?" 56 00:03:18,460 --> 00:03:21,460 Then Abu Jahl seized the house of Abdullah ibn Jahsh— 57 00:03:21,460 --> 00:03:24,460 which was the finest and wealthiest of those houses— 58 00:03:24,460 --> 00:03:27,460 and began disposing of it and its contents 59 00:03:27,460 --> 00:03:30,460 just as an owner disposes of his own property. 60 00:03:30,460 --> 00:03:33,460 When news reached Abdullah ibn Jahsh 61 00:03:33,460 --> 00:03:36,460 of what Abu Jahl had done to his home, 62 00:03:36,460 --> 00:03:39,460 he mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 63 00:03:39,460 --> 00:03:42,460 The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: 64 00:03:42,460 --> 00:03:45,460 "Would you not be pleased, O Abdullah, 65 00:03:45,460 --> 00:03:48,490 that Allah will give you a house in Paradise in exchange for it?" 66 00:03:48,490 --> 00:03:51,490 He replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" 67 00:03:51,490 --> 00:03:54,580 He said, "Then that is yours." 68 00:03:54,580 --> 00:03:57,580 Thus Abdullah was comforted and his mind was set at ease. 69 00:03:57,580 --> 00:04:00,580 Hardly had Abdullah ibn Jahsh settled in Medina, 70 00:04:00,580 --> 00:04:03,580 after enduring such hardship in 71 00:04:03,580 --> 00:04:06,580 his first and second migrations, 72 00:04:06,580 --> 00:04:09,580 and hardly had he tasted a bit of rest under the protection of the Ansar, 73 00:04:09,580 --> 00:04:12,580 after suffering harm at the hands of Quraysh, 74 00:04:12,580 --> 00:04:15,580 when Allah willed that he face 75 00:04:15,580 --> 00:04:18,579 one of the most difficult trials he had ever known in his life, 76 00:04:18,579 --> 00:04:21,579 and undergo the most severe ordeal he had experienced since becoming Muslim. 77 00:04:21,579 --> 00:04:24,579 Let us lend an ear to the story of that 78 00:04:24,579 --> 00:04:27,579 harsh and bitter ordeal. 79 00:04:27,579 --> 00:04:30,579 The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, appointed 80 00:04:30,579 --> 00:04:33,579 eight of his Companions to carry out 81 00:04:33,579 --> 00:04:36,579 the very first military expedition in Islam, 82 00:04:37,579 --> 00:04:40,579 and he said: 83 00:04:40,579 --> 00:04:43,579 "I will surely appoint over you the most patient of you 84 00:04:43,579 --> 00:04:46,579 in enduring hunger and thirst." 85 00:04:46,579 --> 00:04:49,579 He then tied their banner for Abdullah ibn Jahsh, 86 00:04:49,579 --> 00:04:52,579 making him the first commander appointed over a group of the believers. 87 00:04:52,579 --> 00:04:55,620 The noble Messenger specified to Abdullah ibn Jahsh 88 00:04:55,620 --> 00:04:58,620 his destination and gave him a letter, 89 00:04:58,620 --> 00:05:01,620 instructing him not to read it until after 90 00:05:01,620 --> 00:05:04,620 traveling for two days. When he had traveled 91 00:05:04,620 --> 00:05:07,620 for two days with the detachment, 92 00:05:07,620 --> 00:05:10,620 Abdullah looked at the letter, and found in it: 93 00:05:10,620 --> 00:05:13,620 "When you read this letter of mine, 94 00:05:13,620 --> 00:05:16,620 proceed until you encamp at Nakhlah between Al-Ta'if and Mecca. 95 00:05:16,620 --> 00:05:19,620 There, lie in wait for Quraysh 96 00:05:19,620 --> 00:05:22,620 and gather news about them for us." 97 00:05:22,620 --> 00:05:25,620 As soon as Abdullah finished reading the letter, he said: 98 00:05:25,620 --> 00:05:28,620 "We hear and obey the Prophet of Allah." 