WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 00:00:15.220 --> 00:00:18.219 The Mawaddah Association is pleased 00:00:18.219 --> 00:00:22.219 to present to you *Portraits from the Lives of the Companions* 00:00:22.219 --> 00:00:25.219 by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:25.219 --> 00:00:27.260 may Allah have mercy on him. 00:00:27.260 --> 00:00:33.789 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him. 00:00:45.429 --> 00:00:49.490 I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed. 00:00:49.490 --> 00:00:52.490 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 00:00:52.490 --> 00:00:55.490 These noble verses tell a unique and remarkable story, 00:00:55.490 --> 00:00:59.490 in which a conflict of opposing emotions unfolded 00:00:59.490 --> 00:01:02.490 within the soul of a tender youth; 00:01:02.490 --> 00:01:05.489 yet good triumphed over evil, 00:01:05.489 --> 00:01:07.489 and faith prevailed over disbelief. 00:01:07.489 --> 00:01:09.489 As for the hero of this story, 00:01:09.489 --> 00:01:12.489 he was a youth among the noblest of Mecca's young men in lineage, 00:01:12.489 --> 00:01:15.489 and the most distinguished among them in mother and father. 00:01:15.489 --> 00:01:18.489 That youth was Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, 00:01:18.489 --> 00:01:21.680 may Allah be pleased with him and grant him contentment. 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.680 When the light of prophethood dawned upon Mecca, Sa'd was 00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:27.680 a young man in the prime of his youth, 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:29.680 tender and vigorous, 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:31.680 soft-hearted, 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:33.680 exceptionally dutiful to his parents, 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:36.680 and deeply devoted, in particular, to his mother. 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:38.810 And despite the fact that Sa'd 00:01:38.810 --> 00:01:42.810 was then welcoming his seventeenth spring, 00:01:42.810 --> 00:01:44.810 he possessed within his modest cloak 00:01:44.810 --> 00:01:48.810 much of the sound judgment of mature men and the wisdom of elders. 00:01:48.810 --> 00:01:52.900 For instance, he found no pleasure in that which captured 00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:55.939 the interest of his peers among various amusements; 00:01:55.939 --> 00:01:58.939 rather, he directed all his energy toward fashioning arrows, 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:00.939 mending bows, 00:02:00.939 --> 00:02:02.939 and practicing archery, 00:02:02.939 --> 00:02:06.939 so much so that it was as though he was preparing himself for a momentous affair. 00:02:06.939 --> 00:02:11.030 Nor did he feel at ease with what he found his people engaged in, 00:02:11.030 --> 00:02:14.030 with their corrupted beliefs and deplorable condition, 00:02:14.030 --> 00:02:18.030 as if he were waiting for there to reach out to them 00:02:18.030 --> 00:02:21.030 a firm, resolute, and compassionate hand 00:02:21.030 --> 00:02:25.030 to rescue them from the darkness in which they were stumbling. 00:02:25.030 --> 00:02:27.030 And while he was in that state, 00:02:27.030 --> 00:02:32.030 Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, willed to honor all of humanity 00:02:32.030 --> 00:02:35.030 with this compassionate and uplifting hand: 00:02:35.030 --> 00:02:39.030 the hand of the master of creation, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, 00:02:39.030 --> 00:02:44.060 holding within his grasp that divine beacon that never dims: 00:02:44.060 --> 00:02:46.189 the Book of Allah. 