Part of Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (series completed)
· Lesson 16 of 58
Treasures of biography | Sheikh Othman Al-Khamis | Episode (16) | Suraqa bin Malik is looking for the reward
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Transcript
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (Seerah).
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Allah is the Third of the Two.
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Al-Bukhari recorded
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on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him),
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from Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
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"I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the cave,
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and when I raised my head,
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I suddenly saw the feet of the pursuers.
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I said, 'O Prophet of Allah,
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if one of them were only to cast his eyes down, he would see us.'
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The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
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'Be quiet, O Abu Bakr!
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What of two,
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when Allah is their third?'"
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And in another narration:
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"'What do you think, O Abu Bakr, of two
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when Allah is their third?'"
0:54
When Quraysh relented in their active pursuit,
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the Prophet (peace be upon him) prepared
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to depart from the cave
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and head toward Medina.
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That was because 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr
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used to bring them news,
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and the Prophet (peace be upon him) had hired
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a paid guide,
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namely 'Abdullah ibn Urayqit.
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He served as a guide for the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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and Abu Bakr.
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He was a disbeliever,
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yet despite this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) enlisted his help.
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From this, the scholars derived the ruling
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that it is permissible to seek the assistance of a non-Muslim
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when there is a need for it.
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The Prophet (peace be upon him)
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had entrusted 'Abdullah ibn Urayqit
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with the two riding camels
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and arranged to meet him at the Cave of Thawr
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after three nights.
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The Prophet (peace be upon him)
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placed his trust in him despite his disbelief,
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though he could easily have informed Quraysh
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of the whereabouts of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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and Abu Bakr
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and collected the bounty of a hundred camels.
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Yet he only entrusted him with the task
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because he was a man of integrity.
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When the eve of Monday arrived,
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'Abdullah ibn Urayqit brought them the two mounts.
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They belonged to Abu Bakr,
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so Abu Bakr said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):
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"May my father and mother be ransomed for you, O Messenger of Allah!
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Take one of these two riding camels"—
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meaning as a gift for him—
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and he presented the better of the two to him.
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But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
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"[Only] for its price."
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Asma' bint Abi Bakr brought them
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their travel provisions,
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but she had forgotten to make a strap for the leather bag—
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that is, something with which to tie it.
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When they were about to set out,
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she went to hang the provisions bag,
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only to find it had no strap.
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So she split her waist-belt into two pieces;
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with one of them she tied the provisions bag,
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and with the other she fastened her waist.
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Because of this, she was given the title Dhat an-Nitaqayn ("She of the Two Waist-belts").
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The nitaq is a girdle tied around the waist.
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Al-Bukhari recorded
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on the authority of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
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"We traveled through the night and into the next day,
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until the sun reached its zenith at noon
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and the road became completely deserted,
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with no one passing by.
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Then a high rock appeared before us that cast a shade
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upon which the sun had not yet fallen.
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So we halted beside it,
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and I leveled a spot with my own hands for the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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to sleep upon,
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spread a fur rug over it,
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and said:
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'Sleep, O Messenger of Allah,
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while I sweep and guard the area around you.'
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So he went to sleep,
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and I went out to watch over the surroundings.
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Suddenly, I saw a shepherd approaching the rock,
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seeking from it the very shade we sought.
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I asked him,
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'To whom do you belong, young man?'
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He replied,
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'To a man from the people of Medina'—or 'Mecca.'
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I asked,
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'Is there any milk in your sheep?'
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He said, 'Yes.'
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I asked,
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'Will you milk some for us?'
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He said, 'Yes.'
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He took hold of a sheep,
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and I said,
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'Dust the udder clean of dirt, hair, and debris.'
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He milked a small quantity of fresh milk into a wooden cup.
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I had a leather water-skin that I carried for the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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for his refreshment,
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from which he could drink and perform ablution.
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I returned to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
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but I disliked waking him,
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and arrived just as he woke up.
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I poured water over the vessel of milk
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until its bottom cooled down,
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and I said,
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'Drink, O Messenger of Allah.'
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He drank until I was completely satisfied.
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Then he said,
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'Is it not time to depart?'
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I said, 'Yes indeed.'
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He said:
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And so we set out."
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Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (Seerah).
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Suraqah ibn Malik
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in pursuit of the reward.
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A man named Suraqah ibn Malik ibn Ju'shum
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pursued the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr,
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and Suraqah himself recounts his story.
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He said:
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"While I was sitting in one of the gatherings of my people, the Banu Mudlij,
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a man from among them came along,
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stood before us as we sat,
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and said:
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'O Suraqah!
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I have just spotted silhouettes along the coastal road;
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I believe they are Muhammad and his companions.'
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Suraqah said:
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I realized that it was indeed them,
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but I said to him:
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'They are not them;
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rather, you only saw so-and-so and so-and-so,
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who set out before our very eyes.'
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I then lingered in the gathering for a while before getting up.
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I went home and ordered my slave-girl to lead my horse behind a hill
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and hold it ready for me.
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I took my spear,
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slipped out from the back of the house,
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trailing the lower iron tip along the ground
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and keeping its upper blade lowered,
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until I reached my horse and mounted it.
