Pause,
and get to know the Companions, the scholars, and the greatest figures.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the prominent Companions,
and one of the paternal uncles of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who migrated.
I was a nobleman among the chieftains of Makkah,
where I grew up alongside my nephew
and foster brother, Muhammad, peace be upon him.
I was known for courage and generosity,
and I was one of Quraysh's fiercest youths,
possessing the most unyielding pride and resolve.
I loved hunting and spent much of my time pursuing it.
Once, I returned carrying my bow across my shoulder,
coming back from a hunt,
and I passed by a female servant of 'Abdullah ibn Jud'an.
She said to me, "O Abu 'Umarah,
if only you had seen what your nephew suffered at the hands of Abu Jahl!
He found him right here, hurt him, and insulted him,
treating him with utter contempt,
then walked away while Muhammad did not utter a single word to him."
When I heard that,
fierce protective zeal for my nephew seized me,
and fury took hold of me.
I departed immediately, without stopping to converse with anyone as I usually did.
When I entered the assembly hall of the Dar al-Nadwah,
I saw Abu Jahl sitting among the people.
I marched straight toward him,
and as soon as I stood over his head,
I raised my bow and struck him with it,
inflicting a severe and ghastly gash on his head.
Then I said to him,
"Do you dare revile him while I follow his religion,
proclaiming what he proclaims?
Retaliate against me if you can!"
Men from Banu Makhzum rose up against me,
but Abu Jahl said,
"Leave Abu 'Umarah alone,
for by Allah, I insulted his nephew most vilely."
I left their presence,
while Allah had cast the love of Islam into my heart,
and thus I embraced Islam at that moment.
Through my conversion, the strength of the Muslims was greatly bolstered.
I migrated to Madinah,
and took part in the Battle of Badr alongside the Prophet, peace be upon him.
I killed the very first polytheist fallen in that battle,
when al-Aswad ibn 'Abd al-Asad al-Makhzumi came forward
having vowed to Allah that he would drink from our cistern, demolish it,
or die trying.
So I went out to face him,
and when we clashed,
I dealt him a blow with my sword.
He then crawled toward the cistern,
desperate to fulfill his oath,
so I struck him again and killed him before he could reach it.
Then three of their champions emerged demanding a duel,
so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, ordered me,
along with 'Ubaydah ibn al-Harith and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib,
to go out to meet them.
We fought them in single combat and killed them all,
and that was the very first duel in Islam.
Regarding us, Allah Almighty revealed:
"These are two adversaries who have disputed over their Lord..."
down to the end of the verses.
Then the general battle commenced,
and I placed an ostrich feather upon my chest,
fighting vigorously, slaying and striking down the enemy.
I wore an ostrich feather upon my chest
and engaged the polytheists in combat,
felling their mightiest champions
and dislodging them from their positions,
until Allah routed them.
After the battle, Umayyah ibn Khalaf asked
while he was a captive:
"Who was the man marked with the ostrich feather on his chest,
the one who wreaked such havoc upon us?"
The Muslims gave me the title "The Lion of Allah"
and "The Lion of His Messenger," peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
So, who am I?
Share your answers with us in the comments below the video,
and we will pin the correct answer in the comments
when the next episode is released,
if Allah wills.
The best of generations in stances and exemplary conduct,
they followed the Messenger whenever he strove or spoke.
They were here, quenching the clouds of our life,
and wherever we stand, their memory rises high.
They departed, leaving a question deep within the conscience:
Has any star ever risen and shone as brightly as they did?
Through their deeds, they filled existence with glory,
and through them, the world of mankind flourished in grace.