Pause and test your knowledge of the Companions, scholars, and prominent historical figures.
A new challenge: Who am I?
I am from the Ansar, one of the great leaders of Medina, and a chieftain of the Banu Salimah tribe.
I was the last of the Ansar to embrace Islam.
When Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived as an envoy to Medina
to teach its people Islam, most of the people of Medina accepted the faith.
The young men of Banu Salimah—including Mu'adh ibn Jabal and my own sons Mu'adh, Mu'awwidhang, and Khallad—
had all embraced Islam, while I initially refused to accept it.
Following the custom of the pre-Islamic Jahiliyyah, tribal leaders and nobles used to keep a private idol
to worship in their homes; so I made an idol for myself in my home and named it Manaf.
These young men, along with their mother Hind,
feared that I might die in disbelief, while I was unaware of their conversion to Islam.
Meanwhile, I feared that they would abandon the worship of our gods and enter Islam.
These youths resorted to a clever ruse to demonstrate to me the foolishness of my attachment to these idols,
which could neither bring benefit nor cause harm.
Under the cover of night, they would enter the room where the idol was kept,
take it, and throw it headfirst into the foulest pit of waste.
In the morning, when I could not find my idol, I would search for it everywhere
and ask my household, "Have you seen my god?"
When I found it in that pit in such a miserable state, it distressed me deeply.
So I would retrieve it, wash it, perfume it, and return it to its place.
Yet they repeated this exact same act every single night.
One day, I went in to see my idol Manaf,
and said, "O Manaf, by Allah, you know well what these people intend toward you.
Do you have any power to defend yourself?"
I then hung a sword around its neck and said, "Defend yourself if there is any good in you,"
and then I walked out.
The youths came, took the sword, broke the idol,
tied it to a dead dog,
and tossed it into a dry, filth-ridden well.
When morning came, I could not find my god.
I searched for it until I found it in that well,
and I exclaimed, "By Allah, were you a true god, you would not be
bound together with a dog at the bottom of a well!"
Thereupon I embraced Islam, and my faith blossomed into complete devotion.
Even before accepting Islam, I was known for my open-handed generosity,
and Islam only magnified my generosity, noble character, and honor.
Whenever people came to me asking for financial assistance,
I would tell them, "Take all of this wealth,
for it will surely return tomorrow."
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once asked
a group from my tribe:
"Who is your leader, O Banu Salimah?"
They replied, "Al-Jadd ibn Qays, though he is somewhat stingy."
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"And what disease is worse than stinginess?
Rather, your leader is the fair, noble chieftain,"
pointing to me. So, who am I?
Share your answers with us in the comments below the video,
and we will pin the correct answer in the comments
when the next episode is released, Allah willing.