99 00:05:28,620 --> 00:05:31,620 He then said to his companions, "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 100 00:05:31,620 --> 00:05:34,620 has commanded me to proceed to Nakhlah 101 00:05:34,620 --> 00:05:37,620 to lie in wait for Quraysh so that I may bring him 102 00:05:37,620 --> 00:05:40,620 their news. And he has forbidden me 103 00:05:40,620 --> 00:05:43,620 from compelling any of you to proceed with me. 104 00:05:43,620 --> 00:05:46,620 So whoever among you seeks martyrdom and desires it, 105 00:05:46,620 --> 00:05:49,620 let him accompany me; and whoever dislikes that, 106 00:05:49,620 --> 00:05:52,620 let him return blamelessly." 107 00:05:52,620 --> 00:05:55,620 The men said, "We hear and obey 108 00:05:55,620 --> 00:05:58,620 the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 109 00:05:58,620 --> 00:06:01,620 We will proceed with you wherever the Prophet of Allah has commanded you." 110 00:06:01,620 --> 00:06:04,620 Then the group marched until they reached Nakhlah, 111 00:06:04,620 --> 00:06:07,620 and they began scouting through the mountain passes 112 00:06:07,620 --> 00:06:10,620 to gather intelligence on Quraysh. 113 00:06:10,620 --> 00:06:13,620 While they were doing so, they spotted from afar 114 00:06:13,620 --> 00:06:16,620 a caravan of Quraysh carrying four men: 115 00:06:16,620 --> 00:06:19,620 Amr ibn al-Hadrami, Al-Hakam ibn Kaysan, 116 00:06:19,620 --> 00:06:22,620 Uthman ibn Abdillah, 117 00:06:22,620 --> 00:06:25,620 and his brother Al-Mughirah. 118 00:06:25,620 --> 00:06:28,620 The caravan carried leather, raisins, and similar goods 119 00:06:28,620 --> 00:06:31,620 that Quraysh used to trade. 120 00:06:31,620 --> 00:06:34,620 At that point, the Companions began deliberating 121 00:06:34,620 --> 00:06:37,620 among themselves, as that day was the last 122 00:06:37,620 --> 00:06:40,620 day of the sacred months. 123 00:06:40,620 --> 00:06:43,620 They said, "If we fight them, we will be fighting them 124 00:06:43,620 --> 00:06:46,620 during a sacred month, and in that lies 125 00:06:46,620 --> 00:06:49,620 the violation of the sanctity of this month 126 00:06:49,620 --> 00:06:52,620 and exposure to the wrath of all the Arabs. 127 00:06:52,620 --> 00:06:55,620 But if we wait until this day passes, they will enter the sacred territory of Mecca 128 00:06:55,620 --> 00:06:58,620 and become safe from us." 129 00:06:58,620 --> 00:07:01,620 They kept consulting until their opinion settled 130 00:07:01,620 --> 00:07:04,620 on attacking them, killing them, 131 00:07:04,620 --> 00:07:07,620 and taking what was in their hands as booty. 132 00:07:07,620 --> 00:07:10,620 Within moments, they killed one of them, 133 00:07:10,620 --> 00:07:13,620 took two captive, and the fourth escaped from their hands. 134 00:07:13,620 --> 00:07:16,620 Abdullah ibn Jahsh 135 00:07:16,620 --> 00:07:19,620 and his companions led the two captives and the caravan back. 136 00:07:19,620 --> 00:07:22,620 When they came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 137 00:07:22,620 --> 00:07:25,620 and he learned of what they had done, 138 00:07:25,620 --> 00:07:28,620 he denounced it in the strongest terms, 139 00:07:28,620 --> 00:07:31,620 saying to them: "By Allah, I did not command you 140 00:07:31,620 --> 00:07:34,620 to fight! I only commanded you to gather 141 00:07:34,620 --> 00:07:37,620 news of Quraysh and to monitor 142 00:07:37,620 --> 00:07:40,620 their movements." He detained the two captives until 143 00:07:40,620 --> 00:07:43,620 their matter could be determined, and he turned away from the caravan, 144 00:07:43,620 --> 00:07:46,620 