WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:15.769 --> 00:00:17.769 The Mawaddah Association is pleased 00:00:17.769 --> 00:00:21.769 to present to you glimpses from the lives of the Companions, 00:00:21.769 --> 00:00:24.769 by Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:25.829 --> 00:00:26.829 may Allah have mercy upon him. 00:00:26.829 --> 00:00:32.520 Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i, 00:00:32.520 --> 00:00:34.649 may Allah be pleased with him. 00:00:48.649 --> 00:00:54.020 Has the news of Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i reached you? 00:00:54.020 --> 00:00:56.020 The desert marauder, 00:00:56.020 --> 00:00:58.020 and its great plunderer. 00:00:58.020 --> 00:01:00.210 Islam dawned upon Rafi', 00:01:00.210 --> 00:01:02.210 yet he paid it no heed, 00:01:02.210 --> 00:01:04.209 nor did he give it any attention, 00:01:04.209 --> 00:01:09.209 for he was too preoccupied with raiding the Arab tribes, 00:01:09.209 --> 00:01:12.209 and stealing their finest camels. 00:01:12.209 --> 00:01:17.209 Do not think that Rafi' was the leader of an Arab tribe, 00:01:17.209 --> 00:01:20.209 or that he had a battalion with which he raided, 00:01:20.209 --> 00:01:22.209 or a band of men to support him. 00:01:22.209 --> 00:01:27.209 Rafi' was none of that, nor was he anything close to it. 00:01:27.209 --> 00:01:30.209 He was merely a Bedouin, a son of the desert, 00:01:30.209 --> 00:01:33.209 who formed an army of one, 00:01:33.209 --> 00:01:38.239 launching his raids on Arab homes all by himself, 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:41.239 depriving people of their most precious possessions, 00:01:41.239 --> 00:01:45.239 then returning safe, triumphant, and well-provided. 00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:50.239 You might ask: were there not, in these tribes that Rafi' raided, 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:55.239 brave warriors capable of pursuing this marauder, 00:01:55.239 --> 00:02:00.239 recovering their finest camels from him, and finishing him off? 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:03.239 Indeed, there were among the sons of the desert 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:08.240 those who were no less courageous, bold, or daring than Rafi'. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:14.240 But there was none among them who matched his knowledge of the desert's secrets, 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:17.240 and his ability to penetrate its depths, 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:19.240 until he became known among the Arabs 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:23.240 as the most skilled Bedouin in the desert sands, 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:26.240 and the one who knew its paths best. 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:28.430 It was Rafi's custom 00:02:28.430 --> 00:02:31.430 that whenever he resolved to raid a people, 00:02:31.430 --> 00:02:34.430 he would gather a large number of ostrich eggs, 00:02:34.430 --> 00:02:36.430 fill them with water, 00:02:36.430 --> 00:02:42.430 and bury them in remote, untrodden places deep in the desert. 00:02:42.430 --> 00:02:46.430 Then, he would launch his raid on whichever tribe he chose, 00:02:46.430 --> 00:02:49.430 drive the stolen camels before him, 00:02:49.430 --> 00:02:55.430 and head toward those wildernesses that had yielded their secrets to no one but him. 00:02:55.430 --> 00:02:59.430 Once he entered them and delved into their mazes, 00:02:59.430 --> 00:03:01.430 their owners would cease their pursuit, 00:03:01.430 --> 00:03:03.430 and turn back, 00:03:03.430 --> 00:03:07.430 fearing for their own lives from death by thirst or getting lost. 00:03:07.430 --> 00:03:10.430 In the ninth year of the Hijrah, 00:03:10.430 --> 00:03:14.430 the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent 'Amr Ibn al-'As 00:03:14.430 --> 00:03:19.430 at the head of a Muslim battalion to the land of Tayyi'. 00:03:19.430 --> 00:03:22.430 He commanded him to mobilize those of the Arabs who had embraced Islam, 00:03:22.430 --> 00:03:25.430 to go out with him to the Levant to fight the Romans, 00:03:25.430 --> 00:03:30.430 and to reconcile with those who had not yet embraced Islam so they would not join his enemies. 00:03:30.430 --> 00:03:35.500 In that battalion were Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:40.500 and a group of the prominent Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. 