Part of The Ten Given Glad Tidings of Paradise (series completed)
· Lesson 28 of 30
The ten promised Paradise | Episode (28) | Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, may God be pleased with him (Part 2)
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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 presents: The Ten Promised Paradise.
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Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
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Love for the Companions and the Prophet's kin is a Sunnah.
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By which I shall meet my Lord when He gives us life.
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Love for the Companions.
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Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) sat one day among his companions,
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Exchanging delightful conversation.
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While they were engaged in this,
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Umar drifted briefly into thought, away from them.
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They asked him, "What is the matter, O Commander of the Faithful?"
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He said to them, "Make a wish!"
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One of them said, "I wish this house were filled with dirhams
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So I could spend them in the cause of Allah!"
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Umar said again, "Make a wish!"
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Another said, "I wish this house were filled with gold
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So I could spend it in the cause of Allah!"
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Umar then said:
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"As for me, I wish this house were filled with men
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Like Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah,
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So I could employ them in obedience to Allah."
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Such was Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
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A man for arduous missions
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And monumental occasions,
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Whom every leader would wish to have among the ranks of his army
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And at the head of his expeditions.
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Indeed, what an exemplary man he was!
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He never missed a battle fought by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
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Hastening to every expedition to which the Prophet dispatched him,
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Or which the two Shaykhs [Abu Bakr and Umar] sent him on after his passing.
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In these events, he had lofty stands
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That bore witness to his courage and self-sacrifice.
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Among these was what Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated regarding the Battle of Uhud.
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As-Siddiq said:
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"On the day of Uhud,
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was struck in the face,
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To the extent that two links of his helmet pierced his cheek.
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I rushed toward the Messenger of Allah,
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While a man was approaching from the east, flying like a bird,
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Until we reached the Messenger of Allah together.
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Behold, it was Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah!
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He beat me to him and said,
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'I adjure you by Allah, O Abu Bakr,
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Let me pull out these two links from the cheek of the Messenger of Allah!'
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So I yielded to him.
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Abu Ubaydah gripped one of the helmet's links with his incisor tooth
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And pulled it out so forcefully that he fell on his back,
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And his front tooth fell out.
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Then he gripped the other link with his other incisor tooth,
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And it fell out as well.
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Thus, Abu Ubaydah became *ahtam* among the people—
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That is, lacking his two front incisors.
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He suffered pain for the sake of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
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Yet his smile was only beautified by their loss,
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To the point that it was said:
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'Never was a toothless mouth seen more handsome than that of Abu Ubaydah.'
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In the eighth year after the Hijrah,
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The Prophet (peace be upon him) dispatched a military detachment toward the coast,
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Comprising approximately three hundred men,
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And appointed Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah over them.
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When they were partway along the journey, their provisions almost ran out.
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So how did the trustworthy commander deal with this difficult situation?
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Let us listen to Jabir ibn Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with both of them),
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Who was with them in that detachment,
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As he describes this extraordinary event to us.
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Jabir said: 'Abu Ubaydah ordered that all the army's provisions be brought,
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And he collected them.
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He used to ration our food to us every day, little by little,
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Until he was giving us only a single date per day.'
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The one listening to Jabir asked:
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'And what good did a single date do you?'
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Jabir replied:
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'We would suck on it just as an infant sucks at the breast,
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Then drink water after it,
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And it would suffice us for the day until nightfall.
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We continued like that until the dates ran out.
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Severe hunger struck us, so much so that we ate *khabat*—
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Which is the leaves that fall from trees.
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Thus, that army came to be called the Army of the Leaves (*Jaysh al-Khabat*).
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Then we reached the sea,
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And there was a sea creature like a small mountain!
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We ate from it for half a month
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And anointed ourselves with its blubber
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Until our bodies recovered their strength.
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Abu Ubaydah took thirteen men
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And had them sit in its eye socket
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To demonstrate the vast size of this whale.
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Then he took one of its ribs and set it upright,
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Saddled the largest camel we had,
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And it passed right underneath it!
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We made dried meat from its flesh
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And carried it back with us.
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When we arrived in Medina,
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We came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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And mentioned that to him.
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He said, "It is provision that Allah brought forth for you.
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Do you have any of its meat with you to feed us?"
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So we sent some to the Messenger of Allah,
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And he took from it and ate it.'
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During the blessed Caliphate of As-Siddiq,
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Abu Ubaydah fought alongside the armies of the Muslims
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In the east and west of the Arabian Peninsula,
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Until they brought its inhabitants back into the fold of Islam.
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Then As-Siddiq resolved to fight the Romans
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And conquer the Levant (Ash-Sham).
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He sent for four heroes among the Muslim commanders:
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Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah,
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Mu'adh ibn Jabal,
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Shurahbil ibn Hasanah,
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And Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan.
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They came to him,
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And he said to them:
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'I am sending you toward this front—
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Meaning the Levant—
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And appointing you commanders over these troops.
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I shall dispatch with each one of you as many men as I am able.
