Part of Glimpses from the Lives of the Tabi‘un (the Successors) (series completed)
· Lesson 15 of 37
Pictures from the lives of the followers | D. Abdul Rahman Raafat Al-Basha | Episode (15) | Saeed bin Al-Musayyab, may God have mercy on 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 finest of generations in their stands and exemplary conduct,
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Following the Messenger whenever he strove or spoke.
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Mawaddah Association
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Presents:
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Glimpses from the Lives of the Tabi'un
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By Dr. Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
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May Allah have mercy on him.
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Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib,
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May Allah have mercy on him.
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The Commander of the Faithful, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, resolved to perform the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah,
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Visit the second of the two Holy Sanctuaries,
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And offer greetings of peace upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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When the month of Dhu al-Qi'dah arrived,
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The grand caravan readied its riding mounts,
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And set out toward the land of the Hijaz,
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Accompanied by the illustrious nobles among the Umayyad princes,
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A group of senior state dignitaries, and some of his children.
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The procession proceeded on its way from Damascus to Medina al-Munawwarah,
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Neither lingering casually nor rushing precipitately.
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Whenever they made camp at a stop, tents were pitched for them,
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Carpets were laid out,
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And assemblies of knowledge and remembrance were convened,
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So that they might deepen their understanding of the religion,
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And nurture their hearts and souls
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With wisdom and beautiful admonitions.
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When the Caliph reached Medina al-Munawwarah,
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He repaired to its sacred sanctuary,
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Had the honor of sending greetings of peace upon its dweller, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him,
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The most exalted prayers and purest greetings of peace,
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And enjoyed praying in the radiant, pristine Rawdah,
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Tasting such soothing tranquility and inner peace
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As he had never tasted before.
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He resolved to extend his stay in the city of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him,
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As long as he found a way to do so.
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Among the things that most captured his attention in Medina
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Were the circles of knowledge that filled the Prophet's Mosque,
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Where the brilliant scholars among the senior Tabi'un shone,
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Just as radiant stars shine in the heart of the night sky.
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Here was the circle of Urwah ibn al-Zubayr,
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There was the circle of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib,
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And over there was the circle of Abd Allah ibn Utbah.
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One day, the Caliph awoke from his afternoon nap at an unusual hour,
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So he called his doorkeeper and said,
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"O Maysarah!"
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He replied, "At your service, O Commander of the Faithful."
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He said, "Go to the Mosque of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him,
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And invite one of the scholars to come and relate hadiths to us."
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Maysarah went to the Prophet's Mosque
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And cast his gaze around,
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But saw no circle other than a single one,
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Centered around an elder slightly over sixty years of age,
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Who bore the simplicity of scholars
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Along with their awe-inspiring dignity and composure.
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He stood not far from the circle
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And gestured to the Sheikh with his finger,
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But the Sheikh did not turn to him nor pay him any mind.
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So he approached him and said,
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"Did you not see that I was gesturing to you?"
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He replied, "To me?"
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He said, "Yes."
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He asked, "And what is your need?"
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He said, "The Commander of the Faithful has awakened and said,
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'Go to the mosque and see
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If you find any of my narrators, and bring him to me.'"
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The Sheikh said to him,
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"I am not one of his narrators."
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Maysarah said to him,
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"But he desires a scholar to relate hadiths to him."
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The Sheikh replied,
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"Indeed, he who seeks something comes to it.
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There is ample room for him in the mosque's circle
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If he wishes for that,
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For sacred knowledge is sought and visited,
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But it does not go out to others."
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So the doorkeeper retraced his steps
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And said to the Caliph,
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"I found no one in the mosque except an old man.
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I gestured to him, but he did not get up.
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So I approached him and said,
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'The Commander of the Faithful has awakened at this hour
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And instructed me,
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"See if you find any of my narrators in the mosque
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And call him for me."'
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But he said to me with calm resolve,
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'I am not one of his narrators,
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And there is ample room for him in the mosque's circle
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If he desires to hear hadith.'"
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Thereupon, Abd Malik ibn Marwan sighed,
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Sprang to his feet,
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And headed inside the residence,
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Saying,
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"That is Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib!
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Would that you had not gone to him or spoken to him!"
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When he moved away from the assembly
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And reached the inner quarters,
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The youngest of Abd al-Malik's sons turned
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And said,
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"Who is this man who refuses the Commander of the Faithful,
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Arrogantly disdains appearing before him
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And attending his council,
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When the worldly realm has submitted to him,
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And the kings of the Byzantines have bowed to his awe?"
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The elder brother replied,
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"That is the man from whom the Commander of the Faithful sought
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His daughter's hand for your brother al-Walid,
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But he refused to marry her to him."
