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.
Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi, may Allah be pleased with him.
The youth Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi was
one of the thousands
who went out to the area of al-Tan'im on the outskirts of Makkah,
at the invitation of the leaders of Quraysh,
to witness the execution of Khubayb ibn 'Adi,
one of the companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him.
This was after they had captured him through treachery.
His abundant youth
and overflowing vitality enabled him
to jostle through the crowds,
even among the elders of Quraysh,
such as Abu Sufyan ibn Harb,
Safwan ibn Umayyah,
and others who were at the head of the procession.
This allowed him to see the prisoner of Quraysh
shackled in his chains,
while the hands of women, children, and young men
pushed him toward the arena of death,
seeking to take revenge on Muhammad through his person,
and to avenge their fallen in Badr by killing him.
When these massive crowds
arrived with their prisoner at the place prepared for his execution,
the youth Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi stood
with his tall stature, looking over at Khubayb,
as he was led to the wooden cross.
He heard his steady, calm voice
amidst the shouting of the women and children,
saying, "If you wish to let me
pray two rak'ahs before my execution, then do so."
Then he watched him as he faced the Ka'bah,
and prayed two rak'ahs—how beautiful they were,
and how perfect!
Then he saw him turn to the leaders of the people
and say, "By Allah, were it not that you might think
that I prolonged the prayer out of fear of death, I would have prayed more."
Then he witnessed his own people with his own eyes
as they mutilated Khubayb while he was still alive,
cutting pieces from his body, one after another,
while they said to him,
"Would you like Muhammad to be in your place while you are safe?"
And he would reply, "I would not wish that I be safe,
by Allah, nor would I wish to be secure
with my family and children,
while Muhammad is pricked by a thorn."
The people waved their hands in the air,
and their shouting grew louder: "Kill him!"
Then Sa'id ibn 'Amir saw
Khubayb raise his gaze to the sky
from atop the wooden cross and say,
"O Allah, count them in number,
destroy them one by one,
and do not spare a single one of them."
Then he breathed his last,
bearing what could not be counted of sword strikes
and spear thrusts.
Quraysh returned to Makkah,
and in the bustle of momentous events, they forgot
Khubayb and his execution.
But the young man, Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi,
did not let Khubayb leave his thoughts for a moment.
He would see him in his dreams when he slept,
and he would appear in his imagination while he was awake.
He would visualize him before him as he prayed his two
calm and tranquil rak'ahs
before the wooden cross,
and he would hear the ringing of his voice in his ears
as he prayed against Quraysh,
fearing that a thunderbolt might strike him or a rock
might fall upon him from the sky.
Then Khubayb taught Sa'id
that true life is faith and struggle
for the sake of faith until death.
He also taught him that firm
faith performs wonders
and creates miracles.
And he taught him another thing:
that the man whom his companions love
with all this love must be a Prophet,
supported from the heavens.
So he stood up in the midst of the people
and declared his dissociation from the sins of Quraysh
and their burdens, and his rejection
of their idols and statues,
and his entry into the religion of Allah.
Sa'id ibn 'Amir migrated to Madinah
and kept the company of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He witnessed Khaybar with him,
and the battles that followed.
The noble Prophet passed to the side of his Lord
while He was pleased with him.
He remained after him a drawn sword
in the hands of his two successors, Abu Bakr and 'Umar.
He lived as a unique example,
a singular believer who traded the Hereafter for the worldly life,
and preferred the pleasure of Allah and His reward
over all the desires of the soul
and the cravings of the body.
Sa'id ibn 'Amir, his truthfulness and piety—
they listen to his advice,
and they heed his words.
He entered upon 'Umar ibn al-Khattab at the beginning of his caliphate,
and said, "O 'Umar,
I advise you to fear Allah regarding the people,
and do not fear the people regarding Allah.
And let not your words contradict your deeds,
for the best of speech is that which is confirmed by action.
Face those whom Allah has placed under your authority, both the distant and the near among the Muslims,
and love for them what you love for yourself and your household,
and hate for them what you hate for yourself and your household.
Wade through the depths for the sake of the truth,
and do not fear the blame of the blamers for the sake of Allah."
'Umar said,
"And who can do that, O Sa'id?"
He replied,
"A man like you, from among those whom Allah has entrusted,
and there is no one between him and Allah."
At that, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab invited Sa'id to assist him,
and said, "O Sa'id,
we are appointing you over the people of Homs."
He said, "O 'Umar,
I adjure you by Allah, do not tempt me."
'Umar became angry and said, "Woe to you!
You placed this burden on my neck and then abandoned me?
By Allah, I will not leave you."
He appointed him over Homs and said,
"Shall we not assign you a stipend?"
He said, "What would I do with it, O Commander of the Faithful?
For my allowance from the public treasury exceeds my needs."
Then he went to Homs.
Not long after, there came to the Commander of the Faithful
some of those he trusted from the people of Homs.