00:02:46.189 --> 00:02:49.189 How swiftly did Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas respond 00:02:49.189 --> 00:02:51.189 to the call of guidance and truth, 00:02:51.189 --> 00:02:55.189 becoming the third of three men to embrace Islam, 00:02:55.189 --> 00:02:57.189 or the fourth of four. 00:02:57.189 --> 00:03:01.419 Therefore, he would often say with pride: 00:03:01.419 --> 00:03:04.419 "I spent seven days 00:03:04.419 --> 00:03:06.419 while being one-third of Islam." 00:03:06.419 --> 00:03:10.699 Great was the joy of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:03:10.699 --> 00:03:12.699 at Sa'd's acceptance of Islam; 00:03:12.699 --> 00:03:17.699 for in Sa'd were signs of nobility and early manhood 00:03:17.699 --> 00:03:20.699 that heralded that this crescent 00:03:20.699 --> 00:03:23.699 would soon become a full moon. 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:27.740 Sa'd also possessed such noble lineage and illustrious standing 00:03:27.740 --> 00:03:31.740 as would entice the young men of Mecca to follow his path 00:03:31.740 --> 00:03:33.740 and walk in his footsteps. 00:03:33.740 --> 00:03:36.900 Moreover, above all that, 00:03:36.900 --> 00:03:40.900 Sa'd was one of the maternal uncles of the Prophet, peace be upon him, 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:42.900 for he belonged to the clan of Banu Zuhrah, 00:03:42.900 --> 00:03:45.900 and Banu Zuhrah were the kin of Aminah bint Wahb, 00:03:45.900 --> 00:03:48.900 the mother of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:03:48.900 --> 00:03:53.020 And the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:03:53.020 --> 00:03:55.020 used to take pride in this maternal relationship. 00:03:55.020 --> 00:03:57.020 It was narrated that the noble Prophet 00:03:57.020 --> 00:04:00.020 was sitting with a group of his Companions, 00:04:00.020 --> 00:04:03.020 when he saw Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas approaching, 00:04:03.020 --> 00:04:05.020 so he said to those with him: 00:04:05.020 --> 00:04:07.020 "This is my maternal uncle; 00:04:07.020 --> 00:04:09.020 let any man show me his maternal uncle!" 00:04:09.020 --> 00:04:12.250 Yet the acceptance of Islam by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas 00:04:12.250 --> 00:04:14.250 did not pass easily or smoothly; 00:04:14.250 --> 00:04:16.250 rather, the believing youth was subjected 00:04:16.250 --> 00:04:19.250 to one of the harshest trials in severity 00:04:19.250 --> 00:04:21.250 and the most violent in intensity, 00:04:21.250 --> 00:04:25.250 so severe and intense, in fact, 00:04:25.250 --> 00:04:29.250 that Allah, Glorified be He, revealed Qur'an concerning it. 00:04:29.250 --> 00:04:31.310 Let us leave the floor to Sa'd 00:04:31.310 --> 00:04:35.310 to recount to us the story of this extraordinary trial. 00:04:35.310 --> 00:04:36.310 Sa'd said: 00:04:36.310 --> 00:04:40.310 "Three nights before I embraced Islam, I saw in a dream 00:04:40.310 --> 00:04:44.310 as though I were drowning in layers of darkness, one upon another. 00:04:44.310 --> 00:04:48.500 And while I was floundering in its depths, 00:04:48.500 --> 00:04:51.500 a moon shone for me, so I followed it. 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: 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:57.500 I saw Zayd ibn Harithah, 00:04:57.500 --> 00:04:59.500 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 00:04:59.500 --> 00:05:01.500 and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. 00:05:01.500 --> 00:05:05.500 So I asked them, 'Since when have you been here?' 00:05:05.500 --> 00:05:07.500 They replied, 'Just this hour.' 00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:10.500 Then, when morning broke upon me, 00:05:10.500 --> 00:05:14.500 word reached me that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:05:14.500 --> 00:05:16.500 was inviting people to Islam in secret. 00:05:16.500 --> 00:05:20.500 Thus I knew that Allah intended good for me, 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:24.500 and willed to bring me out, through him, from darkness into light. 