00:03:40.500 --> 00:03:44.500 They set out until they reached the mountain of Tayyi', 00:03:44.500 --> 00:03:46.500 where the paths became obscured to them, 00:03:46.500 --> 00:03:49.500 and they feared for themselves getting lost and perishing. 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:52.500 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab said, 00:03:52.500 --> 00:03:58.500 "Bring us an expert man to be our guide in these wildernesses." 00:03:58.500 --> 00:04:03.500 It was said to him, "You have none but Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i, 00:04:03.500 --> 00:04:08.500 for he is the most knowledgeable of people regarding these deserts and the most insightful of their paths." 00:04:08.500 --> 00:04:12.500 So they called for Rafi' and took him as their guide. 00:04:12.500 --> 00:04:16.500 Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr spent time with this elite group 00:04:16.500 --> 00:04:20.500 of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:24.500 for days and nights until they accomplished what they were commanded to do. 00:04:24.500 --> 00:04:28.500 Rafi' witnessed their noble characteristics, their refined traits, 00:04:28.500 --> 00:04:33.500 and the sublimity of their guidance, which planted love for them deep in his heart. 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:37.500 He found them to be worshippers by night and knights by day, 00:04:37.500 --> 00:04:43.500 ascetics in this world, yet yearning for the good reward with Allah. 00:04:43.500 --> 00:04:48.500 He had an experience with them that Rafi' himself narrates to you, saying: 00:04:48.500 --> 00:04:53.560 "During my companionship with them, I contemplated them all, 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:58.560 and I scrutinized them, especially Abu Bakr; I marked him and preferred him 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:03.589 in my regard over all his companions, and in every good quality." 00:05:03.589 --> 00:05:07.589 When we returned to the places from which we had set out, 00:05:07.589 --> 00:05:12.589 and they were about to depart from us, I felt that they would take my heart with them. 00:05:12.589 --> 00:05:16.589 So I came to Abu Bakr and said, "O companion of goodness, 00:05:16.589 --> 00:05:20.589 I have marked you and chosen you from among your companions, 00:05:20.589 --> 00:05:25.589 so tell me something that, if I preserve it, I will be of you and like you." 00:05:25.589 --> 00:05:29.589 He said, "Do you preserve your five fingers?" 00:05:29.589 --> 00:05:33.589 I said, "Yes." He said, "Count upon them: 00:05:33.589 --> 00:05:38.589 Testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, 00:05:38.589 --> 00:05:43.589 establish prayer, pay the zakat if you have wealth, 00:05:43.589 --> 00:05:48.589 fast Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the House if you are able." 00:05:48.589 --> 00:05:53.589 Then he said, "Have you preserved it?" I said, "Yes, and listen to me: 00:05:53.589 --> 00:05:59.589 I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, 00:05:59.589 --> 00:06:03.589 as for prayer, I will never abandon it, 00:06:03.589 --> 00:06:07.589 as for zakat, if I have wealth, I will pay it, 00:06:07.589 --> 00:06:11.589 as for Ramadan, I will fast it as long as I live, 00:06:11.589 --> 00:06:16.850 and as for the pilgrimage, if I am able, I will perform it, if Allah wills." 00:06:16.850 --> 00:06:21.850 From that day on, Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr turned the page of the desert, 00:06:21.850 --> 00:06:26.850 that dark page of his life, and opened another page, 00:06:26.850 --> 00:06:32.910 the page illuminated by the light of faith and sparkling with the radiance of the Qur'an. 00:06:32.910 --> 00:06:36.910 That was the news of Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr in his Jahiliyyah, 00:06:36.910 --> 00:06:40.910 so here is a glimpse of his news after his Islam. 00:06:40.910 --> 00:06:45.100 The Caliph of the Muslims, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, dispatched 00:06:45.100 --> 00:06:50.100 an army composed of four divisions to invade the Romans in the Levant. 00:06:50.100 --> 00:06:56.100 The invading army surged in the cause of Allah to liberate the lands and guide the servants, 00:06:56.100 --> 00:07:00.100 raising the sound of the Adhan in every land its feet trod, 00:07:00.100 --> 00:07:05.100 to announce to the people that the era of servitude to the Caesars had passed, 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:10.100 and that servitude is to Allah alone, until it reached the outskirts of Damascus. 00:07:10.100 --> 00:07:15.100 Then it set out from there to the city of Homs in central Syria. 