Part of Pictures from the lives of the Companions (series completed)
· Lesson 80 of 93
Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (95) - Rafi’ bin Umair Al-Tai, may God be pleased with him
0:000:00
Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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.
0:26
Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i,
0:32
may Allah be pleased with him.
0:48
Has the news of Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i reached you?
0:54
The desert marauder,
0:56
and its great plunderer.
0:58
Islam dawned upon Rafi',
1:00
yet he paid it no heed,
1:02
nor did he give it any attention,
1:04
for he was too preoccupied with raiding the Arab tribes,
1:09
and stealing their finest camels.
1:12
Do not think that Rafi' was the leader of an Arab tribe,
1:17
or that he had a battalion with which he raided,
1:20
or a band of men to support him.
1:22
Rafi' was none of that, nor was he anything close to it.
1:27
He was merely a Bedouin, a son of the desert,
1:30
who formed an army of one,
1:33
launching his raids on Arab homes all by himself,
1:38
depriving people of their most precious possessions,
1:41
then returning safe, triumphant, and well-provided.
1:45
You might ask: were there not, in these tribes that Rafi' raided,
1:50
brave warriors capable of pursuing this marauder,
1:55
recovering their finest camels from him, and finishing him off?
2:00
Indeed, there were among the sons of the desert
2:03
those who were no less courageous, bold, or daring than Rafi'.
2:08
But there was none among them who matched his knowledge of the desert's secrets,
2:14
and his ability to penetrate its depths,
2:17
until he became known among the Arabs
2:19
as the most skilled Bedouin in the desert sands,
2:23
and the one who knew its paths best.
2:26
It was Rafi's custom
2:28
that whenever he resolved to raid a people,
2:31
he would gather a large number of ostrich eggs,
2:34
fill them with water,
2:36
and bury them in remote, untrodden places deep in the desert.
2:42
Then, he would launch his raid on whichever tribe he chose,
2:46
drive the stolen camels before him,
2:49
and head toward those wildernesses that had yielded their secrets to no one but him.
2:55
Once he entered them and delved into their mazes,
2:59
their owners would cease their pursuit,
3:01
and turn back,
3:03
fearing for their own lives from death by thirst or getting lost.
3:07
In the ninth year of the Hijrah,
3:10
the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent 'Amr Ibn al-'As
3:14
at the head of a Muslim battalion to the land of Tayyi'.
3:19
He commanded him to mobilize those of the Arabs who had embraced Islam,
3:22
to go out with him to the Levant to fight the Romans,
3:25
and to reconcile with those who had not yet embraced Islam so they would not join his enemies.
3:30
In that battalion were Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab,
3:35
and a group of the prominent Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
3:40
They set out until they reached the mountain of Tayyi',
3:44
where the paths became obscured to them,
3:46
and they feared for themselves getting lost and perishing.
3:50
'Umar Ibn al-Khattab said,
3:52
"Bring us an expert man to be our guide in these wildernesses."
3:58
It was said to him, "You have none but Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i,
4:03
for he is the most knowledgeable of people regarding these deserts and the most insightful of their paths."
4:08
So they called for Rafi' and took him as their guide.
4:12
Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr spent time with this elite group
4:16
of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
4:20
for days and nights until they accomplished what they were commanded to do.
4:24
Rafi' witnessed their noble characteristics, their refined traits,
4:28
and the sublimity of their guidance, which planted love for them deep in his heart.
4:33
He found them to be worshippers by night and knights by day,
4:37
ascetics in this world, yet yearning for the good reward with Allah.
4:43
He had an experience with them that Rafi' himself narrates to you, saying:
4:48
"During my companionship with them, I contemplated them all,
4:53
and I scrutinized them, especially Abu Bakr; I marked him and preferred him
4:58
in my regard over all his companions, and in every good quality."
5:03
When we returned to the places from which we had set out,
5:07
and they were about to depart from us, I felt that they would take my heart with them.
5:12
So I came to Abu Bakr and said, "O companion of goodness,
5:16
I have marked you and chosen you from among your companions,
5:20
so tell me something that, if I preserve it, I will be of you and like you."
5:25
He said, "Do you preserve your five fingers?"
5:29
I said, "Yes." He said, "Count upon them:
5:33
Testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger,
5:38
establish prayer, pay the zakat if you have wealth,
5:43
fast Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the House if you are able."
5:48
Then he said, "Have you preserved it?" I said, "Yes, and listen to me:
5:53
I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger,
5:59
as for prayer, I will never abandon it,
6:03
as for zakat, if I have wealth, I will pay it,
6:07
as for Ramadan, I will fast it as long as I live,
6:11
and as for the pilgrimage, if I am able, I will perform it, if Allah wills."
