WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:15.320 --> 00:00:18.320 Mawaddah Association is pleased 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:22.320 to present to you snapshots from the lives of the Companions, 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:25.320 by Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:27.350 may Allah have mercy on him. 00:00:27.350 --> 00:00:33.729 Abdullah ibn Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with him: 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:49.359 the Companion whose account we are listening to now, 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.359 was closely tied to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:57.359 and was one of the foremost pioneers in Islam. 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:00.359 He was the maternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:04.359 as his mother was Umaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib, 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:07.359 the paternal aunt of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:11.359 He was also a brother-in-law of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:14.359 as his sister, Zaynab bint Jahsh, 00:01:14.359 --> 00:01:16.359 was a wife of the noble Prophet 00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:19.359 and one of the Mothers of the Believers. 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:22.359 He was the very first person for whom a banner was tied in Islam, 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:26.359 and after that, he was the first to be called Commander of the Faithful. 00:01:26.359 --> 00:01:29.359 He is Abdullah ibn Jahsh al-Asadi. 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:32.459 Abdullah ibn Jahsh embraced Islam before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, entered 00:01:32.459 --> 00:01:35.459 Dar al-Arqam, 00:01:35.459 --> 00:01:38.459 so he was among the earliest converts to Islam. 00:01:38.459 --> 00:01:41.459 When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, permitted 00:01:41.459 --> 00:01:44.459 his Companions to migrate to Medina 00:01:44.459 --> 00:01:47.459 to flee with their religion from the harm of Quraysh, 00:01:47.459 --> 00:01:50.459 Abdullah ibn Jahsh was the second of the emigrants, 00:01:50.459 --> 00:01:53.459 for no one had preceded him in achieving this virtue 00:01:53.459 --> 00:01:56.459 except Abu Salamah. Yet migrating for the sake of Allah 00:01:56.459 --> 00:01:59.459 and parting from family and homeland in His cause 00:01:59.459 --> 00:02:02.459 was not something new to Abdullah ibn Jahsh, 00:02:02.459 --> 00:02:05.459 for he and some of his family members had already migrated 00:02:05.459 --> 00:02:08.460 before that to Abyssinia. 00:02:08.460 --> 00:02:11.460 However, his migration this time was far more comprehensive and complete: 00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:14.460 his entire household and relatives migrated with him, 00:02:14.460 --> 00:02:17.460 including all the children of his father—men and women, 00:02:17.460 --> 00:02:20.460 elderly and young, boys and girls. 00:02:20.460 --> 00:02:23.460 His home was a household of Islam, 00:02:23.460 --> 00:02:26.460 and his clan was a clan of faith. 00:02:26.460 --> 00:02:29.460 No sooner had they departed from Mecca 00:02:29.460 --> 00:02:32.460 than their dwellings appeared somber and desolate, 00:02:32.460 --> 00:02:35.460 becoming entirely empty and deserted, 00:02:35.460 --> 00:02:38.460 as though no dweller had ever lived in them before, 00:02:38.460 --> 00:02:41.460 and no evening gatherers had ever conversed within their grounds. 00:02:41.460 --> 00:02:44.460 Not long after the migration of Abdullah and those with him, 00:02:44.460 --> 00:02:47.460 the leaders of Quraysh went out making the rounds 00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:50.460 through the neighborhoods of Mecca to find out who had departed 00:02:50.460 --> 00:02:53.460 among the Muslims and who remained. 00:02:53.460 --> 00:02:56.460 Among them were Abu Jahl and Utbah ibn Rabi'ah. 00:02:56.460 --> 00:02:59.460 Utbah looked at the homes of 00:02:59.460 --> 00:03:02.460 Banu Jahsh, where the blowing winds 00:03:02.460 --> 00:03:05.460 were howling and their doors were violently 00:03:05.460 --> 00:03:08.460 slamming, and he said, "The homes 00:03:08.460 --> 00:03:11.460 of Banu Jahsh have become empty, weeping for their inhabitants." 