1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:15,699 --> 00:00:17,699 Mawaddah Association is pleased 3 00:00:17,699 --> 00:00:19,699 to present to you 4 00:00:19,699 --> 00:00:21,699 "Portraits from the Lives of the Companions" 5 00:00:21,699 --> 00:00:23,699 by Abd al-Rahman 6 00:00:23,699 --> 00:00:25,730 Ra'fat al-Basha, 7 00:00:25,730 --> 00:00:30,190 may Allah have mercy on him. 8 00:00:30,190 --> 00:00:32,189 Al-Ala' ibn al-Hadrami, 9 00:00:32,189 --> 00:00:34,189 may Allah be pleased with him. 10 00:00:51,659 --> 00:00:53,659 The fleeing apostates sought refuge 11 00:00:53,659 --> 00:00:55,659 in the sanctuary of Darin Island, 12 00:00:55,659 --> 00:00:57,659 entrenching themselves behind the waves of the sea 13 00:00:57,659 --> 00:00:59,659 that encircled it like a bracelet 14 00:00:59,659 --> 00:01:01,659 around a wrist. 15 00:01:01,659 --> 00:01:03,659 They then gave free rein to their desires, 16 00:01:03,659 --> 00:01:05,659 settling comfortably into an aura of ease 17 00:01:05,659 --> 00:01:07,659 and reassurance, 18 00:01:07,659 --> 00:01:09,659 completely casting aside all caution and vigilance. 19 00:01:09,659 --> 00:01:11,659 That was because they were absolutely 20 00:01:11,659 --> 00:01:13,659 certain that the Muslim soldiers, 21 00:01:13,659 --> 00:01:15,659 raised in the heart of the desert, 22 00:01:15,659 --> 00:01:17,659 had never navigated the seas 23 00:01:17,659 --> 00:01:19,659 nor were they accustomed to the decks of ships; 24 00:01:19,659 --> 00:01:21,659 moreover, 25 00:01:21,659 --> 00:01:23,659 they did not possess 26 00:01:23,659 --> 00:01:25,730 a single vessel. 27 00:01:25,730 --> 00:01:27,730 But al-Ala' ibn al-Hadrami 28 00:01:27,730 --> 00:01:29,730 harbored within himself 29 00:01:29,730 --> 00:01:31,730 a momentous and daring plan, 30 00:01:31,730 --> 00:01:33,730 one that no commander had ever contemplated, 31 00:01:33,730 --> 00:01:35,730 nor had it ever crossed the mind 32 00:01:35,730 --> 00:01:37,730 of any Muslim. 33 00:01:37,730 --> 00:01:39,730 He firmly resolved 34 00:01:39,730 --> 00:01:41,730 to invade Darin 35 00:01:41,730 --> 00:01:43,730 and vanquish the apostates who sought refuge 36 00:01:43,730 --> 00:01:45,730 behind walls of water. 37 00:01:45,730 --> 00:01:47,730 Al-Ala' was not unaware 38 00:01:47,730 --> 00:01:49,730 that his soldiers, being sons of the desert, 39 00:01:49,730 --> 00:01:51,730 harbored a profound fear of the sea 40 00:01:51,730 --> 00:01:53,730 and dreaded its perils 41 00:01:53,730 --> 00:01:55,730 with the utmost dread. 42 00:01:55,730 --> 00:01:57,730 Nor was he in need of anyone to remind him 43 00:01:57,730 --> 00:01:59,730 that he did not possess 44 00:01:59,730 --> 00:02:01,730 a single ship to transport 45 00:02:01,730 --> 00:02:03,730 even one of his soldiers, 46 00:02:03,730 --> 00:02:05,730 let alone the fact that 47 00:02:05,730 --> 00:02:07,730 he would require a vast fleet 48 00:02:07,730 --> 00:02:09,729 to carry 49 00:02:09,729 --> 00:02:11,729 this entire great army, 50 00:02:11,729 --> 00:02:13,729 as well as floating bridges 51 00:02:13,729 --> 00:02:15,729 across which he and his men 52 00:02:15,729 --> 00:02:17,729 could cross to dry land. 53 00:02:17,729 --> 00:02:19,729 All of this 54 00:02:19,729 --> 00:02:21,729 was well known to al-Ala' ibn al-Hadrami, 55 00:02:21,729 --> 00:02:23,729 and he also knew 56 00:02:23,729 --> 00:02:25,729 that the island of Darin 57 00:02:25,729 --> 00:02:27,729 lay at a distance from the shores of Bahrain 58 00:02:27,729 --> 00:02:29,729 that sailboats would take 59 00:02:29,729 --> 00:02:31,729 a full day and night to traverse. 