WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:15.289 --> 00:00:17.289 The Mawaddah Association is pleased 00:00:18.289 --> 00:00:21.289 to present to you glimpses from the lives of the Companions, 00:00:22.289 --> 00:00:24.289 by Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:25.289 --> 00:00:26.320 may Allah have mercy upon him. 00:00:27.320 --> 00:00:30.920 Suraqah Ibn Malik, 00:00:32.179 --> 00:00:34.560 may Allah be pleased with him. 00:00:47.859 --> 00:00:50.859 One morning, the Quraysh awoke in a state of alarm and panic, 00:00:51.859 --> 00:00:56.859 for word had spread through their assemblies that Muhammad (peace be upon him) had departed Makkah, shrouded by the cover of darkness. 00:00:57.859 --> 00:00:59.859 The leaders of Quraysh could not believe the news, 00:01:00.859 --> 00:01:04.859 and they rushed to search for the Prophet (peace be upon him) in every house of the Banu Hashim, 00:01:05.859 --> 00:01:07.859 and sought him in every home of his Companions. 00:01:08.859 --> 00:01:10.859 Eventually, they arrived at the house of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). 00:01:11.859 --> 00:01:13.859 His daughter, Asma', came out to them. 00:01:14.859 --> 00:01:15.859 Abu Jahl asked her, 00:01:16.859 --> 00:01:17.859 "Where is your father, O girl?" 00:01:18.859 --> 00:01:20.859 She replied, "I do not know where he is now." 00:01:21.859 --> 00:01:26.859 He raised his hand and struck her cheek so hard that her earring fell to the ground. 00:01:26.859 --> 00:01:31.900 The leaders of Quraysh went mad with rage when they became certain that Muhammad (peace be upon him) had left Makkah. 00:01:32.900 --> 00:01:37.900 They recruited all the trackers they could find to determine the path he had taken, 00:01:38.900 --> 00:01:39.900 and they set out with them to search for him. 00:01:40.900 --> 00:01:41.900 When they reached the Cave of Thawr, 00:01:42.900 --> 00:01:43.900 the trackers said to them, 00:01:44.900 --> 00:01:47.900 "By Allah, your companion has not passed beyond this cave." 00:01:48.900 --> 00:01:51.900 These trackers were not mistaken in what they told Quraysh, 00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:55.900 for Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companion were indeed inside the cave. 00:01:56.900 --> 00:01:58.900 Quraysh was standing right above their heads, 00:01:59.900 --> 00:02:03.900 to the point that the Truthful One (Abu Bakr) saw the feet of the people moving above the cave, 00:02:04.900 --> 00:02:05.900 and his eyes welled with tears. 00:02:06.900 --> 00:02:09.900 The Messenger (peace be upon him) looked at him with a gaze of love, kindness, and gentle reproach. 00:02:10.900 --> 00:02:12.900 The Truthful One whispered, saying, 00:02:13.900 --> 00:02:15.900 "By Allah, I do not weep for my own sake, 00:02:16.900 --> 00:02:19.900 but for fear that I might see you suffer harm, O Messenger of Allah." 00:02:20.900 --> 00:02:22.900 The noble Messenger (peace be upon him) said to him, reassuringly, 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:24.900 "Do not grieve, O Abu Bakr, 00:02:24.900 --> 00:02:26.900 for Allah is with us." 00:02:27.900 --> 00:02:29.900 Then Allah sent down tranquility upon the heart of the Truthful One. 00:02:30.900 --> 00:02:32.900 He began to look at the feet of the people, 00:02:33.900 --> 00:02:35.900 then said, "O Messenger of Allah, 00:02:36.900 --> 00:02:39.900 if one of them were to look down at his own feet, he would see us." 00:02:40.900 --> 00:02:41.900 The Messenger (peace be upon him) replied, 00:02:42.900 --> 00:02:44.900 "What is your opinion, O Abu Bakr, of two, 00:02:45.900 --> 00:02:46.900 of whom Allah is the third?" 00:02:47.900 --> 00:02:51.120 Just then, a tracker from Quraysh said to the people, 00:02:52.120 --> 00:02:54.120 "Shall we look into the cave?" 