Pause and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the noble figures.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am a Coptic Companion from Egypt.
I was a servant to al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, may Allah be pleased with him.
He gifted me to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The Prophet set me free when I brought him the glad tidings of al-'Abbas's conversion to Islam.
Thus, I became a freedman of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
I embraced Islam before the Battle of Badr.
Islam had already entered our household.
Al-'Abbas embraced Islam.
His wife, Umm al-Fadl, embraced Islam.
And I embraced Islam.
Al-'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him,
feared his people and disliked opposing them.
So he kept his Islam secret.
He was a man of great wealth, distributed among his people.
Abu Lahab, the enemy of Allah,
had stayed behind from the Battle of Badr.
When news arrived of the defeat of the Quraysh at Badr,
Allah humiliated and disgraced him.
I used to craft arrows,
carving them in the chamber of Zamzam.
By Allah, I was sitting there carving my arrows,
with Umm al-Fadl sitting beside me,
and we were gladdened by the news.
Suddenly, Abu Lahab approached,
dragging his feet in misery,
until he sat against the wall of the chamber,
with his back to my back.
While he was sitting there,
Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith arrived.
Abu Lahab said,
"Come here, son of my brother;
by my life, you have the news."
He sat down beside him.
He asked,
"O son of my brother,
tell me how the people fared."
He replied,
"Nothing happened;
by Allah, we simply met the people,
and we turned our backs to them,
and they killed us as they pleased,
and they took us captive as they pleased.
And by Allah, despite that,
I do not blame our people.
We encountered white men
on piebald horses,
between the heaven and the earth.
By Allah, nothing could stand against them."
I lifted the curtain of the chamber with my hand
and said,
"By Allah, those were the angels."
Abu Lahab raised his hand
and struck my face a severe blow.
I grappled with him,
and he picked me up
and threw me to the ground.
Then he knelt upon me, striking me.
I was a weak man.
Umm al-Fadl stood up,
went to a pillar of the chamber,
took it, and struck him with it a blow
that gashed his head
a terrible wound.
She said,
"Do you treat him as weak because his master is away?"
He stood up and left, humiliated.
By Allah, he lived only seven nights
before Allah struck him with the plague-sore that killed him.
His sons left him for two or three nights without burying him,
until he began to rot in his house.
The Quraysh feared the plague-sore and its contagion
just as people fear the plague.
Finally, a man from Quraysh said to them,
"Woe to you! Are you not ashamed?
Your father is rotting in his house,
and you do not bury him?"
They said,
"We fear this plague-sore."
He said,
"Come, I will help you."
They did not wash him, but merely splashed water
upon him from a distance, not touching him.
Then they carried him on his bed,
and buried him at the high part of Makkah against a wall,
and threw stones over him until they covered him.
Later, I migrated to Madinah.
I witnessed the battles with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
I asked his permission to take from the charity (zakat).
He said,
"The freedman of a people is one of them,
and charity is not lawful for us."
So, who am I?
A freedman who, when he strives, is protected.
They were here, watering the life of the Ummah.
The answer:
Abu Rafi'
the freedman of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
They departed and left a question in the conscience:
Is there a star like them that has risen and shone?
They filled life with pride through their deeds,
and the world of humanity was adorned by them.
Pause and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the noble figures.
The best of generations, their concepts are clear.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am a Companion, a leader among the leaders of the Ansar.
My father was the leader of the Khazraj.
Our house was among the most noble and ancient of the Arab houses.
According to the custom of the wealthy and generous Arabs of that time,
we had a crier who stood on a high place
and called the guests to their food by day,
and lit a fire to guide the wandering stranger by night.
People used to say,
"Whoever loves fat and meat, let him come to the house of Dulaym ibn Harithah."
There was no beard or hair on my face.
The Ansar used to say,
"We wish we could buy you a beard with our wealth."
Despite that, I was one of the shrewdest of the Arabs,
known for my cunning, skill, and intelligence.
Were it not for Islam,
I would have devised a scheme that the Arabs could not withstand.
I served the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and I held a position with him like that of a chief of police to a prince.
I carried his banner in some of the battles,
and he appointed me over the collection of charity.
When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent
Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah,
with three hundred of the Muhajirun and the Ansar,
I was with them.