00:05:24.500 --> 00:05:26.500 So I hurried to him 00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:29.500 until I met him in the valley of Jiyad, 00:05:29.500 --> 00:05:31.500 just after he had prayed 'Asr, 00:05:31.500 --> 00:05:32.500 and I embraced Islam. 00:05:32.500 --> 00:05:37.500 No one had preceded me except that group whom I had seen in the dream." 00:05:37.500 --> 00:05:42.500 Then Sa'd continued the narration of his conversion, saying: 00:05:42.500 --> 00:05:47.500 "No sooner did my mother hear of my embracing Islam than her fury erupted. 00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:51.500 I had always been a dutiful and loving son to her, 00:05:51.500 --> 00:05:53.500 so she came to me, saying: 00:05:53.500 --> 00:05:56.500 'O Sa'd! What is this religion you have embraced, 00:05:56.500 --> 00:05:59.500 that has turned you away from the religion of your mother and father? 00:05:59.500 --> 00:06:02.500 By Allah, you will surely abandon your new religion, 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:05.500 or else I shall neither eat nor drink until I die, 00:06:05.500 --> 00:06:08.500 so that your heart will be torn with grief over me, 00:06:08.500 --> 00:06:12.500 remorse will consume you for what you have done, 00:06:12.500 --> 00:06:15.500 and people will reproach you for it for all time.' 00:06:15.500 --> 00:06:18.600 I said, 'Do not do this, dear mother, 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:21.600 for I will not forsake my religion for anything.' 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:24.759 Yet she persisted in her threat; 00:06:24.759 --> 00:06:27.759 she abstained from food and drink, 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:31.759 and remained days in that state, neither eating nor drinking, 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:34.759 until her body emaciated, her bones grew feeble, 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:36.759 and her strength gave way. 00:06:36.759 --> 00:06:39.759 I began coming to her hour after hour, 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:42.759 begging her to take some food 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:45.759 or a little drink, 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:48.759 but she refused vehemently, 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:51.759 swearing that she would neither eat nor drink until she died 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:54.759 or I abandoned my religion. 00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:56.759 At that point, I said to her: 00:06:56.759 --> 00:06:57.759 'O my mother! 00:06:57.759 --> 00:07:00.759 Despite my deep love for you, 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:03.889 my love for Allah and His Messenger is far greater. 00:07:03.889 --> 00:07:06.889 By Allah, even if you had a thousand souls, 00:07:06.889 --> 00:07:09.889 and they departed from you one after another, 00:07:09.889 --> 00:07:12.920 I would never leave this religion of mine for anything.' 00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:14.920 When she saw my firm resolve, 00:07:14.920 --> 00:07:16.920 she gave in 00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:19.920 and ate and drank against her will. 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:21.920 Then Allah, Exalted and Glorious, revealed concerning us His saying..." 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:24.920 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, experienced 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:27.920 some of the most benevolent days for the Muslims 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:30.949 and the most abundant in goodness for Islam. 00:07:30.949 --> 00:07:32.949 On the Day of Badr, 00:07:32.949 --> 00:07:36.949 Sa'd and his brother 'Umayr had an unforgettable stand. 00:07:36.949 --> 00:07:38.949 For 'Umayr was then 00:07:38.949 --> 00:07:42.949 a tender youth who had barely reached the age of puberty. 