WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:15.580 --> 00:00:17.579 The Mawaddah Association is pleased 00:00:17.579 --> 00:00:22.579 to present to you portraits from the lives of the Companions, 00:00:22.579 --> 00:00:25.579 by Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:25.579 --> 00:00:29.980 may Allah have mercy upon him. 00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:31.980 Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah, 00:00:31.980 --> 00:00:34.009 may Allah be pleased with him. 00:00:47.899 --> 00:00:52.659 "I have sworn, O my soul, that you shall descend, 00:00:52.659 --> 00:00:55.659 descend you shall, or you shall be forced. 00:00:55.659 --> 00:00:58.659 Why do I see you loathing Paradise? 00:00:58.659 --> 00:01:01.659 Are you but a drop of water in a leather skin?" 00:01:01.659 --> 00:01:05.790 This stirring poem, laden with various emotions, 00:01:05.790 --> 00:01:08.790 marked the end of the life of the noble Companion, 00:01:08.790 --> 00:01:10.790 Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah, 00:01:10.790 --> 00:01:13.790 and concluded the final chapter of his biography, 00:01:13.790 --> 00:01:15.790 a life filled with heroism, 00:01:15.790 --> 00:01:18.790 rich in noble deeds and glories, 00:01:18.790 --> 00:01:20.790 and radiant with the light of piety 00:01:20.790 --> 00:01:22.790 and the splendor of worship. 00:01:22.790 --> 00:01:25.049 Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah was, 00:01:25.049 --> 00:01:28.049 on the day the light of Prophethood dawned upon Makkah, 00:01:28.049 --> 00:01:31.049 a master poet among the poets of Yathrib, 00:01:31.049 --> 00:01:34.049 and a prominent leader among the leaders of the Khazraj. 00:01:34.049 --> 00:01:38.109 No sooner did the call of guidance and truth reach him 00:01:38.109 --> 00:01:41.109 than Allah expanded his breast to Islam, 00:01:41.109 --> 00:01:45.109 so he dedicated his spear and his tongue to the obedience of Allah, the Almighty, 00:01:45.109 --> 00:01:49.109 and to the pleasure of His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:01:49.109 --> 00:01:53.239 He defended the noble Prophet, peace be upon him, 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:57.239 with his poetry in the greatest and most powerful defense, 00:01:57.239 --> 00:01:59.239 and he shielded his message with his eloquence, 00:01:59.239 --> 00:02:02.239 the most sincere and effective defense. 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:05.239 Thus, Allah revealed concerning him and his companions, 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:08.240 Hassan Ibn Thabit and Ka'b Ibn Malik, 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:12.240 the special exception for the believers among the poets and the righteous ones, 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:14.240 for He, the Almighty, said: 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:23.229 "And the poets—[only] the deviators follow them; 00:02:23.229 --> 00:02:29.229 Do you not see that in every valley they roam?" 00:02:29.229 --> 00:02:37.979 “And how they say that which they do not?” (26:226) 00:02:37.979 --> 00:02:39.979 Then Allah, the Exalted, made an exception 00:02:39.979 --> 00:02:42.979 for Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah and his two companions, 00:02:42.979 --> 00:02:44.979 saying, as the Most Truthful of speakers: 00:02:44.979 --> 00:02:49.979 "Except those who believe and do righteous deeds 00:02:49.979 --> 00:02:52.979 and remember Allah often." 00:02:52.979 --> 00:02:57.979 “Save those who believe and do good works, and remember Allah much, and vindicate themselves after they have been wronged. Those who do wrong will come to know by what a (great) reverse they will be overturned!” (26:227) 00:02:57.979 --> 00:02:59.979 Is there any honor more noble, 00:02:59.979 --> 00:03:01.979 or glory more exalted, 00:03:01.979 --> 00:03:04.979 than for Allah to reveal verses in the Quran regarding a person, 00:03:04.979 --> 00:03:07.979 and for the description that Allah bestowed upon him to be recited 00:03:07.979 --> 00:03:10.979 during the hours of the night and at the ends of the day, 00:03:10.979 --> 00:03:15.979 and for its recitation to continue until Allah inherits the earth and whoever is upon it? 00:03:15.979 --> 00:03:20.080 Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah witnessed the Pledge of al-Aqabah, 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:22.080 what a noble pledge it was! 