In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Mawaddah Association is pleased
to present to you glimpses from the lives of the Companions,
by Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
may Allah have mercy upon him.
'Umayr ibn Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him.
The young 'Umayr ibn Sa'd al-Ansari tasted
the cup of orphanhood and poverty from his earliest youth,
for his father had passed on to his Lord without leaving him wealth or a provider.
However, his mother soon married a wealthy man from the Aws tribe,
known as al-Julas ibn Suwayd.
He took in her son 'Umayr and brought him into his care.
'Umayr experienced such kindness, excellent care, and tender affection from al-Julas
that it made him forget he was an orphan.
'Umayr loved al-Julas with the love of a son for his father,
just as al-Julas was devoted to 'Umayr with the passion of a father for his son.
As 'Umayr grew and matured, al-Julas’s love and admiration for him increased,
due to the signs of intelligence and nobility he saw in him,
which were evident in every one of his actions,
and the traits of honesty and truthfulness that appeared in all his conduct.
The youth 'Umayr ibn Sa'd embraced Islam
while he was still young, having barely passed his tenth year.
Faith found a vacant place in his heart, so it took hold of him,
and Islam found in his pure, transparent soul
fertile soil, so it permeated its depths.
Despite his tender age, he would never miss a prayer behind the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
His mother would be filled with joy whenever she saw him going to the mosque or returning from it,
sometimes with her husband and sometimes alone.
The life of the young 'Umayr ibn Sa'd continued in this happy and peaceful manner,
with nothing to disturb its serenity or mar its joy,
until Allah willed that the young lad be exposed to one of the most intense and severe trials,
and to be tested with a test rarely experienced by one of his age.
In the ninth year after the Hijrah, the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, announced his intention to campaign against the Romans in Tabuk,
and commanded the Muslims to prepare and equip themselves for it.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, whenever he intended to go on an expedition, would not disclose it,
and would imply that he was heading in a direction other than his actual destination, except for the expedition of Tabuk,
for he clarified it to the people due to the great distance, the extreme hardship, and the strength of the enemy,
so that the people would be fully aware of their situation,
and take the necessary precautions and make the necessary preparations.
Even though summer had arrived and the heat had intensified,
and the fruits had ripened and the shade had become pleasant,
and souls had inclined toward relaxation and lethargy,
despite all of that, the Muslims answered the call of their Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and began to prepare and equip themselves.
However, a group of hypocrites began to dampen spirits,
weaken resolve, and stir up doubts,
casting aspersions on the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and uttering in their private gatherings words that branded them with clear disbelief.
On one of the days preceding the departure of the army,
the youth 'Umayr ibn Sa'd returned home after performing prayer in the mosque,
his soul filled with a bright array of images of the Muslims' sacrifice and generosity,
which he had seen with his own eyes and heard with his own ears.
He had seen the women of the Muhajirun and the Ansar
approaching the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
taking off their jewelry and placing it before him,
so that the army fighting in the cause of Allah could be equipped with its value.
He saw with his own eyes 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him,
bringing a pouch containing a thousand gold dinars,
and presenting it to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He witnessed 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, may Allah be pleased with him,
carrying on his shoulder two hundred ounces of gold,
and placing it before the noble Prophet.
Indeed, he even saw a man offering his bedding for sale
to buy with its price a sword to fight in the cause of Allah.
'Umayr began to recall these unique and magnificent images,
and wondered at al-Julas's hesitation to prepare for the departure with the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and his delay in giving, despite his ability and wealth.
As if 'Umayr wanted to stir the resolve of al-Julas
and ignite zeal in his soul,
he began to tell him the news of what he had heard and seen,
especially the story of those believers
who came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and asked him with anguish to include them in the army fighting in the cause of Allah,
but the Prophet turned them away because he found no mounts to carry them on,
so they turned back with their eyes overflowing with tears of sorrow,
because they could not find the means to fulfill their wish for Jihad,
and realize their longing for martyrdom.
But no sooner had al-Julas heard what 'Umayr said,
than a word escaped his mouth that shattered the believer's composure,
for he heard him say: "If Muhammad is truthful in what he claims of prophethood,
then we are worse than donkeys."
'Umayr was stunned by what he heard,
for he never thought that a man with the intellect and age of al-Julas
would let such a word escape his lips,
a word that casts its speaker out of faith entirely,
and enters him into disbelief through its widest gates.
