Pause and get to know the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), from among the Ansar.
I was present with the Prophet (peace be upon him) at all the major battles except Badr.
And I pledged allegiance under the tree.
I served as a judge in the Levant and Egypt.
Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to appoint me as his deputy over Damascus whenever he was away.
I was an admiral of the fleet; I fought the Byzantines and took captives from them.
One day, a man from the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to me while I was in Egypt.
He said, "I have not come to you merely as a visitor,
but rather you and I both heard a hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and I hoped you might retain knowledge of it."
I asked, "And what is it?"
He mentioned such-and-such,
so we reviewed the hadith together.
Then he said, "Why do I see you unkempt when you are the ruler of this land?"
I said, "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade us from excessive luxury."
He asked, "Then why do I see you barefoot?"
I said, "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to instruct us to go barefoot sometimes."
A man once lost a hundred dinars.
He announced, "Whoever finds them shall have twenty dinars."
The finder came forward
and said, "Here is your money; give me what you promised."
The man replied, "My money was one hundred and twenty dinars;
these hundred are mine, and you have already taken the twenty dinars."
So they brought their dispute to me.
I said to the owner of the money,
"Was your money not one hundred and twenty dinars, as you claim?"
He said, "Yes."
And I said to the other, "You found one hundred?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Keep the money with you until its rightful owner comes along,
and do not give him anything,
for this is not his money."
We went out one day on an expedition,
and I was the commander of the army.
While we were marching swiftly,
someone said,
"O commander!
The people have fallen behind and are cut off;
halt so they may catch up with you."
So we halted in an area near a fortress.
Suddenly, we saw a fair-complexioned man with large moustaches.
They brought him to me
and said, "He descended from the fortress without any treaty of safe passage."
I questioned him,
and he said:
"Last night I ate pork
and drank wine.
Then two men came to me in my sleep
and washed my stomach,
and two women came
and said, 'Embrace Islam.'
So now I am a Muslim."
He had hardly finished speaking
when a stone was hurled from the fortress
and struck him,
crushing his neck,
and he died.
I said:
"Allah is the greatest!
He did little, yet was rewarded immensely."
We prayed over him and then buried him.
A man came to me and said,
"Advise me with traits by which Allah will benefit me."
I said to him:
"If you can know others without being known yourself,
do so;
and if you can listen without speaking,
do so;
and if you can sit without others gathering around you,
do so."
So who am I?
The answer:
Fadalah ibn 'Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him).
Pause!
Pause!
And get to know the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures.
A new challenge:
Who am I?
I am one of the female Companions,
among the foremost Emigrants,
and among the earliest to embrace Islam.
My sister is one of the Mothers of the Believers,
and my husband is one of the ten promised Paradise.
I, my father, my grandfather, and my son—
all of us were Companions.
I was known as Dhat al-Nitaqayn (She of the Two Girdles),
because I took my girdle—
the belt I tied around my waist—
and tore it in half;
I kept one half for myself,
and used the other to tie the food provision for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
when he was in the cave during his migration.
When my father set out, migrating to Medina with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
he took all his wealth with him
and left us nothing.
Then my grandfather came to me;
he had lost his sight
and was still a polytheist.
He said,
"By Allah, I believe your father has distressed you with the loss of his wealth
just as he has distressed you by leaving you himself."
I said to him,
"Not at all!
He has left us abundant good."
So I took some stones
and placed a garment over them
as if it were a pouch of money.
Then I took my grandfather's hand and said to him,
"Place your hand on this money."
He placed his hand upon it and said,
"There is no harm;
if he has left you this,
then he has done well,
and this will suffice you."
Then Abu Jahl came with a group of people.
I came out to them,
and they asked, "Where is your father?"
I replied, "I do not know where he is."
Thereupon, Abu Jahl raised his hand
and struck my cheek so hard that my earring fell off.
Then they departed.
I was a generous woman,
spending profusely on charitable causes,
and I never hoarded anything for tomorrow.
I lived a long life,
reaching one hundred years of age,
without losing a single tooth,
and I was the last of the Emigrants—men and women—to pass away.