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:25.080 And the noble Prophet, peace be upon him, appointed him 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:29.080 as one of the leaders whom he placed in charge of their people, 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:32.080 and what an excellent leader he was, and what an excellent commander! 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:35.080 From the moment the youth of the Khazraj embraced Islam, 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:39.080 he resolved to dedicate his entire life to the obedience of Allah, 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:43.080 so he spent his whole life in worship and striving, 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:46.080 standing in prayer by night and fasting by day. 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:50.180 Abu al-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, reported of him, saying: 00:03:50.180 --> 00:03:55.180 "I saw us with the Prophet, peace be upon him, on one of his journeys 00:03:55.180 --> 00:03:58.180 on a day of intense, scorching heat, 00:03:58.180 --> 00:04:03.180 to the point that a man would place his hand over his head from the severity of the heat, 00:04:03.180 --> 00:04:05.180 and there was no one among the people fasting 00:04:05.180 --> 00:04:08.180 except the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 00:04:08.180 --> 00:04:11.180 and Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah." 00:04:11.180 --> 00:04:16.180 Ibn Rawahah witnessed with the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, Badr, 00:04:16.180 --> 00:04:20.180 Uhud, the Trench, al-Hudaybiyah, and Khaybar, 00:04:20.180 --> 00:04:22.180 and what noble days those were, 00:04:22.180 --> 00:04:25.269 and what magnificent stances! 00:04:25.269 --> 00:04:27.269 In the eighth year of the Hijrah, 00:04:27.269 --> 00:04:30.269 the Messenger, peace be upon him, sent 00:04:30.269 --> 00:04:33.269 three thousand of the Muslim soldiers 00:04:33.269 --> 00:04:35.269 to the land of the Levant (al-Sham) 00:04:35.269 --> 00:04:38.300 to meet the Romans and test their resolve. 00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:42.300 He appointed his freedman Zayd Ibn Harithah as commander of the army, 00:04:42.300 --> 00:04:45.300 and said: "If Zayd is killed or wounded, 00:04:45.300 --> 00:04:48.300 then the commander of the army is Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib; 00:04:48.300 --> 00:04:51.300 if Ja'far is killed or wounded, 00:04:51.300 --> 00:04:54.300 then the commander of the army is Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah; 00:04:54.300 --> 00:04:57.300 and if Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah is killed or wounded, 00:04:57.300 --> 00:04:59.300 then let the Muslims choose a man from among themselves 00:04:59.300 --> 00:05:02.300 to appoint as their leader." 00:05:02.300 --> 00:05:06.339 When the Muslim army prepared to depart from Madinah, 00:05:06.339 --> 00:05:10.339 the people began to bid farewell to the Muslim soldiers in general, 00:05:10.339 --> 00:05:12.339 and specifically to the commanders whom 00:05:12.339 --> 00:05:15.339 the noble Messenger, peace be upon him, had appointed 00:05:15.339 --> 00:05:16.339 over the army. 00:05:16.339 --> 00:05:19.339 When they bade farewell to Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah, 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:21.339 he began to weep. 00:05:21.339 --> 00:05:24.339 They asked, "What makes you weep, O Ibn Rawahah?" 00:05:24.339 --> 00:05:28.339 He replied, "By Allah, it is not the love of this world that makes me weep, 00:05:28.339 --> 00:05:32.339 but I heard the Messenger, peace be upon him, 00:05:32.339 --> 00:05:36.339 reciting a verse from the Book of Allah in which he mentions the Fire, 00:05:36.339 --> 00:05:38.339 where He, the Almighty, says: 00:05:38.339 --> 00:05:44.339 “There is not one of you but shall approach it. That is a fixed ordinance of thy Lord.” (19:71) 00:05:44.339 --> 00:05:49.339 “There is not one of you but shall approach it. That is a fixed ordinance of thy Lord.” (19:71) 00:05:50.339 --> 00:05:52.339 So I became certain of the arrival, 00:05:52.339 --> 00:05:54.339 meaning the passing over the Fire, 00:05:54.339 --> 00:05:58.339 but I do not know how I shall fare after that in the departure," 00:05:58.339 --> 00:06:00.620 meaning, how to return from it. 00:06:00.620 --> 00:06:02.620 When the army moved out, 00:06:02.620 --> 00:06:04.620 the Muslims said, 00:06:04.620 --> 00:06:09.620 "May Allah accompany you, protect you, and return you to your families." 