00:07:42.949 --> 00:07:45.949 When the Messenger, peace be upon him, began 00:07:45.949 --> 00:07:48.949 reviewing the Muslim forces before the battle, 00:07:48.949 --> 00:07:50.949 'Umayr, Sa'd's brother, hid himself, 00:07:50.949 --> 00:07:52.949 fearing that the Messenger would see him 00:07:52.949 --> 00:07:54.949 and send him back because of his young age. 00:07:54.949 --> 00:07:57.949 But the Messenger, peace be upon him, 00:07:57.949 --> 00:08:00.019 caught sight of him and turned him back. 00:08:00.019 --> 00:08:02.019 Thereupon, 'Umayr began to weep, 00:08:02.019 --> 00:08:05.019 until the Prophet's heart softened for him, and he permitted him to stay. 00:08:05.019 --> 00:08:07.079 At that, 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:09.079 Sa'd approached him joyfully 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:13.079 and tied the baldric of his sword in knots because of his small stature, 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:17.079 and the two brothers went forth striving in the cause of Allah 00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:19.209 with true devotion. 00:08:19.209 --> 00:08:21.209 When the battle ended, 00:08:21.209 --> 00:08:24.209 Sa'd returned to Medina alone; 00:08:24.209 --> 00:08:26.209 as for 'Umayr, 00:08:26.209 --> 00:08:29.209 he left him behind as a martyr on the soil of Badr, 00:08:29.209 --> 00:08:31.209 seeking his reward with Allah. 00:08:31.209 --> 00:08:33.210 And on the Day of Uhud, 00:08:33.210 --> 00:08:35.210 when feet wavered, 00:08:35.210 --> 00:08:39.210 and the Muslims were scattered away from the Prophet, peace be upon him, 00:08:39.210 --> 00:08:42.210 until none remained with him except a small group 00:08:42.210 --> 00:08:44.210 not even numbering ten, 00:08:44.210 --> 00:08:46.210 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas stood firm, 00:08:46.210 --> 00:08:50.210 defending the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, with his bow. 00:08:50.210 --> 00:08:52.210 He did not loose an arrow 00:08:52.210 --> 00:08:55.210 without striking a pagan fatally. 00:08:55.210 --> 00:08:58.210 When the Messenger, peace be upon him, saw him 00:08:58.210 --> 00:09:00.210 shooting in such a manner, 00:09:00.210 --> 00:09:02.210 he began urging him on, saying to him: 00:09:02.210 --> 00:09:04.210 "Shoot, Sa'd! Shoot! 00:09:04.210 --> 00:09:06.210 May my father and mother be ransomed for you!" 00:09:06.210 --> 00:09:09.269 Sa'd continued to take pride in those words throughout his life, 00:09:09.269 --> 00:09:11.269 and would say: 00:09:11.269 --> 00:09:14.269 "The Messenger never invoked both his parents for anyone except me," 00:09:14.269 --> 00:09:18.269 referring to when he ransomed him with his father and mother together. 00:09:18.269 --> 00:09:21.370 But Sa'd reached the pinnacle of his glory 00:09:21.370 --> 00:09:25.370 when al-Faruq resolved to wage a war against the Persians 00:09:25.370 --> 00:09:27.370 that would bring down their empire, 00:09:27.370 --> 00:09:29.370 topple their throne, 00:09:29.370 --> 00:09:32.370 and uproot the vestiges of paganism from the face of the earth. 00:09:32.370 --> 00:09:36.429 So he dispatched letters to his governors throughout the provinces: 00:09:36.429 --> 00:09:40.429 "Send to me everyone who possesses a weapon or a horse, 00:09:40.429 --> 00:09:42.429 valor or sound judgment, 00:09:42.429 --> 00:09:45.429 or talent in poetry, oratory, or the like— 00:09:45.429 --> 00:09:47.429 anything that would be of benefit to the battle." 00:09:47.429 --> 00:09:52.429 Delegations of mujahideen began pouring into Medina from every direction; 00:09:52.429 --> 00:09:54.460 and when their ranks were complete, 00:09:54.460 --> 00:09:58.460 al-Faruq began consulting the prominent decision-makers 00:09:58.460 --> 00:10:01.460 as to whom he should appoint over the great army 00:10:01.460 --> 00:10:03.460 and entrust with its command. 