Part of Glimpses from the Lives of the Tabi‘un (the Successors) (series completed)
· Lesson 32 of 37
Pictures from the lives of the followers | D. Abdul Rahman Raafat Al-Basha | Episode (32) | Al-Najashi (Ashmah bin Abjar), may God have mercy on him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
0:00
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
0:03
The best of generations in terms of stances and examples.
0:08
They followed the Messenger when he strove or spoke.
0:13
The Association of Love
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Presents
0:17
Portraits from the Lives of the Tabi'un
0:21
By Dr. Abdur Rahman Ra'fat Al-Basha
0:25
May Allah have mercy on him.
0:27
Al-Najashi
0:31
Ashamah ibn Abjar
0:33
May Allah have mercy on him.
0:43
This Tabi'i taught us when the Tabi'un are mentioned.
0:47
A Companion when the Companions are counted.
0:50
He corresponded with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
0:53
And the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, corresponded with him.
0:56
And when he joined the Highest Companion.
0:59
The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, prayed for him.
1:02
The funeral prayer in absentia.
1:04
Even though he did not pray the funeral prayer in absentia for anyone else.
1:07
He is Ashamah ibn Abjar,
1:10
Known as Al-Najashi.
1:12
So let us spend these blessed moments
1:16
with this unique scholar from the scholars of the Muslims.
1:20
Ashamah's father was the king of the Abyssinians,
1:25
and he had no other son besides him.
1:28
So some of the leaders of Abyssinia said to each other,
1:31
"Our king has no son other than this boy,
1:35
and this will weaken him while he is alive,
1:39
and will lead to the demise of his kingdom if he dies,
1:42
and will lead us to an outcome that is not to be praised."
1:45
"So it would be best if we killed him and made his brother king."
1:49
For he has 12 sons who will support him during his life
1:53
and succeed him after his death.
1:56
And the devils kept whispering to them,
1:59
and instilling in their minds their own fears,
2:02
until they killed their king and pledged allegiance to his brother after him.
2:06
Ashamah grew up under the care of his uncle,
2:11
and his buds began to open, revealing a brilliant intellect,
2:15
remarkable resolve, and radiant eloquence,
2:18
and a unique personality.
2:21
Until he filled his uncle's heart with admiration for him,
2:24
and preference for his merits and favoring him over his own sons.
2:28
Then Satan whispered again to the lords of the Abyssinians,
2:32
and some of them said to each other,
2:35
"By Allah, we fear that the kingdom will pass to this young man.
2:39
And if that happens,
2:42
he will take a terrible revenge on us,
2:45
and kill us all as a reward for killing his father."
2:49
Then they went to the king and said,
2:52
"O King, our souls are not at ease,
2:55
and our hearts are not reassured,
2:58
unless you kill Ashamah,
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or expel him from among us.
3:04
For he has now grown up,
3:07
and we fear that he will take revenge on us for killing his father."
3:10
So the king said to them,
3:13
"What an evil people you are!
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You killed his father yesterday.
3:20
By Allah, I will not do it."
3:23
They said, "Then we will take him
3:26
and cast him out of our land."
3:29
So he yielded to them, though he disliked it and was unable to resist.
3:32
Not even a day and a bit had passed since Ashamah's banishment
3:35
when what was not expected happened.
3:38
The horizon became overcast with dark clouds,
3:41
and the sky raged with lightning and thunder.
3:44
Then one of them struck,
3:47
then one of them struck his uncle, who was saddened by his departure,
3:50
and killed him.
3:53
So the Abyssinians rushed to the king's sons
3:56
to entrust the kingdom to one of them.
3:59
But they found no good among them.
4:02
So their distress intensified,
4:05
and the matter became difficult for them.
4:08
What increased their distress and hardship
4:11
was that some of the peoples neighboring Abyssinia
4:15
So some of them said to each other,
4:18
"By Allah, no one will establish your affairs
4:21
and protect your kingdom
4:24
except that young man whom you cast out yesterday.
4:27
So if you have any need for the affairs of Abyssinia,
4:30
reach him and bring him back."
4:33
Then they went out in search of him,
4:36
and brought him back to his homeland.
4:39
And they placed the crown on his head.
4:42
They called him Al-Najashi.
4:45
So he governed the land with shrewdness and wisdom,
4:48
and relieved the people from turmoil and chaos,
4:51
and filled Abyssinia with justice and goodness,
4:54
after it had been filled with injustice and evil.
4:59
Al-Najashi had barely settled on his throne
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when Allah sent His Prophet Muhammad,
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may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him,
5:08
with the religion of guidance and truth.
5:11
The guided ones were the first to embrace Islam,
5:14
responding to him one after another.
5:17
So Quraysh rose up, inflicting harm upon them
5:20
and causing them distress.
