1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most 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 --> 00:00:32,820 Abu al-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him. 7 00:00:45,929 --> 00:00:48,929 'Uwaymir ibn Malik al-Khazraji, 8 00:00:48,929 --> 00:00:52,929 known by his kunya Abu al-Darda', rose early from his sleep 9 00:00:52,929 --> 00:00:57,929 and went to his idol, which he had set up in the most honored place in his house. 10 00:00:57,929 --> 00:01:03,929 He greeted it and anointed it with the finest perfumes stocked in his great shop, 11 00:01:03,929 --> 00:01:07,930 then draped over it a new garment of luxurious silk 12 00:01:07,930 --> 00:01:12,930 presented to him the day before by a merchant who had arrived from Yemen. 13 00:01:12,930 --> 00:01:14,930 When the sun had risen high, 14 00:01:14,930 --> 00:01:18,930 Abu al-Darda' left his house, heading toward his shop, 15 00:01:18,930 --> 00:01:23,930 only to find the streets and alleys of Yathrib crowded with the followers of Muhammad, 16 00:01:23,930 --> 00:01:26,930 who were returning from Badr, 17 00:01:26,930 --> 00:01:29,930 driving before them herds of captives from Quraysh. 18 00:01:29,930 --> 00:01:30,930 He turned away from them, 19 00:01:30,930 --> 00:01:35,930 but soon approached a young man among them from the Khazraj 20 00:01:35,930 --> 00:01:38,930 and asked him about 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah. 21 00:01:38,930 --> 00:01:40,930 The Khazraji youth replied, 22 00:01:40,930 --> 00:01:43,930 "He fought with the utmost gallantry and excellence in battle, 23 00:01:43,930 --> 00:01:47,930 and has returned safe and victorious," setting his mind at ease. 24 00:01:47,930 --> 00:01:52,930 The young man was not surprised by Abu al-Darda's inquiry concerning 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah, 25 00:01:52,930 --> 00:01:58,930 for everyone knew the strong bonds of brotherhood that united them. 26 00:01:58,930 --> 00:02:02,930 That was because Abu al-Darda' and 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah 27 00:02:02,930 --> 00:02:05,930 had been sworn brothers during the pre-Islamic period of ignorance (Jahiliyyah). 28 00:02:05,930 --> 00:02:09,930 When Islam came, Ibn Rawahah embraced it, 29 00:02:09,930 --> 00:02:11,930 while Abu al-Darda' turned away from it. 30 00:02:11,930 --> 00:02:16,930 Yet that did not sever the strong ties between the two men; 31 00:02:16,930 --> 00:02:21,930 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah continued to visit Abu al-Darda' faithfully, 32 00:02:21,930 --> 00:02:25,930 inviting him to Islam, stirring his longing for it, 33 00:02:25,930 --> 00:02:29,930 and grieving over every day of his life that passed while he remained an idolater. 34 00:02:29,930 --> 00:02:32,960 Abu al-Darda' arrived at his shop, 35 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,960 sat cross-legged upon his elevated seat, 36 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:37,960 and began buying and selling, 37 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,960 commanding and forbidding his servants, 38 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,960 completely unaware of what was taking place at his home. 39 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:45,960 For at that very time, 40 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,960 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah was making his way to the house of his companion, Abu al-Darda', 41 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:51,960 having resolved upon a matter. 42 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:53,960 When he reached the house, 43 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:55,960 he saw its door open 44 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,960 and spotted Umm al-Darda' in its courtyard. 45 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,960 He said, "Peace be upon you, O bondwoman of Allah." 46 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,960 She replied, "And upon you be peace, O brother of Abu al-Darda'." 