And just as precise calculating machines function
in computing the problems presented to them,
the mind of the youth 'Umayr ibn Sa'd began
to think about what he must do.
He saw that remaining silent about al-Julas and covering for him
was a betrayal of Allah and His Messenger,
and a harm to the Islam against which the hypocrites were plotting
and conspiring.
And that broadcasting what he had heard was an act of disobedience toward the man
who held the place of a father in his heart,
and repaying his kindness with evil.
For he was the one who sheltered him from orphanhood,
enriched him from poverty,
and compensated him for the loss of his father.
The youth had to choose between two matters, the easier of which was bitter.
And he chose quickly.
He turned to al-Julas and said,
"By Allah, O al-Julas,
there was no one on the face of the earth after Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
more beloved to me than you.
You are the dearest of people to me,
and the one to whom I owe the greatest favor.
But you have said a statement
that if I mention it, I will expose you,
and if I hide it,
I will betray my trust and destroy my own soul and religion.
I have resolved to go to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and inform him of what you said,
so be aware of your situation."
The youth 'Umayr ibn Sa'd went to the mosque
and informed the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
of what he had heard from al-Julas ibn Suwayd.
The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, kept him with him,
and sent one of his Companions to summon al-Julas.
It was only a short while
before al-Julas arrived, greeted the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and sat before him.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to him,
"What is this statement that 'Umayr ibn Sa'd heard from you?"
And he mentioned to him what he had said.
He said,
"He lied against me, O Messenger of Allah, and fabricated it,
for I did not utter any of that."
The Companions began to shift their gazes between al-Julas and his ward 'Umayr ibn Sa'd,
as if they wanted to read on the pages of their faces
what their hearts were concealing.
They began to whisper,
and one of those in whose hearts was a disease said,
"A young man who has gone astray;
he insists on harming the one who was kind to him."
Others said,
"Rather, he is a youth who grew up in the obedience of Allah,
and the features of his face speak of his truthfulness."
The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, turned to 'Umayr,
and saw his face flushed with blood,
and tears streaming down from his eyes,
falling onto his cheeks and chest as he said,
"O Allah, reveal to Your Prophet the truth of what I have spoken."
"O Allah, reveal to Your Prophet the truth of what I have spoken."
Then al-Julas stood up and said,
"What I mentioned to you, O Messenger of Allah, is the truth,
and if you wish, we can take an oath before you,
and I swear by Allah
that I did not say anything of what 'Umayr reported to you."
No sooner had he finished his oath,
and the people's eyes began to shift from him to 'Umayr ibn Sa'd,
than tranquility descended upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The Companions knew it was the revelation,
so they remained in their places and their limbs became still,
and silence prevailed.
Their eyes were fixed on the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Here, fear and trepidation appeared on al-Julas,
and longing and anticipation appeared on 'Umayr.
Everyone remained like that
until the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, recovered,
and recited the words of the Almighty and Exalted:
Al-Julas trembled from the horror of what he heard,
and his tongue nearly froze from panic.
Then he turned to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said,
"Rather, I repent, O Messenger of Allah,
rather, I repent.
'Umayr spoke the truth, O Messenger of Allah,
and I was among the liars.
I ask Allah to accept my repentance.
I have made a mistake in that, O Messenger of Allah."
Here, the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, turned
to the youth 'Umayr ibn Sa'd,
and found tears of joy wetting his face, which was radiant with the light of faith.
The Messenger extended his noble hand to his ear,
held it gently, and said,
"Your ear was faithful, O young man, in what it heard,
and your Lord has confirmed your truthfulness."
Al-Julas returned to the fold of Islam,
and his Islam became sincere.
The Companions knew of the improvement of his state
by the kindness he lavished upon 'Umayr.
He would say whenever 'Umayr was mentioned,
"May Allah reward him with good on my behalf,
for he saved me from disbelief,
and freed my neck from the Fire."
And furthermore,
this is not the brightest image in the life of the young Companion 'Umayr ibn Sa'd,
nor the most brilliant.
Rather, there are images in his life that are even more radiant and beautiful.
So, until another meeting
with 'Umayr ibn Sa'd in his youth.
'Umayr ibn Sa'd,
unique in his character.
'Umar ibn al-Khattab.