00:06:09.620 --> 00:06:13.620 No sooner did he hear their prayer that they return to their families 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:15.620 than he began to recite: 00:06:15.620 --> 00:06:18.620 "But I ask the Most Merciful for forgiveness, 00:06:18.620 --> 00:06:22.620 and a blow with a sharp sword that sprays foam, 00:06:22.620 --> 00:06:26.620 or a thrust by the hand of a hot-blooded warrior, 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:30.620 with a spear that pierces the entrails and the liver, 00:06:30.620 --> 00:06:33.620 so that it is said when they pass by my grave, 00:06:33.620 --> 00:06:37.939 'May Allah guide the warrior, for he has indeed been guided.'" 00:06:37.939 --> 00:06:40.939 When the army departed from Madinah, 00:06:40.939 --> 00:06:42.939 Ibn Rawahah had riding behind him 00:06:42.939 --> 00:06:45.939 an orphaned youth who lived under his care, 00:06:45.939 --> 00:06:48.040 Zayd Ibn Arqam. 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:52.069 The youth heard him addressing his camel, saying: 00:06:52.069 --> 00:06:55.069 "When you have carried me and borne my baggage 00:06:55.069 --> 00:06:58.139 for a journey of four days after the heat, 00:06:58.139 --> 00:07:01.139 then your task is done, be at ease, and you shall be free of blame, 00:07:01.139 --> 00:07:04.139 for I shall not return to my family behind me." 00:07:04.139 --> 00:07:07.300 The youth began to weep at his words, 00:07:07.300 --> 00:07:10.300 so Ibn Rawahah tapped him with his whip and said: 00:07:10.300 --> 00:07:12.300 "What is it to you, O little one, 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:14.300 if Allah grants me martyrdom, 00:07:14.300 --> 00:07:18.740 and you return on this mount of mine to Madinah?" 00:07:18.740 --> 00:07:22.740 When the Muslims reached the land of Ma'an in Jordan, 00:07:22.740 --> 00:07:24.740 they learned that the King of the Romans 00:07:24.740 --> 00:07:26.740 had encamped in the Balqa' region, 00:07:26.740 --> 00:07:28.740 not far from them, 00:07:28.740 --> 00:07:31.740 and with him were one hundred thousand fighters from the Romans, 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:34.740 and with them an equal number of Arab allies 00:07:34.740 --> 00:07:36.740 from the tribes of Lakhm, Judham, 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:38.779 Quda'ah, and others. 00:07:38.779 --> 00:07:41.779 The Muslims stayed in Ma'an for two nights, 00:07:41.779 --> 00:07:44.779 and they began to weigh their small numbers 00:07:44.779 --> 00:07:47.779 against the vast numbers of their enemy. 00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:51.779 They said, "We shall write to the Messenger, peace be upon him, 00:07:51.779 --> 00:07:53.779 and inform him of the situation; 00:07:53.779 --> 00:07:56.839 then we shall proceed according to what he commands us." 00:07:56.839 --> 00:07:58.839 But Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah said: 00:07:58.839 --> 00:07:59.839 "O my people, 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:02.839 that which you seek, you have already attained! 00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:06.839 We do not fight people with numbers or strength; 00:08:06.839 --> 00:08:08.839 we only fight them with this religion 00:08:08.839 --> 00:08:10.839 with which Allah has honored us. 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:11.839 So march on! 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:13.839 It is one of the two best outcomes: 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:16.839 either victory or martyrdom." 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:20.060 The army responded to what he called them to, 00:08:20.060 --> 00:08:23.060 and began to prepare for the encounter with the enemy. 00:08:23.060 --> 00:08:25.100 The following day, 00:08:25.100 --> 00:08:29.100 the three thousand set out to meet two hundred thousand. 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:32.100 The two armies met at the village of Mu'tah. 00:08:32.100 --> 00:08:36.350 Leading the Muslim army was Zayd Ibn Harithah, 00:08:36.350 --> 00:08:40.350 the bearer of the banner of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. 00:08:40.350 --> 00:08:43.350 He continued to fight until he was killed, 00:08:43.350 --> 00:08:45.350 advancing, not retreating. 00:08:45.350 --> 00:08:48.350 The Roman spears pierced his chest, 00:08:48.350 --> 00:08:51.419 so Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib took the banner, 00:08:51.419 --> 00:08:54.419 the brother of Ali, may Allah be pleased with them both, 00:08:54.419 --> 00:08:57.419 and his equal in courage and valor. 