1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 2 00:00:15,220 --> 00:00:18,219 The Mawaddah Association is pleased 3 00:00:18,219 --> 00:00:22,219 to present to you *Portraits from the Lives of the Companions* 4 00:00:22,219 --> 00:00:25,219 by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 5 00:00:25,219 --> 00:00:27,260 may Allah have mercy on him. 6 00:00:27,260 --> 00:00:33,789 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him. 7 00:00:45,429 --> 00:00:49,490 I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed. 8 00:00:49,490 --> 00:00:52,490 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 9 00:00:52,490 --> 00:00:55,490 These noble verses tell a unique and remarkable story, 10 00:00:55,490 --> 00:00:59,490 in which a conflict of opposing emotions unfolded 11 00:00:59,490 --> 00:01:02,490 within the soul of a tender youth; 12 00:01:02,490 --> 00:01:05,489 yet good triumphed over evil, 13 00:01:05,489 --> 00:01:07,489 and faith prevailed over disbelief. 14 00:01:07,489 --> 00:01:09,489 As for the hero of this story, 15 00:01:09,489 --> 00:01:12,489 he was a youth among the noblest of Mecca's young men in lineage, 16 00:01:12,489 --> 00:01:15,489 and the most distinguished among them in mother and father. 17 00:01:15,489 --> 00:01:18,489 That youth was Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, 18 00:01:18,489 --> 00:01:21,680 may Allah be pleased with him and grant him contentment. 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,680 When the light of prophethood dawned upon Mecca, Sa'd was 20 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,680 a young man in the prime of his youth, 21 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:29,680 tender and vigorous, 22 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,680 soft-hearted, 23 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:33,680 exceptionally dutiful to his parents, 24 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,680 and deeply devoted, in particular, to his mother. 25 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:38,810 And despite the fact that Sa'd 26 00:01:38,810 --> 00:01:42,810 was then welcoming his seventeenth spring, 27 00:01:42,810 --> 00:01:44,810 he possessed within his modest cloak 28 00:01:44,810 --> 00:01:48,810 much of the sound judgment of mature men and the wisdom of elders. 29 00:01:48,810 --> 00:01:52,900 For instance, he found no pleasure in that which captured 30 00:01:52,900 --> 00:01:55,939 the interest of his peers among various amusements; 31 00:01:55,939 --> 00:01:58,939 rather, he directed all his energy toward fashioning arrows, 32 00:01:58,939 --> 00:02:00,939 mending bows, 33 00:02:00,939 --> 00:02:02,939 and practicing archery, 34 00:02:02,939 --> 00:02:06,939 so much so that it was as though he was preparing himself for a momentous affair. 35 00:02:06,939 --> 00:02:11,030 Nor did he feel at ease with what he found his people engaged in, 36 00:02:11,030 --> 00:02:14,030 with their corrupted beliefs and deplorable condition, 37 00:02:14,030 --> 00:02:18,030 as if he were waiting for there to reach out to them 38 00:02:18,030 --> 00:02:21,030 a firm, resolute, and compassionate hand 39 00:02:21,030 --> 00:02:25,030 to rescue them from the darkness in which they were stumbling. 40 00:02:25,030 --> 00:02:27,030 And while he was in that state, 41 00:02:27,030 --> 00:02:32,030 Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, willed to honor all of humanity 42 00:02:32,030 --> 00:02:35,030 with this compassionate and uplifting hand: 43 00:02:35,030 --> 00:02:39,030 the hand of the master of creation, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, 44 00:02:39,030 --> 00:02:44,060 holding within his grasp that divine beacon that never dims: 45 00:02:44,060 --> 00:02:46,189 the Book of Allah. 46 00:02:46,189 --> 00:02:49,189 How swiftly did Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas respond 47 00:02:49,189 --> 00:02:51,189 to the call of guidance and truth, 48 00:02:51,189 --> 00:02:55,189 becoming the third of three men to embrace Islam, 49 00:02:55,189 --> 00:02:57,189 or the fourth of four. 50 00:02:57,189 --> 00:03:01,419 Therefore, he would often say with pride: 51 00:03:01,419 --> 00:03:04,419 "I spent seven days 52 00:03:04,419 --> 00:03:06,419 while being one-third of Islam." 