Part of Pictures from the lives of the Companions (series completed)
· Lesson 14 of 15
Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (14) - Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl, 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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‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl, may Allah be pleased with him.
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He was in his late twenties
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on the day the Prophet of Mercy proclaimed the call to guidance and truth.
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He was among the most noble of Quraysh in status,
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the wealthiest, and the most prestigious in lineage.
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It would have been fitting for him to embrace Islam as his peers did,
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such as Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqas and Mus‘ab Ibn ‘Umayr,
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and others from the prominent houses of Makkah,
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had it not been for his father.
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And who, one might wonder, was this father?
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He was the greatest tyrant of Makkah,
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the primary leader of polytheism,
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and the author of the torment
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by whose brutality Allah tested the faith of the believers, yet they remained steadfast,
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and by whose cunning He tested the sincerity of the certain, and they proved true.
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He was Abu Jahl, and that is enough said.
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Such was his father; as for him,
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he was ‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl al-Makhzumi,
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one of the renowned chieftains of Quraysh,
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and one of its most prominent knights.
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‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl found himself driven,
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by virtue of his father’s leadership,
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to oppose Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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He showed the Messenger the fiercest enmity,
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inflicted the most grievous harm upon his Companions,
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and poured upon Islam and the Muslims such torment
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as brought joy to his father’s eyes.
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When his father led the battle of polytheism on the day of Badr,
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and swore by Allah and al-‘Uzza
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that he would not return to Makkah
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unless he defeated Muhammad,
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and he descended upon Badr,
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and stayed there for three days,
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slaughtering camels, drinking wine,
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and having singing girls play music for him—
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when Abu Jahl led this battle,
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his son ‘Ikrimah was the arm upon which he relied,
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and the hand with which he struck.
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But al-Lat and al-‘Uzza
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did not answer Abu Jahl’s call,
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for they could not hear,
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nor did they grant him victory in his battle,
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for they were powerless.
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So he fell prostrate, slain before Badr,
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and his son ‘Ikrimah saw him with his own eyes,
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as the spears of the Muslims drank from his blood,
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and he heard him with his own ears
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as he let out his final cry,
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which escaped his lips.
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‘Ikrimah returned to Makkah
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after leaving the corpse of the master of Quraysh at Badr,
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for the defeat had rendered him unable
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to retrieve it for burial in Makkah,
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and his flight forced him to abandon it to the Muslims,
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who cast it into the pit
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along with dozens of the slain polytheists,
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and heaped sand upon it.
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From that day on,
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‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl’s relationship
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with Islam took a different turn.
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For he had initially opposed it
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out of zeal for his father,
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but now he opposed it to avenge him.
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Hence,
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‘Ikrimah and a group of those whose
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fathers were killed at Badr
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fanned the flames of enmity
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in the chests of the polytheists against Muhammad,
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and stoked the embers of vengeance
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in the hearts of the aggrieved among Quraysh,
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until the battle of Uhud took place.
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‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl went out to Uhud,
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and brought with him his wife, Umm Hakim,
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to stand with the women who were aggrieved
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at Badr behind the lines,
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and to beat the tambourines with them,
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inciting Quraysh to fight,
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and steadying its knights
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should their souls suggest flight to them.
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Quraysh placed on the right flank of its cavalry
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Khalid Ibn al-Walid,
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and on their left flank, ‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl.
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Both polytheist knights performed
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on that day a feat
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that tipped the scales of Quraysh against Muhammad and his Companions,
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and achieved for the polytheists a great victory,
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which made Abu Sufyan say,
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"This is for the day of Badr."
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And on the day of the Trench,
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the polytheists besieged the city
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for many long days,
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until ‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl’s patience ran out,
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and he grew weary of the siege.
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He spotted a narrow place in the trench,
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spurred his horse into it, and crossed it,
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followed by a few men behind him,
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in a daring adventure
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that cost ‘Amr Ibn ‘Abd Wudd al-‘Amiri his life,
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while he himself was only saved by flight.
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On the day of the Conquest,
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Quraysh saw that it was no match for Muhammad and his Companions,
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so it resolved to clear the path for him to Makkah.
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It was helped in making this decision
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by the knowledge that the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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had ordered his commanders not to fight anyone from the people of Makkah except those who fought them.
