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.
Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i,
may Allah be pleased with him.
Has the news of Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i reached you?
The desert marauder,
and its great plunderer.
Islam dawned upon Rafi',
yet he paid it no heed,
nor did he give it any attention,
for he was too preoccupied with raiding the Arab tribes,
and stealing their finest camels.
Do not think that Rafi' was the leader of an Arab tribe,
or that he had a battalion with which he raided,
or a band of men to support him.
Rafi' was none of that, nor was he anything close to it.
He was merely a Bedouin, a son of the desert,
who formed an army of one,
launching his raids on Arab homes all by himself,
depriving people of their most precious possessions,
then returning safe, triumphant, and well-provided.
You might ask: were there not, in these tribes that Rafi' raided,
brave warriors capable of pursuing this marauder,
recovering their finest camels from him, and finishing him off?
Indeed, there were among the sons of the desert
those who were no less courageous, bold, or daring than Rafi'.
But there was none among them who matched his knowledge of the desert's secrets,
and his ability to penetrate its depths,
until he became known among the Arabs
as the most skilled Bedouin in the desert sands,
and the one who knew its paths best.
It was Rafi's custom
that whenever he resolved to raid a people,
he would gather a large number of ostrich eggs,
fill them with water,
and bury them in remote, untrodden places deep in the desert.
Then, he would launch his raid on whichever tribe he chose,
drive the stolen camels before him,
and head toward those wildernesses that had yielded their secrets to no one but him.
Once he entered them and delved into their mazes,
their owners would cease their pursuit,
and turn back,
fearing for their own lives from death by thirst or getting lost.
In the ninth year of the Hijrah,
the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent 'Amr Ibn al-'As
at the head of a Muslim battalion to the land of Tayyi'.
He commanded him to mobilize those of the Arabs who had embraced Islam,
to go out with him to the Levant to fight the Romans,
and to reconcile with those who had not yet embraced Islam so they would not join his enemies.
In that battalion were Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab,
and a group of the prominent Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
They set out until they reached the mountain of Tayyi',
where the paths became obscured to them,
and they feared for themselves getting lost and perishing.
'Umar Ibn al-Khattab said,
"Bring us an expert man to be our guide in these wildernesses."
It was said to him, "You have none but Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i,
for he is the most knowledgeable of people regarding these deserts and the most insightful of their paths."
So they called for Rafi' and took him as their guide.
Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr spent time with this elite group
of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
for days and nights until they accomplished what they were commanded to do.
Rafi' witnessed their noble characteristics, their refined traits,
and the sublimity of their guidance, which planted love for them deep in his heart.
He found them to be worshippers by night and knights by day,
ascetics in this world, yet yearning for the good reward with Allah.
He had an experience with them that Rafi' himself narrates to you, saying:
"During my companionship with them, I contemplated them all,
and I scrutinized them, especially Abu Bakr; I marked him and preferred him
in my regard over all his companions, and in every good quality."
When we returned to the places from which we had set out,
and they were about to depart from us, I felt that they would take my heart with them.
So I came to Abu Bakr and said, "O companion of goodness,
I have marked you and chosen you from among your companions,
so tell me something that, if I preserve it, I will be of you and like you."
He said, "Do you preserve your five fingers?"
I said, "Yes." He said, "Count upon them:
Testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger,
establish prayer, pay the zakat if you have wealth,
fast Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the House if you are able."
Then he said, "Have you preserved it?" I said, "Yes, and listen to me:
I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger,
as for prayer, I will never abandon it,
as for zakat, if I have wealth, I will pay it,
as for Ramadan, I will fast it as long as I live,
and as for the pilgrimage, if I am able, I will perform it, if Allah wills."
From that day on, Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr turned the page of the desert,
that dark page of his life, and opened another page,
the page illuminated by the light of faith and sparkling with the radiance of the Qur'an.
That was the news of Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr in his Jahiliyyah,
so here is a glimpse of his news after his Islam.
The Caliph of the Muslims, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, dispatched
an army composed of four divisions to invade the Romans in the Levant.
The invading army surged in the cause of Allah to liberate the lands and guide the servants,
raising the sound of the Adhan in every land its feet trod,
to announce to the people that the era of servitude to the Caesars had passed,
and that servitude is to Allah alone, until it reached the outskirts of Damascus.
Then it set out from there to the city of Homs in central Syria.
The Romans had not accounted for the Muslim army, nor did they care for it,
but when they saw it inflicting defeat after defeat upon them,
and threatening their soldiers with annihilation, they massed their armies in Antioch,
and brought in reinforcements from the corners of the Byzantine Empire,
until two hundred and fifty thousand warriors gathered for them.
Then they pushed this massive, roaring army against the Muslims.
It proceeded to reclaim the lands the Romans had lost,
and threatened the Muslim soldiers with annihilation.
The Muslims sent messengers from among them to Medina,
describing the situation to the Caliph and saying, "Help! Help!
And hurry! Hurry!"
Khalid Ibn al-Walid was at that time in Iraq,
at the head of his great conquering army.
Al-Siddiq sent to him, ordering him to head immediately to the Levant
to aid the army threatened with annihilation,
and informed him of the catastrophe about to befall the Muslims.
Khalid responded to the Caliph's command,
and set out with ten thousand of the elite of the Muslims,
among them Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i,
to be reinforcements for the Muslim army in the Levant.