00:07:15.100 --> 00:07:20.230 The Romans had not accounted for the Muslim army, nor did they care for it, 00:07:20.230 --> 00:07:24.300 but when they saw it inflicting defeat after defeat upon them, 00:07:24.300 --> 00:07:29.300 and threatening their soldiers with annihilation, they massed their armies in Antioch, 00:07:29.300 --> 00:07:33.300 and brought in reinforcements from the corners of the Byzantine Empire, 00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:37.300 until two hundred and fifty thousand warriors gathered for them. 00:07:37.300 --> 00:07:42.300 Then they pushed this massive, roaring army against the Muslims. 00:07:42.300 --> 00:07:46.300 It proceeded to reclaim the lands the Romans had lost, 00:07:46.300 --> 00:07:49.300 and threatened the Muslim soldiers with annihilation. 00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:52.329 The Muslims sent messengers from among them to Medina, 00:07:52.329 --> 00:07:57.329 describing the situation to the Caliph and saying, "Help! Help! 00:07:57.329 --> 00:07:59.329 And hurry! Hurry!" 00:07:59.329 --> 00:08:02.420 Khalid Ibn al-Walid was at that time in Iraq, 00:08:02.420 --> 00:08:05.420 at the head of his great conquering army. 00:08:05.420 --> 00:08:10.420 Al-Siddiq sent to him, ordering him to head immediately to the Levant 00:08:10.420 --> 00:08:13.420 to aid the army threatened with annihilation, 00:08:13.420 --> 00:08:18.420 and informed him of the catastrophe about to befall the Muslims. 00:08:18.420 --> 00:08:21.459 Khalid responded to the Caliph's command, 00:08:21.459 --> 00:08:25.459 and set out with ten thousand of the elite of the Muslims, 00:08:25.459 --> 00:08:28.459 among them Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i, 00:08:28.459 --> 00:08:31.459 to be reinforcements for the Muslim army in the Levant. 00:08:31.459 --> 00:08:34.519 It was incumbent upon Khalid Ibn al-Walid 00:08:34.519 --> 00:08:38.519 to reach Syria with his army in the shortest time, 00:08:38.519 --> 00:08:42.519 and to take a route that avoided confrontation with the Romans, 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:46.519 so that they would not prevent him from meeting with the Muslims. 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:49.519 He began to consult his companions, saying, 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:52.519 "Guide me to such a path." 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:55.519 Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i stood up to him 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:59.519 and said, "I will provide it for you, O Commander." 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:01.519 He said, "And how?" 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:05.519 He said, "We cross the desert starting from Qaraqir, 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.519 passing through Suwa and Arak, 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:09.519 and ending at Palmyra. 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:13.519 Then we will be behind Homs in the center of the Levant, 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:16.519 where the Muslim armies are stationed, 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:18.519 so we will surprise the Romans, 00:09:18.519 --> 00:09:21.519 and they will not know if we descended upon them from the sky, 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:24.519 or sprang up for them from the earth." 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:26.580 Khalid said, 00:09:26.580 --> 00:09:30.580 "And how shall we find water in this barren desert, 00:09:30.580 --> 00:09:34.580 while we have twenty thousand souls, including men and horses?" 00:09:34.580 --> 00:09:37.580 He said, "As long as Allah is with us, 00:09:37.580 --> 00:09:39.649 I will provide it for you." 00:09:39.649 --> 00:09:43.649 Khalid consulted the men of opinion from the vanguard of the army, 00:09:43.649 --> 00:09:46.649 and they said, "Do not do it, O Commander, 00:09:46.649 --> 00:09:49.649 for the distance between Qaraqir and Suwa 00:09:49.649 --> 00:09:52.649 cannot be crossed in less than five nights, 00:09:52.649 --> 00:09:56.649 and it is a wilderness with no water and no paths. 00:09:56.649 --> 00:09:59.649 Crossing it for a lone rider 00:09:59.649 --> 00:10:01.649 is almost impossible, 00:10:01.649 --> 00:10:04.649 so how about this great army? 00:10:04.649 --> 00:10:07.649 Do not expose yourself and the souls of the Muslims to destruction." 