In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The best of generations in stances and exemplary conduct,
Following the Messenger whenever he strove or spoke.
Mawaddah Association
Presents:
Portraits from the Lives of the Tabi'un,
By Dr. Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
May Allah have mercy on him.
Rabi'ah al-Ra'y,
May Allah have mercy on him.
Here we are in the fifty-first year of the Hijrah,
And here are the Muslim battalions journeying through the vast expanses of the earth, east and west,
Carrying to humanity the edifying creed,
Extending toward it a reforming, compassionate hand,
And spreading throughout its lands the divine law that liberates mankind from the servitude of mankind,
Directing all allegiance to Allah alone, without partner.
And here is the venerable Companion,
Al-Rabi' ibn Ziyad al-Harithi,
The governor of Khurasan,
The conqueror of Sijistan,
And the triumphant commander,
Advancing at the head of his army, campaigning in the path of Allah,
Accompanied by his valiant youth, Farrukh.
For after Allah had blessed him with the conquest of Sijistan and other territories, he resolved
To crown his eventful life
By crossing the Jaxartes River (Sayhun),
And raising the banners of monotheism over the peaks of those realms
Known as Transoxiana.
Al-Rabi' ibn Ziyad made full preparations for the fateful battle,
Readied all necessary provisions,
And strictly dictated both its time and place to the enemies of Allah.
When the fighting broke out,
Al-Rabi' and his valiant soldiers acquitted themselves with an excellence
That history still recalls with moist praise
And deep veneration.
In the arenas of combat, his youth Farrukh displayed
Such forms of valor and acts of daring
As increased Al-Rabi's admiration, veneration,
And esteem for his noble qualities.
The battle concluded in a decisive victory for the Muslims;
They shook the ground beneath their enemy's feet,
Tore through their ranks, and scattered their hosts.
Then he crossed the river that had long separated them from sweeping across the lands of the Turks,
Preventing their advance toward the land of China,
And deep into the Kingdom of Sogdia.
Sogdia was a region located in Central Asia.
No sooner had the great commander crossed the river
And set foot firmly upon the opposite bank,
Than he and his soldiers hastened to perform ablution from its water,
Completing their ablution thoroughly.
He faced the Qiblah,
And they prayed two rak'ahs in gratitude to Allah, the Granter of victory.
Then the great commander rewarded his youth Farrukh for his exceptional valor,
Manumitting him from bondage,
Allotting him his share of the vast and abundant spoils of war,
And giving him a generous extra portion of his own accord.
Life did not long continue after that radiant, glorious day
For Al-Rabi' ibn Ziyad al-Harithi;
His appointed term arrived just two years after fulfilling his great dream,
And he departed to his Lord, well-pleased and pleasing to Him.
As for the brave and valiant young man, Farrukh,
He returned to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah,
Bearing with him his substantial share of the spoils,
And the lavish gift bestowed upon him by his great commander.
Above all, he carried his precious freedom,
And his rich memories of magnificent heroism,
Crowned with the dust of battlefields.
When Farrukh arrived in the city of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
He was a young man in the prime of his youth,
Brimming with vitality,
Full of vigor and chivalry,
Approaching thirty years of age.
Farrukh resolved to acquire a home of his own wherein he could settle,
And a wife in whom he could find tranquility.
So he purchased a house in an average neighborhood of the city,
And chose a woman of sound intellect,
Complete virtue, and steadfast religious commitment,
Close to him in age,
And he married her.
Farrukh lived happily in the home with which Allah had blessed him,
And found in his wife's companionship a delightful life, affectionate treatment, and radiant joy
Far exceeding what he had ever hoped or anticipated.
Yet that well-established home,
Despite all the comforts it afforded,
And that righteous wife,
Despite all the noble characteristics and illustrious virtues Allah had endowed her with,
Could not overpower the faithful knight's yearning to plunge into battles,
His longing to hear the clash of blades upon blades,
And his passion for resuming jihad in the path of Allah.
Whenever news echoed throughout the city of victories won by Muslim armies
Campaigning in the path of Allah,
His yearning for jihad was rekindled,
And his longing for martyrdom intensified.
