Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (65) - Amr bin Al-Aas, may God be pleased with him

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:15 The Mawaddah Association is pleased

0:17 to present to you glimpses from the lives of the Companions.

0:21 By Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,

0:25 may Allah have mercy upon him.

0:30 'Amr ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with him.

0:51 "O Allah, You commanded us, but we disobeyed;

0:54 You forbade us, but we did not desist;

0:57 and nothing can encompass us but Your forgiveness, O Most Merciful of the merciful."

1:01 With this humble and hopeful supplication,

1:04 'Amr ibn al-'As bade farewell to life

1:07 and welcomed death.

1:10 The life story of 'Amr ibn al-'As is rich and eventful;

1:14 through it, he gained for Islam two great regions of the inhabited world:

1:19 namely, Palestine and Egypt.

1:22 He left behind for the Muslims a monumental legacy that filled the world

1:26 and occupied people for a long time.

1:29 This story begins before the Hijrah

1:32 by about half a century,

1:35 when 'Amr was born,

1:37 and it ends in the year 43 after the Hijrah,

1:41 when certainty (death) came to him.

1:43 As for his father, he was al-'As ibn Wa'il,

1:47 one of the leaders of the Arabs during the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era),

1:50 and a prominent noble among their nobles,

1:53 one whose lineage traced back to the elite of Quraysh.

1:58 As for his mother, she was not of such status;

2:01 rather, she was a captive slave woman.

2:04 Therefore, his envious rivals would pursue him by mentioning her

2:07 while he sat on the throne of leadership

2:10 or ascended the pulpits of oratory.

2:13 So much so that one of them incited a man to approach him

2:17 while he was ascending the pulpit

2:19 and ask him about his mother,

2:21 in exchange for a generous sum of money he lavished upon him.

2:26 The man stood up and said,

2:29 "Who is the mother of the Amir?"

2:31 'Amr restrained himself,

2:33 exercised his forbearance, and then said,

2:36 "She is al-Nabighah bint 'Abd Allah;

2:39 she was struck by the spears of the Arabs during the Jahiliyyah,

2:42 so she was sold in the market of 'Ukaz.

2:44 'Abd Allah ibn Jud'an bought her,

2:47 then gifted her to al-'As ibn Wa'il,"

2:50 meaning his father,

2:52 "so she bore him and gave birth to me.

2:54 If some of those whose hearts are torn by envy

2:57 have given you some money,

2:59 then take it."

3:01 When the persecuted Muslims began

3:04 to migrate to Abyssinia

3:06 to escape the oppression and torment of Quraysh,

3:09 and settled in its lands,

3:11 fleeing from their own kin,

3:13 Quraysh resolved to bring them back to Makkah

3:16 and subject them to various forms of torture.

3:19 They chose 'Amr ibn al-'As

3:21 to carry out this mission,

3:23 because of the bonds of old friendship

3:26 that existed between him and the Negus.

3:28 They provided him with what the Negus

3:31 and his patriarchs favored in terms of gifts.

3:33 When he arrived before the Negus,

3:36 he greeted and honored him,

3:38 and said to him,

3:39 "A group of our people

3:41 have disbelieved in the religion of their fathers and grandfathers

3:44 and have invented a new religion for themselves.

3:47 Quraysh has sent me

3:49 to seek your permission to return them to their people,

3:52 so they may restore them to their religion

3:54 and bring them back to their creed."

3:57 The Negus summoned a group of the Companions,

4:00 asked them about the religion they followed,

4:03 the God in whom they believed,

4:06 and the Prophet who brought them this religion.

4:09 He heard from their speech what filled his heart

4:12 with certainty and tranquility,

4:14 and he grasped from their creed what filled his soul

4:17 with attachment to them and belief in their religion.

4:20 So he refused to hand them over to 'Amr ibn al-'As

4:23 with the firmest refusal,

4:24 the firmest refusal,

4:25 and returned to him the gifts he had presented.