6:16
From that day on, Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr turned the page of the desert,
6:21
that dark page of his life, and opened another page,
6:26
the page illuminated by the light of faith and sparkling with the radiance of the Qur'an.
6:32
That was the news of Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr in his Jahiliyyah,
6:36
so here is a glimpse of his news after his Islam.
6:40
The Caliph of the Muslims, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, dispatched
6:45
an army composed of four divisions to invade the Romans in the Levant.
6:50
The invading army surged in the cause of Allah to liberate the lands and guide the servants,
6:56
raising the sound of the Adhan in every land its feet trod,
7:00
to announce to the people that the era of servitude to the Caesars had passed,
7:05
and that servitude is to Allah alone, until it reached the outskirts of Damascus.
7:10
Then it set out from there to the city of Homs in central Syria.
7:15
The Romans had not accounted for the Muslim army, nor did they care for it,
7:20
but when they saw it inflicting defeat after defeat upon them,
7:24
and threatening their soldiers with annihilation, they massed their armies in Antioch,
7:29
and brought in reinforcements from the corners of the Byzantine Empire,
7:33
until two hundred and fifty thousand warriors gathered for them.
7:37
Then they pushed this massive, roaring army against the Muslims.
7:42
It proceeded to reclaim the lands the Romans had lost,
7:46
and threatened the Muslim soldiers with annihilation.
7:49
The Muslims sent messengers from among them to Medina,
7:52
describing the situation to the Caliph and saying, "Help! Help!
7:57
And hurry! Hurry!"
7:59
Khalid Ibn al-Walid was at that time in Iraq,
8:02
at the head of his great conquering army.
8:05
Al-Siddiq sent to him, ordering him to head immediately to the Levant
8:10
to aid the army threatened with annihilation,
8:13
and informed him of the catastrophe about to befall the Muslims.
8:18
Khalid responded to the Caliph's command,
8:21
and set out with ten thousand of the elite of the Muslims,
8:25
among them Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i,
8:28
to be reinforcements for the Muslim army in the Levant.
8:31
It was incumbent upon Khalid Ibn al-Walid
8:34
to reach Syria with his army in the shortest time,
8:38
and to take a route that avoided confrontation with the Romans,
8:42
so that they would not prevent him from meeting with the Muslims.
8:46
He began to consult his companions, saying,
8:49
"Guide me to such a path."
8:52
Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr al-Ta'i stood up to him
8:55
and said, "I will provide it for you, O Commander."
8:59
He said, "And how?"
9:01
He said, "We cross the desert starting from Qaraqir,
9:05
passing through Suwa and Arak,
9:07
and ending at Palmyra.
9:09
Then we will be behind Homs in the center of the Levant,
9:13
where the Muslim armies are stationed,
9:16
so we will surprise the Romans,
9:18
and they will not know if we descended upon them from the sky,
9:21
or sprang up for them from the earth."
9:24
Khalid said,
9:26
"And how shall we find water in this barren desert,
9:30
while we have twenty thousand souls, including men and horses?"
9:34
He said, "As long as Allah is with us,
9:37
I will provide it for you."
9:39
Khalid consulted the men of opinion from the vanguard of the army,
9:43
and they said, "Do not do it, O Commander,
9:46
for the distance between Qaraqir and Suwa
9:49
cannot be crossed in less than five nights,
9:52
and it is a wilderness with no water and no paths.
9:56
Crossing it for a lone rider
9:59
is almost impossible,
10:01
so how about this great army?
10:04
Do not expose yourself and the souls of the Muslims to destruction."
10:07
Khalid said,
10:09
"O company of Muslims,
10:11
let not your guidance differ,
10:13
nor your certainty weaken,
10:15
and know that the help of Allah
10:18
comes according to the intention,
10:20
and that the reward is according to the hardship,
10:23
and that a Muslim should not care about anything
10:26
as long as he awaits the help of his Lord.
10:29
Furthermore, Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr is with us,
10:32
and there is none among you who does not know Rafi', the son of the desert."
10:36
Then he said, "By Allah, this must be done,
10:39
for I have resolved to carry out the command of the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
10:45
and to rescue the Muslim army from the clutches of the Romans."
10:49
They had no choice but to respond to him in obedience,
10:53
and they said, "You are a man for whom Allah has gathered goodness,
10:57
so do what you see fit."
10:59
He said, "May Allah reward you with good."