00:08:57.419 --> 00:09:01.419 He plunged into the battle as no one else had, 00:09:01.419 --> 00:09:03.419 and when the battle grew fierce 00:09:03.419 --> 00:09:06.419 and the pressure of the Romans upon the Muslims intensified, 00:09:06.419 --> 00:09:08.419 he dismounted from his horse, 00:09:08.419 --> 00:09:11.419 hamstrung it with his sword, 00:09:11.419 --> 00:09:14.419 and plunged into the ranks of the Romans, reciting: 00:09:14.419 --> 00:09:17.419 "How wonderful is Paradise and its approach, 00:09:17.419 --> 00:09:20.419 pleasant and cool is its drink! 00:09:20.419 --> 00:09:23.419 The Romans are Romans, whose punishment we have brought near, 00:09:23.419 --> 00:09:26.419 disbelieving, their lineages are far removed. 00:09:26.419 --> 00:09:29.419 Upon me, when I meet them, is to strike them." 00:09:29.419 --> 00:09:32.480 Then he began to circle with his sword, right and left, 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:35.480 until his right hand was severed. 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:38.480 He took the banner with his left hand, 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:41.480 and continued to fight until his left hand was severed. 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:44.480 He took the banner with his chest and his upper arms, 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:47.480 and continued to struggle until he was killed. 00:09:47.480 --> 00:09:51.669 At that point, Abd Allah Ibn Rawahah stepped forward 00:09:51.669 --> 00:09:54.669 and took the banner after he had seen 00:09:54.669 --> 00:09:57.669 the fall of his two companions at close range. 00:09:57.669 --> 00:10:00.669 He began to address his soul, saying: 00:10:00.669 --> 00:10:03.669 "O my soul, if you are not killed, you shall die; 00:10:03.669 --> 00:10:06.669 this is the pool of death, you have arrived at it. 00:10:06.669 --> 00:10:09.669 What you wished for, you have been granted; 00:10:09.669 --> 00:10:12.740 if you do as they did, you shall be guided." 00:10:12.740 --> 00:10:15.740 Then he looked at his two predecessors, the martyrs, 00:10:15.740 --> 00:10:18.740 as they were drenched in their blood, 00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:21.740 and his soul felt some trepidation at the situation, 00:10:21.740 --> 00:10:24.740 and he hesitated for a moment. 00:10:24.740 --> 00:10:27.740 So he spurred it on, saying: 00:10:27.740 --> 00:10:30.740 "I have sworn, O my soul, that you shall descend. 00:10:30.740 --> 00:10:33.740 Why do I see you loathing Paradise? 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:36.740 Are you but a drop of water in a leather skin?" 00:10:36.740 --> 00:10:39.740 Then he carried the banner 00:10:39.740 --> 00:10:42.740 and descended into the fray of battle. 00:10:42.740 --> 00:10:45.740 Here, a cousin of his came to him with a bone 00:10:45.740 --> 00:10:48.740 on which there was some meat, 00:10:48.740 --> 00:10:51.740 and said to him, "Strengthen your back with this, 00:10:51.740 --> 00:10:54.740 for you have not tasted anything for three days." 00:10:54.740 --> 00:10:57.740 He took the bone from his hand, 00:10:57.740 --> 00:11:00.740 However, he had barely seen the fallen Muslims 00:11:00.740 --> 00:11:03.740 before him when he said, 00:11:03.740 --> 00:11:06.740 "What a wretched man you are, O Ibn Rawahah! 00:11:06.740 --> 00:11:09.740 Is all this happening while you are still eating food?" 00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:12.740 He then cast the bone from his hand, 00:11:12.740 --> 00:11:15.740 drew his sword, and plunged into the ranks of the Byzantines, 00:11:15.740 --> 00:11:18.740 never turning back for anything. 00:11:18.740 --> 00:11:22.120 He continued to fight until he fell as a martyr. 00:11:22.120 --> 00:11:25.120 May Allah have mercy on Abdullah Ibn Rawahah. 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:28.120 He was true to His noble Messenger, upon him be the best of prayers and peace. 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:31.120 For he used to love the gatherings 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:34.120 that the angels boast about. 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:39.649 May Allah have mercy on Ibn Rawahah; 00:11:39.649 --> 00:11:42.649 he loved the gatherings that are boasted of 00:11:42.649 --> 00:11:45.940 by the angels. 00:11:45.940 --> 00:11:48.940 Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. 00:11:57.940 --> 00:12:00.940 Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.