WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:15.289 --> 00:00:18.289 Mawaddah Association is pleased 00:00:18.289 --> 00:00:22.289 to present to you vignettes from the lives of the Companions, 00:00:22.289 --> 00:00:25.289 by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:25.289 --> 00:00:27.320 may Allah have mercy upon him. 00:00:27.320 --> 00:00:34.630 Majza'ah ibn Thawr al-Sadusi (may Allah be pleased with him). 00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:49.420 Here are those glorious heroes from the army of Allah, 00:00:49.420 --> 00:00:52.420 shaking off the dust of al-Qadisiyyah, 00:00:52.420 --> 00:00:55.420 rejoicing in the victory Allah granted them, 00:00:55.420 --> 00:00:59.420 delighted by the reward decreed for their martyred brothers, 00:00:59.420 --> 00:01:02.420 and eagerly yearning for another battle 00:01:02.420 --> 00:01:06.420 that would rival al-Qadisiyyah in splendour and grandeur. 00:01:06.420 --> 00:01:11.420 They waited intently for the order of the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, 00:01:11.420 --> 00:01:13.420 to press forward with the jihad, 00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:16.420 in order to eradicate the Persian throne from its very roots. 00:01:16.420 --> 00:01:21.420 The noble, illustrious warriors did not have to wait long for their anticipation to be realized, 00:01:21.420 --> 00:01:26.420 for the messenger of Farooq arrived from Madinah to Kufa, 00:01:26.420 --> 00:01:31.420 bearing an order from the Caliph to its governor, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, 00:01:31.420 --> 00:01:33.420 to advance with his army, 00:01:33.420 --> 00:01:36.420 rendezvous with the Muslim forces arriving from Basra, 00:01:36.420 --> 00:01:39.420 and march together toward Ahvaz 00:01:39.420 --> 00:01:42.420 to pursue Hormuzan, eliminate him, 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:44.420 and liberate the city of Shushtar— 00:01:44.420 --> 00:01:47.420 the jewel of the Sasanian crown 00:01:47.420 --> 00:01:49.420 and the pearl of Persia. 00:01:49.420 --> 00:01:53.420 The instructions sent by the Caliph to Abu Musa specified 00:01:53.420 --> 00:01:56.420 that he take along the valiant knight, 00:01:56.420 --> 00:01:59.420 Majza'ah ibn Thawr al-Sadusi, 00:01:59.420 --> 00:02:02.420 chief of the Banu Bakr and their obeyed leader. 00:02:02.420 --> 00:02:06.420 Abu Musa al-Ash'ari promptly obeyed the Caliph's command 00:02:06.420 --> 00:02:08.419 and mobilized his army, 00:02:08.419 --> 00:02:12.419 placing Majza'ah ibn Thawr al-Sadusi in command of his left flank. 00:02:12.419 --> 00:02:16.419 He then merged with the Muslim armies arriving from Basra, 00:02:16.419 --> 00:02:19.419 and together they set out as fighters in the cause of Allah. 00:02:19.419 --> 00:02:22.419 They continued liberating cities 00:02:22.419 --> 00:02:24.419 and cleansing strongholds, 00:02:24.419 --> 00:02:28.419 while Hormuzan fled before them from place to place 00:02:28.419 --> 00:02:30.419 until he reached the city of Shushtar 00:02:30.419 --> 00:02:32.419 and sought refuge within its fortresses. 00:02:32.419 --> 00:02:36.419 Shushtar, to which Hormuzan had retreated, was 00:02:36.419 --> 00:02:38.419 one of the most beautiful Persian cities in terms of splendor, 00:02:38.419 --> 00:02:42.419 blessed with scenic nature and formidable defenses. 00:02:42.419 --> 00:02:44.419 Moreover, 00:02:44.419 --> 00:02:46.419 it was an ancient city 00:02:46.419 --> 00:02:48.419 deeply rooted in the depths of history, 00:02:48.419 --> 00:02:51.419 built upon an elevated tract of land 00:02:51.419 --> 00:02:53.419 shaped like a horse. 