So who am I?
The answer:
Asma' bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq
(may Allah be pleased with her).
Pause!
Pause!
And get to know the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures.
A new challenge:
Who am I?
I am one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
from among the Ansar,
and specifically from the people of Quba'.
I was one of the delegates on the day of the Pledge of 'Aqabah.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stayed with us
when he arrived at Quba',
lodging at the home of our neighbor, Kulthum ibn al-Hadam (may Allah be pleased with him).
He used to sit with the people, welcoming and teaching them,
in my spacious house;
it was called the Bachelors' Quarters,
as I used to host many of the Emigrants there
upon their initial arrival in Medina.
In it, the first Friday prayer was held in Medina
when we were twelve men,
led in prayer by Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him).
And when the Prophet (peace be upon him) mobilized
his Companions to march out to Badr,
my father said to me,
"Yield this expedition to me, my son,
and stay behind to care for our women."
But I said to him,
"O my father!
Were it anything other than Paradise, I would gladly yield it to you."
So my father said,
"Then let us cast lots;
whoever's arrow is drawn shall go to fight alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)."
So we cast lots,
and my arrow was drawn.
I hastened to Badr,
and there, amid shouts of takbir and the neighing of horses,
the clashing of swords and the death rattles of dying men,
I fell slain on the battlefield.
I attained martyrdom in the very first battle alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
My father loved me dearly,
and my departure weighed heavily upon him.
One night, he saw me in a dream
in the most beautiful form,
strolling amidst the fruits and rivers of Paradise,
while saying to him,
"Join us, my father!
Accompany us in Paradise,
for I have truly found what my Lord promised me to be true."
In the morning, he went to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and said,
"O Messenger of Allah!
I have become eager to accompany my son in Paradise;
I have grown old, my bones have grown frail,
and I yearn to meet my Lord.
So pray to Allah that He grants me martyrdom
and the companionship of my son in Paradise."
So he prayed for him,
and my father indeed attained what he had wished for:
he was blessed with martyrdom
and fell slain in the Battle of Uhud.
So who am I?
The answer:
Sa'd ibn Khaythamah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them both).
Pause
and get to know the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am a Companion of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his brother-in-law.
I was one of the scribes of divine revelation and among the shrewd, political minds of the Arabs.
I was the king of Islam, Commander of the Faithful,
and the uncle of the believers.
My embracing of Islam was delayed because of my father,
for my father was the chieftain of Quraysh in both the pre-Islamic era and Islam.
I was born in Mecca five years before the Prophetic mission began.
In my youth, I learned writing and arithmetic,
and I was of noble descent and honorable lineage—
fair-skinned, tall, and handsome.
One of the insightful physiognomists among the Arabs saw me when I was a small boy
and said,
"I truly believe this boy will lead his people."
To which my mother replied,
"May I be bereft of him if he leads only his people!
By Allah, this son of mine will surely lead all the Arabs."
I was the founder of the Umayyad state in the Levant
and its first caliph.
In the year of al-Hudaybiyyah,
when Quraysh barred the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) from the Sacred House
and they drew up the peace treaty between them,
Islam settled firmly in my heart.
I mentioned this to my mother,
and she said,
"Beware of defying your father."
So I kept it concealed within myself.
By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) departed from al-Hudaybiyyah
while I was a true believer in him.
I openly declared my Islam on the day of the Conquest of Mecca.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) welcomed me warmly,
appointed me as one of the scribes of revelation,
granted me a share of the spoils of Hunayn,
and supplicated for me, saying:
"O Allah, make him a guide who is rightly guided,
and guide others through him."
I was skilled in governance and statecraft,
forbearing and wise,
generous and openhanded with wealth.
I governed the Levant for twenty years
under 'Umar and 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with them,
and I held the caliphate for twenty years
after the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.
I won the hearts of my adversaries before my companions.
I showed forbearance where forbearance was called for,
and was firm where firmness was required,
yet forbearance was ever my prevailing trait.
I used to say:
"If there were between me and the people but a single hair,
it would never snap;
if they pulled it taut, I would slacken it,
and if they slackened it, I would pull it taut."
