In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Mawaddah Association is pleased
to present to you glimpses from the lives of the Companions,
written by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
may Allah have mercy on him.
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum, may Allah be pleased with him.
Who was this man on whose account the Noble Prophet was admonished
from above seven heavens with the most severe and poignant admonition?
Who was this man regarding whom the Trustworthy Spirit, Gabriel, descended
upon the heart of the Noble Prophet with revelation from Allah?
He was 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum,
the muezzin of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum was a Qurayshite from Makkah,
bound to the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, by ties of kinship,
for he was the maternal cousin of the Mother of the Believers,
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, may Allah be pleased with her.
As for his father, he was Qays ibn Za'id,
and his mother was 'Atikah bint 'Abdullah.
She was called Umm Maktum ("Mother of the Concealed One") because she gave birth to him blind, his sight concealed.
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum witnessed the dawn of light in Makkah,
and Allah opened his heart to faith,
making him among the foremost to embrace Islam.
Ibn Umm Maktum lived through the ordeal of the Muslims in Makkah,
with all the sacrifice, steadfastness,
endurance, and selflessness it entailed.
He suffered from the persecution of Quraysh just as his companions suffered,
and endured their violence and cruelty as they did.
Yet his resolve never weakened, his enthusiasm never faltered,
nor did his faith waver.
Rather, it only increased his adherence to the religion of Allah,
his devotion to the Book of Allah,
his understanding of the sacred law of Allah,
and his eagerness to be near the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Such was his devotion to the Noble Prophet,
and his eagerness to memorize the Magnificent Qur'an,
that he never missed an opportunity without seizing it,
nor a moment without hastening to take advantage of it.
Indeed, his persistent eagerness
would sometimes impel him to claim not only his own share of the Messenger's time, but the share of others as well.
During that period, the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
was heavily engaged in addressing the chieftains of Quraysh,
intensely earnest for their conversion to Islam.
Thus, one day he met with 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah,
his brother Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah,
'Amr ibn Hisham—kunya'd as Abu Jahl—
Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah,
the father of Khalid, the Sword of Allah.
He set about conversing and conferring with them,
presenting Islam to them,
longing that they might respond to him,
or at least withhold their harm from his companions.
While he was thus engaged,
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum approached him,
asking him to recite a verse from the Book of Allah,
saying, "O Messenger of Allah,
teach me from what Allah has taught you."
The Noble Prophet turned away from him,
frowned in his presence,
and turned instead toward that group of Quraysh,
attending to them in the hope that they might accept Islam,
for their conversion would bring strength to the religion of Allah
and support to the call of His Messenger.
No sooner had the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, concluded
his discourse with them and finished his conference,
intending to return to his family,
than Allah restrained part of his sight,
and he felt as though something were throbbing inside his head.
Then Allah revealed to him His words,
which the Trustworthy Spirit, Gabriel, brought down upon the heart of the Noble Prophet
regarding 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum,
verses that have been recited continuously since their revelation to this day,
and will remain recited until Allah inherits the earth and all upon it:
From that day onward,
the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
never ceased to honor 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum,
welcoming him whenever he visited,
drawing his seat close whenever he approached,
inquiring about his well-being,
and fulfilling his needs.
And no wonder!
Was he not the one on whose account the Prophet was admonished from above seven heavens,
with the most stern and forceful admonition?
When the oppression of Quraysh against the Messenger and those who believed with him intensified,
and their persecution grew severe,
Allah permitted the Muslims to migrate.
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum was
among the fastest of the people to depart from his homeland,
fleeing to safeguard his religion.
Indeed, he and Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr were
the very first of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah to arrive in Madinah.
As soon as 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum reached Yathrib,
he and his companion, Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr, set about
visiting the people,
reciting the Qur'an to them,
and instructing them in the religion of Allah.
When the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, arrived in Madinah,
he appointed 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum
and Bilal ibn Rabah
as muezzins for the Muslims,
proclaiming the word of Divine Unity five times every day,
calling the people to the best of deeds,
and urging them toward success.
Bilal would call the adhan,
while Ibn Umm Maktum would pronounce the iqamah.
At times, Ibn Umm Maktum would call the adhan,
and Bilal would pronounce the iqamah.
Bilal and Ibn Umm Maktum had another special role during Ramadan,
for the Muslims in Madinah
would eat their suhoor at the adhan of one of them,
and begin their fast at the adhan of the other.
Bilal would call the adhan during the night to awaken the people,
while Ibn Umm Maktum would watch for the true dawn, never missing its precise time.