00:10:07.649 --> 00:10:09.649 Khalid said, 00:10:09.649 --> 00:10:11.649 "O company of Muslims, 00:10:11.649 --> 00:10:13.649 let not your guidance differ, 00:10:13.649 --> 00:10:15.649 nor your certainty weaken, 00:10:15.649 --> 00:10:18.649 and know that the help of Allah 00:10:18.649 --> 00:10:20.649 comes according to the intention, 00:10:20.649 --> 00:10:23.649 and that the reward is according to the hardship, 00:10:23.649 --> 00:10:26.649 and that a Muslim should not care about anything 00:10:26.649 --> 00:10:29.649 as long as he awaits the help of his Lord. 00:10:29.649 --> 00:10:32.710 Furthermore, Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr is with us, 00:10:32.710 --> 00:10:36.710 and there is none among you who does not know Rafi', the son of the desert." 00:10:36.710 --> 00:10:39.710 Then he said, "By Allah, this must be done, 00:10:39.710 --> 00:10:45.710 for I have resolved to carry out the command of the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:10:45.710 --> 00:10:49.710 and to rescue the Muslim army from the clutches of the Romans." 00:10:49.710 --> 00:10:53.840 They had no choice but to respond to him in obedience, 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:57.840 and they said, "You are a man for whom Allah has gathered goodness, 00:10:57.840 --> 00:10:59.840 so do what you see fit." 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:02.840 He said, "May Allah reward you with good." 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:05.840 Then he turned to Rafi' and said, 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:08.840 "Do what you see fit, O Rafi'." 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:11.840 Rafi' said, "Prepare, O Commander, 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:15.840 twenty large, fat, mature camels," 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:17.840 meaning old in age. 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:19.840 They were brought to him. 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:21.840 Rafi' went to them, 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:23.840 and kept them from water, 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:25.840 and when thirst exhausted them, 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:27.840 he brought them to water, 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:29.840 and they drank until they were full. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:31.840 Then he cut their muzzles, 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:33.840 meaning their lips, 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:37.840 and tied their mouths so they would not ruminate. 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:41.840 Then he loaded these camels with as much water as they could carry, 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:45.840 so the water was in their bellies and on their backs. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:47.840 The mighty army set out, 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:51.840 and began to quicken the pace with its horses and baggage. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:53.840 Whenever they stopped at a station, 00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:55.840 Rafi' would go to the camels, 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:57.840 and slaughter four of them, 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:00.840 take the water from their stomachs, 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:03.840 mix it with their milk, and give it to the horses to drink, 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:07.840 and give the army to drink from the water on their backs. 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:11.840 When the army completed the fifth stage of its journey, 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:14.840 and had exhausted all the water it had, 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:18.840 and it was time for Rafi' to guide the soldiers to its sources, 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:23.840 Allah willed that Rafi' be afflicted with ophthalmia until his eyes swelled, 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:26.840 By morning, he could see nothing. 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:28.899 Khalid came to him and said, 00:12:28.899 --> 00:12:33.899 "Woe to you, Rafi', we have slaughtered all the camels." 00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:35.899 "The water has run out completely." 00:12:35.899 --> 00:12:37.899 "The army is on the verge of perishing." 00:12:37.899 --> 00:12:38.899 He replied, 00:12:38.899 --> 00:12:43.899 "Look, perhaps you can see two mountains shaped like breasts." 