WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:15.220 --> 00:00:18.219 Mawaddah Association is pleased 00:00:18.219 --> 00:00:22.219 to present to you snapshots from the lives of the Companions, 00:00:22.219 --> 00:00:25.219 by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:25.219 --> 00:00:27.260 may Allah have mercy on him. 00:00:27.260 --> 00:00:30.980 Zayd ibn Thabit, 00:00:30.980 --> 00:00:32.979 may Allah be pleased with him. 00:00:47.060 --> 00:00:50.060 We are in the second year of the Hijrah, 00:00:50.060 --> 00:00:54.090 and the city of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:00:54.090 --> 00:00:57.090 was surging with intense activity, 00:00:57.090 --> 00:00:59.090 in preparation for the Battle of Badr. 00:00:59.090 --> 00:01:01.090 The noble Prophet 00:01:01.090 --> 00:01:08.090 was casting his final glances over the first army moving under his command to strive in the cause of Allah 00:01:08.090 --> 00:01:11.219 and to establish His word upon the earth. 00:01:11.219 --> 00:01:15.219 Here, a young boy stepped forward toward the ranks, 00:01:15.219 --> 00:01:18.219 who had not yet reached thirteen years of age, 00:01:18.219 --> 00:01:20.219 glowing with intelligence and acumen, 00:01:20.219 --> 00:01:23.219 radiant with noble aptitude and zeal. 00:01:23.219 --> 00:01:26.219 In his hand was a sword equal to him in length, 00:01:26.219 --> 00:01:28.219 or perhaps slightly taller. 00:01:28.219 --> 00:01:33.219 He approached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said, 00:01:33.219 --> 00:01:36.219 "May I be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! 00:01:36.219 --> 00:01:38.219 Grant me permission to join you 00:01:38.219 --> 00:01:41.219 and strive against the enemies of Allah beneath your banner." 00:01:41.219 --> 00:01:46.219 The noble Messenger looked at him with delight and admiration, 00:01:46.219 --> 00:01:49.219 patted his shoulder with gentleness and affection, 00:01:49.219 --> 00:01:51.219 comforted his heart, 00:01:51.219 --> 00:01:53.219 and turned him back due to his young age. 00:01:53.219 --> 00:01:58.280 The young boy returned, dragging his sword along the ground, sorrowful and grieving, 00:01:58.280 --> 00:02:04.280 because he was deprived of the honor of accompanying the Messenger of Allah in the very first campaign he was to fight. 00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:08.379 Behind him returned his mother, Al-Nuwar bint Malik, 00:02:08.379 --> 00:02:11.379 no less sorrowful and grieving than he was. 00:02:11.379 --> 00:02:16.379 She had longed for her eyes to be delighted by the sight of her young son 00:02:16.379 --> 00:02:20.379 marching with the men, striving in cause beneath the banner of the Messenger of Allah. 00:02:20.379 --> 00:02:27.379 She had hoped he would occupy the stature that his father had been expected to gain with the Prophet, 00:02:27.379 --> 00:02:30.379 had he remained alive. 00:02:30.379 --> 00:02:33.379 But the young Ansar boy, 00:02:33.379 --> 00:02:40.379 when he saw that he had failed to gain proximity to the Messenger of Allah in this realm due to his tender age, 00:02:40.379 --> 00:02:45.379 his acumen unlocked another realm that had no relation to age— 00:02:45.379 --> 00:02:49.379 one that would bring him close to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:02:49.379 --> 00:02:51.379 and draw him near to his side. 00:02:51.379 --> 00:02:55.379 That realm was the realm of knowledge and memorization. 00:02:55.379 --> 00:02:58.469 The boy mentioned the idea to his mother, 00:02:58.469 --> 00:03:02.469 and she was delighted, overjoyed, and eagerly set out to realize it. 00:03:02.469 --> 00:03:06.469 Al-Nuwar spoke to men from their tribe about the boy's desire 00:03:06.469 --> 00:03:08.469 and mentioned his idea to them. 00:03:08.469 --> 00:03:13.469 So they took him to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:03:13.469 --> 00:03:15.469 and said, "O Prophet of Allah! 