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Then I paused, reached my hand into my quiver,
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drew out the divining arrows,
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and consulted them:
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whether I should harm them or not.
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The arrow came out with the result I disliked.
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He said:
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Yet I mounted my horse and defied the divining arrows.
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When I drew close to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr,
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I could hear the recitation of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
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who was not looking back at all,
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whereas Abu Bakr was looking back repeatedly.
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He said:
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Suddenly, the forelegs of my horse sank into the ground
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up to its knees,
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and I fell off it.
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I then rebuked it, and it struggled to stand,
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but could hardly pull its forelegs out.
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When it finally stood upright,
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a cloud of dust rose into the sky from the tracks of its forelegs like thick smoke.
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I consulted the divining arrows a second time,
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and again the result came out with what I disliked.
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So I called out to them offering a pledge of safety,
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and they halted.
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I rode my horse until I reached them,
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and it was firmly impressed upon my heart—when I suffered what I did of being barred from reaching them
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and seeing how my horse had been restrained—
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that the cause of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would inevitably prevail.
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I said to him,
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'Your people have placed a bounty upon your head,'
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and I offered him provisions and gear,
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but they took nothing from me,
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nor did they ask me for anything,
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except that he said:
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'Keep our whereabouts secret.'
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I then asked him to write a document granting me security,
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so he instructed 'Amir ibn Fuhayrah,
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who wrote it for me on a piece of leather.
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Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went on his way."
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Suraqah ibn Malik turned back,
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and finding people still actively searching,
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he began telling them:
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"I have already checked the news for you along this route;
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I have spared you the search here."
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Glory be to Allah!
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At the beginning of the journey,
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he was eager to kill them both
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and claim the reward;
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yet by the end of the day,
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he was actively defending them
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and concealing their trail.
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This was entirely from Allah, the Blessed and Exalted,
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showing how He protects His Prophet (peace be upon him).
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Treasures of the Prophetic biography (Seerah).
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The tent of Umm Ma'bad.
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, passed by
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during that journey
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until he reached the tent of a woman
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known as Umm Ma'bad.
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, asked her,
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along with Abu Bakr,
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"Do you have anything?"
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She replied,
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"By Allah, we have nothing; the drought has exhausted what we had."
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It was a year of severe famine.
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, looked
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at a sheep in the corner of the tent
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and asked,
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"What is this sheep, Umm Ma'bad?"
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She said,
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"A sheep too weak and exhausted to follow the flock."
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He asked,
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"Does it have any milk?"
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She replied,
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"It is far too exhausted for that."
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He said,
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"Do you permit me to milk it?"
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She replied,
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"Yes, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you;
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if you see any milk in it, then milk it."
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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then wiped
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its udder with his hand,
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invoked the name of Allah, and prayed.
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The sheep relaxed its legs and its milk flowed abundantly.
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He called for a vessel of hers,
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and milked into it until it was covered in foam.
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He gave her to drink, and she drank until she was satisfied.
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He gave his companions, Abu Bakr and 'Amir, to drink,
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as well as 'Abdullah Ibn Urayqit,
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until they were all satisfied.
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Then he drank.
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He milked it a second time until he filled the vessel,
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then left it with her and departed, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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After that, the husband of Umm Ma'bad returned,
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driving lean goats that had no milk.
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When he saw the milk, he was astonished
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and asked,
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"Where did you get this from, when the sheep is barren
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and there is no milch animal in the house?"
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She replied,
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"No, by Allah,
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except that a blessed man passed by us."
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She told him what had happened.
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Her husband said,
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"By Allah, I believe this is the man of Quraysh whom they are seeking.
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Describe him to me, Umm Ma'bad."
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She described him with various attributes,
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and he said to her,
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"By Allah, this is the one the people of Makkah are searching for."
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I heard verses said to be from the Jinn:
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May Allah reward,
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May Allah, Lord of the Throne, reward with the best of rewards
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two companions who stayed in the tent of Umm Ma'bad.
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They brought blessings when they arrived and departed with them.
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Successful is he who becomes a companion of Muhammad.
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May the people of the tribe of Qays be rewarded for what Allah has bestowed upon you
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of deeds that cannot be repaid, and for your nobility.
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May the sons of Ka'b be congratulated for the place of their woman,
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and her seat which is a station for the believers.
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Ask your sister about her sheep and her vessel,
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for if you ask the sheep, it will bear witness.
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On Monday,
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the eighth of Rabi' al-Awwal,
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in the fourteenth year
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of the Prophet's mission, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
12:16
he arrived at Quba'.
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'Urwah Ibn al-Zubayr said:
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The Muslims in Madinah heard
12:22
of the departure of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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from Makkah.
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They would go out every morning to the Harrah (lava fields),
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waiting for him until the heat of midday drove them back.
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One day, after waiting for a long time, they turned back.
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When they had retreated to their homes,
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a man from the Jews climbed one of their fortresses
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and caught sight of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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and his companions, dressed in white,
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shimmering in the mirage.