5:23
When Mecca became too constricted for them,
5:26
and the polytheists inflicted upon them such harm
5:29
as would shake the hardest of rocks,
5:32
the Messenger, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him, said to them:
5:35
"Indeed, in the land of Abyssinia there is a king
5:38
under whom no one is wronged.
5:41
So migrate to his land and seek his protection,
5:44
until Allah grants you a way out of your affair,
5:47
and provides you with a way out of your hardship."
5:50
The first caravan of emigrants set out
5:53
to the land of Abyssinia.
5:56
They were eighty, men and women.
5:59
So for the first time, they tasted the flavor of security
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and stability,
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without their worship being disturbed
6:09
by any disturber, or the sweetness of their faith
6:12
being marred by any marrer.
6:16
But Quraysh had barely learned of the departure
6:19
of these eighty Muslims
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to the land of Abyssinia
6:25
and their settlement there,
6:28
when they rose up to conspire against them, to destroy them
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or to return them to Mecca.
6:34
Among their most intelligent and shrewd men were
6:37
Amr ibn Al-'As
6:40
and Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah.
6:43
And they sent with them abundant gifts for Al-Najashi
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and his bishops,
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of what they found appealing from the land of Hijaz.
6:52
When they arrived in Abyssinia,
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they hastened to meet the bishops before they met Al-Najashi,
6:58
and gave to each bishop
7:02
the message: "There have arrived in your land
7:05
some of our foolish youths,
7:08
who have abandoned the religion of their fathers and forefathers,
7:11
and have divided the word of their people.
7:14
So when we speak to the king about them,
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advise him to hand them over to us
7:20
without asking them about their religion,
7:23
for the nobles of their people know them best
7:26
and are most aware of what they profess."
7:31
Then Ibn Abi Rabi'ah approached Al-Najashi
7:34
and prostrated to him as his people used to prostrate to him.
7:37
Al-Najashi welcomed them with the warmest welcome,
7:40
due to the existing relationship between him and Amr ibn Al-'As.
7:43
He was a friend.
7:46
Then he presented him with the gifts, accompanied
7:49
by greetings from the great men of Mecca,
7:52
led by Abu Sufyan, the chief of Quraysh.
7:55
He found their gifts appealing and was impressed by them.
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Then they spoke to him and said:
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"O King, there have taken refuge in
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your kingdom some of our worst youths,
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who have abandoned our religion and have not entered
8:10
into your religion, and have brought a religion
8:13
that neither we nor you know.
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And the nobles of our people have sent us
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to ask you to return them to us,
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for they know best what they have innovated in terms of religion."
8:26
Al-Najashi looked at his bishops
8:29
and they said, "He speaks the truth, O King.
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For we have not encountered the religion they
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have newly adopted, and their people
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know them better than we do and are more aware of what they have innovated."
8:41
Al-Najashi said, "No, by Allah,
8:44
I will not hand them over to anyone until I hear
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their words and understand their creed.
8:50
If they are upon falsehood, I will hand them over
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to their people, and if they are upon truth,
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I will protect them and treat them well,
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as long as they are in my land."
9:02
Then he added, saying, "By Allah,
9:05
I do not forget Allah's favor upon me,
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for He returned me to my land,
9:11
and protected me from the schemes of those who schemed against me,
9:14
and preserved me from the oppression of those who wronged me."
9:19
Al-Najashi invited the Companions to meet him,
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and they felt apprehensive about that,
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and some of them said to each other,
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"What will you say to him if he asks you about your religion?"
9:31
Then their leaders said,
9:34
"We will say what Allah, the Almighty, said
9:37
in His Book, and we will declare what came to us from
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the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
9:43
from his Lord." Then they went to him.
9:46
And they found Amr ibn Al-'As with him,
9:49
and they found his bishops sitting
9:52
to his right and to his left,
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and they had donned their caps,
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and spread their books before them.
10:01
So they greeted him with the greeting of Islam,
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and sat where the gathering allowed them.
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Then Amr ibn Al-'As turned to them
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and said, "Why do you not prostrate to the king?"
10:13
They said, "We do not prostrate."
10:16
Al-Najashi nodded his head,
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surprised by what they said,
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and looked at them gently and said,
10:25
"What is this that you have introduced for yourselves
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as a religion, and because of which you have abandoned
10:31
your people's religion, and you have not entered into my religion.
10:34
So Ja'far ibn Abi Talib sought his permission.
10:37
And he said, "O King,
10:40
we did not innovate a religion for ourselves.
10:44
We were a people of ignorance,
10:47
worshipping idols, severing ties of kinship,
10:50
eating carrion, and committing indecencies,
10:53
and treating neighbors poorly.
10:56
And the strong among us would overpower the weak.