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The younger brother exclaimed,
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"He refused to marry her to al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik?!
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Could he have sought a more exalted husband for her
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Than the heir apparent of the Commander of the Faithful
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And the future Caliph of the Muslims?"
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The elder brother remained silent
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And gave him no answer.
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The younger brother then asked,
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"If he was so miserly with his daughter
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Toward the heir apparent of the Commander of the Faithful,
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Did he find a suitable match for her
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Who was worthy of her?
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Or did he prevent her from marrying altogether,
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As some people do,
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Leaving her a unwed spinster at home?"
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His elder brother said to him,
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"Truthfully, I know nothing of her story
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Or his story with her."
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Thereupon, one of the companions present,
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Who was from the people of Medina, turned to them
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And said, "If the prince permits me,
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I shall relate her entire story to him.
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She married a young man from our neighborhood
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Named Abu Wada'ah,
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Who is our immediate neighbor, door to door.
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Her marriage to him has a remarkable story
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Which he related to me himself."
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The two brothers said to him,
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"Let us hear it!"
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The man said,
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"Abu Wada'ah related to me,
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Saying: 'As you know, I used to
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Regularly attend the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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In pursuit of knowledge,
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Constantly attending the circle of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib
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And jostling shoulder to shoulder with the people for it.
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Then I was absent from the Sheikh's circle for several days,
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So he missed me and thought I might be ill
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Or that some mishap had befallen me.
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He asked those around him about me,
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But found no news with any of them.
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When I returned to him after a few days,
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He greeted me, welcomed me, and said,
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"Where have you been, O Abu Wada'ah?"
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I said,
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"My wife passed away, so I was occupied with her affairs."
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He said,
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"Why did you not inform us, O Abu Wada'ah,
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So we could offer you condolences,
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Attend her funeral with you,
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And assist you in your plight?"
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I replied, "May Allah reward you with goodness."
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As I made a move to get up,
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He asked me to stay until everyone in the gathering had left.
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Then he said to me,
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"Have you not thought of taking a new wife, O Abu Wada'ah?"
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I replied, "May Allah have mercy on you,
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Who would marry his daughter to me
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When I am a young man who grew up an orphan
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And lived in poverty,
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Owning no more than two or three dirhams?"
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He said,
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"I will marry my daughter to you."
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My tongue was tied, and I exclaimed,
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"You?!
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You would marry your daughter to me,
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After knowing what you know of my situation?"
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He said, "Yes,
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For if someone comes to us whose religious commitment and character we are pleased with, we marry him;
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And to us, your religious commitment and character are pleasing."
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Then he turned to those who were near us
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And called them over.
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When they approached and gathered around him,
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He praised Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, extolled Him,
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Sent blessings upon Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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And performed the marriage contract between me and his daughter,
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Setting her dowry at just two dirhams.
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I stood up, lost for words out of sheer amazement and joy.
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Then I headed home—
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And I was fasting that day—
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But I forgot my fast and kept saying to myself,
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"Woe to you, Abu Wada'ah!
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What have you done to yourself?
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From whom will you borrow money?
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From whom will you ask for funds?"
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I remained in this state until the call for the sunset prayer was announced,
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So I performed the prescribed prayer
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And sat down to eat my meal to break the fast,
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Which consisted of bread and oil.
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No sooner had I taken a bite or two
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Than I heard a knock at the door.
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So I asked, "Who is at the door?"
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He replied, "Sa'id."
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By Allah, every single person crossed my mind...
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...whose name was Sa'id that I knew...
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...except Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib.
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That was because for forty years he had only ever been seen...
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...either in his home or in the mosque.
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So I opened the door...
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...and there I was, standing before Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib!
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I assumed that he had changed his mind...
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...regarding my marriage to his daughter.
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So I said to him,
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"O Abu Muhammad,
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why did you not send for me so that I might come to you?"
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He replied,
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"No, you had a greater right that I should come to you today."
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I said, "Please, step inside."
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He said, "No,
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I have only come for a specific matter."
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I asked,
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"And what is that, may Allah have mercy on you?"
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He replied,
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"My daughter became your wife by the law of Allah yesterday morning,
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and I know that you have no one with you...
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...to keep you company in your solitude.
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I disliked that you should spend the night in one place...
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...while your wife spent it in another,
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so I have brought her to you."
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I exclaimed, "Woe to me!
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You have brought her to me?"
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He said, "Yes."
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I looked, and there she was, standing tall and noble.
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He turned to her and said,
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"Enter the home of your husband, my daughter, in the name of Allah and with His blessing."
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When she tried to step forward,
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she stumbled over her cloak out of modesty,
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until she nearly fell to the ground.