4:29 When 'Amr ibn al-'As resolved to depart for Makkah,

4:33 the Negus said to him,

4:35 "How can the matter of Muhammad escape you, O 'Amr,

4:38 given the soundness of your mind and your far-sightedness that I know of?

4:42 By Allah, he is indeed the Messenger of Allah to you in particular,

4:46 and to all people."

4:48 'Amr said to him,

4:50 "Do you say that, O King?"

4:53 The Negus replied,

4:55 "Yes, by Allah.

4:56 So obey me, O 'Amr,

4:58 and believe in Muhammad and the truth he has brought you."

5:02 'Amr ibn al-'As left Abyssinia

5:05 and went on his way, not knowing what to do,

5:08 for the words of the Negus had begun to shake his heart deeply.

5:13 The talk about Muhammad and the truth he brought

5:17 kept pushing him toward meeting him.

5:20 However, that was not destined for him

5:23 until the eighth year of the Hijrah,

5:26 when Allah opened his heart to the new religion.

5:29 He set out, quickening his pace toward Medina

5:33 to meet the noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

5:37 and declare his Islam before him.

5:40 While he was on his way,

5:42 he met Khalid ibn al-Walid

5:44 and 'Uthman ibn Talhah,

5:46 and they were heading where he was heading,

5:49 and intending what he was intending.

5:51 So he joined them and they went together.

5:54 When they came to the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

5:59 Khalid ibn al-Walid pledged allegiance,

6:02 as did 'Uthman ibn Talhah.

6:04 Then the noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, extended his hand to 'Amr,

6:09 but 'Amr withdrew his hand from the Prophet.

6:13 The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to him,

6:16 "What is the matter with you, O 'Amr?"

6:18 He said, "I pledge allegiance to you on the condition that my past sins be forgiven."

6:23 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,

6:26 "Indeed, Islam and Hijrah wipe away what came before them."

6:30 So he pledged allegiance to him at that moment.

6:33 But this incident left its mark on the soul of 'Amr ibn al-'As,

6:38 for he used to say, "By Allah, I could not fill my eyes with the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

6:44 nor could I satisfy myself with looking at his face,

6:47 until he joined his Lord."

6:49 The Messenger had looked at 'Amr ibn al-'As with the light of Prophethood

6:53 and recognized the unique capabilities he possessed,

6:57 so he appointed him commander over the Muslim army in the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil,

7:01 despite the presence in the army of the Muhajirun and the Ansar,

7:06 and those who were foremost in Islam.

7:09 When Allah took His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to Himself,

7:13 and the mantle of the Caliphate passed to al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him,

7:17 'Amr ibn al-'As performed the greatest service in the Wars of Apostasy,

7:21 and confronted the sedition with a firmness reminiscent of the firmness of al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with them both.

7:27 'Amr ibn al-'As arrived among the Banu 'Amir,

7:30 and their leader, Qurrah ibn Hubayrah,

7:33 was contemplating apostasy and said to him,

7:36 "O 'Amr, the Arabs are not pleased with this tribute you have imposed upon the people,"

7:43 meaning the zakat.

7:45 "If you exempt them from it, they will listen to you and obey."

7:49 "And if you refuse, they will not gather under you after today."

7:53 'Amr shouted at the leader of Banu 'Amir and said,

7:57 "Woe to you! Have you apostatized, O Qurrah?

8:00 Are you threatening us with the apostasy of the Arabs?

8:03 By Allah, I will trample you with horses inside your mother's tent!"

8:07 When al-Siddiq answered the call of his Lord,

8:11 and handed over the reins to al-Faruq (Umar),

8:14 the best hand to which reins could be handed,

8:17 al-Faruq sought the help of 'Amr ibn al-'As's capabilities and expertise,

8:21 and placed them in the service of Islam and the Muslims.

8:25 Allah granted victory at his hands in the coasts of Palestine,

8:28 land after land,

8:30 and he defeated the Roman armies, army after army.