taking nothing from it. At that, 145 00:07:46,620 --> 00:07:49,620 distress fell upon Abdullah ibn Jahsh 146 00:07:49,620 --> 00:07:52,620 and his companions, and they were certain they were ruined 147 00:07:52,620 --> 00:07:55,620 for disobeying the command of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 148 00:07:55,620 --> 00:07:58,620 Their distress was made even more 149 00:07:58,620 --> 00:08:01,620 severe because their Muslim brothers 150 00:08:01,620 --> 00:08:04,620 began to blame them heavily 151 00:08:04,620 --> 00:08:07,620 and turn away from them whenever they passed by them, 152 00:08:07,620 --> 00:08:10,620 saying, "They disobeyed the command of the Messenger of Allah, 153 00:08:10,620 --> 00:08:13,620 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him." 154 00:08:14,620 --> 00:08:17,620 Meanwhile, Quraysh 155 00:08:17,620 --> 00:08:20,620 took this incident 156 00:08:20,620 --> 00:08:23,620 as a pretext to slander the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 157 00:08:23,620 --> 00:08:26,620 and defame him among the tribes, 158 00:08:26,620 --> 00:08:29,620 saying, "Muhammad 159 00:08:29,620 --> 00:08:32,620 has violated the sacred month; 160 00:08:32,620 --> 00:08:35,620 he shed blood in it, seized wealth, 161 00:08:35,620 --> 00:08:38,620 and took men captive." 162 00:08:38,620 --> 00:08:41,620 Do not ask about the extent of Abdullah ibn Jahsh's grief, 163 00:08:41,620 --> 00:08:44,620 nor about their shame before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 164 00:08:44,620 --> 00:08:47,620 for the embarrassment they had caused him. 165 00:08:47,620 --> 00:08:50,620 When their distress intensified 166 00:08:50,620 --> 00:08:53,620 and the trial weighed heavily upon them, 167 00:08:53,620 --> 00:08:56,620 glad tidings came to them announcing 168 00:08:56,620 --> 00:08:59,620 that Allah Almighty was pleased with their action 169 00:08:59,620 --> 00:09:02,620 and that He had revealed Qur'an to His Prophet regarding it. 170 00:09:02,620 --> 00:09:05,620 Do not ask about the extent of their joy! 171 00:09:05,620 --> 00:09:08,620 People began approaching them, 172 00:09:08,620 --> 00:09:11,620 embracing them, bringing good news, and congratulating them, 173 00:09:11,620 --> 00:09:14,620 while reciting what had been revealed regarding their deed 174 00:09:14,620 --> 00:09:17,620 from the glorious Qur'an. 175 00:09:17,620 --> 00:09:20,620 For the word of Allah had been revealed to the Prophet detailing His divine honors. 176 00:09:20,620 --> 00:09:23,620 The heart of the noble Messenger, 177 00:09:23,620 --> 00:09:26,620 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was eased; 178 00:09:26,620 --> 00:09:29,620 he accepted the caravan, accepted ransom for the two captives, 179 00:09:29,620 --> 00:09:32,620 and was pleased with the deed of Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his companions. 180 00:09:32,620 --> 00:09:35,620 For that expedition of theirs was a momentous event: 181 00:09:36,620 --> 00:09:39,620 its booty was the first booty taken in Islam, 182 00:09:39,620 --> 00:09:42,620 its slain was the first polytheist whose blood was shed by the Muslims, 183 00:09:42,620 --> 00:09:45,620 its captives were the first two captives 184 00:09:45,620 --> 00:09:48,620 to fall into the hands of the Muslims, 185 00:09:48,620 --> 00:09:51,620 its banner was the first banner tied by 186 00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:54,620 the hand of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 187 00:09:54,620 --> 00:09:57,620 and its leader, Abdullah ibn Jahsh, 188 00:09:57,620 --> 00:10:00,620 was the first to be called Commander of the Faithful. 