47 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,960 He asked, "Where is Abu al-Darda'?" 48 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,960 She said, "He has gone to his shop, 49 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:14,960 and will return shortly." 50 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,960 He asked, "Do you permit me to enter?" 51 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,960 She replied, "You are most welcome," 52 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:22,960 and stepped aside to clear the way for him, 53 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:24,960 then went to her room, 54 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,960 occupied away from him with attending to her household chores 55 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:29,960 and caring for her children. 56 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,960 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah entered the room where Abu al-Darda' had placed his idol, 57 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,960 drew out an adze he had brought with him, 58 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:39,960 bent over the idol, 59 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,960 and began hacking it to pieces, declaring: 60 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,960 "Behold! Everything invoked besides Allah is falsehood! 61 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,960 Behold! Everything invoked besides Allah is falsehood!" 62 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,960 When he finished shattering it, he left the house. 63 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,990 Umm al-Darda' entered the room where the idol was, 64 00:03:56,990 --> 00:03:59,990 and was horrified when she saw it reduced to splinters, 65 00:03:59,990 --> 00:04:03,990 finding its shattered remains scattered across the floor. 66 00:04:03,990 --> 00:04:06,990 She began slapping her cheeks, crying out: 67 00:04:06,990 --> 00:04:08,990 "You have ruined me, O Ibn Rawahah! 68 00:04:08,990 --> 00:04:12,020 You have ruined me, O Ibn Rawahah!" 69 00:04:12,020 --> 00:04:14,020 It was not long 70 00:04:14,020 --> 00:04:17,019 before Abu al-Darda' returned home. 71 00:04:17,019 --> 00:04:21,019 He saw his wife sitting by the door of the room containing the idol, 72 00:04:21,019 --> 00:04:24,019 weeping and sobbing, 73 00:04:24,019 --> 00:04:27,019 with signs of terror toward him evident on her face. 74 00:04:27,019 --> 00:04:30,019 He asked, "What is the matter with you?" 75 00:04:30,019 --> 00:04:34,019 She said, "Your brother 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah came to us in your absence, 76 00:04:34,019 --> 00:04:37,019 and did to your idol what you see!" 77 00:04:37,019 --> 00:04:39,019 He looked at the idol 78 00:04:39,019 --> 00:04:41,019 and found it reduced to rubble. 79 00:04:41,019 --> 00:04:43,019 He flared up with rage 80 00:04:43,019 --> 00:04:45,019 and resolved to avenge it, 81 00:04:45,019 --> 00:04:49,019 but soon his fury subsided, 82 00:04:49,019 --> 00:04:51,019 his anger cooled, 83 00:04:51,019 --> 00:04:53,019 and he reflected on what had occurred. 84 00:04:53,019 --> 00:04:54,019 Then he said, 85 00:04:54,019 --> 00:04:58,060 "If there were any good in this idol, it would have defended itself from harm!" 86 00:04:58,060 --> 00:05:02,060 He then went straight away to 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah, 87 00:05:02,060 --> 00:05:06,060 and together they proceeded to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 88 00:05:06,060 --> 00:05:09,060 where he announced his entry into the religion of Allah. 89 00:05:09,060 --> 00:05:12,060 He was the last person of his quarter to embrace Islam. 90 00:05:12,060 --> 00:05:15,060 From that very first moment, Abu al-Darda' believed 91 00:05:15,060 --> 00:05:17,060 in Allah and His Messenger 92 00:05:17,060 --> 00:05:20,060 with a faith that permeated every fiber of his being. 