Part of Pictures from the lives of the Companions (series completed)
· Lesson 2 of 15
Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (2) - Saeed bin Amer Al-Jumahi, may God be pleased with him
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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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The Mawaddah Association is pleased
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to present to you glimpses from the lives of the Companions,
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by Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
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may Allah have mercy upon him.
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Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi, may Allah be pleased with him.
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The youth Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi was
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one of the thousands
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who went out to the area of al-Tan'im on the outskirts of Makkah,
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at the invitation of the leaders of Quraysh,
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to witness the execution of Khubayb ibn 'Adi,
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one of the companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him.
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This was after they had captured him through treachery.
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His abundant youth
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and overflowing vitality enabled him
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to jostle through the crowds,
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even among the elders of Quraysh,
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such as Abu Sufyan ibn Harb,
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Safwan ibn Umayyah,
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and others who were at the head of the procession.
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This allowed him to see the prisoner of Quraysh
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shackled in his chains,
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while the hands of women, children, and young men
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pushed him toward the arena of death,
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seeking to take revenge on Muhammad through his person,
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and to avenge their fallen in Badr by killing him.
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When these massive crowds
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arrived with their prisoner at the place prepared for his execution,
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the youth Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi stood
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with his tall stature, looking over at Khubayb,
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as he was led to the wooden cross.
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He heard his steady, calm voice
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amidst the shouting of the women and children,
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saying, "If you wish to let me
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pray two rak'ahs before my execution, then do so."
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Then he watched him as he faced the Ka'bah,
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and prayed two rak'ahs—how beautiful they were,
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and how perfect!
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Then he saw him turn to the leaders of the people
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and say, "By Allah, were it not that you might think
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that I prolonged the prayer out of fear of death, I would have prayed more."
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Then he witnessed his own people with his own eyes
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as they mutilated Khubayb while he was still alive,
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cutting pieces from his body, one after another,
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while they said to him,
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"Would you like Muhammad to be in your place while you are safe?"
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And he would reply, "I would not wish that I be safe,
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by Allah, nor would I wish to be secure
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with my family and children,
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while Muhammad is pricked by a thorn."
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The people waved their hands in the air,
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and their shouting grew louder: "Kill him!"
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Then Sa'id ibn 'Amir saw
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Khubayb raise his gaze to the sky
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from atop the wooden cross and say,
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"O Allah, count them in number,
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destroy them one by one,
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and do not spare a single one of them."
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Then he breathed his last,
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bearing what could not be counted of sword strikes
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and spear thrusts.
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Quraysh returned to Makkah,
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and in the bustle of momentous events, they forgot
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Khubayb and his execution.
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But the young man, Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi,
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did not let Khubayb leave his thoughts for a moment.
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He would see him in his dreams when he slept,
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and he would appear in his imagination while he was awake.
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He would visualize him before him as he prayed his two
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calm and tranquil rak'ahs
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before the wooden cross,
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and he would hear the ringing of his voice in his ears
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as he prayed against Quraysh,
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fearing that a thunderbolt might strike him or a rock
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might fall upon him from the sky.
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Then Khubayb taught Sa'id
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that true life is faith and struggle
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for the sake of faith until death.
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He also taught him that firm
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faith performs wonders
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and creates miracles.
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And he taught him another thing:
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that the man whom his companions love
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with all this love must be a Prophet,
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supported from the heavens.
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So he stood up in the midst of the people
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and declared his dissociation from the sins of Quraysh
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and their burdens, and his rejection
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of their idols and statues,
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and his entry into the religion of Allah.
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Sa'id ibn 'Amir migrated to Madinah
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and kept the company of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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He witnessed Khaybar with him,
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and the battles that followed.
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The noble Prophet passed to the side of his Lord
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while He was pleased with him.
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He remained after him a drawn sword
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in the hands of his two successors, Abu Bakr and 'Umar.
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He lived as a unique example,
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a singular believer who traded the Hereafter for the worldly life,
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and preferred the pleasure of Allah and His reward
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over all the desires of the soul
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and the cravings of the body.
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Sa'id ibn 'Amir, his truthfulness and piety—
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they listen to his advice,
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and they heed his words.
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He entered upon 'Umar ibn al-Khattab at the beginning of his caliphate,
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and said, "O 'Umar,
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I advise you to fear Allah regarding the people,
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and do not fear the people regarding Allah.
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And let not your words contradict your deeds,
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for the best of speech is that which is confirmed by action.
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Face those whom Allah has placed under your authority, both the distant and the near among the Muslims,
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and love for them what you love for yourself and your household,
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and hate for them what you hate for yourself and your household.
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Wade through the depths for the sake of the truth,
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and do not fear the blame of the blamers for the sake of Allah."
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'Umar said,
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"And who can do that, O Sa'id?"
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He replied,
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"A man like you, from among those whom Allah has entrusted,
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and there is no one between him and Allah."
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At that, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab invited Sa'id to assist him,
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and said, "O Sa'id,
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we are appointing you over the people of Homs."
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He said, "O 'Umar,
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I adjure you by Allah, do not tempt me."
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'Umar became angry and said, "Woe to you!
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You placed this burden on my neck and then abandoned me?
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By Allah, I will not leave you."
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He appointed him over Homs and said,
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"Shall we not assign you a stipend?"
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He said, "What would I do with it, O Commander of the Faithful?