00:10:03.460 --> 00:10:05.460 They replied with one voice: 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:07.460 the charging lion, 00:10:07.460 --> 00:10:09.460 Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. 00:10:09.460 --> 00:10:13.529 So 'Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both—summoned him 00:10:13.529 --> 00:10:15.529 and entrusted him with the army's banner. 00:10:16.529 --> 00:10:20.659 When that vast army was ready to depart from Madinah, 00:10:20.659 --> 00:10:24.659 'Umar ibn al-Khattab stood to bid it farewell and counsel its commander. 00:10:24.659 --> 00:10:27.659 He said: "O Sa'd, 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 00:10:31.659 --> 00:10:33.659 and the companion of the Messenger of Allah! 00:10:33.659 --> 00:10:37.659 For Allah, Mighty and Majestic, does not erase evil with evil; 00:10:37.659 --> 00:10:40.659 rather, He erases evil deeds with good deeds. 00:10:40.659 --> 00:10:42.659 O Sa'd! 00:10:42.659 --> 00:10:47.659 Truly, there is no lineage between Allah and anyone save obedience to Him. 00:10:47.659 --> 00:10:51.659 All people, the noble and the common among them, are equal before Allah: 00:10:51.659 --> 00:10:54.690 Allah is their Lord and they are His servants. 00:10:54.690 --> 00:10:56.690 They excel one another only in piety, 00:10:56.690 --> 00:10:59.690 and they attain what is with Allah only through obedience. 00:10:59.690 --> 00:11:03.690 Look to the matter that you saw the Prophet adhere to, and hold fast to it, 00:11:03.690 --> 00:11:05.909 for that is the true path." 00:11:05.909 --> 00:11:07.909 And so the blessed army marched forth, 00:11:07.909 --> 00:11:10.909 including ninety-nine veterans of Badr, 00:11:10.909 --> 00:11:13.909 over three hundred and ten 00:11:13.909 --> 00:11:18.909 who had companionship from the Pledge of Ridwan and beyond, 00:11:18.909 --> 00:11:23.909 three hundred who had witnessed the Conquest of Makkah with the Messenger of Allah, 00:11:23.909 --> 00:11:27.009 and seven hundred sons of the Companions. 00:11:27.009 --> 00:11:29.009 Sa'd advanced 00:11:29.009 --> 00:11:32.009 and encamped with his army at al-Qadisiyyah. 00:11:32.009 --> 00:11:34.009 And when the Day of al-Harir came, 00:11:34.009 --> 00:11:37.009 the Muslims resolved to make it the decisive blow. 00:11:37.009 --> 00:11:41.009 They encircled their enemy as a shackle encircles a wrist, 00:11:41.009 --> 00:11:46.009 penetrating their ranks from every side, proclaiming the oneness and greatness of Allah. 00:11:46.009 --> 00:11:49.009 Suddenly, the head of Rustam, the commander of the Persian army, 00:11:49.009 --> 00:11:52.009 was raised high upon the spears of the Muslims. 00:11:52.009 --> 00:11:57.009 Thereupon, terror and panic crept into the hearts of the enemies of Allah, 00:11:57.009 --> 00:12:00.009 to the point that a Muslim would merely beckon to a Persian soldier, 00:12:00.009 --> 00:12:02.009 and the soldier would come directly to him to be slain, 00:12:02.009 --> 00:12:04.009 often killed with his own weapon. 00:12:04.009 --> 00:12:06.200 As for the spoils of war, 00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:08.200 speak of them without restriction! 00:12:08.200 --> 00:12:10.200 And as for the enemy's slain, 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:14.200 it is enough for you to know that those who perished by drowning alone 00:12:14.200 --> 00:12:17.389 numbered thirty thousand. 00:12:17.389 --> 00:12:19.389 Sa'd lived a long life, 00:12:19.389 --> 00:12:23.389 and Allah bestowed upon him immense wealth. 00:12:23.389 --> 00:12:26.389 Yet, when death approached him, 00:12:26.389 --> 00:12:29.389 he called for a worn woolen cloak, 00:12:29.389 --> 00:12:30.389 and said: 00:12:30.389 --> 00:12:32.389 "Shroud me in this, 00:12:32.389 --> 00:12:35.389 for in it I faced the polytheists on the day of Badr, 00:12:35.389 --> 00:12:40.389 and in it I wish to meet Allah, Mighty and Majestic, as well."