93 00:05:20,060 --> 00:05:24,060 He felt profound regret for the good he had missed, 94 00:05:24,060 --> 00:05:26,060 and realized with deep awareness 95 00:05:26,060 --> 00:05:30,060 how far his companions had surpassed him in the fiqh of Allah's religion, 96 00:05:30,060 --> 00:05:32,060 the memorization of the Book of Allah, 97 00:05:32,060 --> 00:05:34,060 and acts of worship and piety 98 00:05:34,060 --> 00:05:37,060 that they had stored up for themselves with Allah. 99 00:05:37,060 --> 00:05:40,060 He resolved to make up for what had passed him by through tireless exertion, 100 00:05:40,060 --> 00:05:44,060 joining the toil of the night to the toil of the day, 101 00:05:44,060 --> 00:05:47,060 until he might catch up with the vanguard and even advance ahead of it. 102 00:05:47,060 --> 00:05:51,060 Thus he devoted himself to worship with the complete dedication of an ascetic, 103 00:05:51,060 --> 00:05:54,060 turned to knowledge with the eagerness of a thirsty soul, 104 00:05:54,060 --> 00:05:58,060 and applied himself diligently to the Book of Allah, memorizing its words 105 00:05:58,060 --> 00:06:00,060 and deepening his understanding of its verses. 106 00:06:00,060 --> 00:06:04,060 When he realized that trade disrupted the sweetness of worship 107 00:06:04,060 --> 00:06:06,060 and caused him to miss the gatherings of knowledge, 108 00:06:06,060 --> 00:06:09,060 he abandoned it without hesitation or regret. 109 00:06:09,060 --> 00:06:12,060 A questioner once asked him about that, 110 00:06:12,060 --> 00:06:15,060 to which he answered, "I was a merchant before my covenant 111 00:06:15,060 --> 00:06:18,060 with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. 112 00:06:18,060 --> 00:06:20,060 When I embraced Islam, 113 00:06:20,060 --> 00:06:23,060 I wished to combine trade with worship, 114 00:06:23,060 --> 00:06:25,060 but what I wanted would not come together for me. 115 00:06:25,060 --> 00:06:28,060 So I abandoned trade and turned wholly to worship. 116 00:06:28,060 --> 00:06:31,060 By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Abu al-Darda', 117 00:06:31,060 --> 00:06:34,060 I would not wish today to own a shop 118 00:06:35,060 --> 00:06:36,060 at the door of the mosque 119 00:06:36,060 --> 00:06:39,060 such that I would never miss a prayer in congregation, 120 00:06:39,060 --> 00:06:41,060 and then buy and sell, 121 00:06:41,060 --> 00:06:44,060 earning three hundred dinars every single day!" 122 00:06:44,060 --> 00:06:47,060 Then he looked at his questioner and said: 123 00:06:47,060 --> 00:06:49,060 "I am not saying 124 00:06:49,060 --> 00:06:52,060 that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has forbidden trade, 125 00:06:52,060 --> 00:06:55,060 but rather I love to be among those whom neither trade nor sale distracts 126 00:06:55,060 --> 00:06:58,060 “Men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguileth from remembrance of Allah and constancy in prayer and paying to the poor their due; who fear a day when hearts and eyeballs will be overturned;” (24:37) 127 00:06:58,060 --> 00:07:01,060 Abu al-Darda' did not merely abandon trade; 128 00:07:01,060 --> 00:07:03,060 rather, he renounced the worldly life altogether, 129 00:07:03,060 --> 00:07:06,060 turning away from its adornments and superficial glamour, 130 00:07:06,060 --> 00:07:10,060 contenting himself with a coarse morsel to keep his back straight 131 00:07:10,060 --> 00:07:13,060 and a thick, simple garment to cover his body. 132 00:07:13,060 --> 00:07:17,060 Once, a group of guests stayed with him on a severely freezing night 133 00:07:17,060 --> 00:07:19,060 of biting cold. 134 00:07:19,060 --> 00:07:22,060 He sent them hot food, 135 00:07:22,060 --> 00:07:24,060 but did not send them any blankets. 136 00:07:24,060 --> 00:07:26,060 When they prepared to sleep, 137 00:07:26,060 --> 00:07:29,060 they began conferring among themselves about the blankets. 