Part of Pictures from the lives of the Companions (series completed)
· Lesson 60 of 93
Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (75) - Saad bin Moaz, may God be pleased with him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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Mawaddah Association is pleased
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to present to you snapshots from the lives of the Companions,
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authored by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
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may Allah have mercy on him.
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Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him.
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On the day the light of prophethood illuminated Yathrib, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh
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was a knight among the most influential knights of Yathrib in status,
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possessing the highest authority and the most expansive prestige.
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He stood at the pinnacle of Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal,
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while Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal stood at the pinnacle of the Aws clan,
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and he was the young leader and master of the Aws.
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He listened to the news of the Meccan caller to Islam, Mus'hab ibn 'Umayr,
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yet paid it little attention.
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He knew that Mus'hab had settled as a guest of his maternal cousin, As'ad ibn Zurarah,
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and that they were cooperating to spread the call to the new religion throughout Yathrib.
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However, he refrained from obstructing their path out of respect for his cousin's rights over him.
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While the master of the Aws was walking in the outskirts of the homes of Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal,
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accompanied by Usayd ibn al-Hudayr,
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he suddenly spotted the Meccan caller and his host in an orchard near his people's dwellings,
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resting in the shade of its palm trees
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and drinking from its well,
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surrounded by a group of believers in the new religion
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who had gathered around Mus'hab, asking him to instruct them in Allah's religion
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and to recite to them portions of the Book of Allah.
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This deeply offended the master of the Aws,
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and it pained him that the boldness of his cousin and his guest had reached such an extent
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that they openly proclaimed the religion of Muhammad in his very stronghold.
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So he said to Usayd ibn al-Hudayr:
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"May you not lack a father, O Usayd!
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Go to those two and deal with this Meccan man
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who has come to slander our religion,
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revile our gods, and beguile our weak-minded ones.
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Rebuke him sternly so that he never approaches our homes after today."
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He then added, saying:
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"Were it not that Ibn Zurarah is my cousin,
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holding the close relation to me that you know,
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I would have spared you the task,
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and I would have dealt with them myself."
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Usayd ibn al-Hudayr grabbed his spear
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and headed toward As'ad ibn Zurarah
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and his companion, Mus'hab ibn 'Umayr,
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until he stood directly before them.
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Mus'hab greeted him with a cheerful face
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and gentle words,
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beginning to invite him to Islam.
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He started reciting verses from the Qur'an to him—
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verses capable of softening hardened hearts
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and winning over averse souls—
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until Usayd's face beamed and his countenance relaxed.
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He said to Mus'hab:
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"How beautiful and fine these words are!
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What do you do if you wish to enter
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into this new religion?"
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He replied: "You wash yourself, purify your garment,
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testify to the testimony of truth,
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and pray two rak'ahs for Allah.
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And this water is right beside you."
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So Usayd immediately stepped to the water and washed,
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testified to the testimony of truth,
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and prayed two rak'ahs for Allah.
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Then he said to Mus'hab:
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"Behind me is a man who,
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if he follows you two, not a single person from his tribe will lag behind.
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I will send him to you right now,
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so handle him with fine tact."
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Usayd returned to the gathering of his people,
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and when Sa'd ibn Mu'adh saw him approaching,
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he looked at him and said to those around him:
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"I swear by Allah, Usayd has returned to you
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with a different face than the one he left with."
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Then he turned to him and said:
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"What have you done, O Usayd?"
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He replied:
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"I spoke to the two men,
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and by Allah, I saw nothing objectionable in them."
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Sa'd ibn Mu'adh stood up in anger,
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took the spear from Usayd's hand, and said:
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"By Allah, I see you have accomplished nothing!
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If this state of affairs continues like this,
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I will surely find them tomorrow in my own home,
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inviting my wife and children
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to abandon my religion and the religion of my forefathers!"
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Sa'd ibn Mu'adh marched toward where
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Mus'hab and his companion were sitting.
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When his cousin,
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As'ad ibn Zurarah, saw him approaching,
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he said to Mus'hab:
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"O Mus'hab!
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By Allah, the master of his people has come to you!
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If he follows you,
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not a single one of them will stay behind.
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So consider carefully how you will handle him."
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No sooner had Sa'd reached them and stood over them,
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than he turned sharply toward his cousin
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and confronted him, saying:
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"O Abu Umamah!
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By Allah,
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were it not for the kinship between you and me,
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you would not have dared treat me like this!
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Do you intrude upon our homes with that which we hate?"
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Mus'hab ibn 'Umayr intervened
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with his cheerful face and sweet words,
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saying: "Will you not sit and listen?
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If you are pleased with what we say and desire it,
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you may accept our call;
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and if you dislike it, we will depart from you at once."
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These words softened Sa'd's heart, and he said:
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"By Allah, that is fair.
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Present what you have."
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So Mus'hab began
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presenting Islam to Sa'd ibn Mu'adh
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in the most beautiful manner possible,
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and recited to him from the Qur'an
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that which humbled his heart,
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brought serenity to his limbs,
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and lifted his soul in devotion.
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It was not long before he said to Mus'hab:
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"What does one do who wishes to enter into this goodness?
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By Allah, I have never heard speech more righteous
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or noble than this."
