Learn about the companions, scholars, and notables | Who am I?

0:01 Pause and reflect upon the Companions, the scholars, and the eminent figures of our history.

0:12 A new challenge: who am I?

0:16 I am a Companion from among the youths of the Ansar.

0:23 I embraced Islam before the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, arrived in Medina.

0:28 Then, I pledged allegiance to him upon his arrival there.

0:32 I was always in the outskirts, tending to my small flock of sheep.

0:36 The Prophet, peace be upon him, gave me the choice to pledge allegiance as a Bedouin or as a Muhajir (emigrant).

0:44 I replied, "Rather, the pledge of the Muhajirin."

0:48 Then I went out to my sheep to tend to them.

0:53 There were twelve of us who had embraced Islam, living far from Medina.

0:59 We would graze our sheep in the surrounding wilderness.

1:03 We agreed that one of us would go to Medina each day.

1:08 He would leave his sheep with us for us to tend to them for him.

1:12 When he returned, we would learn from him what he had learned.

1:16 I said to them, "Go to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."

1:22 "I will stay here and tend to your sheep along with my own."

1:27 I was extremely diligent in caring for them.

1:31 My companions began going back and forth to the Prophet, peace be upon him.

1:37 While I remained tending the sheep.

1:39 Until I took myself to task and said,

1:42 "Woe to you! For the sake of a few sheep that neither fatten nor nourish,"

1:47 "Will you miss out on the companionship of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?"

1:53 "And taking the Qur'an directly from his lips?"

1:56 Then I abandoned my sheep and set off for Medina.

2:00 To reside in the mosque, adjacent to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

2:06 I kept close company with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

2:11 He would often have me ride behind him on his mount.

2:16 To the point that I became known as the one who rode behind the Prophet, peace be upon him.

2:21 On one occasion,

2:23 I was holding the reins of the mule of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

2:28 While he was riding it.

2:30 We were traveling through the outskirts of Medina.

2:33 He said to me, "Will you not ride?"

2:36 I felt too much reverence for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, to ride in his place.

2:42 He repeated the offer to me three times.

2:45 I intended to say no,

2:48 But I feared that doing so might be an act of disobedience.

2:52 So I said, "Yes."

2:54 He dismounted, I rode for a brief moment, and then I dismounted.

2:58 Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, mounted again.

3:02 Then he said to me,

3:04 "Shall I not teach you two surahs the likes of which have never been seen?"

3:08 I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah."

3:11 So he recited to me,

3:13 “Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak” (113:1)

3:15 "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind."

3:18 Then the prayer was called.

3:20 The Prophet, peace be upon him, stepped forward,

3:24 And recited them in the prayer.

3:26 Then he said to me,

3:28 "Recite them whenever you go to sleep and whenever you wake."

3:33 Because of my constant attendance upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

3:38 I learned the Qur'an from him,

3:40 Until I became one of the reciters.

3:43 I was known for my beautiful voice in reciting it.

3:46 Often, the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him,

3:51 Would ask me to recite some of the Qur'an to him.

3:56 And when I would recite, he would weep, may Allah be pleased with him.

4:00 When death approached me,

4:02 I gathered my sons and advised them, saying,

4:06 "O my sons,"

4:08 "I forbid you from three things:"

4:10 "Do not accept a hadith from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, except from a trustworthy source,"

4:16 "Do not incur debt, even if you have to wear a patched cloak,"

4:20 "And do not write poetry,"

4:22 "Lest you become preoccupied with it and neglect the Qur'an."

4:25 So, who am I?

Learn about the companions, scholars, and notables | Who am I? | Episode No. (186)

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