60 00:02:31,729 --> 00:02:33,729 Yet despite all of that, 61 00:02:33,729 --> 00:02:35,729 he did not hesitate 62 00:02:35,729 --> 00:02:37,729 for a single moment in executing 63 00:02:37,729 --> 00:02:39,729 what he had resolved to do. 64 00:02:39,729 --> 00:02:41,729 Once al-Ala' had thoroughly examined the plan 65 00:02:41,729 --> 00:02:43,729 within his own mind through deep reflection and study, 66 00:02:43,729 --> 00:02:45,729 and had carefully weighed 67 00:02:45,729 --> 00:02:47,729 its strategy and measures, 68 00:02:47,729 --> 00:02:49,729 he assembled his troops and stood among them 69 00:02:49,729 --> 00:02:51,729 to deliver a sermon. 70 00:02:51,729 --> 00:02:53,729 He praised Allah Almighty as He truly deserves to be praised, 71 00:02:53,729 --> 00:02:55,729 lauded Him with the most sublime laudation, 72 00:02:55,729 --> 00:02:57,729 invoked blessings upon His Prophet 73 00:02:57,729 --> 00:02:59,729 Muhammad with the most complete blessings, 74 00:02:59,729 --> 00:03:01,729 and saluted him with the purest greetings of peace. 75 00:03:01,729 --> 00:03:03,729 He then informed the army 76 00:03:03,729 --> 00:03:05,729 of his resolution to cross the sea 77 00:03:05,729 --> 00:03:07,729 and attack the apostates 78 00:03:07,729 --> 00:03:09,729 sheltering in Darin, 79 00:03:09,729 --> 00:03:11,729 fortified behind 80 00:03:11,729 --> 00:03:13,729 the walls of water. 81 00:03:13,729 --> 00:03:15,729 He then surveyed the faces of the soldiers 82 00:03:15,729 --> 00:03:17,729 and saw a hundred questions 83 00:03:17,729 --> 00:03:19,729 hovering on their lips, 84 00:03:19,729 --> 00:03:21,729 on the verge of bursting forth from their mouths. 85 00:03:21,729 --> 00:03:23,729 So he closed off before them 86 00:03:23,729 --> 00:03:25,729 any avenue of speech 87 00:03:25,729 --> 00:03:27,729 lest a single word escape from any of them 88 00:03:27,729 --> 00:03:29,729 that might weaken resolve 89 00:03:29,729 --> 00:03:31,729 and stir doubts. 90 00:03:31,729 --> 00:03:33,729 He continued, saying: 91 00:03:33,729 --> 00:03:35,729 "Do not say, 'How can we do this?' 92 00:03:35,729 --> 00:03:37,729 when Allah has already shown you signs on land 93 00:03:37,729 --> 00:03:39,729 which, if you were to reflect upon them, 94 00:03:39,729 --> 00:03:41,729 would make you certain of what awaits you 95 00:03:41,729 --> 00:03:43,729 of His signs at sea! 96 00:03:43,729 --> 00:03:45,729 Do not say, 'How?' 97 00:03:45,729 --> 00:03:47,729 when Allah is with you! 98 00:03:47,729 --> 00:03:49,729 Did He not fill the pool with sweet, pure water for you 99 00:03:49,729 --> 00:03:51,729 in the heart of the Dahna desert, 100 00:03:51,729 --> 00:03:53,729 quenching your thirst 101 00:03:53,729 --> 00:03:55,729 and delivering you from destruction? 