8:33 Then he turned to besiege Jerusalem,

8:36 and 'Amr tightened the siege on the first of the two Qiblahs

8:40 and the third of the Sacred Mosques,

8:43 until he planted despair in the soul of Artabun,

8:46 the commander of the Roman army,

8:48 and compelled him to abandon the Holy City

8:51 and flee for his life.

8:54 So Jerusalem surrendered to the Muslims.

8:57 At that point, its Patriarch desired

9:00 that the surrender take place in the presence of the Caliph himself.

9:03 So 'Amr ibn al-'As wrote to al-Faruq, may Allah be pleased with him,

9:07 summoning him to receive Jerusalem.

9:10 He came and signed the surrender document,

9:14 and Jerusalem passed to the Muslims in the fifteenth year of the Hijrah

9:19 at the hands of 'Amr ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with him.

9:22 Whenever the siege of Jerusalem was mentioned before al-Faruq,

9:27 and the brilliance 'Amr ibn al-'As displayed therein, he would say,

9:31 "We have countered the Artabun of the Romans with the Artabun of the Arabs."

9:35 Then 'Amr ibn al-'As crowned his great victories with the conquest of Egypt,

9:40 and added this precious pearl to the necklace of Islam.

9:44 Thereby, he opened the doors of Africa to the Muslim armies,

9:48 and the lands of the Maghreb,

9:50 and then Spain after that.

9:53 They achieved all of this in about half a century.

9:57 These are not all the merits of 'Amr ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with him,

10:02 for 'Amr was one of the renowned geniuses of the Arabs,

10:06 and one of their rare, exceptional talents.

10:11 Perhaps one of the most intriguing examples of his genius and intelligence

10:14 is the approach he took in the conquest of Egypt.

10:17 He kept encouraging al-Faruq, may Allah be pleased with him, to conquer it until he gave him permission,

10:22 and commissioned him with four thousand of the Muslim soldiers.

10:26 'Amr set out with his soldiers, not turning back for anything.

10:30 But not long after his departure,

10:34 'Uthman ibn 'Affan entered upon 'Umar and said to him,

10:38 "O Commander of the Faithful,

10:40 'Amr is indeed a bold and daring man,

10:43 and he has a love for leadership.

10:45 I fear that he has set out for Egypt without sufficient equipment or numbers,

10:50 thus exposing the Muslims to destruction."

10:53 Al-Faruq regretted his permission to 'Amr to conquer Egypt,

10:57 and sent a messenger after him carrying a letter from him regarding this matter.

11:02 The messenger caught up with the Muslim army in Rafah in the land of Palestine.

11:07 When 'Amr learned of the messenger's arrival from the Commander of the Faithful,

11:11 and that he was carrying a letter for him,

11:14 he felt a sense of apprehension regarding the letter he carried.

11:17 He did not delay in setting out to meet him, traveling with great haste,

11:21 until he reached a village near 'Arish in Egypt.

11:25 There, he met him, took the letter he had brought, and broke its seal.

11:30 It read:

11:31 "If this letter reaches you before you enter the land of Egypt,

11:35 then return to your position.

11:37 But if you have already entered its land, then proceed with your mission."

11:41 He then called the Muslims together and read the letter of the Commander of the Faithful to them.

11:45 He asked, "Do you not know that we are in the land of Egypt?"

11:49 They replied, "Yes."

11:51 He said, "Then let us proceed with the blessing and success of Allah."

11:55 And so, Allah granted the conquest of Egypt at his hands.

11:59 Among the examples of his intelligence and shrewdness as well

12:03 is that when he was besieging one of the fortified citadels of Egypt,

12:07 the Roman patrician sent a request to the commander of the Muslim army

12:11 asking him to send a man from his side

12:14 to debate and negotiate with him.

12:16 Some of the Muslims volunteered for this,

12:20 but 'Amr said,

12:22 "I shall be the messenger of my people to him."

12:25 He then went to the patrician,

12:27 and entered the citadel as an envoy sent by the Muslim commander.

12:32 The Roman patrician met with 'Amr, not recognizing him,

12:36 and a conversation took place between them that revealed the genius of 'Amr,

12:40 his sagacity, and his intelligence.