53 00:03:06,419 --> 00:03:10,699 Great was the joy of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 54 00:03:10,699 --> 00:03:12,699 at Sa'd's acceptance of Islam; 55 00:03:12,699 --> 00:03:17,699 for in Sa'd were signs of nobility and early manhood 56 00:03:17,699 --> 00:03:20,699 that heralded that this crescent 57 00:03:20,699 --> 00:03:23,699 would soon become a full moon. 58 00:03:23,699 --> 00:03:27,740 Sa'd also possessed such noble lineage and illustrious standing 59 00:03:27,740 --> 00:03:31,740 as would entice the young men of Mecca to follow his path 60 00:03:31,740 --> 00:03:33,740 and walk in his footsteps. 61 00:03:33,740 --> 00:03:36,900 Moreover, above all that, 62 00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:40,900 Sa'd was one of the maternal uncles of the Prophet, peace be upon him, 63 00:03:40,900 --> 00:03:42,900 for he belonged to the clan of Banu Zuhrah, 64 00:03:42,900 --> 00:03:45,900 and Banu Zuhrah were the kin of Aminah bint Wahb, 65 00:03:45,900 --> 00:03:48,900 the mother of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 66 00:03:48,900 --> 00:03:53,020 And the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 67 00:03:53,020 --> 00:03:55,020 used to take pride in this maternal relationship. 68 00:03:55,020 --> 00:03:57,020 It was narrated that the noble Prophet 69 00:03:57,020 --> 00:04:00,020 was sitting with a group of his Companions, 70 00:04:00,020 --> 00:04:03,020 when he saw Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas approaching, 71 00:04:03,020 --> 00:04:05,020 so he said to those with him: 72 00:04:05,020 --> 00:04:07,020 "This is my maternal uncle; 73 00:04:07,020 --> 00:04:09,020 let any man show me his maternal uncle!" 74 00:04:09,020 --> 00:04:12,250 Yet the acceptance of Islam by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas 75 00:04:12,250 --> 00:04:14,250 did not pass easily or smoothly; 76 00:04:14,250 --> 00:04:16,250 rather, the believing youth was subjected 77 00:04:16,250 --> 00:04:19,250 to one of the harshest trials in severity 78 00:04:19,250 --> 00:04:21,250 and the most violent in intensity, 79 00:04:21,250 --> 00:04:25,250 so severe and intense, in fact, 80 00:04:25,250 --> 00:04:29,250 that Allah, Glorified be He, revealed Qur'an concerning it. 81 00:04:29,250 --> 00:04:31,310 Let us leave the floor to Sa'd 82 00:04:31,310 --> 00:04:35,310 to recount to us the story of this extraordinary trial. 83 00:04:35,310 --> 00:04:36,310 Sa'd said: 84 00:04:36,310 --> 00:04:40,310 "Three nights before I embraced Islam, I saw in a dream 85 00:04:40,310 --> 00:04:44,310 as though I were drowning in layers of darkness, one upon another. 86 00:04:44,310 --> 00:04:48,500 And while I was floundering in its depths, 87 00:04:48,500 --> 00:04:51,500 a moon shone for me, so I followed it. 88 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:55,500 Then I saw a group of men ahead of me who had reached that moon before me: 89 00:04:55,500 --> 00:04:57,500 I saw Zayd ibn Harithah, 90 00:04:57,500 --> 00:04:59,500 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 91 00:04:59,500 --> 00:05:01,500 and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. 92 00:05:01,500 --> 00:05:05,500 So I asked them, 'Since when have you been here?' 93 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:07,500 They replied, 'Just this hour.' 94 00:05:07,500 --> 00:05:10,500 Then, when morning broke upon me, 95 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:14,500 word reached me that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 96 00:05:14,500 --> 00:05:16,500 was inviting people to Islam in secret. 97 00:05:16,500 --> 00:05:20,500 Thus I knew that Allah intended good for me, 98 00:05:20,500 --> 00:05:24,500 and willed to bring me out, through him, from darkness into light. 