It was incumbent upon Khalid Ibn al-Walid
to reach Syria with his army in the shortest time,
and to take a route that avoided confrontation with the Romans,
so that they would not prevent him from meeting with the Muslims.
He began to consult his companions, saying,
"Guide me to such a path."
Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i stood up to him
and said, "I will provide it for you, O Commander."
He said, "And how?"
He said, "We cross the desert starting from Qaraqir,
passing through Suwa and Arak,
and ending at Palmyra.
Then we will be behind Homs in the center of the Levant,
where the Muslim armies are stationed,
so we will surprise the Romans,
and they will not know if we descended upon them from the sky,
or sprang up for them from the earth."
Khalid said,
"And how shall we find water in this barren desert,
while we have twenty thousand souls, including men and horses?"
He said, "As long as Allah is with us,
I will provide it for you."
Khalid consulted the men of opinion from the vanguard of the army,
and they said, "Do not do it, O Commander,
for the distance between Qaraqir and Suwa
cannot be crossed in less than five nights,
and it is a wilderness with no water and no paths.
Crossing it for a lone rider
is almost impossible,
so how about this great army?
Do not expose yourself and the souls of the Muslims to destruction."
Khalid said,
"O company of Muslims,
let not your guidance differ,
nor your certainty weaken,
and know that the help of Allah
comes according to the intention,
and that the reward is according to the hardship,
and that a Muslim should not care about anything
as long as he awaits the help of his Lord.
Furthermore, Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr is with us,
and there is none among you who does not know Rafi', the son of the desert."
Then he said, "By Allah, this must be done,
for I have resolved to carry out the command of the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
and to rescue the Muslim army from the clutches of the Romans."
They had no choice but to respond to him in obedience,
and they said, "You are a man for whom Allah has gathered goodness,
so do what you see fit."
He said, "May Allah reward you with good."
Then he turned to Rafi' and said,
"Do what you see fit, O Rafi'."
Rafi' said, "Prepare, O Commander,
twenty large, fat, mature camels,"
meaning old in age.
They were brought to him.
Rafi' went to them,
and kept them from water,
and when thirst exhausted them,
he brought them to water,
and they drank until they were full.
Then he cut their muzzles,
meaning their lips,
and tied their mouths so they would not ruminate.
Then he loaded these camels with as much water as they could carry,
so the water was in their bellies and on their backs.
The mighty army set out,
and began to quicken the pace with its horses and baggage.
Whenever they stopped at a station,
Rafi' would go to the camels,
and slaughter four of them,
take the water from their stomachs,
mix it with their milk, and give it to the horses to drink,
and give the army to drink from the water on their backs.
When the army completed the fifth stage of its journey,
and had exhausted all the water it had,
and it was time for Rafi' to guide the soldiers to its sources,
Allah willed that Rafi' be afflicted with ophthalmia until his eyes swelled,
By morning, he could see nothing.
Khalid came to him and said,
"Woe to you, Rafi', we have slaughtered all the camels."
"The water has run out completely."
"The army is on the verge of perishing."
He replied,
"Look, perhaps you can see two mountains shaped like breasts."
Khalid cast his gaze in every direction.
Then he said,
"There they are, yes, there they are, O Rafi'."
Rafi' said, "Rejoice!"
"Rise and search between them for a boxthorn tree."
"Its description is such and such."
They searched for it but could not find it.
Rafi' said, "Woe to you!"
"Clear the earth away from it thoroughly; it is here."
"And know that if you do not find it,"
"You will perish, and you will perish along with them."
They rushed to search for the boxthorn tree in every spot.
It was not long before they found it.
It had been uprooted, but its base remained in the ground.
They cried 'Allahu Akbar', and Rafi' cried 'Allahu Akbar' with them.
Then he said,
"Dig at its base."
They dug.
A spring of fresh, pure water gushed forth from beneath it.
They increased in their declaration of Allah's oneness and greatness.
They approached Rafi', joyful, optimistic, and offering congratulations.
He said to them, "Praise be to Allah."
"By Allah, I passed through this land with my father thirty years ago."
"And my eyes have not seen it since then."
The army continued its march until it reached the hills overlooking the Ghouta of Damascus.
Khalid handed the banner of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr.
He commanded him to plant it there.
So he planted it.
It was called 'Al-'Uqab' (The Eagle).
Then the army of Khalid met with the four Muslim armies.
Which were awaiting his arrival.
They fought the Battle of Yarmouk.
In which Allah humbled the pride of polytheism.
And through it, He raised the banner of Islam.
It was one of the great decisive battles in history.
And furthermore,
Do you know that Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr,
Who until recently was nicknamed 'The Robber of the Desert',
Had come to be called 'Rafi' the Good'?
And do you know that the reason for bestowing this title upon him,
Goes back to the abundance of his kindness to the poor,
And his great compassion for those in need?
For he made it his habit to feed the people of three mosques,
From the earnings of his own hand and the sweat of his brow.
He was content with only one garment in this world,
Which he would wear at home,
And go out in to prayer.
Do not let this amaze you.
For Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr had been a student for a time,
In the school of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
And a spark from the light of faith had illuminated his heart.
Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr was the most knowledgeable Bedouin of the desert sands,
And the most expert of people in its paths, guided by the historians,
By Muhammad and his Companions.
The lofty structure has been fortified.
O poet, assist me, pour forth,
In their praise, is there any more to add?