We suffered great hardship,
so I slaughtered nine camels for them,
until we found a whale on the seashore,
and we ate from it for a month
until our strength returned.
I used to feed the people on my travels with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
When I ran out of supplies,
I would go into debt to feed them.
I would call out every day,
"Come to the meat and the tharid (broth-soaked bread)!"
An old woman came to me and said,
"I complain to you of the lack of rats in my house."
I said, "How beautiful is this metaphor!"
"Fill her house with bread and meat,
and ghee and dates."
I had sold a piece of land of mine for ninety thousand.
I came to Madinah,
and I ordered the crier to call out,
"Whoever wants a loan, let him come."
I lent fifty thousand from it,
and spent the rest.
Then I fell ill after that,
and few came to visit me.
I said to my wife,
"I see that few have visited me in this illness of mine,
and I believe that is
because of the money people owe me."
So I ordered the crier to call out,
"Whoever owes us a debt, it is forgiven."
By evening, the threshold of my door was broken from the number of visitors.
So, who am I?
The best of those who stand and set an example.
He followed the Messenger whenever he strove or spoke.
They were here, watering the unseen of our lives.
The answer:
Qays ibn Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah, may Allah be pleased with them both.
They departed and left a question in the conscience:
Is there a star like them that has risen and shone?
They filled life with pride through their deeds,
and the world of humanity was adorned by them.
Pause
and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the noble figures.
The best of the villages, standing and as an example.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the Companions, a leader among the leaders of Quraysh,
and one of their notables.
I am the leader of the Banu Jumah.
I used the divining arrows in the pre-Islamic era.
My father was killed on the day of Badr at the hands of Bilal ibn Rabah, may Allah be pleased with him.
So I inherited from him a hatred of Islam and hostility toward the Muslims.
My conversion to Islam was delayed until after the conquest of Makkah.
I was fiercely hostile to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
to the point that I plotted an attempt to assassinate him.
This attempt was between me and my cousin, 'Umayr ibn Wahb,
and no one else knew about it.
In it, I pledged to him that I would bear the expenses of his family
and pay off his debts
in exchange for him killing the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
However, the attempt failed
when 'Umayr ibn Wahb embraced Islam
after the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, told him
what had transpired between me and him in the Hijr of the Ka'bah.
After the conquest of Makkah,
I feared for my life from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
so I fled toward the sea.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent me a guarantee of safety,
granting me four months to consider my situation.
Then he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, went out to the Battle of Hunayn,
He sent for me to borrow some weaponry I had in my possession.
I asked, "Is this willingly or by force?"
He replied, "No, rather willingly," so I lent it to him.
Then I went out with him and witnessed the battles of Hunayn and al-Ta'if,
while I was still in a state of disbelief.
After the battle ended and the spoils were gathered,
I began to gaze at a valley filled with livestock.
I stared at it intently,
knowing full well that none of it belonged to me,
because I was still in a state of disbelief.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was watching me from afar.
Then he came to me and said,
"Does this please you?"
I said, "Yes."
He said, "It is yours."
I said, "No one could be so generous as to give this away,
except for a Prophet."
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, kept giving to me,
and giving to me,
even though he was the person I hated most.
He did not cease giving until he became the person I loved most.
When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, wanted
to return the weapons he had borrowed from me,
he found that some of them had been damaged.
He said to me, "If you wish, I will compensate you for it."
I said, "No,
rather, I desire Islam more than that."
So, who am I?
The answer:
Safwan Ibn Umayyah, may Allah be pleased with him.
They departed and left a question in the conscience:
Has any star ever risen and shone like them?
They filled life with glorious deeds,
and the world of humanity flourished with their grace.
Stop,
and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the most exalted.
The best of generations in stance and example.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the scholars among the Companions.
I embraced Islam while I was young,
and I was among the allies of the Ansar.
My mother brought me to Medina after my father died,
and she married a man from the Ansar.
I was raised under his care until I became a young boy.
I used to attend the gatherings of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and I memorized much knowledge from him.
Nothing prevented me from speaking,
except that there were men present who were older than me.
When the Battle of Uhud took place,
I wanted to participate with the Muslims in the battle,
but the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, turned me away due to my young age.