138 00:07:30,060 --> 00:07:32,060 One of them said, 139 00:07:32,060 --> 00:07:34,060 "I will go to him and speak to him." 140 00:07:34,060 --> 00:07:36,060 Another said to him, 141 00:07:36,060 --> 00:07:37,060 "Leave him be." 142 00:07:37,060 --> 00:07:38,060 But he refused, 143 00:07:38,060 --> 00:07:41,060 went ahead, and stood at the door of his room. 144 00:07:41,060 --> 00:07:43,060 He saw that Abu al-Darda' had lain down, 145 00:07:43,060 --> 00:07:46,060 with his wife sitting near him, 146 00:07:46,060 --> 00:07:49,060 wearing nothing between the two of them but a flimsy garment 147 00:07:49,060 --> 00:07:53,060 that protected against neither heat nor cold. 148 00:07:53,060 --> 00:07:56,060 The man said to Abu al-Darda', 149 00:07:56,060 --> 00:07:59,060 "I see that you are spending the night just as we are! 150 00:07:59,060 --> 00:08:01,060 Where are your furnishings?" 151 00:08:01,060 --> 00:08:04,060 He replied, "We have another home yonder, 152 00:08:04,060 --> 00:08:08,060 to which we send on ahead every furnishing we obtain. 153 00:08:08,060 --> 00:08:12,060 Had we retained anything in this temporary dwelling, 154 00:08:12,060 --> 00:08:14,060 we would have sent it to you! 155 00:08:14,060 --> 00:08:18,060 Moreover, on the path we must traverse to that eternal home, 156 00:08:18,060 --> 00:08:20,060 there is a steep, arduous mountain pass; 157 00:08:20,060 --> 00:08:23,060 the unburdened traveler fares far better on it than the heavily laden. 158 00:08:23,060 --> 00:08:26,060 Therefore, we wanted to lighten our loads 159 00:08:26,060 --> 00:08:28,060 so that we might safely cross it." 160 00:08:28,060 --> 00:08:30,060 Then he said to the man, 161 00:08:30,060 --> 00:08:31,060 "Do you understand?" 162 00:08:31,060 --> 00:08:32,059 The man replied, 163 00:08:32,059 --> 00:08:34,059 "Yes, I understand, 164 00:08:34,059 --> 00:08:36,059 and may you be rewarded with good." 165 00:08:36,059 --> 00:08:39,059 During the caliphate of al-Faruq, may Allah be pleased with him, 166 00:08:39,059 --> 00:08:43,059 'Umar wanted Abu al-Darda' to assume an official post for him in the Levant (al-Sham), 167 00:08:43,059 --> 00:08:44,059 but he refused. 168 00:08:44,059 --> 00:08:45,059 'Umar insisted upon it, 169 00:08:45,059 --> 00:08:46,059 so Abu al-Darda' said, 170 00:08:46,059 --> 00:08:51,059 "If you are content that I go to them merely to teach them the Book of their Lord 171 00:08:51,059 --> 00:08:53,059 and the Sunnah of their Prophet, 172 00:08:53,059 --> 00:08:55,059 and lead them in prayer, then I will go." 173 00:08:55,059 --> 00:08:58,059 'Umar agreed to that, 174 00:08:58,059 --> 00:09:00,059 and Abu al-Darda' departed for Damascus. 175 00:09:00,059 --> 00:09:04,059 When he arrived there, he found that the people had grown infatuated with luxury 176 00:09:04,059 --> 00:09:06,059 and immersed in worldly pleasures. 177 00:09:06,059 --> 00:09:07,059 That appalled him, 178 00:09:07,059 --> 00:09:09,059 so he summoned the people to the mosque, 179 00:09:09,059 --> 00:09:11,059 and they gathered around him. 180 00:09:11,059 --> 00:09:13,059 He stood up among them and said: 181 00:09:13,059 --> 00:09:15,059 "O people of Damascus! 182 00:09:15,059 --> 00:09:17,059 You are brothers in faith, 183 00:09:17,059 --> 00:09:19,059 neighbors in dwelling, 184 00:09:19,059 --> 00:09:21,059 and helpers against enemies. 185 00:09:21,059 --> 00:09:23,059 O people of Damascus! 186 00:09:23,059 --> 00:09:25,059 What prevents you from showing me affection 187 00:09:25,059 --> 00:09:27,059 and heeding my sincere counsel, 188 00:09:27,059 --> 00:09:30,059 when I seek nothing from you? 189 00:09:30,059 --> 00:09:32,059 My counsel is for your benefit, 190 00:09:32,059 --> 00:09:34,059 while my sustenance is provided by someone other than you! 191 00:09:34,059 --> 00:09:37,059 Why is it that I see your scholars passing away, 192 00:09:37,059 --> 00:09:39,059 while your ignorant do not learn? 193 00:09:39,059 --> 00:09:44,059 And I see you pursuing that which Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has already guaranteed you, 194 00:09:44,059 --> 00:09:46,059 while neglecting that which you were commanded to do! 195 00:09:47,059 --> 00:09:50,059 Why is it that I see you amassing what you do not eat, 196 00:09:50,059 --> 00:09:52,059 building what you do not inhabit, 197 00:09:52,059 --> 00:09:55,059 and harboring hopes you will never attain? 