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But ‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl and a group with him
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defied the consensus of Quraysh,
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and confronted the great army,
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only to be defeated by Khalid Ibn al-Walid in a small skirmish,
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in which some of them were killed,
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while those who could flee did so.
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Among the fugitives was ‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl.
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At that point, ‘Ikrimah was left in a desperate plight,
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for Makkah had become inhospitable to him after it submitted to the Muslims,
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and the Messenger, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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had pardoned the past transgressions of Quraysh,
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but he had excepted a few whom he named,
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and ordered them to be killed even if they were found under the curtains of the Ka‘bah.
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At the forefront of these individuals
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was ‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl.
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Therefore, he snuck out of Makkah in disguise,
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and set his face toward Yemen,
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for he had no refuge but there.
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At that time, Umm Hakim,
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the wife of ‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl,
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and Hind bint ‘Utbah
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went to the house of the Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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accompanied by ten women to pledge allegiance to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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They entered upon him,
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and with him were two of his wives, his daughter Fatimah,
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and some of the women of the family of ‘Abd al-Muttalib.
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Hind spoke while veiled,
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and said, "O Messenger of Allah,
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praise be to Allah who has manifested the religion He chose for Himself.
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I ask you to treat me with your kindness,
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for I am a believing, affirming woman."
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Then she unveiled her face and said,
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"I am Hind bint ‘Utbah, O Messenger of Allah."
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The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to her,
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"Welcome."
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She said, "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah,
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there was no house on the face of the earth more beloved to me to be humbled than your house,
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but now I have reached the point
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where there is no house on the face of the earth more beloved to me to be honored than your house."
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The Messenger of Allah said,
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"And even more than that."
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Then Umm Hakim stood up,
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the wife of ‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl,
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and she embraced Islam and said,
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"O Messenger of Allah,
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‘Ikrimah has fled from you to Yemen,
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fearing that you would kill him,
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so grant him safety, may Allah grant you safety."
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He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
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"He is safe."
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She set out immediately in search of him,
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accompanied by a Roman servant of hers.
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When they had traveled far along the road,
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the servant tried to seduce her,
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so she kept him hopeful and stalled him
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until she arrived at a tribe of Arabs,
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and sought their help against him.
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They bound him and kept him with them,
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and she continued on her way
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until she caught up with ‘Ikrimah at the seashore,
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in the region of Tihamah,
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where he was negotiating with a Muslim sailor to transport him,
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and the sailor was saying to him,
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"Be sincere, and I will transport you."
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‘Ikrimah asked him,
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"And how do I be sincere?"
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He said,
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"Say: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
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and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
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‘Ikrimah said,
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"I have fled for no other reason than this."
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While they were in that state,
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Umm Hakim approached ‘Ikrimah,
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and said,
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"O cousin,
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I have come to you from the best of people,
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the most righteous of people,
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and the most excellent of people,
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from Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdullah.
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I have sought safety for you from him, and he has granted it,
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so do not destroy yourself."
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He asked,
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"Did you speak to him?"
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She said, "Yes,
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I spoke to him and he granted you safety."
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She continued to reassure and comfort him
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until he returned with her.
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Then she told him the story of her Roman servant,
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He passed by him and killed him before he could embrace Islam.
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While they were at a place where they had stopped on the road,
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‘Ikrimah wished to be alone with his wife,
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but she refused him with the utmost firmness.
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She said,
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"I am a Muslim,
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and you are a polytheist."
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He was filled with astonishment and said,
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"A matter that stands between you and being alone with me
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is a grave matter indeed."
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When ‘Ikrimah drew near to Makkah,
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the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to his Companions,
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"‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl will come to you,
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as a believer and a migrant.
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Do not insult his father,
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for insulting the dead hurts the living,
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and it does not reach the dead."
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It was only a short while
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before ‘Ikrimah and his wife arrived
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at the place where the Messenger of Allah was sitting.
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Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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When the Prophet, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, saw him,
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he sprang up toward him without his outer garment,
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in his joy for him.
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When the Messenger of Allah sat down,
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‘Ikrimah stood before him and said,
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"O Muhammad,
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Umm Hakim has informed me that you have granted me safety."
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
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"You have spoken the truth;
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you are safe."
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‘Ikrimah then asked,
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"To what do you invite, O Muhammad?"
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He replied,
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"I invite you to testify
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that there is no god but Allah,
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and that I am the servant of Allah and His Messenger,
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and to establish prayer and pay the zakat,"
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until he had counted all the pillars of Islam.
