1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:15,289 --> 00:00:18,289 Mawaddah Association is pleased 3 00:00:18,289 --> 00:00:22,289 to present to you snapshots from the lives of the Companions, 4 00:00:22,289 --> 00:00:25,289 by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 5 00:00:25,289 --> 00:00:27,320 may Allah have mercy on him. 6 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,730 Rabi'ah ibn Ka'b, 7 00:00:30,730 --> 00:00:33,049 may Allah be pleased with him. 8 00:00:45,100 --> 00:00:48,579 Rabi'ah ibn Ka'b said: 9 00:00:48,579 --> 00:00:53,579 I was a young boy when my soul shone with the light of faith, 10 00:00:53,579 --> 00:00:56,579 and my heart filled with the meanings of Islam. 11 00:00:56,579 --> 00:01:02,740 When my eyes caught sight of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for the first time, 12 00:01:02,740 --> 00:01:07,739 I loved him with a love that took hold of my every limb, 13 00:01:07,739 --> 00:01:11,739 and I became so infatuated with him that it turned me away from all else. 14 00:01:11,739 --> 00:01:14,930 So I said to myself one day: 15 00:01:14,930 --> 00:01:16,930 "Woe to you, O Rabi'ah! 16 00:01:16,930 --> 00:01:21,930 Why do you not devote yourself to serving the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? 17 00:01:21,930 --> 00:01:23,930 Offer yourself to him; 18 00:01:23,930 --> 00:01:28,930 if he accepts you, you will be blessed with his closeness, attain his love, 19 00:01:28,930 --> 00:01:31,930 and gain the best of this world and the Hereafter." 20 00:01:31,930 --> 00:01:36,989 Shortly thereafter, I offered myself in service to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), 21 00:01:36,989 --> 00:01:39,989 begging him to accept me into his service. 22 00:01:39,989 --> 00:01:41,989 He did not disappoint my hope, 23 00:01:41,989 --> 00:01:44,989 and he agreed for me to be his servant. 24 00:01:44,989 --> 00:01:46,989 From that day on, 25 00:01:46,989 --> 00:01:49,989 I clung to the Noble Prophet closer than his own shadow. 26 00:01:49,989 --> 00:01:52,989 I walked with him wherever he walked, 27 00:01:52,989 --> 00:01:55,989 and orbited in his sphere wherever he turned. 28 00:01:55,989 --> 00:01:58,989 Whenever he cast a glance in my direction, 29 00:01:58,989 --> 00:02:01,989 I stood immediately before him, attent. 30 00:02:01,989 --> 00:02:04,989 And whenever he showed a need for anything, 31 00:02:04,989 --> 00:02:07,989 he found me rushing to fulfill it. 32 00:02:07,989 --> 00:02:10,990 I would serve him all day long, 33 00:02:10,990 --> 00:02:12,990 and when the day ended, 34 00:02:12,990 --> 00:02:16,990 he prayed the late night prayer ('Isha') and retired to his house. 35 00:02:16,990 --> 00:02:18,990 I would prepare to depart, 36 00:02:18,990 --> 00:02:22,020 but soon I would say to myself: 37 00:02:22,020 --> 00:02:25,020 "Where are you going, Rabi'ah? 38 00:02:25,020 --> 00:02:28,020 Perhaps the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) will have 39 00:02:29,020 --> 00:02:31,020 some need during the night." 40 00:02:31,020 --> 00:02:33,020 So I would sit at his door, 41 00:02:33,020 --> 00:02:36,020 never leaving the threshold of his house. 42 00:02:36,020 --> 00:02:39,020 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to 43 00:02:39,020 --> 00:02:42,020 spend his night standing in prayer. 44 00:02:42,020 --> 00:02:45,020 Sometimes I would hear him reciting the Opening of the Book (al-Fatihah), 45 00:02:45,020 --> 00:02:49,020 repeating it over and over for a large portion of the night, 46 00:02:49,020 --> 00:02:51,020 until I grew weary and would leave him, 47 00:02:51,020 --> 00:02:54,020 or my eyes would overcome me and I would sleep. 48 00:02:54,020 --> 00:02:56,090 Other times I would hear him saying: 49 00:02:56,090 --> 00:02:59,090 "Allah hears whoever praises Him," 50 00:02:59,090 --> 00:03:05,090 repeating it for even longer than he repeated al-Fatihah. 