00:03:15.469 --> 00:03:18.469 This is our son, Zayd ibn Thabit. 00:03:18.469 --> 00:03:21.469 He has memorized seventeen surahs of the Book of Allah, 00:03:21.469 --> 00:03:25.469 reciting them correctly just as they were revealed to your heart. 00:03:25.469 --> 00:03:30.469 Moreover, he is skilled and proficient in reading and writing, 00:03:30.469 --> 00:03:35.469 and he wishes to draw closer to you through this and to remain in your company. 00:03:35.469 --> 00:03:37.469 So listen to him if you wish." 00:03:37.469 --> 00:03:42.500 The noble Messenger listened to the young boy, Zayd ibn Thabit, recite some of what he had memorized, 00:03:42.500 --> 00:03:46.500 and found his performance radiant and his pronunciation crystal clear. 00:03:46.500 --> 00:03:49.500 The words of the Qur'an glistened upon his lips 00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:53.500 just as the stars glisten across the face of the sky. 00:03:53.500 --> 00:03:58.729 Furthermore, his recitation reflected deep emotion for what he was reciting, 00:03:58.729 --> 00:04:03.729 and his pauses demonstrated mindfulness of what he read and excellent comprehension. 00:04:03.729 --> 00:04:05.729 The noble Messenger was delighted with him, 00:04:05.729 --> 00:04:08.729 finding him to be even beyond what they had described. 00:04:08.729 --> 00:04:10.729 His joy in him was further increased 00:04:10.729 --> 00:04:12.729 by his mastery of writing. 00:04:12.729 --> 00:04:15.889 So the noble Prophet turned to him and said, 00:04:15.889 --> 00:04:17.889 "O Zayd, 00:04:17.889 --> 00:04:19.889 learn for me the writing of the Jews, 00:04:19.889 --> 00:04:22.889 for by Allah, I do not trust them regarding what I say." 00:04:22.889 --> 00:04:23.889 He replied, 00:04:23.889 --> 00:04:26.889 "At your service, O Messenger of Allah!" 00:04:26.889 --> 00:04:31.949 He immediately devoted himself to Hebrew until he mastered it in a short time. 00:04:31.949 --> 00:04:36.949 He began writing it for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:04:36.949 --> 00:04:39.949 whenever he wished to write to the Jews, 00:04:39.949 --> 00:04:42.949 and reading it to him whenever they wrote to him. 00:04:42.949 --> 00:04:48.079 Then he learned Syriac at his command, peace and blessings be upon him, 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:50.079 just as he had learned Hebrew. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:53.079 Thus, the youth Zayd ibn Thabit became 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:57.269 the translator for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:04:57.269 --> 00:05:03.269 Once the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was fully assured of Zayd's sound judgment, trustworthiness, 00:05:03.269 --> 00:05:05.269 precision, and understanding, 00:05:05.269 --> 00:05:09.269 he entrusted him with the revelation from heaven to earth, 00:05:09.269 --> 00:05:12.269 appointing him as a scribe of Allah's revelation. 00:05:12.269 --> 00:05:16.430 Whenever any part of the Qur'an was revealed to his heart, 00:05:16.430 --> 00:05:18.430 he would send for him and say, 00:05:18.430 --> 00:05:20.430 "Write, O Zayd!" 00:05:20.430 --> 00:05:22.430 And he would write it down. 00:05:22.430 --> 00:05:28.430 Thus, Zayd ibn Thabit was receiving the Qur'an directly from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:05:28.430 --> 00:05:30.430 moment by moment, 00:05:30.430 --> 00:05:32.430 growing along with its verses, 00:05:32.430 --> 00:05:35.430 receiving it fresh and pristine from his noble mouth, 00:05:35.430 --> 00:05:37.430 connected to the very contexts of its revelation. 