Because of this, the scholarly consensus of the Ummah—
among the Companions, the Tabi'un, and those who followed them—
was established in praise of me,
affirming my worthiness for the caliphate,
along with my sound governance and justice,
all of which endeared me to the hearts of the people
and united them in love for me.
Indeed, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"The best of your leaders
are those whom you love and who love you,
and who pray for you and you pray for them;
and the worst of your leaders
are those whom you hate and who hate you,
and who curse you and you curse them."
So, who am I?
The answer:
Mu'awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with them both.
Pause,
and learn about the Companions, scholars, and eminent figures.
A new challenge:
Who am I?
I am one of the Companions from the Ansar,
among the renowned archers
and distinguished, valiant warriors.
I took part in all the major battles alongside the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
One day, he, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me:
"Your voice in the army is better than a thousand horsemen."
I stood firm on the day of Uhud when the people fled,
shooting arrows right in front of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
I was a man of powerful draw in archery,
and on that day, I broke two or three bows.
Whenever a man passed by carrying a quiver of arrows,
the Prophet (peace be upon him) would tell him to scatter them before me.
I shielded the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) behind me
while shooting my arrows at the enemy.
Whenever I drew and released an arrow,
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would raise his head
to see where my arrow struck.
So I would say: "O Prophet of Allah,
may my father and mother be ransomed for you! Do not crane your neck,
lest an arrow of the enemy strike you.
My chest before your chest!
May my life be a ransom for yours,
and may my face shield yours!"
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had said:
"Whoever kills an enemy is entitled to his spoils."
On that day, I killed twenty men
and claimed their spoils.
When the words of Allah the Exalted were revealed:
﴾Never will you attain righteousness until you spend from that which you love,﴿
I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
I possess more wealth in date-palms than any other among the Ansar in Medina,
and the most beloved of my estates to me is Bayruha'.
It is now given as a charity for the sake of Allah;
I hope for its reward and treasure with Him.
So dispose of it, O Messenger of Allah, as Allah directs you."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied:
"Splendid! Splendid!
That is a profitable property!
That is a profitable property!
I deem it best that you distribute it among your kin."
During the Farewell Pilgrimage,
the Prophet (peace be upon him) shaved his head;
he distributed the hair from the right side of his head among his companions,
giving them one or two hairs each,
and he gave me all the hair from the left side.
When the Muslims resolved to embark on a naval campaign
during the caliphate of 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him,
I set about preparing myself to march out with them.
My sons said to me,
"May Allah have mercy on you!
You have grown to be an old man,
and you already campaigned with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
and with Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both;
will you not stay behind and let us campaign on your behalf?"
But I replied, "Allah the Exalted says:
﴾Go forth, whether light or heavy.﴿
He has called us all to mobilize, old and young alike."
So I insisted on going out for jihad.
While we were sailing at sea,
death overtook me while I was aboard the ship,
and they could find no island to bury me on
until seven days had passed.
Throughout that entire period,
my body remained just as it was,
without the slightest change or decay.
The answer:
Abu Talhah al-Ansari,
Zayd Ibn Sahl, may Allah be pleased with him.
I am one of the female Companions who made the Hijrah,
and the daughter of the paternal uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
Abu Lahab,
who was one of the fiercest people
in enmity toward the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
So too was my mother,
and Allah revealed in condemnation of both of them
Surah al-Masad.
As for me,
I chose faith over disbelief;
I embraced Islam, left my parents,
and migrated to Medina.
There, I was wedded to
Dihyah Ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi,
may Allah be pleased with him.
People used to hurt me with remarks about my father,
saying to me:
"You are the daughter of Abu Lahab!
You are the daughter of the firewood of Hellfire,
concerning whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:
﴾May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he!﴿
What good then will your migration do you?"
So I came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and said to him:
"O Messenger of Allah,
are there no children born of disbelievers besides me?"
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked,
"What is the matter?"
I said,
"Some women from Banu Zurayq have hurt my feelings regarding my parents,
saying that
I am the daughter of the firewood of Hellfire."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"When you perform the Zuhr prayer,
pray where I can see you."