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When you reach the land, meet the enemy troops,
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And unite to fight them,
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Your supreme commander shall be Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.'
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As-Siddiq then bade farewell to Abu Ubaydah
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And advised him, saying:
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'Listen as one who wishes to comprehend what is said to him
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And then act upon what he has been commanded.
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You are setting out with the nobles of the people, the prominent Arab houses,
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The righteous among the Muslims, and the knights of the pre-Islamic era.
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They used to fight back then out of tribal zeal,
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But today they fight seeking reward from Allah and with pure intention.
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Be a good companion to those who accompany you,
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Let all people be equal before you in matters of truth and justice,
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And seek help from Allah,
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For Allah is sufficient as a Helper.'
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The four armies marched toward the Levant,
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Each army taking a route distinct from the other,
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Passing by no village without conquering it or making a peace treaty with its people,
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Until they met in the land of the Levant.
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Heraclius, King of the Romans, fled to Antioch
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In the farthest reaches of the Levant
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And made it his headquarters.
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He sent word to the Romans demanding their reinforcements,
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And vast numbers came to him from across the empire,
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Whereupon they began preparing to fight the Muslims.
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The Caliph Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) decided
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To merge the army of Khalid ibn al-Walid in Iraq with the armies in the Levant.
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So he wrote to him:
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'When this letter of mine reaches you,
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Leave Iraq
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And proceed lightly with the strong among your companions until you reach the Levant,
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Where you shall join Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah and the Muslims with him.'
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Thereupon, Khalid wrote to the Muslims in the Levant:
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'The letter of the successor of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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Has reached me, ordering me to march toward you.
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I have prepared and made haste,
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And it is as if my cavalry has already appeared before you with its men.
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Rejoice in the fulfillment of Allah's promise and His grand reward.'
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He wrote another letter to Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
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In which he said:
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'The letter of the successor of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has reached me,
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Ordering me to march to the Levant,
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To take charge of its army, and to assume command of its affairs.
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By Allah, I never sought this, nor desired it, nor wrote to him concerning it.
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As for you—may Allah have mercy on you—you remain in your exalted stature;
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Your command shall not be disobeyed, your opinion shall not be opposed,
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And no matter shall be decided without you.
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For you are a leader among the leaders of the Muslims;
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Your merit cannot be denied, nor can your counsel be dispensed with.'
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Upon the arrival of Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Levant,
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He assumed command of the army,
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Yet he never ceased consulting Abu Ubaydah in every matter.
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Thus, Allah granted them victory, opening the city of Bosra and the rest of the Levant at their hands.
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While they were conquering town after town,
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News arrived that a Roman army was marching toward the city of Bosra
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To reclaim it from the hands of the Muslims
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And to sever the army of Abu Ubaydah and Khalid from the remaining forces.
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Then another piece of news reached them, stating
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That another massive Roman army
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Had encamped at Ajnadayn in southern Palestine.
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So Abu Ubaydah and Khalid met
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And consulted one another on the matter.
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The consensus was reached to head toward Ajnadayn—
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To the larger Roman army—
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And to write to the other armies
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To gather at that location.
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This was agreed upon.
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A battle ensued between the Roman army,
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Which numbered approximately one hundred thousand,
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And the Muslim army, which numbered around thirty thousand.
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The Muslims were victorious,
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And the Romans suffered a crushing defeat.
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As a result of that victory,
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All of Palestine lay open before the Muslims.
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However, Heraclius had not yet surrendered;
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He still believed he was capable of defeating the Muslims.
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So he assembled an innumerable host
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And directed them toward the south of the Levant once again.
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The commanders of the Islamic armies gathered
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And consulted one another,
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Agreeing to assemble at Al-Jabiyah,
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From where they would march to the Yarmouk River.
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Meanwhile,
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a letter arrived from Medina, the capital of the Islamic Caliphate,
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carrying the news of the passing of the Caliph of the Muslims, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him),
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and the appointment of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) as the new Caliph of the Muslims.
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It contained another piece of news that was bound to shake the army:
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the dismissal of Khalid ibn al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) from the command of the Levant army,
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and the appointment of Abu 'Ubaydah over the army and the entire Levant region.
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When the news reached Khalid ibn al-Walid,
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he addressed the people, saying:
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"The trustworthy man of this Ummah has been appointed over you.
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I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say:
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'The trustworthy man of this Ummah is Abu 'Ubaydah
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ibn al-Jarrah.'"
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Whereupon Abu 'Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
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"I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say:
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'Khalid is one of the swords of Allah, and a fine leader of his kinsfolk.'"
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Thus, the army united behind Abu 'Ubaydah.
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When the Muslims reached al-Jabiyah
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and realized the strength of the Byzantine army,
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as well as the vast numbers and equipment prepared against them,
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opinions differed among them.
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Some advocated retreating to the borders of 'Aqabah,
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while others insisted on standing firm in their position.
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Khalid ibn al-Walid said:
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"I believe that if we were fighting with superior numbers and strength,
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they would indeed outnumber us and be stronger than us,
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and we would stand no chance against them.
