In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The best of generations in their conduct and as examples,
Following the Messenger whenever he strove or spoke.
Mawaddah Association
Presents:
Portraits from the Lives of the Tabi'un
By Dr. Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
May Allah have mercy upon him.
Abu Muslim al-Khawlani,
May Allah have mercy upon him.
News spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula
That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Had become heavily burdened by illness after his return from the Farewell Pilgrimage.
So, Satan whispered to al-Aswad al-Ansi
To return to disbelief after having believed,
And to fabricate lies against Allah,
Claiming to his people in Yemen
That he was a prophet sent from Allah.
Al-Aswad al-Ansi was a man of intense temperament,
Strong in physique, dark of soul,
And widespread in his wickedness.
He had mastered soothsaying during the Jahiliyyah,
And was skilled in deceiving people.
Furthermore, he was eloquent of tongue,
Possessing brilliant expression and a sharp mind,
Capable of playing with the minds of the masses with his falsehoods,
And winning the loyalty of the elite through his gifts and generosity.
He would never appear to people except while veiled with a black mask,
To surround himself with an aura of mystery and awe.
The call of al-Aswad al-Ansi spread in Yemen
Like fire in dry brush.
He was aided in this
By the support of his tribe, the Banu Madhhij,
Which was at that time one of the most numerous tribes in Yemen,
The most influential, and the most formidable.
He was also aided
By his ability to invent and fabricate lies,
And by his reliance on the clever among his followers to assist him.
He claimed to the people
That an angel from heaven descended upon him with revelation,
Informing him of the unseen.
He employed various methods to convince people of the truth of his claim.
He would plant his spies everywhere,
To keep him informed of people's affairs and concerns,
To uncover their secrets and news,
And to penetrate the hopes and pains hidden within their souls.
At the same time, they would
Encourage these people to turn to him,
And seek his help.
So when they came,
He would confront each person in need with their specific need,
And address every person with a problem regarding their problem,
Showing them that he was aware of their hidden secrets,
And cognizant of the mysteries concealed within their souls.
He performed wonders and marvels before them,
Which stunned their minds and bewildered their intellects.
Before long, his influence grew,
His prominence was established, and his followers multiplied.
He then launched an assault with them upon San'a,
And from San'a, he struck at other regions,
Until the lands between Hadhramaut and Ta'if submitted to him,
As well as those between Bahrain and Aden.
Once power was consolidated for al-Aswad al-Ansi,
And the lands and the people submitted to him,
He actively pursued his opponents,
Those whom Allah had granted firm faith in His upright religion,
Steadfast certainty in His noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And sincere loyalty to Allah and His Messenger.
They spoke the truth openly and stood against falsehood.
He began to strike them with harsh cruelty,
And inflicted upon them the severest of punishments.
At the forefront of these was Abd Allah ibn Thawb,
Known as Abu Muslim al-Khawlani.
Abu Muslim al-Khawlani was a man firm in his religion,
Strong in his faith, and obstinate in proclaiming the truth.
He had devoted himself entirely to Allah,
Turning away from the world and its adornments,
Renouncing the luxuries and pleasures of life,
And dedicating his life to the obedience of Allah and calling others to Him.
He traded the transient for the eternal with a generous heart.
Thus, people held him in high esteem,
Seeing in him a man of pure soul and spirit,
Whose supplications were answered by Allah.
Al-Aswad al-Ansi wanted to strike Abu Muslim with a mighty blow,
One that would spread terror and panic among those who opposed his call, both in secret and in public,
And suppress them completely.
He ordered firewood to be piled up in one of the squares of San'a,
And for it to be set ablaze.
He invited the people to witness the repentance of the jurist and worshipper of Yemen,
Abu Muslim al-Khawlani, and his acknowledgment of his prophethood.
At the appointed time,
Al-Aswad al-Ansi arrived at the square, which was packed with people,
Surrounded by his tyrants and senior followers,
And guarded by his bodyguards and military commanders.
He sat on his great throne, which had been set up facing the fire.
Abu Muslim al-Khawlani was brought to him in the sight and hearing of the people.
When he stood before him, the lying tyrant looked at him with arrogance,
Then looked at the fire raging fiercely before him.
Then he turned to him and said,
"Do you bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?"
He replied, "Yes, I bear witness that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger,
And that he is the master of the messengers,
And that he is the seal of the prophets as well."
Al-Aswad al-Ansi frowned,
Knit his brows, and said,
"And do you bear witness that I am the messenger of Allah?"
He replied, "There is deafness in my ears,
So I do not hear what you are saying."
Al-Aswad said, "Then I shall throw you into this fire."