00:05:37.430 --> 00:05:40.430 His soul shone with the lights of its guidance, 00:05:40.430 --> 00:05:43.430 and his mind was illuminated by the secrets of its divine law. 00:05:43.430 --> 00:05:47.430 Suddenly, this fortunate youth became a specialist in the Qur'an, 00:05:47.430 --> 00:05:51.430 becoming the primary authority in it for the Ummah of Muhammad 00:05:51.430 --> 00:05:55.430 after the passing of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:05:55.430 --> 00:06:00.620 He was the head of those who gathered the Book of Allah during the era of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, 00:06:00.620 --> 00:06:04.620 and the foremost among those who standardized its copies during the time of 'Uthman. 00:06:04.620 --> 00:06:09.620 Is there, after such a rank, any rank to which high aspirations could aspire? 00:06:09.620 --> 00:06:13.620 Is there above this glory any glory to which souls could yearn? 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:17.850 It was among the blessings of the Qur'an upon Zayd ibn Thabit 00:06:17.850 --> 00:06:23.850 that it illuminated for him the paths of truth in situations where men of intellect would be bewildered. 00:06:23.850 --> 00:06:25.980 On the Day of Saqifah, 00:06:25.980 --> 00:06:31.980 the Muslims differed as to who should succeed the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:06:31.980 --> 00:06:34.139 The Emigrants said, 00:06:34.139 --> 00:06:36.139 "The succession of the Messenger of Allah lies among us, 00:06:36.139 --> 00:06:38.139 and we are most entitled to it." 00:06:39.139 --> 00:06:41.139 Some of the Ansar said, 00:06:41.139 --> 00:06:43.139 "Rather, the succession shall be among us, 00:06:43.139 --> 00:06:45.139 and we are most worthy of it." 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:47.230 Others among them said, 00:06:47.230 --> 00:06:51.230 "Rather, the succession shall be shared between us and you together, 00:06:51.230 --> 00:06:55.230 for whenever the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:06:55.230 --> 00:06:58.230 appointed one of you to an office, 00:06:58.230 --> 00:07:00.230 he would pair him with one of us." 00:07:00.230 --> 00:07:03.230 A great tribulation was on the verge of erupting, 00:07:03.230 --> 00:07:07.230 while the Prophet of Allah was still shrouded among them, 00:07:07.230 --> 00:07:09.230 not yet buried. 00:07:09.230 --> 00:07:14.230 A decisive, wise word was imperative— 00:07:14.230 --> 00:07:16.230 one radiant with the guidance of the Qur'an, 00:07:16.230 --> 00:07:18.230 to nip the tribulation in the bud 00:07:18.230 --> 00:07:21.230 and illuminate the path for those who were confused. 00:07:21.230 --> 00:07:26.230 That word came forth from the mouth of Zayd ibn Thabit al-Ansari, 00:07:26.230 --> 00:07:28.230 as he turned to his people 00:07:28.230 --> 00:07:31.230 and said, "O assembly of the Ansar! 00:07:31.230 --> 00:07:34.230 Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:07:34.230 --> 00:07:36.230 was from the Emigrants; 00:07:36.230 --> 00:07:39.230 therefore, his successor must be an Emigrant like him. 00:07:39.230 --> 00:07:43.230 And we were the supporters (Ansar) of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him; 00:07:43.230 --> 00:07:47.230 so we shall be supporters to his successor after him, 00:07:47.230 --> 00:07:49.459 and his helpers upon the truth." 00:07:49.459 --> 00:07:53.459 Then he extended his hand to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and said, 00:07:53.459 --> 00:07:56.459 "This is your successor, so give him your allegiance!" 00:07:56.459 --> 00:08:01.620 By virtue of the Qur'an, his deep understanding of fiqh within it, 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:05.620 and his long companionship with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, Zayd ibn Thabit became 00:08:05.620 --> 00:08:08.620 a beacon for the Muslims. 