WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:15.289 --> 00:00:18.289 The Mawaddah Association is pleased 00:00:18.289 --> 00:00:22.289 to present to you portraits from the lives of the Companions, 00:00:22.289 --> 00:00:25.289 by Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:25.289 --> 00:00:27.350 may Allah have mercy upon him. 00:00:27.350 --> 00:00:31.179 Abdullah Ibn Salam, 00:00:31.179 --> 00:00:33.179 may Allah be pleased with him. 00:00:45.460 --> 00:00:51.100 Husayn Ibn Salam was one of the rabbis of the Jews in Yathrib. 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:57.100 The people of Medina, despite their diverse religions and sects, revered and honored him. 00:00:57.100 --> 00:01:01.100 He was known among the people for his piety and righteousness, 00:01:01.100 --> 00:01:04.099 and was described as upright and truthful. 00:01:04.099 --> 00:01:08.219 Husayn lived a quiet and peaceful life, 00:01:08.219 --> 00:01:12.219 yet it was, at the same time, serious and productive. 00:01:12.219 --> 00:01:15.219 He divided his time into three parts: 00:01:15.219 --> 00:01:18.219 one part in the synagogue for preaching and worship, 00:01:18.219 --> 00:01:20.219 one part in the garden of Allah, 00:01:20.219 --> 00:01:24.219 tending to his date palms by pruning and pollinating them, 00:01:24.219 --> 00:01:28.219 and one part with the Torah to gain deep understanding of the religion. 00:01:28.219 --> 00:01:36.260 Whenever he read the Torah, he would pause for a long time at the reports that foretold the appearance of a Prophet in Mecca, 00:01:36.260 --> 00:01:40.260 who would complete the messages of the previous prophets and seal them. 00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:45.290 He would investigate the descriptions and signs of this awaited Prophet, 00:01:45.290 --> 00:01:49.290 and he would tremble with joy because he would leave the land in which he was sent, 00:01:49.290 --> 00:01:53.290 and would take Yathrib as his place of migration and residence. 00:01:53.290 --> 00:01:58.290 Whenever he read these reports or they crossed his mind, 00:01:58.290 --> 00:02:01.290 he would pray to Allah to grant him a long life, 00:02:01.290 --> 00:02:04.290 so that he might witness the appearance of this awaited Prophet, 00:02:04.290 --> 00:02:09.289 rejoice in meeting him, and be the first to believe in him. 00:02:09.289 --> 00:02:13.289 Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, answered the prayer of Husayn Ibn Salam, 00:02:13.289 --> 00:02:18.289 and extended his life until the Prophet of guidance and mercy was sent, 00:02:18.289 --> 00:02:21.289 and it was decreed for him to be blessed with meeting him and keeping his company, 00:02:21.289 --> 00:02:24.289 and to believe in the truth that was revealed to him. 00:02:24.289 --> 00:02:29.289 Let us leave the speech to Husayn so he may recount to us the story of his Islam, 00:02:29.289 --> 00:02:33.289 for he is the best narrator of it and the most capable of presenting it well. 00:02:33.289 --> 00:02:36.289 Husayn Ibn Salam said: 00:02:36.289 --> 00:02:40.289 "When I heard of the appearance of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:02:40.289 --> 00:02:43.289 I began to inquire about his name, his lineage, 00:02:43.289 --> 00:02:46.289 his characteristics, his time, and his place, 00:02:46.289 --> 00:02:50.289 and I compared them with what was written in our books, 00:02:50.289 --> 00:02:55.289 until I was certain of his prophethood and confirmed the truth of his call. 00:02:55.289 --> 00:03:01.289 Then I kept this hidden from the Jews and restrained my tongue from speaking of it, 00:03:01.289 --> 00:03:06.289 until the day the Messenger, peace be upon him, left Mecca, 00:03:06.289 --> 00:03:08.289 heading toward Medina. 00:03:08.289 --> 00:03:11.379 When he reached Yathrib and stopped at Quba, 00:03:12.379 --> 00:03:17.379 a man came to us and began calling out to the people, announcing his arrival. 