00:03:11.460 --> 00:03:14.460 Abu Jahl replied, "And who are these people 00:03:15.460 --> 00:03:18.460 that the homes should weep over them?" 00:03:18.460 --> 00:03:21.460 Then Abu Jahl seized the house of Abdullah ibn Jahsh— 00:03:21.460 --> 00:03:24.460 which was the finest and wealthiest of those houses— 00:03:24.460 --> 00:03:27.460 and began disposing of it and its contents 00:03:27.460 --> 00:03:30.460 just as an owner disposes of his own property. 00:03:30.460 --> 00:03:33.460 When news reached Abdullah ibn Jahsh 00:03:33.460 --> 00:03:36.460 of what Abu Jahl had done to his home, 00:03:36.460 --> 00:03:39.460 he mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:03:39.460 --> 00:03:42.460 The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: 00:03:42.460 --> 00:03:45.460 "Would you not be pleased, O Abdullah, 00:03:45.460 --> 00:03:48.490 that Allah will give you a house in Paradise in exchange for it?" 00:03:48.490 --> 00:03:51.490 He replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" 00:03:51.490 --> 00:03:54.580 He said, "Then that is yours." 00:03:54.580 --> 00:03:57.580 Thus Abdullah was comforted and his mind was set at ease. 00:03:57.580 --> 00:04:00.580 Hardly had Abdullah ibn Jahsh settled in Medina, 00:04:00.580 --> 00:04:03.580 after enduring such hardship in 00:04:03.580 --> 00:04:06.580 his first and second migrations, 00:04:06.580 --> 00:04:09.580 and hardly had he tasted a bit of rest under the protection of the Ansar, 00:04:09.580 --> 00:04:12.580 after suffering harm at the hands of Quraysh, 00:04:12.580 --> 00:04:15.580 when Allah willed that he face 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:18.579 one of the most difficult trials he had ever known in his life, 00:04:18.579 --> 00:04:21.579 and undergo the most severe ordeal he had experienced since becoming Muslim. 00:04:21.579 --> 00:04:24.579 Let us lend an ear to the story of that 00:04:24.579 --> 00:04:27.579 harsh and bitter ordeal. 00:04:27.579 --> 00:04:30.579 The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, appointed 00:04:30.579 --> 00:04:33.579 eight of his Companions to carry out 00:04:33.579 --> 00:04:36.579 the very first military expedition in Islam, 00:04:37.579 --> 00:04:40.579 and he said: 00:04:40.579 --> 00:04:43.579 "I will surely appoint over you the most patient of you 00:04:43.579 --> 00:04:46.579 in enduring hunger and thirst." 00:04:46.579 --> 00:04:49.579 He then tied their banner for Abdullah ibn Jahsh, 00:04:49.579 --> 00:04:52.579 making him the first commander appointed over a group of the believers. 00:04:52.579 --> 00:04:55.620 The noble Messenger specified to Abdullah ibn Jahsh 00:04:55.620 --> 00:04:58.620 his destination and gave him a letter, 00:04:58.620 --> 00:05:01.620 instructing him not to read it until after 00:05:01.620 --> 00:05:04.620 traveling for two days. When he had traveled 00:05:04.620 --> 00:05:07.620 for two days with the detachment, 00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:10.620 Abdullah looked at the letter, and found in it: 00:05:10.620 --> 00:05:13.620 "When you read this letter of mine, 00:05:13.620 --> 00:05:16.620 proceed until you encamp at Nakhlah between Al-Ta'if and Mecca. 00:05:16.620 --> 00:05:19.620 There, lie in wait for Quraysh 00:05:19.620 --> 00:05:22.620 and gather news about them for us." 00:05:22.620 --> 00:05:25.620 As soon as Abdullah finished reading the letter, he said: 00:05:25.620 --> 00:05:28.620 "We hear and obey the Prophet of Allah." 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, 00:05:31.620 --> 00:05:34.620 has commanded me to proceed to Nakhlah 00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:37.620 to lie in wait for Quraysh so that I may bring him 00:05:37.620 --> 00:05:40.620 their news. And he has forbidden me 00:05:40.620 --> 00:05:43.620 from compelling any of you to proceed with me. 00:05:43.620 --> 00:05:46.620 So whoever among you seeks martyrdom and desires it, 00:05:46.620 --> 00:05:49.620 let him accompany me; and whoever dislikes that, 00:05:49.620 --> 00:05:52.620 let him return blamelessly." 00:05:52.620 --> 00:05:55.620 The men said, "We hear and obey 00:05:55.620 --> 00:05:58.620 the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:05:58.620 --> 00:06:01.620 We will proceed with you wherever the Prophet of Allah has commanded you." 00:06:01.620 --> 00:06:04.620 Then the group marched until they reached Nakhlah, 00:06:04.620 --> 00:06:07.620 and they began scouting through the mountain passes 00:06:07.620 --> 00:06:10.620 to gather intelligence on Quraysh. 