102 00:03:55,729 --> 00:03:57,729 Did He not return to you the stray camels 103 00:03:57,729 --> 00:03:59,729 that had wandered off in the barren wilderness, 104 00:03:59,729 --> 00:04:01,729 lost in the open deserts, 105 00:04:01,729 --> 00:04:03,729 so that you saw them with your own eyes 106 00:04:03,729 --> 00:04:05,729 as though the angels of the Most Merciful were surrounding them 107 00:04:05,729 --> 00:04:07,729 with their wings 108 00:04:07,729 --> 00:04:09,729 and herding them straight to where you stood, 109 00:04:09,729 --> 00:04:11,729 without you losing 110 00:04:11,729 --> 00:04:13,729 a single measure of the provisions upon 111 00:04:13,729 --> 00:04:15,729 their backs or a single sip 112 00:04:15,729 --> 00:04:17,730 of the water they carried? 113 00:04:17,730 --> 00:04:19,730 Thus He fed you against hunger, 114 00:04:19,730 --> 00:04:21,730 secured you against fear, 115 00:04:21,730 --> 00:04:23,730 and rescued you from destruction. 116 00:04:23,730 --> 00:04:25,730 Truly, the God Who answered your supplication 117 00:04:25,730 --> 00:04:27,730 when you called upon Him in the depth of the desert 118 00:04:27,730 --> 00:04:29,730 in humble submission, 119 00:04:29,730 --> 00:04:31,730 full of hope and trust, 120 00:04:31,730 --> 00:04:33,730 will answer your supplication by His grace 121 00:04:33,730 --> 00:04:35,730 when you call upon Him while 122 00:04:35,730 --> 00:04:37,730 crossing the sea 123 00:04:37,730 --> 00:04:39,730 to meet His enemy with sincerity and devotion!" 124 00:04:39,730 --> 00:04:41,790 Then he concluded 125 00:04:41,790 --> 00:04:43,790 his speech, saying: 126 00:04:43,790 --> 00:04:45,790 "Prepare yourselves 127 00:04:45,790 --> 00:04:47,790 and advance to meet the enemy of Allah 128 00:04:47,790 --> 00:04:49,790 and your enemy! 129 00:04:49,790 --> 00:04:51,790 Mount the backs of your riding beasts and your horses, 130 00:04:51,790 --> 00:04:53,790 and cross upon them 131 00:04:53,790 --> 00:04:55,790 the waters of the Gulf, 132 00:04:55,790 --> 00:04:57,790 with the blessing and success granted by Allah!" 133 00:04:57,790 --> 00:04:59,790 Thereupon, they had no response 134 00:04:59,790 --> 00:05:01,790 except to say with one voice: 135 00:05:01,790 --> 00:05:03,790 "Yes! Yes! 136 00:05:03,790 --> 00:05:05,790 We shall do as you have commanded us, 137 00:05:05,790 --> 00:05:07,790 O inspired commander! 138 00:05:07,790 --> 00:05:09,790 By Allah, after the Dahna, we shall never fear 139 00:05:09,790 --> 00:05:11,980 anything except Allah!" 140 00:05:11,980 --> 00:05:13,980 The valiant warriors mounted 141 00:05:13,980 --> 00:05:15,980 the backs of noble steeds 142 00:05:15,980 --> 00:05:17,980 and purebred camels, 143 00:05:17,980 --> 00:05:19,980 and directed their course 144 00:05:19,980 --> 00:05:21,980 toward the seashore. 145 00:05:21,980 --> 00:05:23,980 When the feet of their mounts 146 00:05:23,980 --> 00:05:25,980 plunged into the water, 147 00:05:25,980 --> 00:05:27,980 the pious, pure, 148 00:05:27,980 --> 00:05:29,980 and faithful commander raised his hands toward the heavens 149 00:05:29,980 --> 00:05:31,980 and said to his soldiers: 150 00:05:31,980 --> 00:05:33,980 "Repeat after me!" 151 00:05:33,980 --> 00:05:35,980 He then prayed: 152 00:05:35,980 --> 00:05:37,980 "O Most Merciful of the merciful! 153 00:05:37,980 --> 00:05:39,980 O Eternal Refuge, O All-Powerful! 154 00:05:39,980 --> 00:05:41,980 O Ever-Living, O Sustainer of all existence! 155 00:05:41,980 --> 00:05:43,980 “And (mention) Dhu'n-Nun, when he went off in anger and deemed that We had no power over him, but he cried out in the darkness, saying: There is no Allah save Thee. Be Thou Glorified! Lo! I have been a wrong-doer.” (21:87) 156 00:05:43,980 --> 00:05:45,980 You alone, having no partner! 