51 00:03:05,090 --> 00:03:09,090 It was the custom of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 52 00:03:09,090 --> 00:03:12,090 that whenever anyone did him a favor, 53 00:03:12,090 --> 00:03:17,090 he loved to reward them with something even greater. 54 00:03:17,090 --> 00:03:20,090 He wished to reward me for my service to him, 55 00:03:20,090 --> 00:03:23,090 so he approached me one day and said: 56 00:03:23,090 --> 00:03:25,090 "O Rabi'ah ibn Ka'b!" 57 00:03:25,090 --> 00:03:29,150 I replied, "At your service and command, O Messenger of Allah!" 58 00:03:29,150 --> 00:03:33,280 He said, "Ask me for something, that I may give it to you." 59 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,280 I pondered for a moment, then said: 60 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,280 "Give me time, O Messenger of Allah, to consider what I should ask of you, 61 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,310 and then I will inform you." 62 00:03:42,310 --> 00:03:45,439 He said, "There is no harm in that." 63 00:03:45,439 --> 00:03:48,439 At that time, I was a poor young man, 64 00:03:48,439 --> 00:03:51,439 having neither family, nor wealth, nor housing. 65 00:03:51,439 --> 00:03:54,439 I used to take refuge in the Suffah of the Mosque, 66 00:03:54,439 --> 00:03:57,439 along with others like me among the poor Muslims. 67 00:03:57,439 --> 00:04:00,439 People used to call us the guests of Islam. 68 00:04:00,439 --> 00:04:03,439 Whenever anyone among the Muslims brought 69 00:04:03,439 --> 00:04:07,439 charity to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), 70 00:04:07,439 --> 00:04:09,439 he would send it all to us. 71 00:04:09,439 --> 00:04:12,439 And if someone presented him with a gift, 72 00:04:12,439 --> 00:04:16,439 he would take a little from it and give the rest to us. 73 00:04:16,439 --> 00:04:19,439 So my soul prompted me to ask the Messenger of Allah 74 00:04:19,439 --> 00:04:21,439 for some worldly good 75 00:04:21,439 --> 00:04:23,439 by which I might free myself from poverty 76 00:04:23,439 --> 00:04:27,439 and become like others, possessor of wealth, a wife, and children. 77 00:04:27,439 --> 00:04:29,439 But soon I said to myself: 78 00:04:29,439 --> 00:04:32,439 "Woe to you, O Rabi'ah ibn Ka'b! 79 00:04:32,439 --> 00:04:35,439 This world is fleeting and vanishing, 80 00:04:35,439 --> 00:04:39,439 while your provision in it has been guaranteed by Allah, Mighty and Majestic; 81 00:04:39,439 --> 00:04:41,439 it will inevitably come to you. 82 00:04:41,439 --> 00:04:44,600 And the Messenger (peace be upon him) 83 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:46,600 holds such a status with his Lord 84 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,600 that no request of his is turned down. 85 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,600 So ask him to pray to Allah for you out of the bounty of the Hereafter." 86 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,660 My soul was pleased with this idea 87 00:04:55,660 --> 00:04:57,660 and found comfort in it. 88 00:04:57,660 --> 00:05:00,660 Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), 89 00:05:00,660 --> 00:05:03,660 and he said, "What do you say, Rabi'ah?" 90 00:05:03,660 --> 00:05:06,759 I said, "O Messenger of Allah, 91 00:05:06,759 --> 00:05:09,759 I ask that you supplicate to Allah Almighty for me, 92 00:05:09,759 --> 00:05:12,759 that He make me your companion in Paradise." 93 00:05:12,759 --> 00:05:15,759 He said, "Who advised you to ask for that?" 94 00:05:15,759 --> 00:05:18,759 I said, "No, by Allah, 95 00:05:18,759 --> 00:05:20,759 no one advised me. 96 00:05:20,759 --> 00:05:22,759 However, when you said to me, 97 00:05:22,759 --> 00:05:24,759 'Ask me, and I shall give you,' 98 00:05:24,759 --> 00:05:26,759 my soul urged me to ask you 99 00:05:26,759 --> 00:05:28,759 for some worldly benefit. 