00:12:43.899 --> 00:12:46.899 Khalid cast his gaze in every direction. 00:12:46.899 --> 00:12:47.899 Then he said, 00:12:47.899 --> 00:12:51.899 "There they are, yes, there they are, O Rafi'." 00:12:51.899 --> 00:12:54.940 Rafi' said, "Rejoice!" 00:12:54.940 --> 00:12:57.940 "Rise and search between them for a boxthorn tree." 00:12:57.940 --> 00:12:59.940 "Its description is such and such." 00:12:59.940 --> 00:13:02.940 They searched for it but could not find it. 00:13:02.940 --> 00:13:04.940 Rafi' said, "Woe to you!" 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:08.940 "Clear the earth away from it thoroughly; it is here." 00:13:08.940 --> 00:13:10.940 "And know that if you do not find it," 00:13:10.940 --> 00:13:12.940 "You will perish, and you will perish along with them." 00:13:12.940 --> 00:13:16.940 They rushed to search for the boxthorn tree in every spot. 00:13:16.940 --> 00:13:18.940 It was not long before they found it. 00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:21.940 It had been uprooted, but its base remained in the ground. 00:13:21.940 --> 00:13:24.940 They cried 'Allahu Akbar', and Rafi' cried 'Allahu Akbar' with them. 00:13:24.940 --> 00:13:25.940 Then he said, 00:13:25.940 --> 00:13:27.940 "Dig at its base." 00:13:27.940 --> 00:13:28.940 They dug. 00:13:28.940 --> 00:13:32.940 A spring of fresh, pure water gushed forth from beneath it. 00:13:32.940 --> 00:13:35.940 They increased in their declaration of Allah's oneness and greatness. 00:13:35.940 --> 00:13:39.940 They approached Rafi', joyful, optimistic, and offering congratulations. 00:13:39.940 --> 00:13:42.940 He said to them, "Praise be to Allah." 00:13:42.940 --> 00:13:47.940 "By Allah, I passed through this land with my father thirty years ago." 00:13:47.940 --> 00:13:50.940 "And my eyes have not seen it since then." 00:13:50.940 --> 00:13:56.940 The army continued its march until it reached the hills overlooking the Ghouta of Damascus. 00:13:56.940 --> 00:14:02.940 Khalid handed the banner of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr. 00:14:02.940 --> 00:14:05.940 He commanded him to plant it there. 00:14:05.940 --> 00:14:06.940 So he planted it. 00:14:06.940 --> 00:14:08.940 It was called 'Al-'Uqab' (The Eagle). 00:14:08.940 --> 00:14:12.970 Then the army of Khalid met with the four Muslim armies. 00:14:12.970 --> 00:14:15.970 Which were awaiting his arrival. 00:14:15.970 --> 00:14:17.970 They fought the Battle of Yarmouk. 00:14:17.970 --> 00:14:20.970 In which Allah humbled the pride of polytheism. 00:14:20.970 --> 00:14:23.970 And through it, He raised the banner of Islam. 00:14:23.970 --> 00:14:27.970 It was one of the great decisive battles in history. 00:14:27.970 --> 00:14:29.970 And furthermore, 00:14:29.970 --> 00:14:31.970 Do you know that Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr, 00:14:31.970 --> 00:14:36.970 Who until recently was nicknamed 'The Robber of the Desert', 00:14:36.970 --> 00:14:39.970 Had come to be called 'Rafi' the Good'? 00:14:39.970 --> 00:14:43.970 And do you know that the reason for bestowing this title upon him, 00:14:43.970 --> 00:14:46.970 Goes back to the abundance of his kindness to the poor, 00:14:46.970 --> 00:14:49.970 And his great compassion for those in need? 00:14:49.970 --> 00:14:53.970 For he made it his habit to feed the people of three mosques, 00:14:53.970 --> 00:14:56.970 From the earnings of his own hand and the sweat of his brow. 00:14:56.970 --> 00:14:59.970 He was content with only one garment in this world, 00:14:59.970 --> 00:15:01.970 Which he would wear at home, 00:15:01.970 --> 00:15:03.970 And go out in to prayer. 00:15:04.970 --> 00:15:08.000 Do not let this amaze you. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:11.000 For Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr had been a student for a time, 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:15.000 In the school of Muhammad (peace be upon him). 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:19.000 And a spark from the light of faith had illuminated his heart. 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:27.870 Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr was the most knowledgeable Bedouin of the desert sands, 00:15:27.870 --> 00:15:33.059 And the most expert of people in its paths, guided by the historians, 00:15:33.059 --> 00:15:36.059 By Muhammad and his Companions. 00:15:36.059 --> 00:15:39.059 The lofty structure has been fortified. 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:41.059 O poet, assist me, pour forth, 00:15:41.059 --> 00:15:44.059 In their praise, is there any more to add?