Yet he permitted Rafi' Ibn Khadij, may Allah be pleased with him.
So I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
you permitted him but turned me away,
and if I were to wrestle him, I would pin him down."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"Come here, wrestle him."
I wrestled him and pinned him down,
so the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, permitted me.
I was the governor of Basra during the Umayyad era,
and in my governorship, I was severe against the Khawarij.
If they brought me one of them, I would execute him,
and I would say, "The worst of those killed under the canopy of the sky;
they declare Muslims to be disbelievers and shed blood."
So, who am I?
He followed the Messenger when he strove, or they were giving water.
The answer: Samurah Ibn Jundub, may Allah be pleased with him.
They departed and left a question in the conscience:
Has any star ever risen and shone like them?
They filled life with glorious deeds,
and the world of humanity flourished with their grace.
Stop and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the most exalted.
The best of generations in stance and example.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the Companions from the people of Mecca.
I embraced Islam and was among the oppressed.
I was unable to migrate.
After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, I was able to escape from the hands of the polytheists,
and I arrived in Medina.
The Quraysh requested of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
that he return me to them,
for he had made a treaty with them that he would return to them
anyone who came to him from them as a Muslim.
They sent two men in pursuit of me.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, summoned me
and said to me,
"These people have made a treaty with us on the terms you know,
and we do not betray our trust.
So return to your people."
I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
will you return me to the polytheists so they may persecute me for my religion?"
He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"Be patient and seek reward from Allah,
for Allah will grant you and those with you among the oppressed believers
relief and a way out."
So I went out with the two men,
until we reached Dhu al-Hulayfah.
We sat by a wall,
and I said to one of them,
"Is your sword sharp?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Let me look at it."
He replied, "If you wish."
I took his sword,
and struck his neck with it.
When his companion saw that, he shouted
and fled toward Medina.
He approached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
while he was sitting in the mosque,
and said,
"Your companion killed my companion,
and by Allah, he will kill me too."
He had not finished speaking
before I appeared before them, wearing the sword.
I said,
"O Messenger of Allah,
your obligation has been fulfilled;
I have defended myself."
He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"Woe to his mother,
a kindle of war!
If only he had men with him."
So I left until I settled in al-'Is,
which was the route for the people of Mecca to the Levant.
The Muslims who were in Mecca heard of me,
and they joined me,
until we became a band of Muslims,
nearly sixty or seventy men.
We would not capture a man from Quraysh
but that we killed him,
and no caravan of theirs would pass by us
but that we seized it.
Eventually, Quraysh wrote to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
asking him to accept us into his care,
for they had no need of us.
So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, wrote to me
to come to him with those who were with me.
The letter reached me
while I was on my deathbed.
Abu Jandal, may Allah be pleased with him, read to me
the letter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
I said to them,
"Go to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and convey my greetings to him."
And my soul departed,
with the letter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
on my chest.
So, who am I?
The answer:
Abu Basir,
'Utbah Ibn Usayd, may Allah be pleased with him.
Stop,
and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the most exalted.
A new challenge:
Who am I?
I am one of the Companions,
from the Muhajirun,
and from the ten promised Paradise,
also.
I am one of the Companions,
from the Muhajirun,
and from the Muhajirun,
and from the ten promised Paradise,
and among the bravest of people in war.
I witnessed the Battle of Uhud with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and I was among those who stood firm with him that day,
when people fled.
I pledged allegiance to him that day to the death,
and I defended him
until my fingers were severed and my hand was paralyzed.
During the battle,
the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was left alone,
and I was with him,
along with eleven men from the Ansar.
A group from the army of Quraysh reached us,
wanting to kill the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"Who will repel them from us and have Paradise,"
or "he will be my companion in Paradise?"
I said, "I will."
But the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, refused to let me go out to them,
and said to me,
"Stay as you are."
A man from the Ansar said,
"I will."
He said, "You go."
So he fought them until he was killed.
Then they pressed upon him again,
and he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"Who will repel them from us and have Paradise,"
or "he will be my companion in Paradise?"
I said, "I will."
He said,
"Stay as you are."
A man from the Ansar said,
"I will."
He said, "You."