So the Prophet (peace be upon him) led the Zuhr prayer,
then turned to face the people
and sat upon the pulpit for a while.
He then said:
"O people!
What is the matter with certain individuals who cause me distress regarding my lineage
and my kinsfolk?
Verily, whoever hurts my lineage and my kinsfolk
has hurt me,
and whoever hurts me has offended Allah!"
At that, 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab sprang to his feet,
may Allah be pleased with him, and said:
"May Allah be wrathful with whoever angers you, O Messenger of Allah!"
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"The living are not to be hurt because of the dead."
I had two sisters and three brothers;
they all embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest of Mecca,
except for my brother 'Utaybah,
who never embraced Islam.
He was among the bitterest enemies of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
One day,
while we were still in Mecca,
My brother 'Utaybah wanted
to travel to the Levant,
so he said,
"I will surely go to Muhammad
and torment him."
So he went to him and said,
"O Muhammad,
I disbelieve in 'the star when it descends'
and in 'then he approached and descended!'"
Then he spat in front of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Thereupon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) became angry
and supplicated against him, saying,
"O Allah, set upon him one of Your hounds!"
My brother then set out with his companions in a caravan to the Levant.
When they were on their way,
they heard the roar of a lion,
and my brother began to tremble with fear.
They said to him,
"What are you trembling at?"
He said,
"Muhammad has supplicated against me,
and his supplication is never rejected."
So when they slept, they surrounded him
and placed him in their midst.
Then the lion came
and sniffed their heads one by one,
until it reached my brother 'Utaybah.
It crushed his head and killed him,
and thus the supplication of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was fulfilled against him.
Who am I?
Durrah bint Abi Lahab (may Allah be pleased with her).
I am one of the Emigrant Companions.
I was a confederate of Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza from Mecca in the pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyyah).
I used to trade in foodstuffs,
and I owned several slaves.
I was also among the archers known for their skill.
I embraced Islam early on
and migrated to Medina.
I participated in Badr and in all the battles alongside the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) dispatched me with a letter to the Muqawqis, ruler of Egypt.
He did not accept Islam,
yet he gave a gracious reply
and sent gifts with me for the Prophet (peace be upon him),
among which was Mariyah,
the mother of Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
In the Battle of Uhud,
I heard a caller crying out:
"Muhammad has been killed!"
This terrified me,
so I rushed to his position in panic,
as if my very soul had departed.
I found him (peace be upon him) washing the blood from his face,
so I asked,
"Who did this to you, O Messenger of Allah?"
He said,
"'Utbah ibn Abi Waqqas
struck me with a stone,
smashing my face and breaking my lower right incisor."
I asked,
"Which way did 'Utbah turn?"
He pointed out the direction he had taken,
so I pursued him until I overcame him.
I struck him with the sword
and severed his head;
then I dismounted, took his head, his spoils, and his horse,
and brought them to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
He was pleased with that,
supplicated for me, and said,
"May Allah be pleased with you!
May Allah be pleased with you!"
And he granted me his spoils.
Later, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) intended
to march for the Conquest of Mecca,
I was overcome with fear for my family who were still there.
So I secretly dispatched a letter to the Quraysh
carried by a polytheist woman,
informing them of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) resolve
to march for the Conquest of Mecca.
But Allah informed His Prophet of that,
so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) summoned
'Ali, al-Zubayr, and al-Miqdad,
and said to them:
"Go until you overtake a woman at Rawdat Khakh;
she has a letter intended for Quraysh,
so bring it to me."
They set out until they intercepted her just where the Prophet (peace be upon him) had told them.
They demanded the letter from her,
but she denied having it.
Thereupon, 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her:
"By Allah, the Messenger of Allah did not lie!
You will either produce the letter,
or we will strip off your garments."
When she saw their resolve,
she said to them,
"Turn away."
She then untied her braids
and took it out from within her hair.
They brought the letter to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) summoned me
and said,
"What prompted you to do this?"
I said,
"O Messenger of Allah,
do not be hasty with me.