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The master of the Aws did not leave his spot
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until he had declared the word of truth
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and joined the caravan of faith.
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Sa'd ibn Mu'adh picked up his spear
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and turned back to the gathering of his people.
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When they saw him approaching, they said:
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"We swear by Allah,
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Sa'd has returned to you with a different face than the one he left with."
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When he reached the gathering, he said:
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"O Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal!
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How do you know my standing among you?"
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They said: "You are our master in truth,
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the best of us in judgment,
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and the most complete of us in intellect."
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He said: "Then the speech of your men and women is forbidden to me
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until you believe in Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
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By evening, there was not a single man or woman in the homes of Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal
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except that they had become Muslims.
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From that day onward,
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Mus'hab ibn 'Umayr—
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the first messenger of Islam—
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moved to the home of the master of the Aws, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh,
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taking his house as a sanctuary for the call,
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until there remained not a single household among the Ansar
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except that it contained Muslim men and Muslim women.
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Thus, the gates of Yathrib were opened wide before the Emigrants from Mecca,
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who began arriving in groups and individually,
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finding within its borders protection and security.
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Indeed, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh's acceptance of Islam was a great blessing for Islam
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and a source of grace for the Muslims.
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He displayed monumental stances in supporting the call,
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filling the noble Prophet's heart, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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with love and admiration for him.
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On the day of Badr, when the Messenger, peace be upon him, set out
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to intercept the caravan of Quraysh,
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he soon found himself in a critical situation.
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This was because the Muslims had set out with the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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merely to capture a caravan
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guarded by no more than forty men;
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however, the situation suddenly shifted into a confrontation with a formidable army
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driven by obstinacy, fueled by grudges, and impelled by defiance.
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The noble Messenger, peace be upon him, had with him
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only three hundred and seventeen men,
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and he had to make a decisive choice:
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either return to Medina,
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leaving the army of the idolaters to range freely through the land
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and flaunt its power before the tribes dwelling between Mecca and Medina,
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or confront the massive idolater army with his small force.
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This decision hinged upon the stance of the Ansar,
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because the bulk of his army was drawn from them,
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and they were the ones who would bear the brunt of the battle on their shoulders.
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Furthermore, when they gave allegiance to the Messenger, peace be upon him, at the Second Pledge of 'Aqabah,
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they pledged to protect him only as they protected themselves, their children, and their families,
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without promising to fight alongside him outside their own lands.
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At that moment, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh stood up
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and announced in decisive, resolute words
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the determination of the Ansar to engage in battle alongside the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
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He said: "O Messenger of Allah!
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We have believed in you, affirmed your truth,
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and given you our oaths and covenants to hear and obey.
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So proceed, O Messenger of Allah, to whatever you intend!
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For by Him Who sent you with the truth,
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if you were to cross this sea with us,
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we would plunge into it with you!
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Indeed, O Messenger of Allah, we are
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steadfast in war,
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truthful upon encounter!
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And perhaps Allah will show you from us that which delights your eyes."
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The Messenger, peace be upon him, was overjoyed
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with the utmost joy and delight by this.
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He entrusted the banner of the Ansar to Sa'd ibn Mu'adh
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and the banner of the Emigrants to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib.
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On the day of the Trench,
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Sa'd had another legendary stance;
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when the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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saw the severity of the siege imposed by the Confederates upon the people of Medina,
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he wished to lighten their burden,
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So he negotiated with the leaders of Ghatafan
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to offer them a third of Medina's produce
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if they abandoned fighting the Muslims,
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and they agreed to those terms.
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When Sa'd ibn Mu'adh learned
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of what was transpiring between the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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and Ghatafan,
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he approached the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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and asked, "Is this something you desire,
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so that we may execute it for you?
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Or is it something Allah has commanded you to do,
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so that we must hear and obey?
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Or is it a strategy you are devising for us to lighten our burden?"
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The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied,
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"Rather, it is something I am doing for your sake.
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By Allah, I only initiated this
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because I saw the Arabs uniting against you as one single bow."
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Sa'd ibn Mu'adh said to him,
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"O Messenger of Allah,
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by Allah, we and these people were once steeped in polytheism and idol worship,
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and they never aspired to take a single fruit from us except through purchase or hospitality!
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Now that Allah has honored us with Islam
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and dignified us through you,
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shall we give them our wealth?
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By Allah, O Messenger of Allah,
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we shall give them nothing but the sword
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until Allah judges between us and them,
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for He is the best of judges!"
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The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was overjoyed
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by Sa'd's words
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and called off the arrangement.
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On that very day of the Trench,
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Sa'd was struck by an arrow that severed his medial arm vein,
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bringing him to the brink of death.
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As the young hero of Islam, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, lay dying,
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the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) placed Sa'd's head in his lap,
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covered him with a white garment,
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and looked at him with profound sorrow and grief, praying:
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"O Allah, indeed Sa'd strove in Your cause,
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believed Your Messenger,
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and fulfilled his duty.
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So receive his soul with the best reception You have ever granted any soul."
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At that, Sa'd's face brightened with joy
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even as he wrestled with the pangs of death,
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and he opened his eyes and said,
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"Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.
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I bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah."
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Then his pure soul departed.
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Sa'd ibn Mu'adh,
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the standard-bearer of the Ansar at Badr.