12:42 The Roman patrician resolved to betray him,

12:45 and provided him with a generous gift,

12:48 ordering the guards of the citadel to kill him before he left the trench.

12:53 However, 'Amr saw something in the eyes of the guards that aroused his suspicion,

12:57 so he turned back and said to the patrician,

13:00 "The gift you have bestowed upon me, O master,

13:04 is not enough for all my cousins.

13:07 Would you permit me to bring ten of them to you,

13:11 so that they may receive from your generous bounty what I have received?"

13:14 The patrician was pleased by this,

13:16 and imagined he would kill ten of them instead of one.

13:21 He signaled to the guards of the citadel to let him pass.

13:25 Thus, 'Amr ibn al-'As was saved.

13:28 When Egypt was conquered and surrendered to the Muslims,

13:34 the Roman patrician met with 'Amr ibn al-'As,

13:37 and asked him in astonishment,

13:39 "Is it you?"

13:41 He replied, "Yes, despite your treachery."

13:44 'Amr ibn al-'As was, in addition to that,

13:47 one of the most eloquent of people,

13:49 and the most articulate in speech,

13:51 to the point that the Commander of the Faithful, may Allah be pleased with him,

13:54 saw in his eloquence a sign of the power of Allah, the Exalted.

13:59 Whenever he saw a man who stammered,

14:02 he would say, "I believe in Allah;

14:04 the Creator of this man and the Creator of 'Amr ibn al-'As is One."

14:09 Among the eloquent sayings of 'Amr ibn al-'As is his statement:

14:12 "Men are of three types:

14:14 a complete man, half a man, and one who is nothing.

14:19 As for the complete man,

14:21 he is the one whose religion and intellect are perfect;

14:24 when he intends to decide on a matter,

14:26 he consults those of sound judgment,

14:28 and he remains successful.

14:30 As for half a man,

14:32 he is the one whom Allah has perfected in religion and intellect,

14:36 but when he intends to decide on a matter,

14:38 he consults no one,

14:40 saying, 'Which person should I follow, abandoning my own opinion for theirs?'

14:45 So he is sometimes right and sometimes wrong.

14:47 As for the one who is nothing,

14:49 he is the one who has neither religion nor intellect,

14:52 so he remains mistaken and failing.

14:55 By Allah, I even consult my servants regarding my affairs."

14:59 When 'Amr ibn al-'As fell ill with his final illness,

15:02 and felt the approach of death,

15:05 he was overcome with emotion,

15:07 and said to his son,

15:09 "I have been in three states in which I have known myself:

15:13 First, I was a disbeliever,

15:16 and had I died then,

15:18 the Fire would have been my certain fate.

15:21 Then, when I pledged allegiance to the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

15:24 I was the shyest of people before him,

15:27 to the point that I never once filled my eyes with his sight.

15:31 Had I died then,

15:33 people would have said,

15:35 'Congratulations to 'Amr,

15:37 he embraced Islam in goodness and died in goodness.'

15:40 Then I became involved in matters thereafter,

15:43 and I do not know if they are for me or against me."

15:46 Then he turned his face toward the wall, saying,

15:50 "O Allah, You commanded us, but we disobeyed;

15:53 You forbade us, but we did not refrain.

15:56 Nothing can save us but Your pardon, O Most Merciful of the merciful."

16:01 Then he placed his hand on his neck,

16:05 raised his gaze to the sky, and said,

16:08 "O Allah, I am not powerful, so I cannot seek victory;

16:11 I am not innocent, so I cannot offer an excuse;

16:14 and I am not arrogant,

16:16 but I am a seeker of forgiveness.

16:19 So forgive me, O Oft-Forgiving."

16:22 He continued to repeat this until his soul departed.

16:33 The greatest Messenger,

16:36 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had said of him:

16:39 "The people have embraced Islam,

16:42 and 'Amr ibn al-'As has believed."

Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (65) - Amr bin Al-Aas, may God be pleased with him

Transcript