00:06:10.620 --> 00:06:13.620 While they were doing so, they spotted from afar 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:16.620 a caravan of Quraysh carrying four men: 00:06:16.620 --> 00:06:19.620 Amr ibn al-Hadrami, Al-Hakam ibn Kaysan, 00:06:19.620 --> 00:06:22.620 Uthman ibn Abdillah, 00:06:22.620 --> 00:06:25.620 and his brother Al-Mughirah. 00:06:25.620 --> 00:06:28.620 The caravan carried leather, raisins, and similar goods 00:06:28.620 --> 00:06:31.620 that Quraysh used to trade. 00:06:31.620 --> 00:06:34.620 At that point, the Companions began deliberating 00:06:34.620 --> 00:06:37.620 among themselves, as that day was the last 00:06:37.620 --> 00:06:40.620 day of the sacred months. 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:43.620 They said, "If we fight them, we will be fighting them 00:06:43.620 --> 00:06:46.620 during a sacred month, and in that lies 00:06:46.620 --> 00:06:49.620 the violation of the sanctity of this month 00:06:49.620 --> 00:06:52.620 and exposure to the wrath of all the Arabs. 00:06:52.620 --> 00:06:55.620 But if we wait until this day passes, they will enter the sacred territory of Mecca 00:06:55.620 --> 00:06:58.620 and become safe from us." 00:06:58.620 --> 00:07:01.620 They kept consulting until their opinion settled 00:07:01.620 --> 00:07:04.620 on attacking them, killing them, 00:07:04.620 --> 00:07:07.620 and taking what was in their hands as booty. 00:07:07.620 --> 00:07:10.620 Within moments, they killed one of them, 00:07:10.620 --> 00:07:13.620 took two captive, and the fourth escaped from their hands. 00:07:13.620 --> 00:07:16.620 Abdullah ibn Jahsh 00:07:16.620 --> 00:07:19.620 and his companions led the two captives and the caravan back. 00:07:19.620 --> 00:07:22.620 When they came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:07:22.620 --> 00:07:25.620 and he learned of what they had done, 00:07:25.620 --> 00:07:28.620 he denounced it in the strongest terms, 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:31.620 saying to them: "By Allah, I did not command you 00:07:31.620 --> 00:07:34.620 to fight! I only commanded you to gather 00:07:34.620 --> 00:07:37.620 news of Quraysh and to monitor 00:07:37.620 --> 00:07:40.620 their movements." He detained the two captives until 00:07:40.620 --> 00:07:43.620 their matter could be determined, and he turned away from the caravan, 00:07:43.620 --> 00:07:46.620 taking nothing from it. At that, 00:07:46.620 --> 00:07:49.620 distress fell upon Abdullah ibn Jahsh 00:07:49.620 --> 00:07:52.620 and his companions, and they were certain they were ruined 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. 00:07:55.620 --> 00:07:58.620 Their distress was made even more 00:07:58.620 --> 00:08:01.620 severe because their Muslim brothers 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:04.620 began to blame them heavily 00:08:04.620 --> 00:08:07.620 and turn away from them whenever they passed by them, 00:08:07.620 --> 00:08:10.620 saying, "They disobeyed the command of the Messenger of Allah, 00:08:10.620 --> 00:08:13.620 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him." 00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:17.620 Meanwhile, Quraysh 00:08:17.620 --> 00:08:20.620 took this incident 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, 00:08:23.620 --> 00:08:26.620 and defame him among the tribes, 00:08:26.620 --> 00:08:29.620 saying, "Muhammad 00:08:29.620 --> 00:08:32.620 has violated the sacred month; 00:08:32.620 --> 00:08:35.620 he shed blood in it, seized wealth, 00:08:35.620 --> 00:08:38.620 and took men captive." 00:08:38.620 --> 00:08:41.620 Do not ask about the extent of Abdullah ibn Jahsh's grief, 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, 00:08:44.620 --> 00:08:47.620 for the embarrassment they had caused him. 00:08:47.620 --> 00:08:50.620 When their distress intensified 00:08:50.620 --> 00:08:53.620 and the trial weighed heavily upon them, 00:08:53.620 --> 00:08:56.620 glad tidings came to them announcing 00:08:56.620 --> 00:08:59.620 that Allah Almighty was pleased with their action 00:08:59.620 --> 00:09:02.620 and that He had revealed Qur'an to His Prophet regarding it. 00:09:02.620 --> 00:09:05.620 Do not ask about the extent of their joy! 00:09:05.620 --> 00:09:08.620 People began approaching them, 00:09:08.620 --> 00:09:11.620 embracing them, bringing good news, and congratulating them, 00:09:11.620 --> 00:09:14.620 while reciting what had been revealed regarding their deed 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:17.620 from the glorious Qur'an. 00:09:17.620 --> 00:09:20.620 For the word of Allah had been revealed to the Prophet detailing His divine honors. 