157 00:05:45,980 --> 00:05:47,980 In You we have placed our trust, 158 00:05:47,980 --> 00:05:49,980 by Your power we seek aid, 159 00:05:49,980 --> 00:05:51,980 and in Your bounty and might we seek protection!" 160 00:05:51,980 --> 00:05:53,980 He then crossed the sea before them 161 00:05:53,980 --> 00:05:55,980 and ordered them to follow behind him, 162 00:05:55,980 --> 00:05:57,980 so they followed him. 163 00:05:57,980 --> 00:05:59,980 On that day, the Gulf 164 00:05:59,980 --> 00:06:01,980 was at its calmest and at low tide, 165 00:06:01,980 --> 00:06:03,980 and so 166 00:06:03,980 --> 00:06:05,980 the horses and camels began striding 167 00:06:05,980 --> 00:06:07,980 across its still waters 168 00:06:07,980 --> 00:06:09,980 as though walking over smooth sand 169 00:06:09,980 --> 00:06:11,980 covered only by 170 00:06:11,980 --> 00:06:13,980 a shallow layer of water. 171 00:06:13,980 --> 00:06:15,980 When the army reached the shores of Darin, 172 00:06:15,980 --> 00:06:17,980 the soldiers leaped onto the land 173 00:06:17,980 --> 00:06:19,980 like lions pouncing upon their prey. 174 00:06:19,980 --> 00:06:21,980 They drew 175 00:06:21,980 --> 00:06:23,980 their sharp swords from their scabbards 176 00:06:23,980 --> 00:06:25,980 and proceeded to strike down 177 00:06:25,980 --> 00:06:27,980 the heads of Allah's enemies with relentless force. 178 00:06:27,980 --> 00:06:29,980 The apostates were completely bewildered, 179 00:06:29,980 --> 00:06:31,980 stunned by their own plight and what surrounded them, 180 00:06:31,980 --> 00:06:33,980 and stood dumbfounded at the sheer terror 181 00:06:33,980 --> 00:06:35,980 of this frightening surprise. 182 00:06:35,980 --> 00:06:37,980 They were utterly perplexed by these people, 183 00:06:37,980 --> 00:06:39,980 unable to fathom 184 00:06:39,980 --> 00:06:41,980 whether they had descended upon them from the sky 185 00:06:41,980 --> 00:06:43,980 or surged forth from the earth, 186 00:06:43,980 --> 00:06:45,980 for it was beyond their capacity 187 00:06:45,980 --> 00:06:47,980 even to conceive 188 00:06:47,980 --> 00:06:49,980 that they had come to them across the sea. 189 00:06:49,980 --> 00:06:52,110 Within a single day 190 00:06:52,110 --> 00:06:54,110 and night, al-Ala' 191 00:06:54,110 --> 00:06:56,110 and his troops cleansed the island of the apostates, 192 00:06:56,110 --> 00:06:58,110 span by span 193 00:06:58,110 --> 00:07:00,110 and cubit by cubit, 194 00:07:00,110 --> 00:07:02,110 sweeping it from coast 195 00:07:02,110 --> 00:07:04,110 to coast, back and forth. 196 00:07:04,110 --> 00:07:06,110 This was accomplished after 197 00:07:06,110 --> 00:07:08,110 they killed the combatants 198 00:07:08,110 --> 00:07:10,110 and took the dependents, women, 199 00:07:10,110 --> 00:07:12,110 wealth, and livestock as spoils. 200 00:07:12,110 --> 00:07:14,110 Then the victorious commander distributed 201 00:07:14,110 --> 00:07:16,110 the spoils of war among his soldiers, 202 00:07:16,110 --> 00:07:18,110 and each horseman received 203 00:07:18,110 --> 00:07:20,110 two thousand [dirhams]. 