Such was the Prophet's honor for Ibn Umm Maktum, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
that he appointed him governor over Madinah in his absence more than a dozen times,
one of which was the day he left to conquer Makkah.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Badr,
Allah revealed to His Prophet verses of the Qur'an
that elevated the status of the fighters in His cause,
favoring them over those who sit back,
so as to spur the fighter on to jihad,
and cause the one sitting back to disavow remaining behind.
This deeply affected the heart of Ibn Umm Maktum,
and it pained him immensely to be deprived of this virtue.
He said, "O Messenger of Allah,
were I able to engage in jihad, I would surely do so."
Then he besought Allah with a humble heart
to reveal Qur'anic revelation concerning his situation and those like him,
whose physical disabilities prevented them from jihad.
He began to supplicate with earnest entreaty:
"O Allah, reveal my excuse!
O Allah, reveal my excuse!"
How swiftly Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, answered his prayer!
Zayd ibn Thabit,
the scribe of the revelation of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, narrated:
He said:
"I was sitting beside the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
when divine tranquility overcame him,
and his thigh fell upon my thigh.
Never had I felt anything heavier than the thigh of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Then the state left him, and he said:
'Write, O Zayd.'
So I wrote: ﴿Not equal are those believers who sit back... and those who strive in the cause of Allah.﴾
“Those of the believers who sit still, other than those who have a (disabling) hurt, are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives. Allah hath conferred on those who strive with their wealth and lives a rank above the sedentary. Unto each Allah hath promised good, but He hath bestowed on those who strive a great reward above the sedentary;” (4:95)
Thereupon, Ibn Umm Maktum stood up and said:
'O Messenger of Allah,
what about the one who is unable to engage in jihad?'
No sooner had he finished speaking
than divine tranquility overcame the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and his thigh fell upon my thigh,
and I felt from its weight the same as I felt the first time.
Then the state left him, and he said:
'Read what you have written, O Zayd.'
So I read: ﴿Not equal are those believers who sit back...﴾
“Those of the believers who sit still, other than those who have a (disabling) hurt, are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives. Allah hath conferred on those who strive with their wealth and lives a rank above the sedentary. Unto each Allah hath promised good, but He hath bestowed on those who strive a great reward above the sedentary;” (4:95)
He then said:
'Write: ﴿...except those who are disabled.﴾'
Thus, the exception that Ibn Umm Maktum had longed for was revealed.
Yet despite the fact that Allah, Exalted is He,
exempted 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum and those like him from jihad,
his ambitious soul refused to sit back with those who remained behind.
He firmly resolved to fight in the cause of Allah,
for great souls
are never content except with momentous matters.
From that day onward, he was keen never to miss a single battle,
and he defined for himself his role on the battlefield,
saying:
"Position me between the two ranks,
and entrust the banner to me.
I shall carry it for you and protect it,
for I am blind and cannot flee."
In the fourteenth year after the Hijrah,
'Umar ibn al-Khattab resolved to engage the Persians in a decisive battle
that would bring down their empire, eradicate their kingdom,
and open the way for the Muslim armies.
He wrote to his governors, saying:
"Do not leave behind anyone possessing a weapon, a horse, valor, or sound judgment,
but send him to me without delay!
Make haste! Make haste!"
The masses of Muslims began answering the call of al-Faruq,
pouring into Madinah from every direction and region.
Among their numbers was
the sightless mujahid,
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum.
Al-Faruq appointed over the grand army
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas,
giving him counsel and bidding him farewell.
When the army reached al-Qadisiyyah,
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum stepped forward,
clad in his coat of mail
and fully equipped,
having volunteered himself to carry the banner of the Muslims,
to protect it,
or to die defending it.
The two armies met over three days—
fierce, grim days of battle—
and the two forces fought a war
the like of which the history of conquests had never witnessed,
until the third day drew to a close with a decisive,
triumphant victory for the Muslims.
Thus fell one of the greatest empires,
And one of the most ancient thrones collapsed,
and the banner of monotheism was raised in the land of paganism.
The price of this manifest victory was
hundreds of martyrs.
And among these martyrs was
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum.
He was found slain, drenched in his own blood,
embraced around the banner of the Muslims.
A blind man,
concerning whom Allah revealed sixteen verses that were recited,
and will continue to be recited as long as night and day alternate.
The exegetes—
O poetry, build praise and crush the critics;
can anyone add anything further to their praise?