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:57.120 But Umayyah Ibn Khalaf said to him mockingly, 00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:01.120 "Do you not see this spider that has spun its web over the entrance? 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:04.120 By Allah, it is older than the birth of Muhammad." 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:07.120 However, Abu Jahl said, 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:09.120 "By al-Lat and al-'Uzza, 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:12.120 I truly think he is near us, 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:15.120 hearing what we say and seeing what we do, 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:18.120 but his magic has cast a veil over our eyes." 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:23.250 Nevertheless, Quraysh did not give up on the task of finding Muhammad (peace be upon him), 00:03:23.250 --> 00:03:26.250 nor did their resolve to pursue him falter. 00:03:27.250 --> 00:03:31.250 They announced among the tribes scattered along the route between Makkah and Madinah 00:03:32.250 --> 00:03:35.250 that whoever brought them Muhammad (peace be upon him), alive or dead, 00:03:36.250 --> 00:03:38.250 would receive one hundred of the finest camels. 00:03:39.500 --> 00:03:41.500 Suraqah Ibn Malik al-Mudliji was 00:03:42.500 --> 00:03:44.500 in one of the assemblies of his people in Qadid, 00:03:45.500 --> 00:03:46.500 near Makkah, 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:49.500 when a messenger from Quraysh entered upon them 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:52.500 and announced the news of the grand prize 00:03:53.500 --> 00:03:57.500 that Quraysh had offered to anyone who brought them Muhammad (peace be upon him), alive or dead. 00:03:58.500 --> 00:04:00.500 No sooner had Suraqah heard of the one hundred camels 00:04:01.500 --> 00:04:03.500 than his greed was stirred, 00:04:04.500 --> 00:04:05.500 and his desire for them intensified. 00:04:06.500 --> 00:04:07.500 Yet, he composed himself, 00:04:08.500 --> 00:04:10.500 and did not utter a single word, 00:04:11.500 --> 00:04:13.500 so that the greed of others would not be aroused. 00:04:14.500 --> 00:04:16.500 Before Suraqah rose from his seat, 00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:19.500 a man from his tribe entered the assembly and said, 00:04:19.500 --> 00:04:22.500 "By Allah, three men just passed by me, 00:04:23.500 --> 00:04:27.500 and I suspect they are Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and their guide." 00:04:28.500 --> 00:04:29.569 Suraqah said, 00:04:30.569 --> 00:04:31.569 "Rather, they are the people of so-and-so, 00:04:32.569 --> 00:04:34.569 who went out searching for a camel they had lost." 00:04:35.569 --> 00:04:36.569 The man said, 00:04:37.569 --> 00:04:38.569 "Perhaps they are," 00:04:39.569 --> 00:04:40.569 and he fell silent. 00:04:41.629 --> 00:04:42.629 Suraqah waited a little while, 00:04:43.629 --> 00:04:45.629 so that his departure would not stir anyone in the assembly. 00:04:46.629 --> 00:04:48.629 When the people became engaged in another conversation, 00:04:49.629 --> 00:04:50.629 he slipped out from among them, 00:04:51.629 --> 00:04:53.629 and went lightly and quickly to his house. 00:04:54.629 --> 00:04:59.629 He whispered to his slave girl to bring out his horse, unobserved by the eyes of the people, 00:05:00.629 --> 00:05:02.629 and to tether it for him in the depths of the valley. 00:05:03.629 --> 00:05:05.629 He ordered his servant to prepare his weapons, 00:05:06.629 --> 00:05:08.629 and to take them out from behind the houses 00:05:09.629 --> 00:05:10.629 so that no one would see him, 00:05:11.629 --> 00:05:13.629 and to place them in a spot near the horse. 