00:02:53.419 --> 00:02:57.419 It was irrigated by a great river called the Dujayl, 00:02:57.419 --> 00:02:59.419 above which stood the Shadhurwan— 00:02:59.419 --> 00:03:03.419 a grand waterworks featuring a basin and fountains, 00:03:03.419 --> 00:03:05.419 constructed by King Shapur 00:03:05.419 --> 00:03:07.419 to elevate river water to the city 00:03:07.419 --> 00:03:10.419 through tunnels he had carved beneath the earth. 00:03:10.419 --> 00:03:12.419 The Shadhurwan of Shushtar 00:03:12.419 --> 00:03:16.419 and its tunnels were a marvel of architecture, 00:03:16.419 --> 00:03:19.419 constructed from massive, finely fitted stones 00:03:19.419 --> 00:03:21.419 reinforced with solid iron pillars, 00:03:21.419 --> 00:03:24.419 with its passages and tunnels paved in lead. 00:03:24.419 --> 00:03:26.419 Surrounding Shushtar 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:28.419 was a massive, towering wall 00:03:28.419 --> 00:03:31.419 that encircled it like a bracelet around a wrist. 00:03:31.419 --> 00:03:33.419 Historians remarked of it 00:03:33.419 --> 00:03:35.419 that it was the very first and greatest wall 00:03:35.419 --> 00:03:37.419 ever built upon the face of the earth. 00:03:37.419 --> 00:03:40.419 Hormuzan then dug around the wall 00:03:40.419 --> 00:03:41.419 a vast trench 00:03:41.419 --> 00:03:43.419 that was impossible to cross, 00:03:43.419 --> 00:03:46.419 and stationed the elite forces of Persia behind it. 00:03:46.419 --> 00:03:48.419 The Muslim armies set up camp 00:03:48.419 --> 00:03:50.419 around the trench of Shushtar, 00:03:50.419 --> 00:03:52.419 remaining there for eighteen months, 00:03:52.419 --> 00:03:54.419 unable to breach it. 00:03:54.419 --> 00:03:56.419 During that long period, they engaged 00:03:56.419 --> 00:03:58.419 the Persian armies 00:03:58.419 --> 00:04:00.419 in eighty battles. 00:04:00.419 --> 00:04:03.419 Every single one of these battles 00:04:03.419 --> 00:04:06.419 began with duels between knights of both sides, 00:04:06.419 --> 00:04:10.419 before escalating into a fierce, devastating war. 00:04:10.419 --> 00:04:12.419 Majza'ah ibn Thawr performed 00:04:12.419 --> 00:04:14.419 in these duels 00:04:14.419 --> 00:04:16.420 with a heroism that boggled the mind, 00:04:16.420 --> 00:04:20.420 astonishing enemies and allies alike. 00:04:20.420 --> 00:04:26.420 He single-handedly slain one hundred enemy knights in duel, 00:04:26.420 --> 00:04:29.420 such that his name struck terror into the ranks of the Persians 00:04:29.420 --> 00:04:33.420 while instilling pride and honor in the hearts of the Muslims. 00:04:33.420 --> 00:04:38.420 It was then that those who had not known him before realized 00:04:38.420 --> 00:04:43.420 why the Commander of the Faithful had been so eager to ensure this valiant hero 00:04:43.420 --> 00:04:45.420 was among the marching army. 00:04:45.420 --> 00:04:49.420 In the final conflict of those eighty battles, 00:04:49.420 --> 00:04:53.420 the Muslims launched a fierce and resolute assault against their enemy. 00:04:53.420 --> 00:04:57.420 The Persians abandoned the bridges spanning the trench 00:04:57.420 --> 00:04:59.420 and fled back into the city, 00:04:59.420 --> 00:05:02.420 locking themselves behind the gates of its impregnable fortress. 00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:06.420 After all their prolonged patience, the Muslims found themselves passing 00:05:06.420 --> 00:05:10.420 from a difficult ordeal into an even dire situation. 