99 00:05:24,500 --> 00:05:26,500 So I hurried to him 100 00:05:26,500 --> 00:05:29,500 until I met him in the valley of Jiyad, 101 00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:31,500 just after he had prayed 'Asr, 102 00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:32,500 and I embraced Islam. 103 00:05:32,500 --> 00:05:37,500 No one had preceded me except that group whom I had seen in the dream." 104 00:05:37,500 --> 00:05:42,500 Then Sa'd continued the narration of his conversion, saying: 105 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:47,500 "No sooner did my mother hear of my embracing Islam than her fury erupted. 106 00:05:47,500 --> 00:05:51,500 I had always been a dutiful and loving son to her, 107 00:05:51,500 --> 00:05:53,500 so she came to me, saying: 108 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:56,500 'O Sa'd! What is this religion you have embraced, 109 00:05:56,500 --> 00:05:59,500 that has turned you away from the religion of your mother and father? 110 00:05:59,500 --> 00:06:02,500 By Allah, you will surely abandon your new religion, 111 00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:05,500 or else I shall neither eat nor drink until I die, 112 00:06:05,500 --> 00:06:08,500 so that your heart will be torn with grief over me, 113 00:06:08,500 --> 00:06:12,500 remorse will consume you for what you have done, 114 00:06:12,500 --> 00:06:15,500 and people will reproach you for it for all time.' 115 00:06:15,500 --> 00:06:18,600 I said, 'Do not do this, dear mother, 116 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,600 for I will not forsake my religion for anything.' 117 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,759 Yet she persisted in her threat; 118 00:06:24,759 --> 00:06:27,759 she abstained from food and drink, 119 00:06:27,759 --> 00:06:31,759 and remained days in that state, neither eating nor drinking, 120 00:06:31,759 --> 00:06:34,759 until her body emaciated, her bones grew feeble, 121 00:06:34,759 --> 00:06:36,759 and her strength gave way. 122 00:06:36,759 --> 00:06:39,759 I began coming to her hour after hour, 123 00:06:39,759 --> 00:06:42,759 begging her to take some food 124 00:06:42,759 --> 00:06:45,759 or a little drink, 125 00:06:45,759 --> 00:06:48,759 but she refused vehemently, 126 00:06:48,759 --> 00:06:51,759 swearing that she would neither eat nor drink until she died 127 00:06:51,759 --> 00:06:54,759 or I abandoned my religion. 128 00:06:54,759 --> 00:06:56,759 At that point, I said to her: 129 00:06:56,759 --> 00:06:57,759 'O my mother! 130 00:06:57,759 --> 00:07:00,759 Despite my deep love for you, 131 00:07:00,759 --> 00:07:03,889 my love for Allah and His Messenger is far greater. 132 00:07:03,889 --> 00:07:06,889 By Allah, even if you had a thousand souls, 133 00:07:06,889 --> 00:07:09,889 and they departed from you one after another, 134 00:07:09,889 --> 00:07:12,920 I would never leave this religion of mine for anything.' 135 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:14,920 When she saw my firm resolve, 136 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:16,920 she gave in 137 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,920 and ate and drank against her will. 138 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:21,920 Then Allah, Exalted and Glorious, revealed concerning us His saying..." 139 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,920 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, experienced 140 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,920 some of the most benevolent days for the Muslims 141 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,949 and the most abundant in goodness for Islam. 142 00:07:30,949 --> 00:07:32,949 On the Day of Badr, 143 00:07:32,949 --> 00:07:36,949 Sa'd and his brother 'Umayr had an unforgettable stand. 144 00:07:36,949 --> 00:07:38,949 For 'Umayr was then 145 00:07:38,949 --> 00:07:42,949 a tender youth who had barely reached the age of puberty. 