00:05:14.629 --> 00:05:16.660 Suraqah donned his armor, 00:05:17.660 --> 00:05:18.660 buckled on his weapon, 00:05:19.660 --> 00:05:20.660 mounted his horse, and set off. 00:05:21.660 --> 00:05:23.660 He began to ride hard to catch up with Muhammad (peace be upon him) 00:05:24.660 --> 00:05:28.660 before anyone else could reach him and win the prize of Quraysh. 00:05:29.699 --> 00:05:33.699 Suraqah Ibn Malik was a knight among the renowned knights of his people, 00:05:34.699 --> 00:05:36.699 tall of stature and imposing in presence, 00:05:37.699 --> 00:05:38.699 skilled in tracking, 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:40.699 and patient with the hardships of the road. 00:05:41.699 --> 00:05:43.699 In addition to all that, 00:05:44.699 --> 00:05:45.699 he was clever, intelligent, and a poet. 00:05:46.699 --> 00:05:48.699 His horse was of the finest breed. 00:05:49.699 --> 00:05:51.699 Suraqah set off, covering the ground swiftly, 00:05:52.699 --> 00:05:54.699 but it was not long before his horse stumbled, 00:05:55.699 --> 00:05:56.699 and he fell from its back. 00:05:57.699 --> 00:05:58.699 He took this as a bad omen and said, 00:05:59.699 --> 00:06:00.699 "What is this? 00:06:01.699 --> 00:06:02.699 Woe to you, O horse!" 00:06:03.699 --> 00:06:04.699 He mounted again, 00:06:05.699 --> 00:06:08.699 but he had not gone far before it stumbled once more. 00:06:09.699 --> 00:06:10.699 His sense of foreboding increased, 00:06:11.699 --> 00:06:12.699 and he contemplated turning back, 00:06:13.699 --> 00:06:16.699 but nothing deterred him from his intent except his greed for the one hundred camels. 00:06:16.699 --> 00:06:20.790 Suraqah had not moved far from the place where his horse stumbled 00:06:21.790 --> 00:06:23.790 when he caught sight of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companion. 00:06:24.790 --> 00:06:25.790 He reached for his bow, 00:06:26.790 --> 00:06:28.790 but his hand froze in place. 00:06:29.790 --> 00:06:32.790 This was because he saw the legs of his horse sinking into the earth, 00:06:33.790 --> 00:06:35.790 and smoke rising from beneath them, 00:06:36.790 --> 00:06:38.790 covering his eyes and the eyes of the horse. 00:06:39.790 --> 00:06:40.790 He urged the horse on, 00:06:41.790 --> 00:06:42.790 but it was firmly stuck in the ground, 00:06:43.790 --> 00:06:45.790 as if it had been nailed there with iron spikes. 00:06:46.790 --> 00:06:48.790 He turned to the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his companion, 00:06:49.790 --> 00:06:50.790 and said in a pleading voice, 00:06:51.790 --> 00:06:52.790 "O you two, 00:06:53.790 --> 00:06:55.790 pray to your Lord for me to release the legs of my horse, 00:06:56.790 --> 00:06:58.790 and you have my word that I will leave you alone." 00:06:59.790 --> 00:07:00.790 The Messenger (peace be upon him) prayed for him, 00:07:01.790 --> 00:07:03.790 and Allah released the legs of his horse. 00:07:04.790 --> 00:07:07.790 But his greed was soon stirred again, 00:07:08.790 --> 00:07:09.790 and he urged his horse toward them. 00:07:10.790 --> 00:07:13.790 This time, its legs sank deeper than before. 00:07:13.790 --> 00:07:15.790 He cried out to them for help and said, 00:07:16.790 --> 00:07:18.790 "Here are my provisions, my gear, and my weapons; 00:07:19.790 --> 00:07:20.790 take them, 00:07:21.790 --> 00:07:22.790 and you have the covenant of Allah from me 00:07:23.790 --> 00:07:25.790 that I will turn away from you those who are behind me." 00:07:26.790 --> 00:07:27.790 He (the Prophet) said to him, 00:07:28.790 --> 00:07:30.790 "We have no need of your provisions or your gear, 00:07:31.790 --> 00:07:32.790 but turn the people away from us." 00:07:33.790 --> 00:07:34.790 Then the Messenger (peace be upon him) prayed for him, 00:07:35.790 --> 00:07:36.790 and his horse was freed. 