In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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 on him.
Julaybib.
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When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, migrated to Medina, Julaybib was
a young boy, barely over ten years of age.
No sooner had his young eyes beholden the Great Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
than he settled in the very depths of his heart,
and his soul became enraptured with his love.
He became so consumed by him that he turned away from his young playmates and peers,
with whom he used to enjoy mutual companionship.
At that time, Julaybib had neither family nor wealth,
so he took the Mosque of the Messenger, peace be upon him, as his dwelling,
and found among the People of the Suffah a family and close companions.
He would sustain himself alongside them from whatever food was gifted to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and from the charity bestowed upon them by benevolent people.
Julaybib was lighthearted and possessed a sweet sense of humor,
friendly and well-liked by all.
He used to visit the homes of the Ansar in Yathrib,
spreading cheer among them with his amusing anecdotes,
and brightening their atmosphere with the witty stories he narrated to them.
No door was ever closed in his face,
nor did any woman feel the need to observe hijab in his presence,
because he was still a child who had not yet reached puberty.
Then Julaybib grew up and reached manhood,
whereupon husbands began alerting their wives and daughters
that Julaybib was no longer a child as they had previously known him,
and that they must veil themselves from him
and no longer grant him permission to enter upon them as they used to do.
One day,
on that very day,
the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to Julaybib,
"Will you not get married, O Julaybib?"
He replied, "And who would marry me off, O Messenger of Allah?
For I am a poor young man with no means for maintenance or a dowry."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"I shall seek a righteous wife for you,
and Allah Almighty is the One Who will enrich you both from His bounty."
It was the custom among the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
that whenever they had a daughter they wished to marry off,
or a woman whose husband had passed away,
they would not marry her to anyone
until they had first offered her in marriage to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
so they might know whether he had any need for her himself or not.
A period of time passed during which no woman suitable for Julaybib was offered to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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When this delay prolonged,
he went to a man from the Ansar and said,
"O so-and-so, marry your daughter, so-and-so, to me."
The man was overjoyed upon hearing this and said,
"Yes, O Messenger of Allah! Yes, most gladly and delightedly!
What an honorable and cherished son-in-law you would be, O Messenger of Allah!"
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to him,
"I do not seek her for myself."
The man's joy subsided, and he asked,
"For whom do you seek her, O Messenger of Allah?"
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied,
"For Julaybib."
The joy that had overflowed from the man's face vanished, and he said,
"Give me time, O Messenger of Allah, so that I may consult her mother,
for I do not wish to decide such a matter without her."
The man went home gloomy and heavy-hearted,
for he knew with absolute certainty
that his wife would never accept a young man like Julaybib as a husband for her daughter,
yet at the same time,
he could never bring himself
to turn away the Messenger, peace be upon him, disappointed,
no matter how difficult his request might be.
When he reached his house,
he called out to his wife, saying,
"O mother of so-and-so!"
She came to him, saying,
"Here I am!"
He said, "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is asking for your daughter's hand in marriage!"
She exclaimed,
"My daughter?!
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is asking for my daughter's hand?!
How blessed she is!
Welcome to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him!
Welcome indeed!
Yes, we shall marry her to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him!
Could there be any honor above such an honor?!"
The man interrupted her and said,
"But he does not want her for himself."
The woman went still and asked in disappointment,
"For whom does he want her then?"
He said, "For Julaybib."
She exclaimed, "For Julaybib?!
No, by Allah! No, I shall never marry her to Julaybib!"
The man said,
"What shall I say to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him?"
She replied, "Tell him whatever you wish!
Offer him whatever excuse comes to your mind,
for I am certainly not one to accept Julaybib as a husband for my daughter or as a son-in-law!"
The argument between the spouses grew heated,
and their voices rose.
The husband was trying to appease his wife and soften her stance,
while the wife remained harsh and persistent.
When he despaired of persuading her
and set out to go to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to inform him of the decision,
their daughter rushed to him,
having heard fragments of the conversation that had taken place between them.
She asked, "Who has sought my hand from you?"
The mother replied,
"The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, asked for your hand on behalf of Julaybib,
but I refused to marry you to him.
For a girl of your youth, beauty, and noble lineage
deserves the most honorable of husbands!"
The young woman said,
"Woe to you!
Would you reject a command from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him?!
By Allah, I am not one to reject a request from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him!
Grant the request of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
for ﴿The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than their own selves﴾.
Hand me over to Julaybib,
and rest assured that Allah will never let me perish!"
The mother fell silent reluctantly,
and the father went to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said,
"It is as you wish, O Messenger of Allah.
Marry our daughter to Julaybib."
The Messenger of Allah's face brightened with joy,
and he supplicated for the girl, saying,
"O Allah, pour down goodness upon her abundantly,
and do not make her life hard and painful!"
And he married her to Julaybib.
Only a few days had passed after Julaybib's joy with his bride
when the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, called
the people to a military expedition to fight alongside him in the cause of Allah.
Julaybib hastened to answer the call of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
prepared himself,
bade farewell to his bride,
and set out in the company of the Great Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
When the Prophet, peace be upon him, concluded his expedition
and Allah granted him victory,
he asked his Companions,
"Is anyone missing from among you?"
They replied, "No, O Messenger of Allah."
He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"But I miss Julaybib!
Look for him."
So the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, set out
searching for Julaybib across the battlefield,
and there he was, having slain seven of the polytheists with his sword
before falling slain beside them,
advancing courageously without ever turning his back.
They returned to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said,
"Here is Julaybib, beside seven whom he killed before he was killed!"
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, walked over to him,
stood over his body, and said,
"He killed seven, then they killed him.
He is of me, and I am of him!
He is of me, and I am of him!"
Then he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, ordered that a grave be dug for him.
When they finished digging the grave,
the Great Prophet, peace be upon him, went to him,
lifted him upon his own forearms,
and placed him with his noble hands into his resting place,
then poured dust over him.
When the waiting period ('iddah) of Julaybib's wife came to an end,
men rushed in great numbers to seek her hand in marriage,
to the extent that there was no woman among the Ansar more sought after or desired for marriage than her.
For the people knew that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
had supplicated to Allah for her,
asking that He pour down goodness upon her abundantly
and not make her life hard and painful.
"Julaybib is of me, and I am of him."
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Through Muhammad and through his Companions...
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