00:08:08.620 --> 00:08:11.620 Their caliphs consulted him in complex dilemmas, 00:08:11.620 --> 00:08:14.620 the general populace sought his legal verdicts in difficult matters, 00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:18.620 and they referred to him in inheritance law in particular, 00:08:18.620 --> 00:08:20.620 for there was no one among the Muslims 00:08:20.620 --> 00:08:23.620 at that time who was more knowledgeable than him concerning its rulings, 00:08:23.620 --> 00:08:26.620 or more skilled in its distribution. 00:08:26.620 --> 00:08:30.620 Indeed, 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, addressed the Muslims on the Day of al-Jabiyah, 00:08:30.620 --> 00:08:33.620 saying, "O people! 00:08:33.620 --> 00:08:35.620 Whoever wishes to ask about the Qur'an, 00:08:35.620 --> 00:08:38.620 let him come to Zayd ibn Thabit. 00:08:38.620 --> 00:08:40.620 Whoever wishes to ask about fiqh, 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:43.620 let him come to Mu'adh ibn Jabal. 00:08:43.620 --> 00:08:45.620 And whoever wishes to ask about wealth, 00:08:45.620 --> 00:08:47.620 let him come to me, 00:08:47.620 --> 00:08:51.620 for Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has made me its custodian 00:08:51.620 --> 00:08:53.940 and its distributor." 00:08:53.940 --> 00:08:56.940 The seekers of knowledge among the Companions and the Tabi'un recognized 00:08:56.940 --> 00:08:58.940 Zayd ibn Thabit's true worth; 00:08:58.940 --> 00:09:00.940 they honored and revered him 00:09:00.940 --> 00:09:03.940 for the knowledge settled in his chest. 00:09:03.940 --> 00:09:06.940 Here was the ocean of knowledge, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas, 00:09:06.940 --> 00:09:10.940 seeing Zayd ibn Thabit about to mount his riding beast; 00:09:10.940 --> 00:09:12.940 he stood before him, 00:09:12.940 --> 00:09:14.940 held his stirrup for him, 00:09:14.940 --> 00:09:17.940 and took hold of the reins of his mount. 00:09:17.940 --> 00:09:19.940 Zayd ibn Thabit said to him, 00:09:19.940 --> 00:09:22.940 "Do not do that, O cousin of the Messenger of Allah!" 00:09:22.940 --> 00:09:24.940 Ibn 'Abbas replied, 00:09:24.940 --> 00:09:27.940 "Thus were we commanded to treat our scholars." 00:09:27.940 --> 00:09:29.940 Zayd then said to him, 00:09:29.940 --> 00:09:31.940 "Show me your hand." 00:09:31.940 --> 00:09:33.940 Ibn 'Abbas extended his hand to him, 00:09:33.940 --> 00:09:36.940 whereupon Zayd leaned over it and kissed it, 00:09:36.940 --> 00:09:37.940 saying, 00:09:37.940 --> 00:09:41.940 "Thus were we commanded to treat the household of our Prophet." 00:09:41.940 --> 00:09:46.350 When Zayd ibn Thabit passed on to the proximity of his Lord, 00:09:46.350 --> 00:09:50.350 the Muslims wept over his death, lamenting the knowledge that was buried with him. 00:09:50.350 --> 00:09:52.379 Abu Hurayrah said, 00:09:52.379 --> 00:09:55.379 "Today, the learned scholar of this Ummah has died; 00:09:55.379 --> 00:09:59.379 perhaps Allah will make Ibn 'Abbas a successor to him." 00:09:59.379 --> 00:10:03.509 The poet of the Messenger of Allah, Hassan ibn Thabit, eulogized him, 00:10:03.509 --> 00:10:06.509 eulogizing himself along with him, saying: 00:10:06.509 --> 00:10:10.639 "Who is left for poetry after Hassan and his son? 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:14.639 And who is left for deep meanings after Zayd ibn Thabit?" 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:20.690 "Who is left for poetry after Hassan and his son? 00:10:20.690 --> 00:10:25.039 And who is left for deep meanings after Zayd ibn Thabit?" 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:28.649 Hassan ibn Thabit. 00:10:32.970 --> 00:10:38.129 O poetry, excuse me as I pour forth in their praise—shall we excel?