00:05:10.420 --> 00:05:15.420 The Persians began raining deadly arrows upon them from high atop the towers, 00:05:15.420 --> 00:05:20.420 lowering iron chains from above the walls, 00:05:20.420 --> 00:05:24.420 at the end of which were hooks red-hot 00:05:24.420 --> 00:05:26.420 from being heated in fire. 00:05:26.420 --> 00:05:32.420 Whenever a Muslim soldier tried to scale the wall or draw near it, 00:05:32.420 --> 00:05:35.420 they would snag him with a hook and haul him up, 00:05:35.420 --> 00:05:40.420 burning his body, searing off his flesh, and ending his life. 00:05:40.420 --> 00:05:43.420 Distress intensified for the Muslims, 00:05:43.420 --> 00:05:47.420 and they began calling upon Allah with humble, submissive hearts, 00:05:47.420 --> 00:05:52.420 praying that He grant them relief and grant them victory over His enemy and theirs. 00:05:52.420 --> 00:05:55.420 While Abu Musa al-Ash'ari 00:05:55.420 --> 00:05:57.420 stood gazing at the great wall of Shushtar, 00:05:57.420 --> 00:05:59.420 despairing of breaching it, 00:05:59.420 --> 00:06:03.420 an arrow shot from atop the wall fell before him. 00:06:03.420 --> 00:06:07.420 He looked at it and found attached to it a message reading: 00:06:07.420 --> 00:06:10.420 "I have placed my trust in you, O assembly of Muslims. 00:06:10.420 --> 00:06:15.420 I request protection for myself, my wealth, my family, and those who follow me. 00:06:15.420 --> 00:06:20.420 In return, I will guide you to an entry point through which you can breach the city." 00:06:20.420 --> 00:06:24.420 Abu Musa wrote a pledge of security for the sender of the arrow 00:06:24.420 --> 00:06:26.420 and shot it back to him using a bow. 00:06:26.420 --> 00:06:29.420 The man felt secure in the Muslims' pledge 00:06:29.420 --> 00:06:32.420 because of their known truthfulness in promises 00:06:32.420 --> 00:06:34.420 and unwavering fulfillment of covenants. 00:06:34.420 --> 00:06:37.420 He slipped out to them under the cover of darkness, 00:06:37.420 --> 00:06:40.420 disclosing his plight to Abu Musa, 00:06:40.420 --> 00:06:43.420 saying, "We are among the nobles of the people. 00:06:43.420 --> 00:06:46.420 Hormuzan killed my elder brother, 00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:48.420 seized his wealth and family, 00:06:48.420 --> 00:06:51.420 and harbors malice against me in his heart, 00:06:51.420 --> 00:06:54.420 to the point that I no longer feel safe for my life or my children. 00:06:54.420 --> 00:06:57.420 I have chosen your justice over his tyranny, 00:06:57.420 --> 00:06:59.420 and your fidelity over his treachery, 00:06:59.420 --> 00:07:02.420 and I am resolved to guide you to a hidden entrance 00:07:02.420 --> 00:07:05.420 through which you can enter Shushtar. 00:07:05.420 --> 00:07:08.420 So provide me with a man who possesses bravery and intelligence, 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:11.420 and who is a skilled swimmer, 00:07:11.420 --> 00:07:14.420 so that I may guide him to the way." 00:07:14.420 --> 00:07:16.420 Abu Musa al-Ash'ari summoned 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:19.420 Majza'ah ibn Thawr al-Sadusi, 00:07:19.420 --> 00:07:21.420 confided the matter to him, 00:07:21.420 --> 00:07:24.420 and said, "Provide me with a man from your tribe 00:07:24.420 --> 00:07:28.420 who possesses intelligence, resolve, and the ability to swim." 00:07:28.420 --> 00:07:30.420 Majza'ah replied, 00:07:30.420 --> 00:07:33.420 "Make me that man, O commander!" 