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‘Ikrimah said,
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"By Allah, you have only invited to the truth,
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and you have only commanded what is good."
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Then he added,
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"By Allah, you were among us,
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before you invited to what you have invited to,
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as the most truthful of us in speech."
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Then he extended his hand and said,
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"I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
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and I bear witness that you are His servant and His Messenger."
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Then he said,
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"O Messenger of Allah,
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teach me the best thing I can say."
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He replied,
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"Say: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
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and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger."
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‘Ikrimah asked,
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"And what then?"
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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
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"Say:
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I call Allah to witness,
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and I call those present to witness,
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that I am a Muslim, a mujahid, and a migrant."
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‘Ikrimah said that.
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At this,
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the Messenger, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, said to him,
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"Today, you will not ask me for anything that I give to anyone
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without me giving it to you."
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‘Ikrimah said,
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"I ask you to seek forgiveness for me for every enmity I showed you,
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or any position in which I confronted you,
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or any words I spoke to your face or behind your back."
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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
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"O Allah, forgive him for every enmity he showed me,
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and every step he took toward a place where he intended to extinguish Your light.
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And forgive him for what he said against my honor to my face,
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or when I was absent from him."
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‘Ikrimah’s face beamed with joy,
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and he said,
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"By Allah, O Messenger of Allah,
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I will not spend any wealth
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that I had spent in hindering people from the path of Allah,
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but that I will spend double of it in the path of Allah.
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And I will not engage in any battle in which I fought to hinder people from the path of Allah,
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but that I will fight double of it in the path of Allah."
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From that day on,
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a brave knight joined the ranks of the call, active on the battlefields,
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a worshiper, a night-prayer performer, and a reciter of the Book of Allah in the mosques.
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He used to place the Mushaf on his face and say,
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"The Book of my Lord, the speech of my Lord,"
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while weeping out of fear of Allah.
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‘Ikrimah remained true to the pledge he made to the Messenger.
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The Muslims did not fight a battle after his conversion
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but that he fought it with them,
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and they did not go out on an expedition
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but that he was in their vanguard.
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On the day of Yarmouk,
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‘Ikrimah rushed into battle
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like one who is thirsty rushes to cold water on a scorching day.
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When the distress became severe for the Muslims at one point,
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he dismounted from his horse and broke the scabbard of his sword,
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and plunged into the ranks of the Romans.
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Khalid ibn al-Walid hurried to him and said,
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"Do not do this, ‘Ikrimah,
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for your death would be a heavy blow to the Muslims."
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He replied,
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"Leave me, O Khalid,
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for you had a precedence with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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As for me and my father,
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we were among the harshest of people against the Messenger of Allah.
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So let me make amends for what has passed."
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Then he said,
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"I have fought the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in many places,
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and shall I flee from the Romans today?
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That will never happen."
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Then he called out to the Muslims,
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"Who will pledge to die?"
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His cousin al-Harith ibn Hisham pledged to him,
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as did Dirar ibn al-Azwar,
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along with four hundred Muslims.
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They fought in defense of the tent of Khalid, may Allah be pleased with him, with the fiercest fighting,
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and they defended him with the most noble defense.
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When the Battle of Yarmouk concluded
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with that decisive victory for the Muslims,
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there were lying on the ground of Yarmouk
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three mujahidin,
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exhausted by their wounds.
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They were:
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al-Harith ibn Hisham,
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‘Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi‘ah,
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and ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl.
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Al-Harith asked for water to drink.
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When it was brought to him,
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‘Ikrimah looked at it,
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and said, "Give it to him."
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When they brought it near him,
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‘Ayyash looked at it,
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and said, "Give it to him."
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When they reached ‘Ayyash,
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they found that he had already passed away.
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When they returned to his companion,
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they found that he had also joined him.
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May Allah be pleased with them.
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May He give them to drink from the Hawd al-Kawthar,
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a drink after which they will never thirst,
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thereafter,
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and grant them the green gardens of Paradise,
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where they will dwell
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forever.
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‘Ikrimah will come to you,
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as a believer and a migrant.
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Do not insult his father,
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for insulting the dead hurts the living,
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and it does not reach the dead.
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Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
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[The remaining lines are fragmentary/garbled in the source; translating as intended context:]
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O poet,
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praise them, for they are the best.
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In their praise, how can we ever do them justice?