198 00:09:55,059 --> 00:09:59,059 The generations before you also amassed wealth and indulged high hopes, 199 00:09:59,059 --> 00:10:01,059 but it was not long 200 00:10:01,059 --> 00:10:03,059 Until their multitude became ruined, 201 00:10:03,059 --> 00:10:05,059 their hopes turned to delusion, 202 00:10:05,059 --> 00:10:07,059 and their homes became graves. 203 00:10:07,059 --> 00:10:10,059 This was 'Ad, O people of Damascus! 204 00:10:10,059 --> 00:10:13,059 They had filled the earth with wealth and children. 205 00:10:13,059 --> 00:10:17,059 Who will buy from me the legacy of 'Ad today for just two dirhams?" 206 00:10:17,059 --> 00:10:19,059 The people began to weep, 207 00:10:19,059 --> 00:10:23,059 until their sobbing could be heard outside the mosque. 208 00:10:23,059 --> 00:10:25,090 From that day on, 209 00:10:25,090 --> 00:10:29,090 Abu al-Darda' began frequenting the gatherings of the people in Damascus 210 00:10:29,090 --> 00:10:31,090 and walking through their markets, 211 00:10:31,090 --> 00:10:33,090 answering the questioner, 212 00:10:33,090 --> 00:10:35,090 teaching the ignorant, 213 00:10:35,090 --> 00:10:37,090 and alerting the heedless, 214 00:10:37,090 --> 00:10:39,090 seizing every opportunity 215 00:10:39,090 --> 00:10:41,090 and making use of every occasion. 216 00:10:41,090 --> 00:10:44,179 Thus, he once passed by a group of people 217 00:10:44,179 --> 00:10:46,179 who had crowded around a man, 218 00:10:46,179 --> 00:10:48,179 beating him and insulting him. 219 00:10:48,179 --> 00:10:50,179 He approached them and asked, 220 00:10:50,179 --> 00:10:52,179 "What is the matter?" 221 00:10:52,179 --> 00:10:55,179 They replied, "A man who fell into a grave sin." 222 00:10:55,179 --> 00:10:58,179 He said, "Tell me: if he had fallen into a well, 223 00:10:58,179 --> 00:11:01,179 would you not have pulled him out of it?" 224 00:11:01,179 --> 00:11:03,179 They replied, "Yes, certainly." 225 00:11:03,179 --> 00:11:07,179 He said, "Do not revile him and do not beat him; 226 00:11:07,179 --> 00:11:09,179 rather, admonish him and help him see reason, 227 00:11:09,179 --> 00:11:13,179 and praise Allah, Who has spared you from falling into his sin." 228 00:11:13,179 --> 00:11:16,179 They asked, "Should we not hate him?" 229 00:11:16,179 --> 00:11:19,179 He replied, "I only hate his deed; 230 00:11:19,179 --> 00:11:21,179 if he abandons it, he is my brother." 231 00:11:21,179 --> 00:11:25,179 The man then began to weep bitterly and proclaimed his repentance. 232 00:11:25,179 --> 00:11:28,179 And here was a young man approaching Abu al-Darda', 233 00:11:28,179 --> 00:11:30,179 saying, 234 00:11:30,179 --> 00:11:34,179 "Advise me, O Companion of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him." 235 00:11:34,179 --> 00:11:35,179 So he said to him, 236 00:11:35,179 --> 00:11:37,179 "O my son! 237 00:11:37,179 --> 00:11:39,179 Remember Allah in times of ease, 238 00:11:39,179 --> 00:11:41,179 and He will remember you in times of adversity. 239 00:11:41,179 --> 00:11:43,179 O my son! 240 00:11:43,179 --> 00:11:45,179 Be a scholar, or a student of knowledge, 241 00:11:45,179 --> 00:11:47,179 or an attentive listener, 242 00:11:47,179 --> 00:11:49,179 and do not be the fourth, lest you perish— 243 00:11:49,179 --> 00:11:51,179 that is, the ignorant one. 244 00:11:51,179 --> 00:11:53,179 O my son! 245 00:11:53,179 --> 00:11:55,179 Let the mosque be your home, 246 00:11:55,179 --> 00:11:59,179 for I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say, 247 00:11:59,179 --> 00:12:02,179 'The mosques are the home of every pious person.' 248 00:12:02,179 --> 00:12:04,179 And Allah, Almighty and Majestic, has guaranteed 249 00:12:04,179 --> 00:12:07,179 for those whose homes are the mosques 250 00:12:07,179 --> 00:12:09,179 comfort, mercy, 251 00:12:09,179 --> 00:12:13,179 and safe passage over the Sirat to the good pleasure of Allah, Almighty and Majestic." 