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The Jew could not help
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but call out at the top of his voice,
12:57
"O people of the Arabs!
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This is your leader whom you have been waiting for!"
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The Muslims rushed to take up their weapons
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and went out to meet the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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He turned with them to the right
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until he settled among the Banu 'Amr Ibn 'Awf.
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This was on a Monday in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal.
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Abu Bakr stood up for the people,
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while the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sat in silence.
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The Ansar who arrived,
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those who had not seen the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, before,
13:33
began coming to Abu Bakr,
13:35
thinking he was the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
13:39
When the sun began to beat down on the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
13:44
Abu Bakr came forward
13:46
and shaded the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
13:50
with his cloak.
13:51
Then the people realized that this was the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
13:56
'Ali Ibn Abi Talib remained behind
13:59
for three days to return the trusts
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on behalf of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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then he migrated on foot.
14:07
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stayed in Quba'
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for four days, according to the most well-known account:
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Monday, Tuesday,
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Wednesday, and Thursday.
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He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, founded the Quba' Mosque
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and prayed in it;
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it is the first mosque founded upon piety.
14:41
When the fifth day came, which was Friday,
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the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, rode out by the command of Allah,
14:50
with Abu Bakr riding behind him.
14:52
He sent for the Banu al-Najjar,
14:54
who were the maternal uncles of his grandfather, 'Abd al-Muttalib.
14:57
They came, girded with their swords.
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He traveled toward Madinah,
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and the time for Friday prayer overtook him in a village of the Banu Salim Ibn 'Awf.
15:07
He performed the Friday prayer with them in the mosque located in the valley.
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This was the first Friday prayer the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, performed in Madinah.
15:17
After he performed the Friday prayer,
15:19
he set off into the heart of Madinah.
15:22
He would not pass by any of the houses of the Ansar
15:26
without them taking hold of his camel's halter,
15:28
saying to him,
15:30
"O Messenger of Allah,
15:32
come to where there is number, equipment,
15:34
weapons, and protection."
15:36
He would say to them,
15:38
"Leave her path,
15:40
for she is commanded."
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She continued to walk with him
15:44
until she reached the site of the Prophet's Mosque,
15:48
where she knelt down.
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He did not dismount
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until she rose and walked a little further,
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then turned back and returned,
15:56
kneeling in her original spot.
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Then the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, dismounted
16:02
among the Banu al-Najjar.
16:04
This was by the grace of Allah for him,
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for he loved to stay with his maternal uncles
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to honor them by doing so.
16:12
This is part of maintaining family ties.
16:14
People began speaking to
16:16
the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
16:19
about staying with them.
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Each one of them would come
16:23
to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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and say,
16:27
"O Messenger of Allah,
16:29
stay with me,
16:30
dwell with me."
16:32
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari stood up,
16:34
took the Prophet's luggage, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
16:37
and entered his house with it.
16:40
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, turned to him
16:43
and said,
16:45
"A man is with his luggage."
16:47
As'ad Ibn Zurarah came
16:49
and took the reins of the Prophet's camel, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
16:53
saying,
16:55
"The camel is with me."
16:57
After some days,
16:59
the wife of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
17:02
Sawdah,
17:04
and his daughters Fatimah and Umm Kulthum arrived,
17:07
as well as Usamah Ibn Zayd
17:09
and Umm Ayman.
17:11
All of them
17:13
traveled with 'Abdullah Ibn Abi Bakr,
17:15
and with him were also the children of Abu Bakr
17:17
al-Siddiq.
17:19
Zaynab, the daughter of the Prophet,
17:21
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, remained
17:23
with Abu al-'As Ibn al-Rabi'.
17:25
She was unable to migrate with him
17:27
because he was still following the religion of his people.
17:29
Treasures of the Seerah.
17:32
Building the Prophet's Mosque.
17:40
After the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had settled,
17:47
he began building the Prophet's Mosque
17:50
in the place where the she-camel had knelt.
17:53
The land belonged to two orphan boys,
17:56
so he purchased it.
17:58
The Muslims built the mosque,
18:00
and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, participated
18:03
in the construction with his own noble hands, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
18:07
He would say while building with them:
18:10
"O Allah, there is no life but the life of the Hereafter,
18:14
so forgive the Ansar and the Muhajirun."
18:17
The Ansar would work with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
18:22
They would say,
18:24
"Should we sit idle while the Prophet works?"
18:26
That was our misguided effort.
18:29
In that location, there were
18:32
graves of the polytheists.
18:34
There were also ruins and palm trees.
18:37
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, ordered the graves to be exhumed.
18:41
The ruins were leveled.
18:43
And the palm trees were cut down.
18:45
They were then arranged along the qibla of the mosque.
18:48
The qibla at that time was
18:51
toward Bayt al-Maqdis.
18:53
The Prophet, peace be upon him, had not yet been commanded
18:56
to turn toward Makkah.
18:59
Houses were built beside this mosque,
19:02
which were the chambers,
19:04
the homes of his wives, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
19:07
Once the construction was complete,
19:10
he, peace be upon him, moved into those houses.
19:14
Treasures of the Prophetic biography.