00:09:20.620 --> 00:09:23.620 The heart of the noble Messenger, 00:09:23.620 --> 00:09:26.620 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was eased; 00:09:26.620 --> 00:09:29.620 he accepted the caravan, accepted ransom for the two captives, 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:32.620 and was pleased with the deed of Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his companions. 00:09:32.620 --> 00:09:35.620 For that expedition of theirs was a momentous event: 00:09:36.620 --> 00:09:39.620 its booty was the first booty taken in Islam, 00:09:39.620 --> 00:09:42.620 its slain was the first polytheist whose blood was shed by the Muslims, 00:09:42.620 --> 00:09:45.620 its captives were the first two captives 00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:48.620 to fall into the hands of the Muslims, 00:09:48.620 --> 00:09:51.620 its banner was the first banner tied by 00:09:51.620 --> 00:09:54.620 the hand of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:09:54.620 --> 00:09:57.620 and its leader, Abdullah ibn Jahsh, 00:09:57.620 --> 00:10:00.620 was the first to be called Commander of the Faithful. 00:10:00.620 --> 00:10:03.710 Then came the Battle of Badr, 00:10:03.710 --> 00:10:06.710 in which Abdullah ibn Jahsh displayed such noble valor 00:10:06.710 --> 00:10:09.710 as befitted his faith. 00:10:09.710 --> 00:10:12.710 Then came the Battle of Uhud, 00:10:12.710 --> 00:10:15.710 with which Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his companion Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas 00:10:15.710 --> 00:10:18.710 had an unforgettable story. 00:10:18.710 --> 00:10:21.710 So let us leave the floor to Sa'd 00:10:21.710 --> 00:10:24.710 to recount to us his story and the story of his companion. 00:10:24.710 --> 00:10:27.710 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas said: 00:10:27.710 --> 00:10:30.710 "On the day of Uhud, Abdullah ibn Jahsh met me 00:10:30.710 --> 00:10:33.710 He said, "Will you not pray to Allah?" 00:10:33.710 --> 00:10:36.710 I replied, "Of course." 00:10:36.710 --> 00:10:39.710 So we stepped aside into a corner, and I prayed, saying: 00:10:39.710 --> 00:10:42.710 "O Lord, when I encounter the enemy, 00:10:42.710 --> 00:10:45.710 pits me against a man of formidable strength 00:10:45.710 --> 00:10:48.710 and fierce courage, that I may fight him and he may fight me, 00:10:48.710 --> 00:10:51.710 then grant me victory over him so that I may kill him 00:10:51.710 --> 00:10:54.710 and take his spoils." 00:10:54.710 --> 00:10:57.710 And 'Abdullah Ibn Jahsh said 'Ameen' to my supplication. 00:10:57.710 --> 00:11:00.710 Then he said, "O Allah, grant me a man 00:11:00.710 --> 00:11:03.710 of fierce courage and formidable strength, 00:11:03.710 --> 00:11:06.710 that I may fight him for Your sake and he may fight me, 00:11:06.710 --> 00:11:09.710 and then he may take me and mutilate my nose and my ear. 00:11:09.710 --> 00:11:12.710 So when I meet You tomorrow, You will ask, 00:11:12.710 --> 00:11:15.710 'For whose sake were your nose and ear mutilated?' 00:11:15.710 --> 00:11:18.710 And I will say, 'For Your sake and the sake of Your Messenger.' 00:11:18.710 --> 00:11:21.710 And You will say, 'You have spoken the truth.'" 00:11:21.710 --> 00:11:24.710 Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas said: 00:11:24.710 --> 00:11:27.710 "The prayer of Ibn Jahsh was better than mine. 00:11:27.710 --> 00:11:30.710 For I saw him at the end of the day, 00:11:30.710 --> 00:11:33.710 slain and mutilated, 00:11:33.710 --> 00:11:36.710 with his nose and ear hanging from a tree by a string." 00:11:36.710 --> 00:11:39.710 Allah answered the supplication of 'Abdullah Ibn Jahsh, 00:11:39.710 --> 00:11:42.710 honoring him with martyrdom, 00:11:42.710 --> 00:11:45.710 just as He had honored his maternal uncle, the Master of Martyrs, 00:11:45.710 --> 00:11:48.710 Hamzah Ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib. 00:11:48.710 --> 00:11:51.710 And the noble Messenger buried them together, 00:11:51.710 --> 00:11:54.710 as his pure tears 00:11:54.710 --> 00:11:57.710 soaked their soil, fragrant with the scents of martyrdom. 00:11:57.710 --> 00:12:01.100 'Abdullah Ibn Jahsh 00:12:01.100 --> 00:12:04.100 was the very first person to be called Commander of the Faithful.