100 00:05:28,759 --> 00:05:30,759 But soon I was guided to 101 00:05:30,759 --> 00:05:33,759 prefer the everlasting over the transient. 102 00:05:33,759 --> 00:05:35,759 So I ask you to supplicate to Allah for me 103 00:05:35,759 --> 00:05:38,759 that I may be your companion in Paradise." 104 00:05:38,759 --> 00:05:40,790 The Messenger of Allah remained silent for a long time, 105 00:05:40,790 --> 00:05:41,790 then said: 106 00:05:41,790 --> 00:05:43,790 "Or anything besides that, Rabi'ah?" 107 00:05:43,790 --> 00:05:46,790 I said, "No, O Messenger of Allah, 108 00:05:46,790 --> 00:05:49,790 I would not equate anything with what I asked of you." 109 00:05:49,790 --> 00:05:50,819 He said: 110 00:05:50,819 --> 00:05:53,819 "Then help me against your own soul 111 00:05:53,819 --> 00:05:55,819 by prostrating abundantly." 112 00:05:55,819 --> 00:05:57,949 So I began to strive diligently in worship, 113 00:05:57,949 --> 00:05:59,949 hoping to attain the companionship of the Messenger of Allah 114 00:05:59,949 --> 00:06:01,949 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 115 00:06:01,949 --> 00:06:02,949 in Paradise, 116 00:06:02,949 --> 00:06:04,949 just as I was blessed with serving him 117 00:06:04,949 --> 00:06:06,949 and accompanying him in this world. 118 00:06:06,949 --> 00:06:09,079 Not long after that, 119 00:06:09,079 --> 00:06:11,079 time passed 120 00:06:11,079 --> 00:06:13,079 until the Messenger of Allah 121 00:06:13,079 --> 00:06:15,079 (peace be upon him) called me 122 00:06:15,079 --> 00:06:16,079 and said: 123 00:06:16,079 --> 00:06:18,079 "Will you not marry, O Rabi'ah?" 124 00:06:18,079 --> 00:06:19,079 I said: 125 00:06:19,079 --> 00:06:21,079 "I do not wish for anything to distract me 126 00:06:21,079 --> 00:06:24,110 from serving you, O Messenger of Allah. 127 00:06:24,110 --> 00:06:27,110 Besides, I have nothing with which to pay a dowry to a wife, 128 00:06:27,110 --> 00:06:30,110 nor that with which to maintain her life." 129 00:06:30,110 --> 00:06:31,110 So he remained silent. 130 00:06:31,110 --> 00:06:33,110 Then he saw me a second time 131 00:06:33,110 --> 00:06:34,110 and said: 132 00:06:34,110 --> 00:06:36,110 "Will you not marry, O Rabi'ah?" 133 00:06:36,110 --> 00:06:38,110 So I answered him with the same response I gave 134 00:06:38,110 --> 00:06:40,110 the previous time. 135 00:06:40,110 --> 00:06:43,209 But no sooner was I alone with myself 136 00:06:43,209 --> 00:06:46,209 than I regretted what I had done, 137 00:06:46,209 --> 00:06:47,209 and I said: 138 00:06:47,209 --> 00:06:49,209 "Woe to you, O Rabi'ah! 139 00:06:49,209 --> 00:06:51,209 By Allah, the Prophet 140 00:06:51,209 --> 00:06:53,209 knows better than you what is good for you 141 00:06:53,209 --> 00:06:55,209 in your religion and your worldly life, 142 00:06:55,209 --> 00:06:57,209 and he knows better than you what you possess. 143 00:06:57,209 --> 00:06:59,209 By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah 144 00:06:59,209 --> 00:07:01,209 (peace be upon him) calls me 145 00:07:01,209 --> 00:07:03,209 after this time 146 00:07:03,209 --> 00:07:04,209 to marry, 147 00:07:04,209 --> 00:07:05,209 I will surely accept his advice." 148 00:07:05,209 --> 00:07:07,209 Not long after that, 149 00:07:07,209 --> 00:07:09,209 time passed until he said to me— 150 00:07:09,209 --> 00:07:10,209 the Messenger: 151 00:07:10,209 --> 00:07:13,209 "Will you not marry, O Rabi'ah?" 152 00:07:13,209 --> 00:07:16,209 I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah, 153 00:07:16,209 --> 00:07:19,209 but who would marry me when I am as you know?" 154 00:07:19,209 --> 00:07:20,209 He said: 155 00:07:20,209 --> 00:07:22,209 "Go to the family of so-and-so, 156 00:07:22,209 --> 00:07:23,209 and say to them: 157 00:07:23,209 --> 00:07:25,209 'The Messenger of Allah commands you 158 00:07:25,209 --> 00:07:28,209 to marry your daughter, so-and-so, to me.'" 159 00:07:28,209 --> 00:07:30,209 So I went to them bashfully 160 00:07:30,209 --> 00:07:31,209 and said to them: 161 00:07:31,209 --> 00:07:34,209 "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 162 00:07:34,209 --> 00:07:36,209 has sent me to you 163 00:07:36,209 --> 00:07:39,209 so that you may marry your daughter, so-and-so, to me." 164 00:07:39,209 --> 00:07:41,209 They said, "So-and-so?" 165 00:07:41,209 --> 00:07:42,209 I said, "Yes." 166 00:07:42,209 --> 00:07:45,209 They said, "Welcome to the Messenger of Allah, 167 00:07:45,209 --> 00:07:48,209 and welcome to the envoy of the Messenger of Allah! 