00:03:17.379 --> 00:03:21.379 At that moment, I was at the top of a palm tree of mine, working on it, 00:03:21.379 --> 00:03:26.379 and my aunt, Khalidah bint al-Harith, was sitting under the tree. 00:03:26.379 --> 00:03:29.379 As soon as I heard the news, I shouted, 00:03:29.379 --> 00:03:32.379 'Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest!' 00:03:32.379 --> 00:03:35.379 My aunt said to me when she heard my takbir, 00:03:35.379 --> 00:03:37.379 'May Allah disappoint you! 00:03:37.379 --> 00:03:40.379 By Allah, if you had heard that Musa Ibn Imran was coming, 00:03:40.379 --> 00:03:43.379 you would not have done anything more than that.' 00:03:43.379 --> 00:03:45.379 I said to her, 'O aunt, 00:03:45.379 --> 00:03:48.379 by Allah, he is the brother of Musa Ibn Imran, 00:03:48.379 --> 00:03:50.379 and follows his religion, 00:03:50.379 --> 00:03:52.379 and he has been sent with what he was sent with.' 00:03:52.379 --> 00:03:54.449 She fell silent and said, 00:03:54.449 --> 00:03:57.449 'Is he the Prophet whom you used to tell us 00:03:57.449 --> 00:03:59.449 would be sent confirming those before him, 00:03:59.449 --> 00:04:02.449 and completing the messages of his Lord?' 00:04:02.449 --> 00:04:04.449 I said, 'Yes.' 00:04:04.449 --> 00:04:05.449 She said, 00:04:05.449 --> 00:04:07.449 'Then that is him.' 00:04:07.449 --> 00:04:11.449 Then I went immediately to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:04:11.449 --> 00:04:14.449 and I saw the people crowding at his door. 00:04:14.449 --> 00:04:17.449 I pushed through them until I was close to him. 00:04:17.449 --> 00:04:20.449 The first thing I heard from him was his saying: 00:04:20.449 --> 00:04:22.449 'O people, 00:04:22.449 --> 00:04:24.449 spread peace, 00:04:24.449 --> 00:04:26.449 feed the hungry, 00:04:26.449 --> 00:04:28.449 and pray at night while the people are sleeping, 00:04:28.449 --> 00:04:31.449 you will enter Paradise in peace.' 00:04:31.449 --> 00:04:33.449 I began to scrutinize him, 00:04:33.449 --> 00:04:35.449 and gaze upon him, 00:04:35.449 --> 00:04:38.449 and I became certain that his face was not the face of a liar. 00:04:38.449 --> 00:04:40.449 Then I drew near to him, 00:04:40.449 --> 00:04:43.449 and I testified that there is no god but Allah, 00:04:43.449 --> 00:04:45.449 and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. 00:04:45.449 --> 00:04:47.449 He turned to me and said, 00:04:47.449 --> 00:04:49.449 'What is your name?' 00:04:49.449 --> 00:04:50.449 I said, 00:04:50.449 --> 00:04:52.449 'Husayn Ibn Salam.' 00:04:52.449 --> 00:04:53.449 He said, 00:04:53.449 --> 00:04:56.449 'Rather, Abdullah Ibn Salam.' 00:04:56.449 --> 00:04:59.449 I said, 'Yes, Abdullah Ibn Salam. 00:04:59.449 --> 00:05:01.449 By the One who sent you with the truth, 00:05:01.449 --> 00:05:04.449 I would not like to have any other name after today.' 00:05:04.449 --> 00:05:09.540 Then I left the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, for my house, 00:05:09.540 --> 00:05:13.540 and I invited my wife, my children, and my family to Islam, 00:05:13.540 --> 00:05:15.540 and they all accepted Islam, 00:05:15.540 --> 00:05:18.540 and my aunt Khalidah accepted Islam with them, 00:05:18.540 --> 00:05:20.540 and she was an elderly woman. 00:05:20.540 --> 00:05:22.639 Then I said to them, 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:26.639 'Keep my Islam and your Islam hidden from the Jews 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:28.639 until I give you permission.' 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:30.639 They said, 'Yes.' 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.639 Then I returned to the Messenger of Allah, 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:35.639 peace be upon him, and said to him, 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:37.639 'O Messenger of Allah, 00:05:37.639 --> 00:05:40.639 the Jews are a people of slander and falsehood, 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:43.639 and I would like you to invite their leaders to you, 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:47.639 and hide me from them in one of your rooms, 00:05:47.639 --> 00:05:52.639 then ask them about my status among them before they know of my Islam, 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:54.639 then invite them to Islam. 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:58.670 For if they know that I have accepted Islam, they will blame me, 00:05:58.670 --> 00:06:01.670 accuse me of every deficiency, and slander me.' 00:06:01.670 --> 00:06:06.740 So the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, put me in one of his rooms, 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:08.740 then he invited them to him, 00:06:08.740 --> 00:06:10.740 and began urging them toward Islam, 00:06:10.740 --> 00:06:12.740 making faith beloved to them, 00:06:12.740 --> 00:06:16.740 and reminding them of what they knew in their books about his affair. 