Abu Muslim replied,
"If you do,
I will be protected from this fire, whose fuel is wood,
“O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded.” (66:6)
Over which are angels, harsh and severe."
“O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded.” (66:6)
Al-Aswad said,
"I will not be hasty with you,
And I will give you the opportunity to reconsider your mind."
Then he repeated the question to him and said,
"Do you bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?"
He replied, "Yes,
I bear witness that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger,
And that He sent him with the religion of guidance and truth,
And sealed the messages with his message."
Al-Aswad grew more enraged and said,
"And do you bear witness that I am the messenger of Allah?"
Abu Muslim replied,
"Did I not tell you that there is deafness in my ears?
I do not hear this statement of yours."
Al-Aswad al-Ansi was consumed with fury at the firmness of his response,
The calmness of his soul, and the tranquility of his demeanor.
He was about to order him to be thrown into the fire.
At that moment, his chief tyrant stepped forward,
And whispered in his ear, saying,
"The man is as you know,
Pure of soul and one whose supplications are answered,
And Allah will not abandon a believer
Whom He did not abandon in any hour of hardship.
If you throw him into the fire,
And Allah saves him from it,
You will destroy everything you have built in a single moment,
And drive the people to disbelieve in your prophethood.
And if the fire burns him,
The people will only admire him more and hold him in higher regard,
And elevate him to the rank of the martyrs.
So grant him a favor by releasing him and banishing him from the land,
And be rid of him and find peace."
Al-Aswad accepted the advice of his tyrant,
And ordered him to leave the country immediately.
Abu Muslim al-Khawlani set his face toward Medina.
He had hoped to meet the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
For he had believed in him before his eyes were cooled by seeing him,
And his soul rejoiced in his companionship.
But he had barely reached the outskirts of Yathrib
When the news of the death of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, reached him,
And the ascension of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq to the caliphate of the Muslims after him.
He grieved over the death of the noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
A grief that touched the very core of his heart.
Abu Muslim reached Medina,
And headed to the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
When he approached the mosque, he tethered his camel near its door,
And entered the noble Prophetic Sanctuary.
He sent peace upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Then stood by one of the pillars of the mosque,
And began to pray.
When he finished his prayer,
Umar ibn al-Khattab turned toward him,
Until he stood before him and said,
"Where is the man from?"
He replied, "From Yemen."
He then said,
"What did Allah do with our companion,
For whom the enemy of Allah stoked the fire,
And Allah saved him from it?"
He replied,
"He is well, by the grace and blessings of Allah."
Umar said,
"I adjure you by Allah,
Are you he?"
He replied, "Yes."
Umar kissed him between his eyes and said,
"Do you know what Allah did with the enemy of Allah and your enemy?"
He replied, "No,
For news of him has been cut off from me since I left Yemen."
He said,
"Allah killed him at the hands of the remaining few
Of the sincere believers,
And brought an end to his reign,
And returned his followers to the religion of Allah."
He said,
"Praise be to Allah who did not take me out of this world
Until He cooled my eyes with his destruction,
And the return of the deceived people of Yemen
To the fold of Islam."
Umar said to him,
"And I praise Allah who showed me in the Ummah of Muhammad
One who was treated as the Friend of the Most Merciful was treated,
Our father Ibrahim, peace be upon him."
Then he took him by the hand,
And went with him to Abu Bakr.
When he entered upon him,
he greeted him with the title of Caliph and pledged allegiance to him.
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, seated him between himself and Umar.
The two sheikhs began to ask Abu Muslim to recount
his story with al-Aswad al-Ansi.
Abu Muslim al-Khawlani stayed
for a time in Medina.
During this period, he kept to the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
He prayed as much as Allah willed for him to pray in his purified garden.
He took as much knowledge as he could from the eminent Companions,
such as Abu Ubaydah Ibn al-Jarrah,
Abu Dharr al-Ghifari,
Ubadah Ibn al-Samit,
Mu'adh Ibn Jabal,
and Awf Ibn Malik al-Ashja'i, may Allah be pleased with them all.
Then, it occurred to Abu Muslim to travel to the Levant
and make it his place of residence.
His goal in doing so
was to be close to the Levantine frontier,
to participate with the Muslim armies in the campaigns against the Byzantines,
and to win the reward of guarding the borders in the way of Allah.
When the Caliphate passed to the Commander of the Faithful,
Mu'awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with him,
Abu Muslim frequented him often
and attended his gatherings.
He had famous and well-remembered encounters with him,
which bear witness to the high status of both men
and reveal the noble Prophetic characteristics they possessed.
