WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:15.609 --> 00:00:17.609 The Mawaddah Association is pleased 00:00:17.609 --> 00:00:22.609 to present to you portraits from the lives of the Companions, 00:00:22.609 --> 00:00:25.640 by Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:30.260 may Allah have mercy upon him. 00:00:30.260 --> 00:00:35.259 Thabit ibn Qays al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him. 00:00:49.070 --> 00:00:57.729 Thabit ibn Qays al-Ansari was a prominent leader among the Khazraj, 00:00:57.729 --> 00:01:00.729 and one of the most distinguished figures of Yathrib. 00:01:00.729 --> 00:01:05.859 Beyond that, he was sharp-witted and quick-thinking, 00:01:05.859 --> 00:01:08.859 possessing a magnificent eloquence and a powerful voice. 00:01:08.859 --> 00:01:10.859 When he spoke, he surpassed all other speakers, 00:01:10.859 --> 00:01:13.920 and when he delivered a sermon, he captivated his listeners. 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:16.920 He was among the first in Yathrib to embrace Islam, 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:20.920 for no sooner had he heard the verses of the Wise Reminder, 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:24.920 recited by the young Meccan missionary Mus'ab ibn Umayr, 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:27.920 with his melodious voice and gentle tone, 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:31.920 than the Qur'an captured his hearing with the sweetness of its impact, 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:33.920 took hold of his heart with its marvelous eloquence, 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:37.920 and enchanted his soul with the guidance and legislation it contained. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:40.920 Thus, Allah expanded his breast to faith, 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:45.920 and elevated his status and raised his renown by bringing him under the banner of the Prophet of Islam. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:52.079 When the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, arrived in Medina as an emigrant, 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:59.079 Thabit ibn Qays welcomed him with a large group of his people's horsemen in the most honorable reception, 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:03.079 and greeted him and his companion, al-Siddiq, with the most beautiful welcome. 00:02:03.079 --> 00:02:06.079 He delivered a profound sermon before him, 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:10.080 which he opened by praising Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:13.080 and by invoking peace and blessings upon His Prophet. 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:15.080 He concluded it by saying, 00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:18.080 "We pledge to you, O Messenger of Allah, 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:23.080 that we shall protect you with that which we protect ourselves, our children, and our women." 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:25.080 "What shall we have in return for that?" 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:29.080 He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied, "Paradise." 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:33.080 No sooner had the word "Paradise" touched the ears of the people 00:02:33.080 --> 00:02:36.080 than their faces shone with joy, 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:38.080 and their features beamed with delight, 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:44.080 and they said, "We are satisfied, O Messenger of Allah." 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:51.300 From that day on, the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, appointed Thabit ibn Qays as his orator, 00:02:51.300 --> 00:02:54.300 just as Hassan ibn Thabit was his poet. 00:02:54.300 --> 00:02:57.300 So, whenever delegations of the Arabs came to him, 00:02:57.300 --> 00:03:03.300 seeking to boast or debate using the tongues of their most eloquent orators and poets, 00:03:03.300 --> 00:03:07.300 he would delegate Thabit ibn Qays to challenge the orators, 00:03:07.300 --> 00:03:11.300 and Hassan ibn Thabit to compete with the poets. 00:03:11.300 --> 00:03:15.340 Thabit ibn Qays was a believer of deep faith, 00:03:15.340 --> 00:03:18.340 pious and truly righteous, 00:03:18.340 --> 00:03:20.340 possessing an intense fear of his Lord, 00:03:20.340 --> 00:03:24.340 and great caution against everything that might anger Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. 00:03:24.340 --> 00:03:30.340 One day, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw him in a state of panic and distress, 00:03:30.340 --> 00:03:33.340 his limbs trembling with fear and awe. 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:36.340 He asked, "What is the matter with you, O Abu Muhammad?" 00:03:36.340 --> 00:03:41.340 He replied, "I fear that I have perished, O Messenger of Allah." 00:03:41.340 --> 00:03:43.340 He asked, "Why?" 00:03:43.340 --> 00:03:46.340 He said, "Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has forbidden us 00:03:46.340 --> 00:03:50.340 from wishing to be praised for what we have not done, 00:03:50.340 --> 00:03:52.340 yet I find that I love praise. 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:54.340 And He has forbidden us from arrogance, 00:03:54.340 --> 00:03:57.400 yet I find that I love vanity." 