00:07:37.790 --> 00:07:38.790 When he was about to return, 00:07:39.790 --> 00:07:40.790 he called out to them, saying, 00:07:41.790 --> 00:07:42.790 "Wait, let me speak to you, 00:07:43.790 --> 00:07:46.790 for by Allah, nothing you dislike will come to you from me." 00:07:47.790 --> 00:07:48.790 He (the Prophet) said to him, 00:07:49.790 --> 00:07:50.790 "What do you want from us?" 00:07:51.790 --> 00:07:52.790 He replied, 00:07:53.790 --> 00:07:54.790 "By Allah, O Muhammad, 00:07:55.790 --> 00:07:57.790 I know that your religion will prevail and your affair will be exalted. 00:07:58.790 --> 00:08:00.790 So promise me that when I come to you in your kingdom, you will honor me, 00:08:01.790 --> 00:08:02.790 and write that down for me." 00:08:03.790 --> 00:08:06.790 The Messenger (peace be upon him) commanded the Truthful One, 00:08:07.790 --> 00:08:09.790 who wrote it for him on a piece of bone, 00:08:10.790 --> 00:08:11.790 and handed it to him. 00:08:11.790 --> 00:08:12.790 When he was about to depart, 00:08:13.790 --> 00:08:15.790 the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, 00:08:16.790 --> 00:08:17.790 "How will you be, O Suraqah, 00:08:18.790 --> 00:08:20.790 when you wear the bracelets of Chosroes?" 00:08:21.790 --> 00:08:22.790 Suraqah said in astonishment, 00:08:23.790 --> 00:08:24.790 "Chosroes, son of Hormuz?" 00:08:25.790 --> 00:08:26.790 He replied, "Yes, 00:08:27.790 --> 00:08:28.790 Chosroes, son of Hormuz." 00:08:29.790 --> 00:08:30.790 Suraqah returned the way he came, 00:08:31.790 --> 00:08:32.789 and found the people approaching, 00:08:33.789 --> 00:08:35.789 searching for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). 00:08:36.789 --> 00:08:37.789 He said to them, 00:08:38.789 --> 00:08:39.789 "Go back, 00:08:39.789 --> 00:08:41.789 for I have scoured the earth searching for him, 00:08:42.789 --> 00:08:44.789 and you know well my expertise in tracking." 00:08:45.789 --> 00:08:46.789 So they returned. 00:08:47.789 --> 00:08:49.789 He then kept his encounter with Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companion a secret 00:08:50.789 --> 00:08:52.789 until he was certain that they had reached Madinah 00:08:53.789 --> 00:08:55.789 and were safe from the aggression of Quraysh. 00:08:56.789 --> 00:08:57.789 Only then did he reveal it. 00:08:58.789 --> 00:09:04.789 When Abu Jahl heard the news of Suraqah's encounter with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his stance, 00:09:04.789 --> 00:09:08.789 he blamed him for his cowardice, hesitation, and for missing the opportunity. 00:09:09.789 --> 00:09:11.860 Suraqah replied to his blame, saying: 00:09:12.860 --> 00:09:14.860 "O Abu al-Hakam, by Allah, had you been a witness 00:09:15.860 --> 00:09:17.860 to my horse when its legs sank into the earth, 00:09:18.860 --> 00:09:20.860 you would have known, without a doubt, that Muhammad 00:09:21.860 --> 00:09:24.860 is a Messenger with clear proof; so who can oppose him?" 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:27.080 The days ran their course, 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:32.080 and Muhammad (peace be upon him), who had left Makkah as a fugitive, 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:34.080 shrouded by the cover of darkness, 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:37.080 returned to it as a triumphant master, 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:42.080 surrounded by thousands upon thousands, with flashing swords and brown spears. 