252 00:12:13,179 --> 00:12:16,250 And there was a group of young men 253 00:12:16,250 --> 00:12:21,250 sitting on the roadside, chatting and watching the passersby. 254 00:12:21,250 --> 00:12:23,250 He approached them and said, 255 00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:25,250 "O my sons! 256 00:12:25,250 --> 00:12:27,250 The sanctuary of a Muslim man is his home, 257 00:12:27,250 --> 00:12:30,250 wherein he restrains himself and his gaze. 258 00:12:30,250 --> 00:12:32,250 Beware of sitting in the markets, 259 00:12:32,250 --> 00:12:35,250 for it distracts and invites vain talk." 260 00:12:35,250 --> 00:12:38,250 During Abu al-Darda's stay in Damascus, 261 00:12:38,250 --> 00:12:41,250 its governor, Mu'awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, sent to him, 262 00:12:41,250 --> 00:12:45,250 seeking the hand of his daughter, al-Darda', for his son Yazid. 263 00:12:45,250 --> 00:12:47,250 But he refused to marry her to him, 264 00:12:47,250 --> 00:12:50,250 and instead gave her in marriage to an ordinary young Muslim 265 00:12:50,250 --> 00:12:52,250 whose religious commitment and character he approved of. 266 00:12:52,250 --> 00:12:54,250 Word of this spread among the people, 267 00:12:54,250 --> 00:12:56,250 and they began saying, 268 00:12:56,250 --> 00:12:58,250 "Yazid Ibn Mu'awiyah proposed to 269 00:12:58,250 --> 00:13:00,250 the daughter of Abu al-Darda', 270 00:13:00,250 --> 00:13:02,250 yet her father turned him down 271 00:13:02,250 --> 00:13:05,250 and married her to an ordinary Muslim man!" 272 00:13:05,250 --> 00:13:08,250 An inquirer asked him about the reason for that, 273 00:13:08,250 --> 00:13:12,250 so he said, "I only sought, through what I did, 274 00:13:12,250 --> 00:13:14,250 the well-being of al-Darda'." 275 00:13:14,250 --> 00:13:16,250 The man asked, "And how so?" 276 00:13:16,250 --> 00:13:19,250 He said, "What do you think will become of al-Darda' 277 00:13:19,250 --> 00:13:22,250 when servants stand before her serving her, 278 00:13:22,250 --> 00:13:25,250 and she finds herself in palaces 279 00:13:25,250 --> 00:13:27,250 whose splendor dazzles the eye? 280 00:13:27,250 --> 00:13:30,440 Where will her religion be on that day?" 281 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,440 During Abu al-Darda's time in the Levant, 282 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:37,440 the Commander of the Believers, 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, arrived among them, 283 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,440 inspecting its conditions. 284 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:43,440 One night, he visited his companion Abu al-Darda' at his home. 285 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,440 He pushed the door open and found it without a latch, 286 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:50,440 so he entered a dark house with no light in it. 287 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,440 When Abu al-Darda' heard his movement, 288 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,440 he stood up, welcomed him, and seated him. 289 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:59,440 The two men began conversing, 290 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:03,440 with the darkness veiling each of them from the eyes of his companion. 291 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,440 'Umar felt Abu al-Darda's pillow, 292 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,440 only to find it was a pack-saddle— 293 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,440 that is, a cloth placed on the back of a beast of burden. 294 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,440 He felt his mattress and found it was pebbles, 295 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:18,440 and he felt his blanket and found it was a thin garment 296 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,629 that offered no protection against the cold of Damascus. 