By Allah, I did not do this
out of disbelief or apostasy,
nor out of choosing disbelief after having embraced Islam.
Rather, I have children and relatives in Mecca,
and I was a stranger among you without tribal backing among the Quraysh,
so I wanted to do them a favor
so that they might protect my children and kin."
Thereupon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said
to his Companions,
"He has spoken the truth to you;
do not say anything of him except good."
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said,
"Permit me, O Messenger of Allah, to strike his neck!"
But he (peace be upon him) replied,
"No!
He was present at Badr,
and what do you know?
Perhaps Allah looked upon the people of Badr
and said,
'Do whatever you wish,
for I have already forgiven you.'"
And concerning my case, Allah revealed
verses from Surah al-Mumtahanah.
Who am I?
The answer:
Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah (may Allah be pleased with him).
Pause.
Pause,
and learn about the Companions, the scholars, and the prominent figures.
A new challenge:
Who am I?
I am a female Companion from Banu Makhzum,
from the people of Mecca.
I married my cousin,
who was a righteous man.
When we intended to migrate to Medina,
my husband saddled a camel for me,
helped me mount it,
and placed our son in my lap.
Then he set out, leading the camel with me.
But when the men of my tribe, Banu Makhzum, saw him,
they confronted him and said,
"As for yourself, you have overcome us regarding it,
but look at this woman of ours!
Why should we let you travel with her through the land?"
So they snatched the camel's reins from his hand
and took me away from him against my will and his.
My husband then proceeded to Medina, migrating alone.
When my husband's clan, Banu 'Abd al-Asad, learned of this,
they became furious and said,
"No, by Allah, we will not leave our boy with her
since you have torn her away from our kinsman!"
So they went to them,
and they tussled over my son until they dislocated his arm,
and Banu 'Abd al-Asad took him away.
Meanwhile, Banu Makhzum detained me among them.
Thus they separated me from my husband
and from my child,
and my heart was nearly torn apart with grief;
I could no longer bear the sorrow.
Every morning I would go out
and sit at al-Abtah,
weeping continually until evening fell.
I remained in this state for a year or nearly a year,
until a man from my paternal cousins passed by me,
saw my plight, and felt pity for me.
He said to Banu Makhzum,
"Will you not have mercy on this poor woman?
You have separated her from her husband and her child!
What quarrel do you have with her?"
Thereupon, they relented toward me and said,
"Rejoin your husband if you wish."
Then he spoke to Banu 'Abd al-Asad as well,
and they returned my son to me.
So I readied my camel,
took my son, and placed him in my lap.
Then I set out, heading toward my husband in Medina,
with no one from Allah's creation accompanying me,
nor did I know the way.
When I reached al-Tan'im,
I met 'Uthman ibn Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him),
who was still a polytheist at that time.
He said to me, "Where are you heading, O handmaiden of Allah?"
I replied, "I am heading to my husband in Medina."
He asked, "Is there no one with you?"
I said, "No, by Allah,
none except Allah and this son of mine."
He said, "By Allah, you cannot be left alone like this!"
So he took hold of the camel's reins
and led me until he brought me to Medina.
He then said, "Your husband is in this village,"
and he returned to Mecca.
Thus I entered Medina,
and Allah reunited me with my husband once more.
During the Battle of Uhud,
my husband was wounded,
so I began nursing and tending to him,
but death overtook him and he passed away.
Thereupon, I recited the statement of return to Allah (Istirja')
and prayed as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught me:
"O Allah, reward me in my affliction
and replace it with something better for me."
Then I thought to myself:
"Where could I find a man better than my husband?"
Yet when my waiting period ('iddah) ended,
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) proposed to me.
I replied, "Welcome, O Messenger of Allah!
A man like you is never refused,
but I am a woman of intense jealousy,
so I fear you might see something in me
for which Allah would punish me.
Furthermore, I am advanced in age,
and I have dependents (children)."
The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied:
"As for the jealousy you mentioned,
Allah will remove it from you;
as for the age you mentioned,
I am afflicted with the same as you;
and as for the dependents you mentioned,
your dependents are my dependents."