146 00:07:42,949 --> 00:07:45,949 When the Messenger, peace be upon him, began 147 00:07:45,949 --> 00:07:48,949 reviewing the Muslim forces before the battle, 148 00:07:48,949 --> 00:07:50,949 'Umayr, Sa'd's brother, hid himself, 149 00:07:50,949 --> 00:07:52,949 fearing that the Messenger would see him 150 00:07:52,949 --> 00:07:54,949 and send him back because of his young age. 151 00:07:54,949 --> 00:07:57,949 But the Messenger, peace be upon him, 152 00:07:57,949 --> 00:08:00,019 caught sight of him and turned him back. 153 00:08:00,019 --> 00:08:02,019 Thereupon, 'Umayr began to weep, 154 00:08:02,019 --> 00:08:05,019 until the Prophet's heart softened for him, and he permitted him to stay. 155 00:08:05,019 --> 00:08:07,079 At that, 156 00:08:07,079 --> 00:08:09,079 Sa'd approached him joyfully 157 00:08:09,079 --> 00:08:13,079 and tied the baldric of his sword in knots because of his small stature, 158 00:08:13,079 --> 00:08:17,079 and the two brothers went forth striving in the cause of Allah 159 00:08:17,079 --> 00:08:19,209 with true devotion. 160 00:08:19,209 --> 00:08:21,209 When the battle ended, 161 00:08:21,209 --> 00:08:24,209 Sa'd returned to Medina alone; 162 00:08:24,209 --> 00:08:26,209 as for 'Umayr, 163 00:08:26,209 --> 00:08:29,209 he left him behind as a martyr on the soil of Badr, 164 00:08:29,209 --> 00:08:31,209 seeking his reward with Allah. 165 00:08:31,209 --> 00:08:33,210 And on the Day of Uhud, 166 00:08:33,210 --> 00:08:35,210 when feet wavered, 167 00:08:35,210 --> 00:08:39,210 and the Muslims were scattered away from the Prophet, peace be upon him, 168 00:08:39,210 --> 00:08:42,210 until none remained with him except a small group 169 00:08:42,210 --> 00:08:44,210 not even numbering ten, 170 00:08:44,210 --> 00:08:46,210 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas stood firm, 171 00:08:46,210 --> 00:08:50,210 defending the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, with his bow. 172 00:08:50,210 --> 00:08:52,210 He did not loose an arrow 173 00:08:52,210 --> 00:08:55,210 without striking a pagan fatally. 174 00:08:55,210 --> 00:08:58,210 When the Messenger, peace be upon him, saw him 175 00:08:58,210 --> 00:09:00,210 shooting in such a manner, 176 00:09:00,210 --> 00:09:02,210 he began urging him on, saying to him: 177 00:09:02,210 --> 00:09:04,210 "Shoot, Sa'd! Shoot! 178 00:09:04,210 --> 00:09:06,210 May my father and mother be ransomed for you!" 179 00:09:06,210 --> 00:09:09,269 Sa'd continued to take pride in those words throughout his life, 180 00:09:09,269 --> 00:09:11,269 and would say: 181 00:09:11,269 --> 00:09:14,269 "The Messenger never invoked both his parents for anyone except me," 182 00:09:14,269 --> 00:09:18,269 referring to when he ransomed him with his father and mother together. 183 00:09:18,269 --> 00:09:21,370 But Sa'd reached the pinnacle of his glory 184 00:09:21,370 --> 00:09:25,370 when al-Faruq resolved to wage a war against the Persians 185 00:09:25,370 --> 00:09:27,370 that would bring down their empire, 186 00:09:27,370 --> 00:09:29,370 topple their throne, 187 00:09:29,370 --> 00:09:32,370 and uproot the vestiges of paganism from the face of the earth. 188 00:09:32,370 --> 00:09:36,429 So he dispatched letters to his governors throughout the provinces: 189 00:09:36,429 --> 00:09:40,429 "Send to me everyone who possesses a weapon or a horse, 190 00:09:40,429 --> 00:09:42,429 valor or sound judgment, 191 00:09:42,429 --> 00:09:45,429 or talent in poetry, oratory, or the like— 192 00:09:45,429 --> 00:09:47,429 anything that would be of benefit to the battle." 193 00:09:47,429 --> 00:09:52,429 Delegations of mujahideen began pouring into Medina from every direction; 194 00:09:52,429 --> 00:09:54,460 and when their ranks were complete, 195 00:09:54,460 --> 00:09:58,460 al-Faruq began consulting the prominent decision-makers 196 00:09:58,460 --> 00:10:01,460 as to whom he should appoint over the great army 197 00:10:01,460 --> 00:10:03,460 and entrust with its command. 198 00:10:03,460 --> 00:10:05,460 They replied with one voice: 199 00:10:05,460 --> 00:10:07,460 the charging lion, 200 00:10:07,460 --> 00:10:09,460 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. 