00:07:33.420 --> 00:07:35.420 Abu Musa said to him, 00:07:35.420 --> 00:07:37.420 "If that is your wish, 00:07:37.420 --> 00:07:39.420 then go forth with the blessings of Allah." 00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:41.420 He then instructed him to memorize the route, 00:07:41.420 --> 00:07:43.420 locate the position of the gate, 00:07:43.420 --> 00:07:46.420 identify Hormuzan's whereabouts, 00:07:46.420 --> 00:07:48.420 confirm his identity, 00:07:48.420 --> 00:07:50.420 and refrain from taking any other action. 00:07:50.420 --> 00:07:52.420 Majza'ah ibn Thawr set out 00:07:52.420 --> 00:07:55.420 under the cover of darkness with his Persian guide, 00:07:55.420 --> 00:07:58.420 who led him into a subterranean tunnel 00:07:58.420 --> 00:08:00.420 connecting the river to the city. 00:08:00.420 --> 00:08:03.420 The tunnel widened at times, 00:08:03.420 --> 00:08:06.420 allowing him to wade through its water 00:08:06.420 --> 00:08:08.420 on foot, 00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:10.420 and narrowed at other times, 00:08:10.420 --> 00:08:13.420 forcing him to swim. 00:08:13.420 --> 00:08:16.420 It branched and meandered at times, 00:08:16.420 --> 00:08:19.420 and straightened out at others, 00:08:19.420 --> 00:08:22.420 until it finally brought him to the exit 00:08:22.420 --> 00:08:24.420 leading into the city. 00:08:24.420 --> 00:08:27.420 The guide showed him Hormuzan, the murderer of his brother, 00:08:27.420 --> 00:08:30.420 and the fortress in which he was barricaded. 00:08:30.420 --> 00:08:32.419 When Majza'ah saw Hormuzan, 00:08:32.419 --> 00:08:35.419 he was tempted to strike him down with an arrow through his throat, 00:08:35.419 --> 00:08:37.419 but he quickly remembered 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:39.419 Abu Musa's explicit instruction 00:08:39.419 --> 00:08:41.419 not to initiate any conflict. 00:08:41.419 --> 00:08:44.419 Thus, he curbed his urge 00:08:44.419 --> 00:08:48.419 and returned the way he had come before the break of dawn. 00:08:48.419 --> 00:08:51.419 Abu Musa prepared three hundred 00:08:51.419 --> 00:08:53.419 of the bravest, most stouthearted Muslim soldiers, 00:08:53.419 --> 00:08:55.419 choosing those with the greatest endurance, patience, 00:08:55.419 --> 00:08:57.419 and swimming proficiency. 00:08:57.419 --> 00:09:00.419 He placed Majza'ah ibn Thawr in command over them, 00:09:00.419 --> 00:09:02.419 bade them farewell, and instructed them, 00:09:02.419 --> 00:09:06.419 designating the Takbir as the signal to call the Muslim army 00:09:06.419 --> 00:09:08.419 to storm the city. 00:09:08.419 --> 00:09:10.419 Majza'ah ordered his men 00:09:10.419 --> 00:09:13.419 to strip down their clothing as much as possible, 00:09:13.419 --> 00:09:16.419 so it would not absorb water and weigh them down, 00:09:16.419 --> 00:09:20.419 and warned them against carrying anything except their swords, 00:09:20.419 --> 00:09:25.419 instructing them to bind the weapons tightly to their bodies beneath their remaining garments. 00:09:25.419 --> 00:09:29.419 He set out with them in the late hours of the night. 00:09:29.419 --> 00:09:32.419 Majza'ah ibn Thawr and his valiant soldiers spent 00:09:32.419 --> 00:09:34.419 nearly two hours 00:09:34.419 --> 00:09:37.419 struggling against the hazards of that treacherous tunnel, 00:09:37.419 --> 00:09:39.419 overcoming its obstacles at times, 00:09:39.419 --> 00:09:42.419 and being overwhelmed by them at others. 00:09:42.419 --> 00:09:45.419 When they finally reached the outlet leading into the city, 00:09:45.419 --> 00:09:47.419 Majza'ah discovered that the subterranean waterway 00:09:47.419 --> 00:09:50.419 had claimed two hundred and twenty of his men, 00:09:50.419 --> 00:09:53.419 leaving him with only eighty. 