So he (peace be upon him) married me,
and Allah replaced my husband
with someone far better than him:
the Messenger of Allah, upon him be blessings
and peace.
Thus, I became one of the Mothers of the Believers
and one of the wives of the trustworthy Messenger.
Who am I?
The answer: Umm Salamah,
Hind bint Abi Umayyah al-Makhzumiyyah,
may Allah be pleased with her.
Pause,
pause,
and get to know the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures!
A new challenge,
a new challenge:
Who am I?
I am one of the younger Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
My maternal uncle was the master archer,
Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him).
I was deeply eager to meet the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and learn directly from him.
Indeed, I sat in his company more than a hundred times,
narrated hadiths from him,
and prayed behind him more than two thousand prayers.
His prayer was similar in length to the prayer of people today,
but he would make the recitation light and accessible;
during the Fajr prayer, he used to recite
Surah al-Waqi'ah and similar surahs.
I once saw the Prophet (peace be upon him)
on a moonlit night,
wearing a red garment (hullah).
I began looking at him and then at the moon,
and to me, he was more beautiful than the full moon itself.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pass by us
while we were young boys playing in the alleys of Madinah,
and he would gently stroke our cheeks.
One day, he passed by
and stroked my cheek,
and the cheek he touched became more radiant than the other.
Who am I?
The answer: Jabir Ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with them both).
Pause
and get to know the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures!
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
I left my homeland among Banu Aslam
and migrated to Madinah.
I witnessed Badr and all the military expeditions alongside the Prophet (peace be upon him).
I was among the poor inhabitants of the Suffah (Ahl al-Suffah),
so I remained constantly attached to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
I loved him immensely
and was devoted to serving him,
to the extent that I would stay by his side night and day,
in residence and while traveling,
and across all his military campaigns.
At night, I would sleep right outside the door of his room,
so that if he (peace be upon him) needed anything,
he would find me readily at his service.
One night,
I spent the night by the door of the room of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
When he arose during the night,
I brought him his ablution water and whatever else he needed.
He wished to reward me,
so he said to me, "Ask me for whatever you need."
I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
I ask you for your companionship in Paradise."
He (peace be upon him) asked,
"Or anything besides that?"
I replied, "That is all, O Messenger of Allah."
He said, "Then assist me concerning yourself by prostrating abundantly."
One day, he (peace be upon him) asked me,
"Will you not get married?"
I said, "Indeed, O Messenger of Allah,
but I possess nothing with which to marry."
He told me, "Go to so-and-so among the Ansar
and tell him to marry his daughter to you."
So I went to him and said,
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
commands you to marry your daughter to me."
He replied,
"Welcome to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)!
The emissary of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) shall not leave
without having his need fulfilled."
Thus he gave her to me in marriage,
asking me for neither proof of my word
nor any bridal-gift (mahr).
I then returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
and informed him of what happened,
saying, "O Messenger of Allah,
I went to noble and generous people;
they married her to me without demanding proof,
yet I have nothing to give them as a bridal-gift."
So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) spoke to the Companions,
and they collected for me the weight of a date-stone of gold,
and prepared food for our wedding feast.
The Ansari father-in-law exclaimed,
"This is abundant and wholesome!"
Later, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) granted me a piece of land,
and granted Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) a piece of land.
We had a dispute over the property boundary,
and Abu Bakr said a word to me that I disliked;
however, he immediately regretted it
and said to me,
"Retort with the same word to me
so that it may serve as just retribution (qisas)."
I said, "I will not do so."
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) then went
to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and I followed after him.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked me,
"What is the matter between you and al-Siddiq?"
I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
such-and-such occurred,
and he said a word to me that I disliked,
then told me:
'Say the same to me as I said to you
so it may be retribution,'
but I refused."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Indeed,
do not retort to him;
rather say:
'May Allah forgive you, O Abu Bakr;
may Allah forgive you, O Abu Bakr.'"
Thereupon, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) turned away,
weeping profusely.
Who am I?
The answer:
Rabi'ah Ibn Ka'b al-Aslami,
may Allah be pleased with him.