00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:44.080 And the leaders of Quraysh, 00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:50.080 who had filled the earth with arrogance and pride, came to him, fearful and trembling, 00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:53.080 asking him for mercy and saying, 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:55.080 "What will you do with us?" 00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:58.080 He said to them, with the magnanimity of the Prophets, 00:09:59.080 --> 00:10:01.080 "Go, for you are the freed ones." 00:10:02.179 --> 00:10:03.179 At that moment, 00:10:03.179 --> 00:10:05.179 Suraqah Ibn Malik prepared his mount, 00:10:06.179 --> 00:10:09.179 He set off toward the Messenger of Allah to declare his Islam before him. 00:10:10.179 --> 00:10:13.179 He carried with him the document that had been written for him ten years earlier. 00:10:14.179 --> 00:10:15.179 Suraqah said: 00:10:16.179 --> 00:10:19.179 "I came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, at al-Ji'ranah. 00:10:20.179 --> 00:10:22.179 I entered among his battalion of the Ansar. 00:10:23.179 --> 00:10:26.179 They began to strike me with the butts of their spears, saying: 00:10:27.179 --> 00:10:29.179 'Stay back, stay back! What do you want?' 00:10:30.179 --> 00:10:31.179 I kept pushing through their ranks, 00:10:31.179 --> 00:10:35.179 until I drew near to the Messenger of Allah while he was upon his camel. 00:10:36.179 --> 00:10:37.179 I raised my hand with the document, 00:10:38.179 --> 00:10:39.179 and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, 00:10:40.179 --> 00:10:41.179 I am Suraqah Ibn Malik, 00:10:42.179 --> 00:10:43.179 and this is your document for me.'" 00:10:44.179 --> 00:10:46.240 The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: 00:10:47.240 --> 00:10:49.240 "Draw near to me, O Suraqah, draw near. 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:52.240 This is a day of fulfillment and righteousness." 00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:54.240 So I approached him, 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:56.240 and declared my Islam before him, 00:10:57.240 --> 00:10:58.240 and I received his goodness and kindness. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:05.370 Not more than a few months had passed since Suraqah Ibn Malik met the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:11:06.370 --> 00:11:09.370 when Allah chose to take His Prophet to His side. 00:11:10.370 --> 00:11:12.370 Suraqah grieved for him with the deepest grief, 00:11:13.370 --> 00:11:15.370 and he began to envision that day, 00:11:16.370 --> 00:11:19.370 when he had intended to kill him for the sake of a hundred camels. 00:11:20.370 --> 00:11:22.370 He realized how all the camels of this world 00:11:23.370 --> 00:11:27.370 were not worth a clipping of the Prophet’s fingernail to him now. 00:11:28.370 --> 00:11:30.370 He kept repeating the words the Prophet had said to him: 00:11:31.370 --> 00:11:34.370 "How will you be, O Suraqah, when you wear the bracelets of Chosroes?" 00:11:35.370 --> 00:11:38.370 He never doubted that he would indeed wear them. 00:11:39.370 --> 00:11:42.429 Then the days turned once more, 00:11:43.429 --> 00:11:46.429 and the affairs of the Muslims fell to the Faruq, may Allah be pleased with him. 00:11:47.429 --> 00:11:51.429 During his blessed reign, the armies of the Muslims swept over the Persian Empire, 00:11:52.429 --> 00:11:54.429 just as a hurricane sweeps. 00:11:55.429 --> 00:11:57.429 They began to demolish fortresses, defeat armies, 00:11:58.429 --> 00:12:00.429 shake thrones, and seize spoils, 00:12:01.429 --> 00:12:04.429 until Allah brought about the end of the Chosroes' empire at their hands. 