297 00:14:21,629 --> 00:14:24,629 So he said to him, "May Allah have mercy on you! 298 00:14:24,629 --> 00:14:27,629 Did I not grant you ample provision? Did I not send you support?" 299 00:14:27,629 --> 00:14:30,629 Abu al-Darda' said to him, 300 00:14:30,629 --> 00:14:33,629 "Do you remember, O 'Umar, a hadith narrated to us 301 00:14:33,629 --> 00:14:36,659 by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?" 302 00:14:36,659 --> 00:14:39,759 He asked, "And what is it?" 303 00:14:39,759 --> 00:14:42,759 He said, "Did he not say, 'Let the worldly provisions of any of you 304 00:14:42,759 --> 00:14:45,759 be like the provision of a traveler'?" 305 00:14:45,759 --> 00:14:48,789 He said, "Yes." Abu al-Darda' said, 306 00:14:48,789 --> 00:14:51,789 "Then what have we done after him, O 'Umar?" 307 00:14:51,789 --> 00:14:54,789 'Umar wept, and Abu al-Darda' wept, 308 00:14:54,789 --> 00:14:57,789 and they continued weeping together 309 00:14:57,789 --> 00:15:00,789 until morning dawned upon them. 310 00:15:00,789 --> 00:15:03,950 Abu al-Darda' remained in Damascus, 311 00:15:03,950 --> 00:15:06,950 admonishing its people and reminding them, 312 00:15:06,950 --> 00:15:09,950 and teaching them the Book and the Wisdom, 313 00:15:09,950 --> 00:15:13,019 until certainty (death) came to him. 314 00:15:13,019 --> 00:15:16,019 When he fell into his terminal illness, his companions entered upon him 315 00:15:16,019 --> 00:15:19,019 and asked, "What do you complain of?" 316 00:15:19,019 --> 00:15:22,019 He said, "My sins." 317 00:15:22,019 --> 00:15:25,019 They asked, "And what do you desire?" 318 00:15:25,019 --> 00:15:28,019 He said, "The pardon of my Lord." 319 00:15:28,019 --> 00:15:31,019 Then he said to those around him, 320 00:15:31,019 --> 00:15:34,019 "Prompt me to say: 'There is no god but Allah, 321 00:15:34,019 --> 00:15:37,019 Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'" 322 00:15:37,019 --> 00:15:40,019 He kept repeating it until he departed this life. 323 00:15:40,019 --> 00:15:43,019 When Abu al-Darda' passed on to the presence of his Lord, 324 00:15:43,019 --> 00:15:46,019 'Awf Ibn Malik al-Ashja'i saw in a dream a vast meadow, 325 00:15:47,019 --> 00:15:50,019 expansive in its bounds and offering lush shade, 326 00:15:50,019 --> 00:15:53,019 in which stood a magnificent dome of leather, 327 00:15:53,019 --> 00:15:56,019 surrounded by resting sheep 328 00:15:56,019 --> 00:15:59,240 the likes of which no eye had ever seen. 329 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,240 He asked, "For whom is this?" 330 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:05,240 He was told, "For 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn 'Awf." 331 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,240 Then 'Abd al-Rahman emerged from the dome 332 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,240 and said to him, "O Ibn Malik! 333 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,240 This is what Allah, Almighty and Majestic, has granted me. 334 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,240 And had you looked over this mountain pass, 335 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:20,240 you would have seen what your eye has never seen, 336 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,240 heard what your ear has never heard, 337 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,240 and found what has never crossed your heart." 338 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,240 Ibn Malik asked, 339 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,240 "And for whom is all of that, O Abu Muhammad?" 340 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,240 He replied, "Allah, Almighty and Majestic, has prepared it for Abu al-Darda', 341 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,240 because he used to repel the world from himself 342 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:43,259 with both his hands and his chest." 343 00:16:43,259 --> 00:16:46,259 Thus said 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn 'Awf.