00:06:16.740 --> 00:06:19.740 They began to argue with him with falsehood, 00:06:19.740 --> 00:06:21.740 and dispute the truth, 00:06:21.740 --> 00:06:23.740 while I was listening. 00:06:23.740 --> 00:06:26.740 When he despaired of their faith, he said to them, 00:06:26.740 --> 00:06:29.740 'What is the status of Husayn Ibn Salam among you?' 00:06:29.740 --> 00:06:32.740 They said, 'Our master and the son of our master, 00:06:32.740 --> 00:06:35.740 our rabbi and our scholar, 00:06:35.740 --> 00:06:37.740 and the son of our rabbi and our scholar.' 00:06:37.740 --> 00:06:40.740 He said, 'What do you think if he accepts Islam? 00:06:40.740 --> 00:06:42.740 Would you accept Islam?' 00:06:42.740 --> 00:06:44.740 They said, 'Allah forbid! 00:06:44.740 --> 00:06:46.740 He would never accept Islam. 00:06:46.740 --> 00:06:49.740 May Allah protect him from accepting Islam.' 00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:51.899 So I came out to them and said, 00:06:51.899 --> 00:06:53.899 'O assembly of Jews, 00:06:53.899 --> 00:06:55.899 fear Allah, 00:06:55.899 --> 00:06:57.899 and accept what Muhammad has brought to you. 00:06:58.899 --> 00:07:00.899 For by Allah, you know 00:07:00.899 --> 00:07:02.899 that he is the Messenger of Allah, 00:07:02.899 --> 00:07:04.899 and you find him written with you 00:07:04.899 --> 00:07:06.899 in the Torah by his name and his description. 00:07:06.899 --> 00:07:09.899 And I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah, 00:07:09.899 --> 00:07:12.899 and I believe in him, confirm him, and know him.' 00:07:12.899 --> 00:07:14.899 They said, 'You lie! 00:07:14.899 --> 00:07:17.899 By Allah, you are the worst of us and the son of the worst of us, 00:07:17.899 --> 00:07:20.899 and the most ignorant of us and the son of the most ignorant of us.' 00:07:20.899 --> 00:07:22.899 And they did not leave any fault 00:07:22.899 --> 00:07:24.899 without accusing me of it. 00:07:24.899 --> 00:07:26.899 I said to the Messenger of Allah, 00:07:27.899 --> 00:07:29.899 'Did I not tell you, 00:07:29.899 --> 00:07:32.899 that the Jews are a people of slander and falsehood, 00:07:32.899 --> 00:07:36.019 and that they are people of treachery and immorality?' 00:07:36.019 --> 00:07:39.019 Abdullah Ibn Salam turned to Islam 00:07:39.019 --> 00:07:42.019 with the eagerness of the thirsty who longs for the watering place, 00:07:42.019 --> 00:07:44.019 and he was passionate about the Qur'an, 00:07:44.019 --> 00:07:49.019 so his tongue never ceased to be moist with its clear verses. 00:07:49.019 --> 00:07:53.019 He became attached to the Prophet, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, 00:07:53.019 --> 00:07:56.019 until he became closer to him than his own shadow, 00:07:56.019 --> 00:07:59.019 and he dedicated himself to working for Paradise, 00:07:59.019 --> 00:08:04.019 until the Messenger of Allah, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, gave him the glad tidings of it, 00:08:04.019 --> 00:08:08.019 a glad tiding that spread and became known among the noble Companions. 00:08:08.019 --> 00:08:11.019 This glad tiding had a story, 00:08:11.019 --> 00:08:14.019 narrated by Qays Ibn Ubadah and others. 00:08:14.019 --> 00:08:16.019 The narrator said: 00:08:16.019 --> 00:08:19.019 "I was sitting in a circle of knowledge 00:08:19.019 --> 00:08:23.019 in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in Medina. 00:08:23.019 --> 00:08:27.019 In the circle was an elder whose presence brought comfort to the soul, 00:08:27.019 --> 00:08:29.019 and whose company brought rest to the heart, 00:08:29.019 --> 00:08:33.019 and he began to tell the people a sweet and moving hadith. 00:08:33.019 --> 00:08:36.059 When he stood up, the people said, 00:08:36.059 --> 00:08:40.059 'Whoever is pleased to look at a man from the people of Paradise, 00:08:40.059 --> 00:08:42.059 let him look at this man.' 00:08:42.059 --> 00:08:44.059 I said, 'Who is this?' 00:08:44.059 --> 00:08:47.059 They said, 'Abdullah Ibn Salam.' 00:08:47.059 --> 00:08:49.149 I said to myself, 00:08:49.149 --> 00:08:51.149 'By Allah, I will follow him.' 00:08:51.149 --> 00:08:53.149 So I followed him, 00:08:53.149 --> 00:08:56.149 and he walked until he was about to leave Medina, 00:08:56.149 --> 00:08:58.149 then he entered his house. 