So he fought them until he was killed.
This did not cease
until no one remained with the Prophet, peace be upon him,
except for me.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"Our companions have not treated us fairly."
Then the people overwhelmed him.
He said, "Who will repel them from us, and for him is Paradise?"
Or, "He will be my companion in Paradise."
I said, "I will."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"You."
So I fought the fight of all eleven of them,
until my fingers were severed.
I said, "Hiss!" (an expression of pain).
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said,
"Had you said 'In the name of Allah,'
the angels would have lifted you while the people were watching."
When the Prophet, peace be upon him, wanted
to ascend a rock in the mountain pass,
he could not due to the many wounds he had sustained.
So I carried him on my back until he ascended it.
He gave me glad tidings and said,
"Paradise has become mandatory for you."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said
one day to his Companions,
"Whoever is pleased to look at a martyr walking on the earth,
let him look at this man,"
and he pointed to me.
So who am I?
The answer:
Talhah Ibn 'Ubayd Allah, may Allah be pleased with him.
They filled life with pride through their deeds,
and the world of mankind flourished with their grace.
Stop and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the eminent figures.
The best of generations in their stances and examples.
A new challenge:
Who am I?
I am a Companion from the Ansar.
I witnessed Badr and Uhud with the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Then the polytheists killed me in the third year after the Hijrah,
after they betrayed us in the expedition of al-Raji'.
A group from the tribes of 'Adal and al-Qarah came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, after Uhud,
and said, "O Messenger of Allah,
there is Islam among us,
so send with us a group of your Companions
to teach us the religion and recite the Qur'an to us."
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, sent me with them,
along with six others of the noble Companions.
We went out with them,
until we reached al-Raji'.
Their tribe, the Banu Lihyan, came upon us
to take us captive and sell us to the people of Makkah.
They gave us covenants and pledges
that no harm would come to us from them
if we laid down our arms.
Some of us did not respond to them,
and fought them until they were killed.
As for me,
I laid down my arms,
and they took me with them as a captive.
When we reached Makkah,
Safwan Ibn Umayyah bought me from them
to kill me in retaliation for his father.
He ordered a servant of his called Nastas
to take me out to al-Tan'im,
to strike my neck outside the Sacred Precinct.
Abu Sufyan said to me
when they brought me forward for execution,
"I adjure you by Allah,
would you not love for Muhammad to be with us now in your place,
so that his neck could be struck,
while you were with your family?"
I said, "By Allah, I would not love for Muhammad,
even in the place where he is now,
to be pricked by a thorn that would harm him,
while I am sitting with my family."
Abu Sufyan said,
"I have never seen anyone among the people love anyone
as the companions of Muhammad love Muhammad."
Then they brought me forward and struck my neck.
So who am I?
Follow the Messenger if he strives,
or they are given to drink.
The answer:
Zayd Ibn al-Dathinah, may Allah be pleased with him.
They departed and left a question in the conscience:
Is there a star like them that has risen and shone?
They filled life with pride through their deeds,
and the world of mankind flourished with their grace.
Stop
and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the eminent figures.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the young Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
I embraced Islam while I was a youth.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, turned me away on the day of Badr,
then he permitted me at Uhud.
In that battle, Samurah Ibn Jundub, may Allah be pleased with him, asked to wrestle me
so that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would permit him as well.
We wrestled, and I threw him down,
so the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, permitted him.
We witnessed it together,
and I witnessed with him, peace be upon him, the battles that followed.
I was a desert dweller, knowledgeable in farming and irrigation.
An arrow struck me on the day of Uhud,
so I came to the Prophet, peace be upon him,
and said, "O Messenger of Allah, extract the arrow."
He said, "If you wish, I will extract the arrow and the arrowhead,"
meaning the tip of the arrow,
"and if you wish, I will extract the arrow and leave the arrowhead,
and I will testify for you on the Day of Resurrection that you are a martyr."
I said, "Rather, extract the arrow and leave the arrowhead, O Messenger of Allah."
So the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, extracted the arrow and left the arrowhead.
I lived with it until the days of Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him,
when that wound reopened,
and it was the cause of my death. So who am I?
Follow the Messenger, and if he strives, they are given to drink.