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But if we are fighting them by Allah and for Allah,
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then I do not believe that their gathering—even if it comprised all the people of the earth—could avail them anything."
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He then turned to Abu 'Ubaydah and said:
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"Entrust me with the front line and leave the enemy to me,
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for I hope that Allah will grant me victory over them."
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Abu 'Ubaydah replied, "I have done so."
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So Abu 'Ubaydah relinquished his position of supreme command back to Khalid
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over the Muslim armies in the Levant.
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Khalid then wrought wonders against them,
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and the battle ended in a crushing defeat for the Byzantines
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and a glorious victory for the Muslims.
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It was the greatest disaster ever to befall the Byzantine Empire,
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and Heraclius departed Antioch, saying:
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"Farewell, O Syria—a farewell from one who shall never return to you!"
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Jerusalem remained one of the last strongholds behind whose walls the Byzantines fortified themselves.
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When Abu 'Ubaydah finished the conquest of northern Levant,
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he returned to Palestine,
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where 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with him) was besieging Jerusalem.
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When Abu 'Ubaydah arrived,
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the people of Jerusalem requested a peace treaty on the same terms as the rest of the Levant,
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provided that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab himself sign the treaty.
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Abu 'Ubaydah wrote to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab informing him of the desire of the people of Jerusalem.
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'Umar responded, traveled to the Levant,
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and the conquest of Jerusalem was concluded.
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And so, after a long journey of jihad and steadfastness, Abu 'Ubaydah
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met his predestined fate—
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for every soul shall taste death, whatever the cause may be.
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A plague struck the Levant, known as the Plague of 'Amwas,
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and countless people perished from it.
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When news of this reached 'Umar ibn al-Khattab,
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he sent a letter to Abu 'Ubaydah trying to rescue him from the epidemic,
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writing: "Peace be upon you.
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To proceed:
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I have an urgent matter for which I require your presence in person.
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I adjure you, upon reading this letter of mine,
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not to put it down from your hand until you set out toward me."
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Abu 'Ubaydah understood 'Umar's intention,
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realizing that he only wished to extract him from the plague.
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He said, "May Allah forgive the Commander of the Faithful,"
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then wrote back to him:
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"O Commander of the Faithful,
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I have understood your need for me,
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but I am amidst an army of the Muslims,
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and I have no desire to prefer my safety over theirs.
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I do not wish to leave them until Allah decrees His command and judgment concerning me and them.
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So relieve me of your directive, O Commander of the Faithful,
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and leave me with my army."
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When 'Umar read the letter, he wept.
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The people asked:
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"O Commander of the Faithful, has Abu 'Ubaydah died?"
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He replied, "No,
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but he is not far from death."
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When the sickness—that is, the plague—spread further,
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Abu 'Ubaydah stood to address the people, saying:
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"O people,
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this pain is a mercy for you,
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the prayer of your Prophet,
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and the manner of death of the righteous before you.
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And Abu 'Ubaydah asks Allah to grant him his share of it."
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It was not long before he was afflicted with the disease.
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He said to Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him):
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"Lead the people in prayer."
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So Mu'adh led them in prayer
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until Abu 'Ubaydah passed away
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at the age of fifty-eight.
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Mu'adh stood up
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and delivered a sermon comforting the people, saying:
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"O people,
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you have been bereaved of a man
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the likes of whom I have never seen among the servants of Allah—
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free of rancor, purest of heart,
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furthest from harm, most modest,
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and most sincere toward the general public.
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That man was Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah,
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so pray for Allah's mercy upon him (may Allah be pleased with him)."
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The people gathered,
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and Abu 'Ubaydah's body was brought out to the open ground.
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Mu'adh ibn Jabal stepped forward
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and led the funeral prayer over him.
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Then he entered his grave alongside 'Amr ibn al-'As
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and al-Dahhak ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with them).
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Once they placed him in his niche and stepped out,
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they poured earth over him.
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Mu'adh ibn Jabal then said:
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"O Abu 'Ubaydah!
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I shall not praise you falsely nor utter falsehood,
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for I fear incurring hatred from Allah.
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By Allah, you were among those who remember Allah much,
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and among those who walk upon the earth in humility,
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“The (faithful) slaves of the Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish ones address them answer: Peace;” (25:63)
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“And those who, when they spend, are neither prodigal nor grudging; and there is ever a firm station between the two;” (25:67)
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“And those who, when they spend, are neither prodigal nor grudging; and there is ever a firm station between the two;” (25:67)
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and by Allah, you were among the humble and modest ones,
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who show mercy to the orphan and the needy,
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and despise the treacherous and the arrogant."
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For the Chosen One, they are the finest companions; it is stated that they have died,
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in the eternal Paradise; it is stated that their honor has increased.
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They are Talhah, Ibn 'Awf, al-Zubayr, alongside
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Abu 'Ubaydah, the two Sa'ds, and the Caliphs.