He said,
"Write down for me the names of your poor."
They submitted a list,
and in it were so-and-so, so-and-so, and Sa'id ibn 'Amir.
He asked, "And who is Sa'id ibn 'Amir?"
They said, "Our governor."
He said, "Your governor is poor?"
They said, "Yes.
By Allah, long days pass
and no fire is lit in his house."
'Umar wept until his tears wet his beard.
Then he took a thousand dinars,
placed them in a pouch, and said,
"Give him my greetings,
and say to him,
'The Commander of the Faithful has sent you this money
to help you meet your needs.'"
The delegation came to Sa'id with the pouch.
He looked at it and saw it was dinars.
He began to push it away, saying,
as if a calamity had befallen him,
or a disaster had descended upon his home.
His wife rushed in, alarmed, and said,
"What is the matter, Sa'id? Has the Commander of the Faithful died?"
He said, "Nay, something greater than that."
She said, "Have the Muslims suffered a defeat?"
He said, "Nay, something greater than that."
She said, "And what is greater than that?"
He said, "The worldly life has entered upon me
to corrupt my Hereafter,
and discord has entered my house."
She said, "Get rid of it,"
not knowing anything about the dinars.
He said, "Will you help me in that?"
She said, "Yes." So he took the dinars,
put them in small pouches, and distributed them among
the poor Muslims.
Not much time passed
before 'Umar went to inspect his affairs.
When he arrived in Homs—which was called 'al-Kuwayfah',
a diminutive of Kufah, comparing Homs to it
because of the frequent complaints of its people about their officials
and governors, just as the people of Kufah used to do.
When he arrived there,
its people met him to greet him.
He asked, "How have you found your governor?"
They complained to him and mentioned four things,
each one greater than the other.
'Umar said, "I brought him and them together,
and I prayed to Allah not to disappoint my expectations of him,
for I had great confidence in him."
When they were with me, they and their governor,
I said, "What do you complain about regarding your governor?"
They said, "He does not come out to us
until the day is well advanced."
I said, "And what do you say to that, O Sa'id?"
He was silent for a while, then said,
"By Allah, I hated to say this,
but since it is necessary:
I have no servant for my family,
so I get up every morning and knead their dough for them,
Then I wait a little while for the dough to rise.
Then I bake it for them.
Then I perform wudu and go out to the people.
'Umar said, "So I asked them, 'What else do you complain about regarding him?'"
They replied, "He does not answer anyone at night."
I said, "What do you say to that, O Sa'id?"
He said, "By Allah, I truly disliked..."
"...to make this public as well."
"For I have dedicated the day to them..."
"...and the night to Allah, the Almighty and Majestic."
I said, "What else do you complain about regarding him?"
They said, "He does not come out to us..."
"...one day every month."
I said, "What is the reason for this, O Sa'id?"
He said, "I have no servant, O Commander of the Faithful."
"And I have no clothes other than what I am wearing."
"So I wash them once a month..."
"...and wait for them to dry."
"Then I go out to them at the end of the day."
Then I said, "What else do you complain about regarding him?"
They said, "He is seized from time to time..."
"...by a fainting spell, during which he becomes absent..."
"...from those in his gathering."
I said, "What is this, O Sa'id?"
He replied, "I witnessed the execution of Khubayb ibn 'Adi..."
"...while I was still a polytheist."
"I saw the Quraysh cutting his body while they were saying..."
"'Would you like Muhammad to be in your place?'"
"And he would say, 'By Allah, I would not like to be..."
"...safe with my family and children [while he is harmed].'"
"And by Allah, I have never remembered that day..."
"...and how I failed to come to his aid..."
"...without thinking that Allah would not forgive me."
"And that fainting spell overcomes me."
Upon that, 'Umar said:
"Praise be to Allah, who did not prove my opinion of him wrong."
Then he sent him a thousand dinars...
...to help him with his needs.
When his wife saw them, she said to him:
"Praise be to Allah who has enriched us and spared us from needing your service."
"Buy us provisions and hire us..."
"...a servant." He said to her:
"Would you like something better than that?"
She said, "And what is that?"
"We give it to the One who will bring it back to us..."
"...at a time when we are in the greatest need of it."
She said, "And what is that?"
"We lend it to Allah as a goodly loan."
She said, "Yes, and may you be rewarded with good."
He did not leave the spot where he was sitting...
...until he had placed the dinars into pouches.
And he said to one of his family:
"Take this to the widow of so-and-so."
"And to the orphans of so-and-so."
"And to the needy of the family of so-and-so."
"And to the destitute of the family of so-and-so."
May Allah be pleased with Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi.
For he was among those who prefer others over themselves...
...even if they themselves are in need.
Sa'id ibn 'Amir...
...a man who purchased the Hereafter with the worldly life.
And preferred Allah and His Messenger over all else.
The end.