The answer: Rafi' Ibn Khadij, may Allah be pleased with him.
They departed and left a question in the conscience:
Is there a star like them that has risen and shone?
They filled life with pride through their deeds,
and the world of mankind flourished with their grace.
Stop
and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the eminent figures.
The best of generations in their stances and examples.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the Companions from the Muhajirun,
and I am the disciple (hawari) of the Messenger, peace be upon him,
and one of the ten promised Paradise.
I was the first to draw a sword in Islam.
That was when a rumor spread from Satan
that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
had been seized in the upper part of Makkah.
I went out, and I was a boy of 12 years old,
with a sword in my hand.
Whoever saw me was amazed and said,
"The boy has a sword with him!"
until I came to the Prophet, peace be upon him.
He said, "What is the matter with you?"
I said, "I heard that they had seized you,
so I came to strike with my sword whoever seized you."
He prayed for me and for my sword,
and he called me the disciple.
When the harm of the polytheists intensified against us in Makkah,
I migrated to Abyssinia with those who migrated.
An incident happened there that terrified us.
A man rose up to challenge the Negus for his kingdom.
By Allah, we never knew any sadness
that was more intense than that,
for fear that the man would prevail over him,
and he would not recognize our rights as the Negus did.
We began to call upon Allah and seek victory for the Negus.
We said, "Who will go out and attend the battle to see who it turns out for?"
I said, "I will," and I was the youngest of them in age.
They inflated a waterskin for me and placed it on my chest,
and I began to swim across the Nile until I emerged on the other side,
where the people met.
I attended the battle,
and I saw the victory of the Negus,
and how Allah defeated that man and killed him.
I came to the people,
and I began to wave my cloak to them and say,
"Rejoice, for Allah has granted victory to the Negus!"
By Allah, we never knew that we were ever as happy with anything
as we were with the victory of the Negus.
Then we stayed with him until those of us who left for Makkah departed,
and those who stayed, stayed.
In the Battle of Badr, I was wearing a yellow turban,
and Gabriel and the angels descended in my likeness.
So who am I?
Follow the Messenger, and if he strives, they are given to drink.
The answer:
Al-Zubayr Ibn al-'Awwam, may Allah be pleased with him.
They departed and left a question in the conscience:
Is there a star like them that has risen and shone?
They filled life with pride through their deeds,
and the world of mankind flourished with their grace.
Stop and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the eminent figures.
The best of generations in their stances and examples.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the female Companions who migrated.
I embraced Islam at the very beginning of the Prophet's mission, peace be upon him, in Makkah.
Then I performed the two migrations: to Abyssinia and to Medina.
I prayed towards the two qiblas.
I was wise, eloquent, and bold.
When we were preparing for the migration to Abyssinia,
and my husband 'Amir had gone for some need of his,
'Umar Ibn al-Khattab approached while he was still in his state of disbelief.
He stood over me, and we had been receiving affliction and harm from him.
He said, "Where to, O Umm 'Abd Allah?"
I said, "By Allah, we are going out into the land of Allah,
for you have harmed us and oppressed us,
until Allah grants us relief."
He said, "May Allah be your companion."
I saw in him a gentleness and sadness.
When my husband returned, I informed him,
and I said to him, "If only you had seen 'Umar and his gentleness and sadness for us."
He asked, "Do you hope for his conversion to Islam?"
I replied, "Yes."
He said, "Umar will not embrace Islam until the donkey of al-Khattab embraces Islam."
This was due to the harshness and severity he displayed toward the Muslims.
Then, days passed.
And Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, embraced Islam.
Through him, Allah granted honor to Islam and the Muslims.
I was the first woman to migrate to Medina.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
used to come to visit us in our home.
One day,
I said to my son, Abdullah,
"Come here, let me give you something."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to me,
"What did you intend to give him?"
I replied, "I was going to give him a date."
He said, "Had you not given him anything,
a lie would have been recorded against you."
So, who am I?
I followed the Messenger whenever he set out; who am I?
The answer:
Layla bint Abi Hathma, may Allah be pleased with her.
They departed and left behind a question in the conscience:
Is there any star like them that has risen and shone?
They filled life with pride through their deeds,
and the world of the self flourished because of them.
[End of segment]