One Friday,
Farrukh heard the preacher in the Prophet's Mosque
Announcing glad tidings to the Muslims of the Muslim armies' victories on multiple fronts,
Urging people to engage in jihad in the path of Allah,
And encouraging them toward martyrdom to bring honor to His religion
And seek His pleasure.
He returned home,
Having firmly resolved to join one of the banners of the Muslims
Deployed beneath every star.
He made this resolve known to his wife,
And she said to him:
"O Abu Abd al-Rahman,
To whom do you leave me, and this child I carry in my womb?
You are a stranger to this city,
Having neither family nor kinfolk here."
He said:
"I leave you in the care of Allah and His Messenger.
Moreover, I have left behind thirty thousand dinars for you,
Which I gathered from the spoils of war.
Safeguard them and invest them profitably,
And spend from them on yourself and your child honorably,
Until I return to you safely with spoils,
Or Allah grants me the martyrdom I long for."
Then he bade her farewell and set out for his destination.
A few months after her husband's departure, the dignified lady gave birth,
And it was a boy of radiant countenance,
Charming features,
And striking appearance.
She rejoiced over him with immense joy,
Which almost made her forget the parting from his father,
And she named him Rabi'ah.
Marks of noble distinction appeared upon the young boy from his earliest childhood,
And signs of intelligence manifested in his deeds and words.
So his mother entrusted him to teachers,
Instructing them to educate him well,
And summoned tutors for him,
Urging them to discipline and cultivate him thoroughly.
Before long, he had mastered writing and reading;
Then he memorized the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic,
Reciting it fresh and moist,
Just as it had been revealed unto the heart of Muhammad, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him.
He learned whatever hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was made easy for him,
And memorized of the speech of the Arabs
Whatever was befitting for one of his stature to retain,
Acquiring proper understanding of religious matters as required.
Rabi'ah's mother generously lavished money and gifts
Upon her son's teachers and tutors;
Whenever she saw him increase in knowledge,
She increased their reward and honor.
She constantly awaited the return of his absent father,
Striving to make the boy a source of joy and pride for both of them.
But Farrukh's absence grew long,
And conflicting reports circulated concerning him:
Some said he had fallen captive into enemy hands,
Others said he was still free and actively pursuing jihad,
While a third group, returning from the fields of combat, said
That he had attained the martyrdom he so desired.
This last report seemed most probable to Rabi'ah's mother due to the cessation of all news from him,
And she grieved over him with a sorrow that weighed heavily upon her,
Before seeking her solace and reward with Allah.
By that time, Rabi'ah had grown into adolescence, approaching manhood.
Well-wishers said to his mother:
"Here is Rabi'ah;
He has attained all the reading and writing a youth like him should master,
And surpassed his peers,
Having memorized the Qur'an and narrated hadith.
If only you would choose a trade for him,
He would quickly master it
And spend upon you and himself from its earnings."
She replied:
"I ask Allah to choose for him what holds righteousness for his worldly life and the Hereafter.
Rabi'ah has chosen knowledge for himself,
And has resolved to live as a student and a teacher
For as long as life may last."
Rabi'ah proceeded along the path he had charted for himself, never faltering nor falling short.
He turned eagerly toward the circles of knowledge that filled the Prophet's Mosque,
Just as the thirsty rush toward sweet springs of water.
He attached himself to the remaining noble Companions,
Foremost among them Anas ibn Malik,
The servant of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him;
And he learned from the first generation of the Tabi'un,
At their head Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab,
Makhul al-Shami, and Salamah ibn Dinar.
He joined the toil of his nights to the toil of his days until exhaustion wore him down.
Whenever someone spoke to him about that and urged him to be gentle with himself,
He said:
"We heard our teachers say:
'Knowledge will never give you a part of itself
Until you give it your entire self.'"
Before long, his renown spread,
His star rose, his companions grew numerous,
His students became devoted to him, and his people recognized him as their leader.
The Madinan scholar's life progressed peacefully and serenely:
One part of his day spent at home with his family and brothers,
And another in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
Attending assemblies and study circles of sacred knowledge.
His life continued in this steady course,
Until something completely unexpected took place.
"I have never seen anyone with a greater retention of the Sunnah than Rabi'ah."
— Ibn al-Majishun.
They departed, leaving in the conscience a lingering question:
Has a star ever risen and shone as brightly as they did?
They filled life with glories through their deeds,
And our lands flourished through them.