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:02.400 The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, continued to calm his fears, 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:03.400 until he said, 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:05.400 "O Thabit, 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:07.400 are you not pleased to live a life of praise, 00:04:07.400 --> 00:04:09.400 to be killed as a martyr, 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:11.400 and to enter Paradise?" 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:14.400 Thabit’s face shone with this good news, and he said, 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:16.399 "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.399 "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:21.399 Then he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, 00:04:21.399 --> 00:04:23.399 [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]. 00:04:23.399 --> 00:04:27.399 Despite his intense love for him and his excessive attachment to him, 00:04:27.399 --> 00:04:33.399 he remained in his house, barely leaving except for the obligatory prayers. 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:36.399 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, missed him, 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:39.399 and asked, "Who will bring me news of him?" 00:04:39.399 --> 00:04:41.399 A man from the Ansar said, 00:04:41.399 --> 00:04:43.399 "I will, O Messenger of Allah." 00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:45.399 He went to him, 00:04:45.399 --> 00:04:48.399 and found him in his house, sorrowful and with his head bowed. 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:50.399 He asked, 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:52.399 "What is the matter with you, O Abu Muhammad?" 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:54.399 He replied, "Evil." 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:56.459 He asked, "What is that?" 00:04:56.459 --> 00:05:00.459 He said, "You know that I am a man with a loud voice, 00:05:00.459 --> 00:05:05.459 and that my voice often rises above the voice of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:05:05.459 --> 00:05:09.459 Verses of the Qur'an have been revealed, as you know, 00:05:09.459 --> 00:05:12.459 and I fear that my deeds have been rendered void, 00:05:12.459 --> 00:05:14.459 and that I am among the people of the Fire." 00:05:14.459 --> 00:05:18.529 The man returned to the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:05:18.529 --> 00:05:21.529 and informed him of what he had seen and heard. 00:05:21.529 --> 00:05:22.529 He said, 00:05:22.529 --> 00:05:24.529 "Go to him and tell him: 00:05:24.529 --> 00:05:26.529 'You are not among the people of the Fire, 00:05:26.529 --> 00:05:29.529 but rather you are among the people of Paradise.'" 00:05:29.529 --> 00:05:32.560 This was a great piece of good news for Thabit, 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:35.560 the hope of which he cherished throughout his life. 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:41.560 Thabit ibn Qays witnessed all the battles with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:43.560 except for Badr. 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:49.560 He would throw himself into the thick of battle, seeking the martyrdom the Prophet had promised him, 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:54.560 yet it would elude him every time, even when it was within reach. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:59.560 Until the Wars of Apostasy occurred between the Muslims and Musaylimah the Liar, 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:02.560 during the reign of al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him. 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:07.560 Thabit ibn Qays was at that time the commander of the Ansar forces, 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:11.560 and Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, was the commander of the Muhajirun forces, 00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:14.560 while Khalid ibn al-Walid was the commander of the entire army, 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:19.560 including the Ansar, the Muhajirun, and the tribesmen among them. 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:26.779 The tide of battle in most of the engagements was turning against the Muslim armies in favor of Musaylimah and his men, 00:06:26.779 --> 00:06:31.779 to the point that they breached the tent of Khalid ibn al-Walid, 00:06:31.779 --> 00:06:34.779 and intended to kill his wife, Umm Tamim, 00:06:34.779 --> 00:06:38.779 and they cut the ropes of the tent and tore it to shreds. 00:06:38.779 --> 00:06:46.040 On that day, Thabit ibn Qays saw such weakness among the Muslims that his heart was filled with grief and anguish, 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:50.040 and he heard their mutual accusations, which filled his chest with sorrow and distress. 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:54.040 The Medinans were accusing the tribesmen of cowardice, 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:59.040 and the tribesmen were describing the Medinans as unskilled in combat, 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:01.040 and ignorant of the nature of war. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:05.139 At that moment, Thabit applied his perfume and donned his shroud, 00:07:05.139 --> 00:07:08.139 stood before the witnesses, and said, 00:07:08.139 --> 00:07:10.139 "O assembly of Muslims, 00:07:10.139 --> 00:07:15.139 this is not how we used to fight alongside the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:07:15.139 --> 00:07:19.139 How wretched is the boldness you have accustomed your enemies to show against you, 00:07:19.139 --> 00:07:23.139 and how wretched is the cowardice you have accustomed yourselves to show them!" 00:07:23.139 --> 00:07:26.139 Then he raised his gaze to the sky and said, 00:07:26.139 --> 00:07:31.139 "O Allah, I disavow before You what these people have brought of polytheism," 00:07:31.139 --> 00:07:34.139 meaning Musaylimah and his people, 00:07:34.139 --> 00:07:37.139 "and I disavow before You what these people are doing," 00:07:37.139 --> 00:07:39.170 meaning the Muslims. 00:07:39.170 --> 00:07:41.170 Then he charged like a fierce lion, 00:07:41.170 --> 00:07:44.170 shoulder to shoulder with the noble, blessed ones: 00:07:44.170 --> 00:07:46.170 al-Bara' ibn Malik al-Ansari, 00:07:46.170 --> 00:07:48.170 Zayd ibn al-Khattab, 00:07:48.170 --> 00:07:51.170 the brother of the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab, 00:07:51.170 --> 00:07:54.170 Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, 00:07:54.170 --> 00:07:58.170 and others among the early believers. 00:07:58.170 --> 00:08:00.170 He fought with great valor, 00:08:00.170 --> 00:08:03.170 filling the hearts of the Muslims with zeal and determination, 00:08:03.170 --> 00:08:06.170 and filling the hearts of the polytheists with weakness and terror. 00:08:06.170 --> 00:08:09.170 He continued to strike in every direction, 00:08:09.170 --> 00:08:11.170 fighting with every weapon, 00:08:11.170 --> 00:08:14.170 until his wounds overcame him. 00:08:14.170 --> 00:08:17.170 He fell, struck down on the battlefield, 00:08:17.170 --> 00:08:21.170 his eyes comforted by the martyrdom Allah had decreed for him, 00:08:21.170 --> 00:08:26.170 which his beloved, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had promised him, 00:08:26.170 --> 00:08:31.170 his heart content with the victory Allah had achieved for the Muslims at his hands. 00:08:31.170 --> 00:08:34.330 Thabit was wearing a precious suit of armor, 00:08:34.330 --> 00:08:36.330 and a man from the Muslims passed by him, 00:08:36.330 --> 00:08:39.330 stripped it from him, and took it for himself. 00:08:39.330 --> 00:08:42.490 On the night following his martyrdom, 00:08:42.490 --> 00:08:45.490 a man from the Muslims saw him in his dream, 00:08:45.490 --> 00:08:47.490 and he said to the man, 00:08:47.490 --> 00:08:48.490 "I am Thabit ibn Qays. 00:08:48.490 --> 00:08:50.490 Do you recognize me?" 00:08:50.490 --> 00:08:52.490 He said, "Yes." 00:08:52.490 --> 00:08:53.490 He said, 00:08:53.490 --> 00:08:55.490 "I have a will for you, 00:08:55.490 --> 00:08:59.490 so do not say 'this is just a dream' and neglect it. 00:08:59.490 --> 00:09:01.580 When I was killed yesterday, 00:09:01.580 --> 00:09:05.580 a man from the Muslims passed by me, whose description is such and such, 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:08.580 and he took my armor and went with it toward his tent, 00:09:08.580 --> 00:09:11.580 at the far end of the camp in such and such a direction, 00:09:11.580 --> 00:09:14.580 and he placed it under a cooking pot, 00:09:14.580 --> 00:09:16.580 and placed a saddle on top of the pot. 00:09:16.580 --> 00:09:18.580 Go to Khalid ibn al-Walid, 00:09:18.580 --> 00:09:22.580 and tell him to send someone to the man to take the armor from him, 00:09:22.580 --> 00:09:25.580 for it is still in its place. 00:09:25.580 --> 00:09:27.580 And I have another will for you, 00:09:27.580 --> 00:09:31.580 so do not say 'this is just a dream' and neglect it. 00:09:31.580 --> 00:09:33.580 Tell Khalid: 00:09:33.580 --> 00:09:38.580 'When you arrive at the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in Medina, 00:09:38.580 --> 00:09:39.580 tell him: 00:09:39.580 --> 00:09:43.580 Thabit ibn Qays owes such and such a debt, 00:09:43.580 --> 00:09:47.580 and such and such of my slaves are free.' 00:09:47.580 --> 00:09:50.580 So let him pay my debt and free my slaves." 00:09:50.580 --> 00:09:52.649 The man woke up, 00:09:52.649 --> 00:09:54.649 went to Khalid ibn al-Walid, 00:09:54.649 --> 00:09:56.649 and informed him of what he had heard and seen. 00:09:56.649 --> 00:10:00.649 Khalid sent someone to retrieve the armor from the one who had taken it, 00:10:00.649 --> 00:10:02.649 and they found it in its place, 00:10:02.649 --> 00:10:04.649 and brought it back just as it was. 00:10:04.649 --> 00:10:07.649 When Khalid returned to Medina, 00:10:07.649 --> 00:10:12.649 he told Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, about the story of Thabit ibn Qays and his will. 00:10:12.649 --> 00:10:15.649 Al-Siddiq carried out his will, 00:10:15.649 --> 00:10:21.649 and no one before or after him had their will carried out after their death, except him. 00:10:21.649 --> 00:10:24.840 May Allah be pleased with Thabit ibn Qays and grant him satisfaction, 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:28.840 and place his abode in the highest of the high. 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:36.659 No one's will has been carried out after their death, 00:10:36.659 --> 00:10:40.659 except the will of Thabit ibn Qays.