201 00:10:09,460 --> 00:10:13,529 So 'Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both—summoned him 202 00:10:13,529 --> 00:10:15,529 and entrusted him with the army's banner. 203 00:10:16,529 --> 00:10:20,659 When that vast army was ready to depart from Madinah, 204 00:10:20,659 --> 00:10:24,659 'Umar ibn al-Khattab stood to bid it farewell and counsel its commander. 205 00:10:24,659 --> 00:10:27,659 He said: "O Sa'd, 206 00:10:27,659 --> 00:10:31,659 do not let it deceive you before Allah that you are called the maternal uncle of the Messenger of Allah 207 00:10:31,659 --> 00:10:33,659 and the companion of the Messenger of Allah! 208 00:10:33,659 --> 00:10:37,659 For Allah, Mighty and Majestic, does not erase evil with evil; 209 00:10:37,659 --> 00:10:40,659 rather, He erases evil deeds with good deeds. 210 00:10:40,659 --> 00:10:42,659 O Sa'd! 211 00:10:42,659 --> 00:10:47,659 Truly, there is no lineage between Allah and anyone save obedience to Him. 212 00:10:47,659 --> 00:10:51,659 All people, the noble and the common among them, are equal before Allah: 213 00:10:51,659 --> 00:10:54,690 Allah is their Lord and they are His servants. 214 00:10:54,690 --> 00:10:56,690 They excel one another only in piety, 215 00:10:56,690 --> 00:10:59,690 and they attain what is with Allah only through obedience. 216 00:10:59,690 --> 00:11:03,690 Look to the matter that you saw the Prophet adhere to, and hold fast to it, 217 00:11:03,690 --> 00:11:05,909 for that is the true path." 218 00:11:05,909 --> 00:11:07,909 And so the blessed army marched forth, 219 00:11:07,909 --> 00:11:10,909 including ninety-nine veterans of Badr, 220 00:11:10,909 --> 00:11:13,909 over three hundred and ten 221 00:11:13,909 --> 00:11:18,909 who had companionship from the Pledge of Ridwan and beyond, 222 00:11:18,909 --> 00:11:23,909 three hundred who had witnessed the Conquest of Makkah with the Messenger of Allah, 223 00:11:23,909 --> 00:11:27,009 and seven hundred sons of the Companions. 224 00:11:27,009 --> 00:11:29,009 Sa'd advanced 225 00:11:29,009 --> 00:11:32,009 and encamped with his army at al-Qadisiyyah. 226 00:11:32,009 --> 00:11:34,009 And when the Day of al-Harir came, 227 00:11:34,009 --> 00:11:37,009 the Muslims resolved to make it the decisive blow. 228 00:11:37,009 --> 00:11:41,009 They encircled their enemy as a shackle encircles a wrist, 229 00:11:41,009 --> 00:11:46,009 penetrating their ranks from every side, proclaiming the oneness and greatness of Allah. 230 00:11:46,009 --> 00:11:49,009 Suddenly, the head of Rustam, the commander of the Persian army, 231 00:11:49,009 --> 00:11:52,009 was raised high upon the spears of the Muslims. 232 00:11:52,009 --> 00:11:57,009 Thereupon, terror and panic crept into the hearts of the enemies of Allah, 233 00:11:57,009 --> 00:12:00,009 to the point that a Muslim would merely beckon to a Persian soldier, 234 00:12:00,009 --> 00:12:02,009 and the soldier would come directly to him to be slain, 235 00:12:02,009 --> 00:12:04,009 often killed with his own weapon. 236 00:12:04,009 --> 00:12:06,200 As for the spoils of war, 237 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:08,200 speak of them without restriction! 238 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,200 And as for the enemy's slain, 239 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:14,200 it is enough for you to know that those who perished by drowning alone 240 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,389 numbered thirty thousand. 241 00:12:17,389 --> 00:12:19,389 Sa'd lived a long life, 242 00:12:19,389 --> 00:12:23,389 and Allah bestowed upon him immense wealth. 243 00:12:23,389 --> 00:12:26,389 Yet, when death approached him, 244 00:12:26,389 --> 00:12:29,389 he called for a worn woolen cloak, 245 00:12:29,389 --> 00:12:30,389 and said: 246 00:12:30,389 --> 00:12:32,389 "Shroud me in this, 247 00:12:32,389 --> 00:12:35,389 for in it I faced the polytheists on the day of Badr, 248 00:12:35,389 --> 00:12:40,389 and in it I wish to meet Allah, Mighty and Majestic, as well."