168 00:07:48,209 --> 00:07:51,269 By Allah, the envoy of the Messenger of Allah shall not return 169 00:07:51,269 --> 00:07:53,269 except with his need fulfilled." 170 00:07:53,269 --> 00:07:55,269 So they concluded the marriage contract for me with her. 171 00:07:55,269 --> 00:07:58,459 Then I came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) 172 00:07:58,459 --> 00:08:00,459 and said, "O Messenger of Allah, 173 00:08:00,459 --> 00:08:03,459 I have just come from the best of households; 174 00:08:03,459 --> 00:08:06,459 they believed me, welcomed me, 175 00:08:06,459 --> 00:08:08,459 and concluded the marriage contract for their daughter with me. 176 00:08:08,459 --> 00:08:11,459 So from where shall I bring them the dowry?" 177 00:08:11,459 --> 00:08:14,459 Thereupon, the Messenger summoned Buraydah ibn al-Husayb, 178 00:08:14,459 --> 00:08:17,459 who was a chieftain of my tribe, Banu Aslam, 179 00:08:17,459 --> 00:08:19,459 and said to him: 180 00:08:19,459 --> 00:08:20,459 "O Buraydah, 181 00:08:20,459 --> 00:08:23,459 collect for Rabi'ah the weight of a date stone in gold." 182 00:08:23,459 --> 00:08:25,459 So they collected it for me. 183 00:08:25,459 --> 00:08:29,459 Then the Messenger (peace be upon him) said to me: 184 00:08:29,459 --> 00:08:31,459 "Take this to them 185 00:08:31,459 --> 00:08:34,460 and tell them, 'This is the dowry of your daughter.'" 186 00:08:34,460 --> 00:08:37,460 So I went to them and handed it over to them, 187 00:08:37,460 --> 00:08:39,460 and they accepted it, were pleased with it, 188 00:08:39,460 --> 00:08:41,460 and said, "This is abundant and good." 189 00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:45,500 Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 190 00:08:45,500 --> 00:08:46,500 and said: 191 00:08:46,500 --> 00:08:49,500 "I have never seen a people more noble than them; 192 00:08:49,500 --> 00:08:52,500 they were pleased with what I gave them despite its small amount, 193 00:08:52,500 --> 00:08:55,500 and said, 'It is abundant and good.' 194 00:08:55,500 --> 00:08:59,500 So from where shall I get that with which to host a wedding feast, O Messenger of Allah?" 195 00:08:59,500 --> 00:09:01,529 So the Messenger said to Buraydah: 196 00:09:01,529 --> 00:09:04,529 "Collect for Rabi'ah the price of a ram." 197 00:09:04,529 --> 00:09:07,529 So they bought for me a large, fat ram. 198 00:09:07,529 --> 00:09:10,559 Then the Messenger (peace be upon him) said to me: 199 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:12,559 "Go to 'A'ishah, 200 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:16,559 and tell her to give you whatever barley she has." 201 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,559 So I went to her, and she said, "Take this large basket; 202 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:22,559 in it are seven sa's of barley. 203 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:25,559 By Allah, we have no other food besides it." 204 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:29,659 So I took the ram and the barley to my wife's family. 