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As for me,
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I stood before her bewildered, not knowing what to say.
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Then I rushed ahead of her to the bowl containing bread and oil,
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and removed it from the lamp's light so she would not see it.
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Then I went up to the roof and called out to the neighbors.
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They came rushing to me and said,
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"What is the matter with you?"
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I replied,
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"Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib performed the marriage contract for his daughter to me today in the mosque,
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and he has brought her to me just now unannounced!
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Come and keep her company while I go call my mother,
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for her house is far away."
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An old woman among them exclaimed,
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"Woe to you! Do you know what you are saying?
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Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib married his daughter to you...
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...and brought her to your house himself?!
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He is the one who withheld her from Al-Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik!"
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I said, "Yes,
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and here she is in my house!
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Come in and see her!"
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The neighbors headed into the house,
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hardly believing what I said.
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They welcomed her and kept her company to ease her loneliness.
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It was not long before my mother arrived.
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When she saw her,
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she turned to me and said,
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"My face shall be forbidden to your face...
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...if you do not leave her to me until I prepare her properly,
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and then present her to you as the noble women are presented."
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I said, "Do as you wish."
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She kept her with her for three days,
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and then presented her to me.
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And lo, she was among the most stunningly beautiful women of Medina,
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the most diligent of people in memorizing the Book of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,
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the most knowledgeable in narrating the hadith of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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and the most mindful of all people regarding the rights of a husband.
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I stayed with her for several days, and neither her father nor any of her family visited me.
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Then I attended the Sheikh's study circle in the mosque.
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I greeted him, and he returned my greeting,
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but he did not speak to me further.
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When the gathering dispersed and no one remained except me, he asked,
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"How is your wife, O Abu Wada'ah?"
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I replied,
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"She is in a state that pleases a friend and displeases a foe."
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He said, "Praise be to Allah."
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When I returned to my house,
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I found that he had sent us a substantial sum of money...
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...to help us in our life.
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Ibn 'Abd al-Malik said,
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"How remarkable is this man's affair!"
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A man from the people of Medina said to him,
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"And what is there to be astonished at regarding him, O Prince?
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He is a man who made his worldly life a vessel for his Hereafter,
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and bought for himself and his family that which is eternal in exchange for that which is transient.
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By Allah, he did not withhold his daughter from the son of the Commander of the Faithful out of spite,
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nor did he view him as unsuitable for her;
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rather, he feared the trial of worldly life for her.
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Indeed, some of his companions asked him, saying,
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'Do you reject the marriage proposal of the Commander of the Faithful,
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and marry your daughter to a man from the common Muslims?'
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He replied, 'My daughter is a trust around my neck,
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and I sought her best interests in what I did for her.'
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It was said to him, 'And how so?'
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He said, 'What do you think would happen to her if she moved to the palaces of the Umayyads,
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and turned among their luxurious furnishings and fine carpets,
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with servants, attendants, and maids standing before her,
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on her right and on her left,
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and then found herself after that as the wife of the Caliph?
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Where would her religion be on that day?'"
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A man from the people of the Levant said,
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"It seems your companion is a unique exemplar among men."
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The Medinan man replied,
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"By Allah, you have not strayed from the truth at all!
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He is one who fasts by day and prays by night,
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having performed nearly forty pilgrimages.
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He has not missed the opening takbir in the Mosque of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for forty years,
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nor was he ever known to have looked at the back of any man's neck in prayer during that entire time,
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owing to his constant adherence to the first row.
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He had the capacity to marry whichever woman he wished from Quraysh,
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yet he preferred the daughter of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, over all other women,
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due to his standing with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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his vast narration of his hadiths,
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and his intense eagerness to learn from him.
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He devoted himself to knowledge from his earliest youth;
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he visited the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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and was deeply influenced by them.
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He studied under Zayd ibn Thabit,
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'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas,
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and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar,
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and heard directly from 'Uthman, 'Ali, Suhayb,
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and others among the Companions of the noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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He adopted their noble character and adorned himself with their characteristics (Shama'il).
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He had a saying that he would constantly repeat,
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until it became like a motto for him,
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which was his statement:
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'Servants of Allah never ennoble themselves with anything like the obedience to Allah,
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nor do they debase themselves with anything like His disobedience.'
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Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib used to issue legal verdicts while the Companions were still alive. Historians...
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...held him as a paragon of scrupulous piety and an exemplar,
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following the Messenger whenever he strove or spoke.
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They were here, quenching the thirst of our lives like rain,
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and how exalted is their memory among us!
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They departed, leaving a question in our conscience:
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Is there any star like them that rose and shone bright?
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They filled life with proud deeds through their actions,
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and the world of mankind flourished because of them.