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For my allowance from the public treasury exceeds my needs."
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Then he went to Homs.
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Not long after, there came to the Commander of the Faithful
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some of those he trusted from the people of Homs.
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He said,
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"Write down for me the names of your poor."
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They submitted a list,
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and in it were so-and-so, so-and-so, and Sa'id ibn 'Amir.
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He asked, "And who is Sa'id ibn 'Amir?"
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They said, "Our governor."
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He said, "Your governor is poor?"
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They said, "Yes.
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By Allah, long days pass
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and no fire is lit in his house."
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'Umar wept until his tears wet his beard.
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Then he took a thousand dinars,
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placed them in a pouch, and said,
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"Give him my greetings,
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and say to him,
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'The Commander of the Faithful has sent you this money
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to help you meet your needs.'"
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The delegation came to Sa'id with the pouch.
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He looked at it and saw it was dinars.
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He began to push it away, saying,
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as if a calamity had befallen him,
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or a disaster had descended upon his home.
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His wife rushed in, alarmed, and said,
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"What is the matter, Sa'id? Has the Commander of the Faithful died?"
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He said, "Nay, something greater than that."
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She said, "Have the Muslims suffered a defeat?"
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He said, "Nay, something greater than that."
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She said, "And what is greater than that?"
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He said, "The worldly life has entered upon me
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to corrupt my Hereafter,
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and discord has entered my house."
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She said, "Get rid of it,"
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not knowing anything about the dinars.
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He said, "Will you help me in that?"
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She said, "Yes." So he took the dinars,
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put them in small pouches, and distributed them among
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the poor Muslims.
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Not much time passed
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before 'Umar went to inspect his affairs.
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When he arrived in Homs—which was called 'al-Kuwayfah',
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a diminutive of Kufah, comparing Homs to it
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because of the frequent complaints of its people about their officials
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and governors, just as the people of Kufah used to do.
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When he arrived there,
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its people met him to greet him.
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He asked, "How have you found your governor?"
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They complained to him and mentioned four things,
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each one greater than the other.
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'Umar said, "I brought him and them together,
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and I prayed to Allah not to disappoint my expectations of him,
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for I had great confidence in him."
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When they were with me, they and their governor,
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I said, "What do you complain about regarding your governor?"
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They said, "He does not come out to us
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until the day is well advanced."
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I said, "And what do you say to that, O Sa'id?"
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He was silent for a while, then said,
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"By Allah, I hated to say this,
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but since it is necessary:
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I have no servant for my family,
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so I get up every morning and knead their dough for them,
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Then I wait a little while for the dough to rise.
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Then I bake it for them.
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Then I perform wudu and go out to the people.
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'Umar said, "So I asked them, 'What else do you complain about regarding him?'"
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They replied, "He does not answer anyone at night."
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I said, "What do you say to that, O Sa'id?"
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He said, "By Allah, I truly disliked..."
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"...to make this public as well."
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"For I have dedicated the day to them..."
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"...and the night to Allah, the Almighty and Majestic."
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I said, "What else do you complain about regarding him?"
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They said, "He does not come out to us..."
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"...one day every month."
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I said, "What is the reason for this, O Sa'id?"
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He said, "I have no servant, O Commander of the Faithful."
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"And I have no clothes other than what I am wearing."
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"So I wash them once a month..."
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"...and wait for them to dry."
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"Then I go out to them at the end of the day."
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Then I said, "What else do you complain about regarding him?"
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They said, "He is seized from time to time..."
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"...by a fainting spell, during which he becomes absent..."
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"...from those in his gathering."
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I said, "What is this, O Sa'id?"
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He replied, "I witnessed the execution of Khubayb ibn 'Adi..."
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"...while I was still a polytheist."
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"I saw the Quraysh cutting his body while they were saying..."
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"'Would you like Muhammad to be in your place?'"
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"And he would say, 'By Allah, I would not like to be..."
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"...safe with my family and children [while he is harmed].'"
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"And by Allah, I have never remembered that day..."
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"...and how I failed to come to his aid..."
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"...without thinking that Allah would not forgive me."
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"And that fainting spell overcomes me."
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Upon that, 'Umar said:
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"Praise be to Allah, who did not prove my opinion of him wrong."
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Then he sent him a thousand dinars...
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...to help him with his needs.
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When his wife saw them, she said to him:
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"Praise be to Allah who has enriched us and spared us from needing your service."
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"Buy us provisions and hire us..."
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"...a servant." He said to her:
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"Would you like something better than that?"
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She said, "And what is that?"
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"We give it to the One who will bring it back to us..."
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"...at a time when we are in the greatest need of it."
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She said, "And what is that?"
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"We lend it to Allah as a goodly loan."
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She said, "Yes, and may you be rewarded with good."
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He did not leave the spot where he was sitting...
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...until he had placed the dinars into pouches.
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And he said to one of his family:
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"Take this to the widow of so-and-so."
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"And to the orphans of so-and-so."
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"And to the needy of the family of so-and-so."
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"And to the destitute of the family of so-and-so."
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May Allah be pleased with Sa'id ibn 'Amir al-Jumahi.
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For he was among those who prefer others over themselves...
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...even if they themselves are in need.
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Sa'id ibn 'Amir...
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...a man who purchased the Hereafter with the worldly life.
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And preferred Allah and His Messenger over all else.
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The end.