Among these is that Abu Muslim entered upon Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him,
and saw him presiding over one of his grand assemblies,
surrounded by the men of his state,
the commanders of his army, and the notables of his people.
He saw the people exaggerating in their reverence and glorification of him,
so he feared for him greatly because of that.
He approached him and said,
"Peace be upon you, O hired worker of the believers."
The people turned to him and said,
"The Commander of the Faithful, O Abu Muslim!"
But he paid them no heed and said,
"Peace be upon you, O hired worker of the believers."
The people said,
"The Commander of the Faithful, O Abu Muslim!"
Yet he did not lend them his ear,
nor did he cast a glance toward them,
and he said,
"Peace be upon you, O hired worker of the believers."
When the people were about to confront him,
Mu'awiyah turned to them and said,
"Leave Abu Muslim alone,
for he knows better what he is saying."
Abu Muslim turned to Mu'awiyah and said to him,
"Your likeness, now that Allah has entrusted you with the affairs of the people,
is like one who hired a worker
and entrusted him with his sheep,
setting a wage for him on the condition that he tends them well,
protects their bodies,
and preserves their wool and milk.
If he fulfills what he was entrusted with,
so that the young grow and the lean fatten,
and the sick recover,
he gives him his wage and adds to it.
But if he does not tend them well and neglects them,
until the lean perish and the fat become thin,
and their wool and milk are lost,
he withholds his wage,
becomes angry with him, and punishes him.
So choose for yourself that which holds your good and your reward."
Mu'awiyah raised his head,
for he had been looking down at the ground,
and said, "May Allah reward you on our behalf
and on behalf of the subjects with goodness, O Abu Muslim,
for we have known you only as a sincere advisor to Allah,
to His Messenger, and to the generality of the Muslims."
Abu Muslim attended the Friday prayer
at the Great Mosque of Damascus.
The Commander of the Faithful, Mu'awiyah, was addressing the people
and telling them of what he had ordered
regarding the dredging of the Barada River,
so that its waters might become clear for them.
Abu Muslim called out to him from among the crowd
and said, "Remember, O Mu'awiyah,
that you are heading toward a destination today or tomorrow.
If you come to it with something,
you will have something there.
But if you come to it empty-handed,
you will find it a barren, level plain.
I seek refuge in Allah for you, O Mu'awiyah,
that you might think the Caliphate is merely dredging rivers
and collecting wealth.
The Caliphate is acting with justice
and speaking with equity.
O Mu'awiyah,
we do not care about the muddiness of the rivers
if the head of our spring is clear,
and you are the head of our spring.
So strive to remain clear.
O Mu'awiyah,
if you act unjustly toward one man,
your injustice toward him will be countered by your justice,
so beware of oppression."
When Abu Muslim finished his words,
Mu'awiyah descended from the pulpit to him,
approached him, and said,
"May Allah have mercy on you, O Abu Muslim,
and reward you with the best of rewards on our behalf."
On another occasion,
Mu'awiyah ascended the pulpit and began his sermon.
He had withheld the people's stipends for two months.
Abu Muslim called out to him and said,
"O Mu'awiyah,
this wealth is not your wealth,
nor is it the wealth of your father or your mother.
By what right do you withhold it from the people?"
Anger appeared on Mu'awiyah's face,
and the people began to watch what might
happen next. But what he did
was to signal to the people to remain
in their places and not to leave.
Then he descended from the pulpit, performed ablution,
and poured some water over himself.
Then he ascended the pulpit, praised Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,
and extolled Him as He deserves,
and said, "Abu Muslim
has mentioned that this wealth is not my wealth,
nor the wealth of my father or mother.
Abu Muslim has spoken the truth in what he said.
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
say: 'Anger is from the devil,
and the devil is from fire,
and water extinguishes fire.
So if one of you becomes angry, let him perform ablution.'
O people,
go and collect your stipends with the blessing of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic."
May Allah reward Abu Muslim
al-Khawlani with the best of rewards,
for he was a unique example in speaking
the word of truth, and may Allah be pleased with
Ibn Abi Sufyan with the most abundant pleasure,
for he was a wonderful model
in yielding to the word of truth.
How beautiful is the saying of the poet:
"Do not blame them too much, may your father not be blamed,
for the blame, or fill the place that they have filled."
Abu Muslim devoted himself to worship
until he would stand [in prayer],
[saying,] "If I saw Paradise with my own eyes,
I would have no desire for more."
Uthman Ibn Abi Atik:
They departed and left in the conscience
a question:
Is there a star like them that has risen and shone?
They filled life with glories
through their deeds,
and the world of humanity flourished because of them.