00:12:05.429 --> 00:12:08.429 One day, toward the end of the caliphate of Umar, 00:12:09.429 --> 00:12:12.429 the messengers of Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas arrived in Medina, 00:12:13.429 --> 00:12:15.429 bringing glad tidings of the victory to the Caliph of the Muslims, 00:12:16.429 --> 00:12:19.429 and carrying to the public treasury of the Muslims the fifth of the spoils 00:12:20.429 --> 00:12:22.429 that the warriors had gained in the path of Allah. 00:12:23.460 --> 00:12:25.460 When the spoils were placed before Umar, 00:12:25.460 --> 00:12:27.460 he looked at them in astonishment. 00:12:28.460 --> 00:12:31.460 For among them was the crown of Chosroes, encrusted with pearls, 00:12:32.460 --> 00:12:34.460 and his garments woven with threads of gold, 00:12:35.460 --> 00:12:37.460 and his mantle embroidered with jewels, 00:12:38.460 --> 00:12:40.460 and his two bracelets, the likes of which no eye had ever seen, 00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:44.460 along with countless other treasures. 00:12:45.460 --> 00:12:49.500 Umar began to turn over this precious treasure with a staff he held in his hand. 00:12:50.500 --> 00:12:52.500 Then he turned to those around him and said, 00:12:52.500 --> 00:12:54.500 "Indeed, a people who have surrendered this are surely honest." 00:12:55.500 --> 00:12:58.500 Ali Ibn Abi Talib, who was present at the time, said to him, 00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:00.500 "You have remained chaste, 00:13:01.500 --> 00:13:03.500 so your subjects have remained chaste, O Commander of the Faithful. 00:13:04.500 --> 00:13:06.500 Had you indulged, they would have indulged." 00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:11.500 Then the Faruq, may Allah be pleased with him, called for Suraqah Ibn Malik. 00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:16.500 He dressed him in the tunic, trousers, and cloak of Chosroes. 00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:19.500 He girded him with his sword and belt, 00:13:19.500 --> 00:13:21.500 placed his crown upon his head, 00:13:22.500 --> 00:13:23.500 and put his bracelets on his arms. 00:13:24.500 --> 00:13:25.500 Yes, his bracelets. 00:13:26.500 --> 00:13:28.500 At that, the Muslims cried out: 00:13:29.500 --> 00:13:31.500 "Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest! 00:13:32.500 --> 00:13:33.500 Allah is the Greatest!" 00:13:34.500 --> 00:13:36.500 Then Umar turned to Suraqah and said, 00:13:37.500 --> 00:13:38.500 "Well done, well done! 00:13:39.500 --> 00:13:40.500 A Bedouin from the tribe of Mudlij, 00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:42.500 with the crown of Chosroes upon his head, 00:13:43.500 --> 00:13:44.500 and his bracelets upon his arms." 00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:47.750 Then he raised his head to the sky and said, 00:13:47.750 --> 00:13:50.750 "O Allah, You withheld this wealth from Your Messenger, 00:13:51.750 --> 00:13:54.750 who was more beloved to You than I, and more noble in Your sight. 00:13:55.750 --> 00:13:56.750 And You withheld it from Abu Bakr, 00:13:57.750 --> 00:14:00.750 who was more beloved to You than I, and more noble in Your sight. 00:14:01.750 --> 00:14:02.750 Yet You have given it to me. 00:14:03.750 --> 00:14:06.750 I seek refuge in You lest You have given it to me to lead me into temptation." 00:14:07.750 --> 00:14:11.820 He did not rise from his seat until he had distributed it among the Muslims. 00:14:12.820 --> 00:14:13.820 "How will you be, O Suraqah, 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:18.799 when you wear—" 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:20.799 "—the bracelets of Chosroes." 00:14:22.059 --> 00:14:24.059 Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.