11:02
Then he turned to Rafi' and said,
11:05
"Do what you see fit, O Rafi'."
11:08
Rafi' said, "Prepare, O Commander,
11:11
twenty large, fat, mature camels,"
11:15
meaning old in age.
11:17
They were brought to him.
11:19
Rafi' went to them,
11:21
and kept them from water,
11:23
and when thirst exhausted them,
11:25
he brought them to water,
11:27
and they drank until they were full.
11:29
Then he cut their muzzles,
11:31
meaning their lips,
11:33
and tied their mouths so they would not ruminate.
11:37
Then he loaded these camels with as much water as they could carry,
11:41
so the water was in their bellies and on their backs.
11:45
The mighty army set out,
11:47
and began to quicken the pace with its horses and baggage.
11:51
Whenever they stopped at a station,
11:53
Rafi' would go to the camels,
11:55
and slaughter four of them,
11:57
take the water from their stomachs,
12:00
mix it with their milk, and give it to the horses to drink,
12:03
and give the army to drink from the water on their backs.
12:07
When the army completed the fifth stage of its journey,
12:11
and had exhausted all the water it had,
12:14
and it was time for Rafi' to guide the soldiers to its sources,
12:18
Allah willed that Rafi' be afflicted with ophthalmia until his eyes swelled,
12:23
By morning, he could see nothing.
12:26
Khalid came to him and said,
12:28
"Woe to you, Rafi', we have slaughtered all the camels."
12:33
"The water has run out completely."
12:35
"The army is on the verge of perishing."
12:37
He replied,
12:38
"Look, perhaps you can see two mountains shaped like breasts."
12:43
Khalid cast his gaze in every direction.
12:46
Then he said,
12:47
"There they are, yes, there they are, O Rafi'."
12:51
Rafi' said, "Rejoice!"
12:54
"Rise and search between them for a boxthorn tree."
12:57
"Its description is such and such."
12:59
They searched for it but could not find it.
13:02
Rafi' said, "Woe to you!"
13:04
"Clear the earth away from it thoroughly; it is here."
13:08
"And know that if you do not find it,"
13:10
"You will perish, and you will perish along with them."
13:12
They rushed to search for the boxthorn tree in every spot.
13:16
It was not long before they found it.
13:18
It had been uprooted, but its base remained in the ground.
13:21
They cried 'Allahu Akbar', and Rafi' cried 'Allahu Akbar' with them.
13:24
Then he said,
13:25
"Dig at its base."
13:27
They dug.
13:28
A spring of fresh, pure water gushed forth from beneath it.
13:32
They increased in their declaration of Allah's oneness and greatness.
13:35
They approached Rafi', joyful, optimistic, and offering congratulations.
13:39
He said to them, "Praise be to Allah."
13:42
"By Allah, I passed through this land with my father thirty years ago."
13:47
"And my eyes have not seen it since then."
13:50
The army continued its march until it reached the hills overlooking the Ghouta of Damascus.
13:56
Khalid handed the banner of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr.
14:02
He commanded him to plant it there.
14:05
So he planted it.
14:06
It was called 'Al-'Uqab' (The Eagle).
14:08
Then the army of Khalid met with the four Muslim armies.
14:12
Which were awaiting his arrival.
14:15
They fought the Battle of Yarmouk.
14:17
In which Allah humbled the pride of polytheism.
14:20
And through it, He raised the banner of Islam.
14:23
It was one of the great decisive battles in history.
14:27
And furthermore,
14:29
Do you know that Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr,
14:31
Who until recently was nicknamed 'The Robber of the Desert',
14:36
Had come to be called 'Rafi' the Good'?
14:39
And do you know that the reason for bestowing this title upon him,
14:43
Goes back to the abundance of his kindness to the poor,
14:46
And his great compassion for those in need?
14:49
For he made it his habit to feed the people of three mosques,
14:53
From the earnings of his own hand and the sweat of his brow.
14:56
He was content with only one garment in this world,
14:59
Which he would wear at home,
15:01
And go out in to prayer.
15:04
Do not let this amaze you.
15:08
For Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr had been a student for a time,
15:11
In the school of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
15:15
And a spark from the light of faith had illuminated his heart.
15:19
Rafi' Ibn 'Umayr was the most knowledgeable Bedouin of the desert sands,
15:27
And the most expert of people in its paths, guided by the historians,
15:33
By Muhammad and his Companions.
15:36
The lofty structure has been fortified.
15:39
O poet, assist me, pour forth,
15:41
In their praise, is there any more to add?