00:08:58.149 --> 00:09:00.149 I asked permission to see him, 00:09:00.149 --> 00:09:01.149 and he gave me permission. 00:09:01.149 --> 00:09:02.149 He said, 00:09:02.149 --> 00:09:04.149 'What is your need, O son of my brother?' 00:09:04.149 --> 00:09:06.179 I said, 00:09:06.179 --> 00:09:10.179 'I heard the people saying about you when you left the mosque: 00:09:10.179 --> 00:09:13.179 "Whoever is pleased to look at a man from the people of Paradise, 00:09:13.179 --> 00:09:15.179 let him look at this man." 00:09:15.179 --> 00:09:17.179 So I followed in your footsteps, 00:09:17.179 --> 00:09:19.179 to learn of your story, 00:09:19.179 --> 00:09:23.179 and to know how the people knew that you are from the people of Paradise.' 00:09:23.179 --> 00:09:25.179 He said, 00:09:25.179 --> 00:09:28.179 'Allah knows best about the people of Paradise, my son.' 00:09:28.179 --> 00:09:30.179 I said, 'Yes, 00:09:30.179 --> 00:09:33.250 but there must be a reason for what they said.' 00:09:33.250 --> 00:09:34.250 He said, 00:09:34.250 --> 00:09:36.250 'I will tell you the reason for it.' 00:09:36.250 --> 00:09:38.309 I said, 'Go ahead, 00:09:38.309 --> 00:09:40.340 and may Allah reward you with good.' 00:09:40.340 --> 00:09:42.340 He said, 00:09:42.340 --> 00:09:48.340 'While I was sleeping one night during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:09:48.340 --> 00:09:50.340 a man saw me and said to me, "Rise." 00:09:50.340 --> 00:09:51.340 So I rose, 00:09:51.340 --> 00:09:53.340 and he took my hand, 00:09:53.340 --> 00:09:56.340 and suddenly I was on a path to my left. 00:09:56.340 --> 00:09:58.340 I intended to walk on it, 00:09:58.340 --> 00:09:59.340 but he said to me, 00:09:59.340 --> 00:10:02.340 "Leave it, for it is not for you." 00:10:02.340 --> 00:10:06.340 I looked, and there was a clear path to my right. 00:10:06.340 --> 00:10:07.340 He said to me, 00:10:07.340 --> 00:10:09.340 "Follow it." 00:10:09.340 --> 00:10:12.340 So I followed it until I reached a lush, verdant garden, 00:10:12.340 --> 00:10:14.340 vast in its expanse, 00:10:14.340 --> 00:10:15.340 abundant in its greenery, 00:10:15.340 --> 00:10:17.340 and magnificent to behold. 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:20.340 In its center stood a pillar of iron, 00:10:20.340 --> 00:10:21.340 its base rooted in the earth, 00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:23.340 and its top reaching into the sky. 00:10:23.340 --> 00:10:26.340 At its summit was a ring of gold. 00:10:26.340 --> 00:10:27.340 He said to me, 00:10:27.340 --> 00:10:29.340 "Climb it." 00:10:29.340 --> 00:10:31.340 I replied, "I cannot." 00:10:31.340 --> 00:10:34.340 Then an attendant came to me and lifted me up. 00:10:34.340 --> 00:10:37.340 I climbed until I reached the top of the pillar, 00:10:37.340 --> 00:10:40.340 and I grasped the ring with my hands. 00:10:40.340 --> 00:10:44.340 I remained clinging to it until morning came. 00:10:44.340 --> 00:10:46.340 When the morning arrived, 00:10:46.340 --> 00:10:49.340 I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 00:10:49.340 --> 00:10:52.340 and recounted my dream to him. 00:10:52.340 --> 00:10:53.340 He said, 00:10:53.340 --> 00:10:56.340 "As for the path you saw to your left, 00:10:56.340 --> 00:11:00.340 it is the path of the people of the left, the inhabitants of the Fire. 00:11:00.340 --> 00:11:03.409 As for the path you saw to your right, 00:11:03.409 --> 00:11:07.409 it is the path of the people of the right, the inhabitants of Paradise. 00:11:07.409 --> 00:11:11.440 As for the garden that delighted you with its greenery and beauty, 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:13.440 it is Islam. 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:16.440 As for the pillar in its center, 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:18.440 it is the pillar of the religion. 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:22.440 As for the ring, it is the firmest bond. 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:26.440 You shall remain holding fast to it until you die." 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:33.899 Whoever wishes to look at a man from the people of Paradise, 00:11:33.899 --> 00:11:37.899 let him look at 'Abdullah Ibn Salam. 00:11:48.299 --> 00:11:51.299 Call them; are they listening?