205 00:09:29,659 --> 00:09:32,659 They said, "As for the barley, we will prepare it, 206 00:09:32,659 --> 00:09:36,659 but as for the ram, tell your companions to prepare it for you." 207 00:09:36,659 --> 00:09:38,659 So I took the ram— 208 00:09:38,659 --> 00:09:41,659 I and some people from the tribe of Aslam took it— 209 00:09:41,659 --> 00:09:44,659 and we slaughtered it, skinned it, and cooked it. 210 00:09:44,659 --> 00:09:47,659 So we had bread and meat. 211 00:09:47,659 --> 00:09:51,659 I hosted the wedding feast and invited the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 212 00:09:51,659 --> 00:09:53,659 and he accepted my invitation. 213 00:09:53,659 --> 00:09:57,659 Later on, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 214 00:09:57,659 --> 00:10:00,659 granted me a piece of land adjacent to a piece of land belonging to Abu Bakr. 215 00:10:00,659 --> 00:10:03,659 Then worldly gain came upon me, 216 00:10:03,659 --> 00:10:06,659 to the point that I disputed with Abu Bakr over a date palm. 217 00:10:06,659 --> 00:10:09,659 I said, "It is on my land," 218 00:10:09,659 --> 00:10:12,659 and he said, "No, it is on my land." 219 00:10:12,659 --> 00:10:16,820 So I argued with him, and he uttered a word to me that I disliked. 220 00:10:16,820 --> 00:10:20,820 As soon as the word slipped out, he regretted it and said, 221 00:10:20,820 --> 00:10:23,820 "O Rabi'ah, say the same word back to me 222 00:10:23,820 --> 00:10:26,820 so that it may be equal retribution." 223 00:10:26,820 --> 00:10:29,820 I replied, "No, by Allah, I will not do so!" 224 00:10:29,820 --> 00:10:32,820 He said, "In that case, I will go to the Messenger of Allah 225 00:10:32,820 --> 00:10:35,820 and complain to him about your refusal to take retribution from me." 226 00:10:35,820 --> 00:10:38,820 So he set off to the Prophet, 227 00:10:38,820 --> 00:10:40,879 and I followed behind him. 228 00:10:40,879 --> 00:10:43,879 My people from the tribe of Aslam followed me 229 00:10:43,879 --> 00:10:46,879 and said, "He was the one who started it with you and insulted you, 230 00:10:46,879 --> 00:10:49,879 yet he precedes you to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 231 00:10:49,879 --> 00:10:52,909 to complain about you?!" 232 00:10:52,909 --> 00:10:55,909 I turned to them and said, "Woe to you! 233 00:10:55,909 --> 00:10:58,909 Do you know who this is? This is al-Siddiq, 234 00:10:58,909 --> 00:11:01,909 the revered elder of the Muslims! 235 00:11:01,909 --> 00:11:04,909 Go back before he turns around and sees you, 236 00:11:04,909 --> 00:11:07,909 lest he think you only came to assist me against him, 237 00:11:07,909 --> 00:11:10,909 causing him to become angry, and then he goes to the Messenger of Allah, 238 00:11:10,909 --> 00:11:13,909 and the Prophet becomes angry on account of his anger, 239 00:11:13,909 --> 00:11:16,909 and Allah becomes angry on account of their anger, thus destroying Rabi'ah!" 240 00:11:16,909 --> 00:11:19,980 So they went back. 241 00:11:19,980 --> 00:11:22,980 Then Abu Bakr came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 242 00:11:22,980 --> 00:11:25,980 and related the story to him exactly as it had happened. 243 00:11:25,980 --> 00:11:28,980 The Messenger raised his head toward me and said, 244 00:11:28,980 --> 00:11:31,980 "O Rabi'ah, what happened between you and al-Siddiq?" 245 00:11:31,980 --> 00:11:34,980 I said, "O Messenger of Allah, 246 00:11:34,980 --> 00:11:37,980 he wanted me to say to him what he had said to me, 247 00:11:37,980 --> 00:11:40,980 but I refused." He said, "Indeed, 248 00:11:40,980 --> 00:11:43,980 do not say to him what he said to you, 249 00:11:43,980 --> 00:11:46,980 but rather say: May Allah forgive Abu Bakr." 250 00:11:46,980 --> 00:11:50,100 So I said to him, "May Allah forgive you, 251 00:11:50,100 --> 00:11:53,100 O Abu Bakr." 252 00:11:53,100 --> 00:11:56,100 Whereupon he turned and walked away, his eyes overflowing with tears, 253 00:11:57,100 --> 00:12:00,100 saying, "May Allah reward you with good on my behalf, O Rabi'ah Ibn Ka'b. 254 00:12:00,100 --> 00:12:03,100 May Allah reward you with good on my behalf, O Rabi'ah Ibn Ka'b."