204 00:07:20,110 --> 00:07:22,110 During their crossing of the sea, the Muslims did not lose 205 00:07:22,110 --> 00:07:24,110 a single man, a single horse, 206 00:07:24,110 --> 00:07:26,110 or a single camel, 207 00:07:26,110 --> 00:07:28,110 except for a nosebag of a horse belonging to a man 208 00:07:28,110 --> 00:07:30,110 from among the Muslims; so al-'Ala' himself returned 209 00:07:30,110 --> 00:07:32,110 to retrieve it and gave it back 210 00:07:32,110 --> 00:07:34,139 to its owner. 211 00:07:34,139 --> 00:07:36,139 Moreover, on part of its march, 212 00:07:36,139 --> 00:07:38,139 the faithful army passed by 213 00:07:38,139 --> 00:07:40,139 the Christians of Hajar, 214 00:07:40,139 --> 00:07:42,139 where a monk asked Ibn al-Hadrami for permission 215 00:07:42,139 --> 00:07:44,139 to accompany them and seek protection 216 00:07:44,139 --> 00:07:46,139 with them, and he granted him permission. 217 00:07:46,139 --> 00:07:48,139 When the journey of the victorious army 218 00:07:48,139 --> 00:07:50,139 came to its conclusion, with all the toil, 219 00:07:50,139 --> 00:07:52,139 struggle, 220 00:07:52,139 --> 00:07:54,139 and decisive victory it had achieved, 221 00:07:54,139 --> 00:07:56,139 and after all the terrors and events 222 00:07:56,139 --> 00:07:58,139 that had transpired along the way, 223 00:07:58,139 --> 00:08:00,139 and all the divine aid and bounty 224 00:08:00,139 --> 00:08:02,139 that Allah had bestowed upon them, 225 00:08:02,139 --> 00:08:04,139 the monk's dormant feelings were deeply stirred, 226 00:08:04,139 --> 00:08:06,139 and his slumbering faith was awakened; 227 00:08:06,139 --> 00:08:08,139 thus, he declared his acceptance of Islam before the army 228 00:08:08,139 --> 00:08:10,139 and its commander. 229 00:08:10,139 --> 00:08:12,139 When he returned to his people, they said to him: 230 00:08:12,139 --> 00:08:14,139 "Woe to you! 231 00:08:14,139 --> 00:08:16,139 What drove you to abandon your religion 232 00:08:16,139 --> 00:08:18,139 and embrace Islam?" 233 00:08:18,139 --> 00:08:20,139 He replied: "Three 234 00:08:20,139 --> 00:08:22,139 matters; and indeed, I feared 235 00:08:22,139 --> 00:08:24,139 that Allah would transform me into a beast thereafter 236 00:08:24,139 --> 00:08:26,139 if I did not submit as a Muslim." 237 00:08:26,139 --> 00:08:28,139 They asked, "And what are they?" 238 00:08:28,139 --> 00:08:30,139 He said: "What I heard 239 00:08:30,139 --> 00:08:32,139 of their supplications before dawn, 240 00:08:32,139 --> 00:08:34,139 the gushing forth of water for them 241 00:08:34,139 --> 00:08:36,139 amidst the desert sands 242 00:08:36,139 --> 00:08:38,139 where there was neither water nor tree, 243 00:08:38,139 --> 00:08:40,139 and the subduing of the ocean waves 244 00:08:40,139 --> 00:08:42,139 beneath their feet. 245 00:08:42,139 --> 00:08:44,139 Thus, I became certain that they 246 00:08:44,139 --> 00:08:46,139 were aided by the angels only 247 00:08:46,139 --> 00:08:48,139 because they are upon the truth, 248 00:08:48,139 --> 00:08:50,429 and that they truly stand upon the truth." 249 00:08:50,429 --> 00:08:52,429 May Allah brighten the face of al-'Ala' 250 00:08:52,429 --> 00:08:54,429 Ibn al-Hadrami, 251 00:08:54,429 --> 00:08:56,429 for he lived as a striver in the cause of Allah 252 00:08:56,429 --> 00:08:58,429 with both his tongue and his spear, 253 00:08:58,429 --> 00:09:00,429 and he will forever remain throughout time 254 00:09:00,429 --> 00:09:02,429 the first Muslim commander 255 00:09:02,429 --> 00:09:04,429 to elevate the word of Allah 256 00:09:04,429 --> 00:09:10,690 across the land.