00:09:53.419 --> 00:09:57.419 As soon as the feet of Majza'ah and his companions touched the soil of the city, 00:09:57.419 --> 00:09:59.419 they unsheathed their swords 00:09:59.419 --> 00:10:01.419 and charged at the guards of the fortress, 00:10:01.419 --> 00:10:04.419 plunging their blades into their chests. 00:10:04.419 --> 00:10:06.419 They then rushed to the gates 00:10:06.419 --> 00:10:08.419 and threw them open while shouting "Allahu Akbar!", 00:10:08.419 --> 00:10:11.419 The takbir from within the city echoed and joined 00:10:11.419 --> 00:10:14.419 the takbir of their brothers from without, 00:10:14.419 --> 00:10:17.419 and the Muslims poured into the city at dawn. 00:10:17.419 --> 00:10:20.419 Between them and the enemies of Allah, 00:10:20.419 --> 00:10:22.419 a fierce battle raged, 00:10:22.419 --> 00:10:25.419 the likes of which the history of warfare has rarely witnessed 00:10:25.419 --> 00:10:27.419 in its terror, dread, 00:10:27.419 --> 00:10:29.419 and heavy casualties. 00:10:29.419 --> 00:10:33.419 While the battle was raging in full force, 00:10:33.419 --> 00:10:36.419 Majza'ah ibn Thawr caught sight of Al-Hurmuzan on the battlefield. 00:10:36.419 --> 00:10:38.419 He made straight for him 00:10:38.419 --> 00:10:40.419 and engaged him with the sword, 00:10:40.419 --> 00:10:43.419 but the surging wave of fighters soon swallowed them up 00:10:43.419 --> 00:10:45.419 and hid him from his sight. 00:10:45.419 --> 00:10:48.419 Then he appeared to him once more, 00:10:48.419 --> 00:10:50.419 so he rushed toward him and charged at him. 00:10:50.419 --> 00:10:54.419 Majza'ah and Al-Hurmuzan dueled with their swords, 00:10:54.419 --> 00:10:57.419 and each struck the other a decisive blow. 00:10:57.419 --> 00:10:59.419 Majza'ah's sword recoiled harmlessly, 00:10:59.419 --> 00:11:01.419 while Al-Hurmuzan's sword struck true, 00:11:01.419 --> 00:11:04.419 and the brave, valiant hero fell 00:11:04.419 --> 00:11:07.419 slain upon the battlefield, 00:11:07.419 --> 00:11:11.419 his eyes delighted with what Allah had achieved through his hands. 00:11:11.419 --> 00:11:14.419 The Muslim army continued to fight 00:11:14.419 --> 00:11:17.419 until Allah granted them victory, 00:11:17.419 --> 00:11:20.419 and Al-Hurmuzan fell into their hands as a prisoner. 00:11:20.419 --> 00:11:23.419 The bearers of glad tidings set out for Medina, 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:26.419 bringing the joyful news of victory to Al-Faruq, 00:11:26.419 --> 00:11:29.419 leading Al-Hurmuzan before them, 00:11:29.419 --> 00:11:32.419 upon his head his jewel-encrusted crown, 00:11:32.419 --> 00:11:36.419 and over his shoulders his robe woven with gold thread, 00:11:36.419 --> 00:11:38.419 so that the Caliph might see him. 00:11:38.419 --> 00:11:41.419 Along with this, the bearers of glad tidings brought 00:11:41.419 --> 00:11:44.419 heartfelt condolences to the Caliph 00:11:44.419 --> 00:11:47.419 for his brave knight, Majza'ah ibn Thawr. 00:11:47.419 --> 00:11:51.820 Majza'ah ibn Thawr— 00:11:51.820 --> 00:11:53.820 a valiant hero, 00:11:53.820 --> 00:11:57.820 who had slain one hundred polytheists in single combat, 00:11:57.820 --> 00:12:00.820 to say nothing of those he slew 00:12:00.820 --> 00:12:02.820 in the thick of battles. 00:12:02.820 --> 00:12:05.139 Historians 00:12:10.590 --> 00:12:12.590 Subscribe to the channel. 00:12:12.590 --> 00:12:14.590 Subscribe to the channel.