189 00:10:00,620 --> 00:10:03,710 Then came the Battle of Badr, 190 00:10:03,710 --> 00:10:06,710 in which Abdullah ibn Jahsh displayed such noble valor 191 00:10:06,710 --> 00:10:09,710 as befitted his faith. 192 00:10:09,710 --> 00:10:12,710 Then came the Battle of Uhud, 193 00:10:12,710 --> 00:10:15,710 with which Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his companion Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas 194 00:10:15,710 --> 00:10:18,710 had an unforgettable story. 195 00:10:18,710 --> 00:10:21,710 So let us leave the floor to Sa'd 196 00:10:21,710 --> 00:10:24,710 to recount to us his story and the story of his companion. 197 00:10:24,710 --> 00:10:27,710 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas said: 198 00:10:27,710 --> 00:10:30,710 "On the day of Uhud, Abdullah ibn Jahsh met me 199 00:10:30,710 --> 00:10:33,710 He said, "Will you not pray to Allah?" 200 00:10:33,710 --> 00:10:36,710 I replied, "Of course." 201 00:10:36,710 --> 00:10:39,710 So we stepped aside into a corner, and I prayed, saying: 202 00:10:39,710 --> 00:10:42,710 "O Lord, when I encounter the enemy, 203 00:10:42,710 --> 00:10:45,710 pits me against a man of formidable strength 204 00:10:45,710 --> 00:10:48,710 and fierce courage, that I may fight him and he may fight me, 205 00:10:48,710 --> 00:10:51,710 then grant me victory over him so that I may kill him 206 00:10:51,710 --> 00:10:54,710 and take his spoils." 207 00:10:54,710 --> 00:10:57,710 And 'Abdullah Ibn Jahsh said 'Ameen' to my supplication. 208 00:10:57,710 --> 00:11:00,710 Then he said, "O Allah, grant me a man 209 00:11:00,710 --> 00:11:03,710 of fierce courage and formidable strength, 210 00:11:03,710 --> 00:11:06,710 that I may fight him for Your sake and he may fight me, 211 00:11:06,710 --> 00:11:09,710 and then he may take me and mutilate my nose and my ear. 212 00:11:09,710 --> 00:11:12,710 So when I meet You tomorrow, You will ask, 213 00:11:12,710 --> 00:11:15,710 'For whose sake were your nose and ear mutilated?' 214 00:11:15,710 --> 00:11:18,710 And I will say, 'For Your sake and the sake of Your Messenger.' 215 00:11:18,710 --> 00:11:21,710 And You will say, 'You have spoken the truth.'" 216 00:11:21,710 --> 00:11:24,710 Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas said: 217 00:11:24,710 --> 00:11:27,710 "The prayer of Ibn Jahsh was better than mine. 218 00:11:27,710 --> 00:11:30,710 For I saw him at the end of the day, 219 00:11:30,710 --> 00:11:33,710 slain and mutilated, 220 00:11:33,710 --> 00:11:36,710 with his nose and ear hanging from a tree by a string." 221 00:11:36,710 --> 00:11:39,710 Allah answered the supplication of 'Abdullah Ibn Jahsh, 222 00:11:39,710 --> 00:11:42,710 honoring him with martyrdom, 223 00:11:42,710 --> 00:11:45,710 just as He had honored his maternal uncle, the Master of Martyrs, 224 00:11:45,710 --> 00:11:48,710 Hamzah Ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib. 225 00:11:48,710 --> 00:11:51,710 And the noble Messenger buried them together, 226 00:11:51,710 --> 00:11:54,710 as his pure tears 227 00:11:54,710 --> 00:11:57,710 soaked their soil, fragrant with the scents of martyrdom. 228 00:11:57,710 --> 00:12:01,100 'Abdullah Ibn Jahsh 229 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:04,100 was the very first person to be called Commander of the Faithful.