10:59
And we remained in that state
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until Allah sent us a messenger from among us,
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whose lineage we knew and whose truthfulness we trusted,
11:08
and whose character we knew.
11:11
Whose lineage we knew and whose truthfulness we trusted,
11:14
and his trustworthiness and chastity.
11:17
So he called us to Allah and commanded us
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to worship Him and to affirm His oneness,
11:23
and he urged us to establish prayer,
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give zakat, and fast Ramadan,
11:29
and to renounce what we used to worship,
11:32
from stones and idols.
11:35
He also commanded us to speak truthfully,
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and he forbade us from committing indecencies,
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speaking falsehood, and consuming the property of the orphan.
11:45
So we believed him and affirmed his message,
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and we followed what he brought.
11:51
And we began to worship Allah alone, with no partner.
11:54
And we forbade what he forbade us,
11:57
and we permitted what he permitted us.
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So our people did nothing but declare war upon us
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and inflict upon us the most severe torment,
12:06
to tempt us away from our religion
12:09
and return us to the worship of idols
12:12
after we had worshipped the One who judges.
12:15
When they oppressed us and wronged us,
12:18
and made things difficult for us,
12:21
and stood between us and our religion,
12:24
we desired to seek refuge in your protection
12:27
and reside in your land,
12:30
and we chose you over anyone else."
12:33
So the Negus said to him,
12:36
"Do you have anything of what your prophet brought
12:39
from his Lord?" He said, "Yes."
12:42
He said, "Then recite it to me."
12:45
So he recited to him a portion of Surah Maryam.
12:48
And among what he recited was the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic:
12:51
“And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East,” (19:16)
12:54
“And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East,” (19:16)
12:57
a place to the east.
13:00
I shall set up a screen between them.
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So We sent to her
13:06
Our spirit.
13:09
“And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man.” (19:17)
13:12
She said, "Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you,
13:15
I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you,
13:18
if you are God-fearing.
13:21
“He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son.” (19:19)
13:24
“He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son.” (19:19)
13:27
She said, "How can I have a boy
13:30
when no man has touched me
13:33
“She said: How can I have a son when no mortal hath touched me, neither have I been unchaste?” (19:20)
13:36
He said, "Thus,"
13:39
"Your Lord has said, 'It is easy for Me,
13:42
and We will make him a sign to the people
13:45
and a mercy from Us. And it is
13:48
a matter [already] decreed."
13:51
a matter [already] decreed.
13:54
Then the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree.
13:57
to the trunk of a palm tree.
14:00
She said, "Oh, I wish I had
14:03
died before this
14:06
and been forgotten, completely forgotten."
14:09
Then [the child] called her from below her,
14:12
"Do not grieve;
14:15
do not grieve.
14:18
“Then (one) cried unto her from below her, saying: Grieve not! Thy Lord hath placed a rivulet beneath thee,” (19:24)
14:22
The Negus wept until his beard was wet,
14:25
until his beard was wet,
14:28
and his bishops wept until
14:31
they soaked their copies of the Qur'an when they heard what was recited to them.
14:34
Then the Negus turned
14:37
to 'Amr ibn al-'As and his companion and said,
14:40
"This that was recited to us,
14:43
and what Jesus brought,
14:46
both come from the same source."
14:50
Then he said to them,
14:53
"By Allah, I will never hand them over to you.
14:56
And I will not bear this as long as I live."
14:59
Then he stood up,
15:02
and those with him stood up, and the assembly dispersed.
15:06
'Amr ibn al-'As went out, seething with anger.
15:09
Then he said to his companion,
15:12
"By Allah, I will confront the Negus tomorrow
15:15
and tell him a story about them."
15:19
His companion said to him,
15:22
and he was softer-hearted than him,
15:25
"Do not do that, 'Amr, for they have ties of kinship with us,
15:28
even if they have opposed us."
15:31
He said, "By Allah, I will inform him
15:34
that they said something about Jesus, son of Mary,
15:37
and concealed something, and that they insult him
15:40
and say about him that he is a servant."
15:43
When it was the next day,
15:47
'Amr went to the Negus and said,
15:50
"O King, they made you hear something yesterday
15:53
and concealed something from you.
15:56
They say about Jesus, son of Mary, that he is
15:59
a servant." So the Negus summoned them.
16:02
And he said, "What do you say about Jesus, son of Mary?"
16:05
Ja'far ibn Abi Talib said to him,
16:08
"We say about him what the Prophet brought us,
16:11
peace be upon him."
16:14
He said, "And who is it that brought you?"
16:17
Ja'far said, "He is the servant of Allah,
16:20
His messenger, and His word which He cast
16:23
unto Mary, the pure virgin."
16:26
The Negus said, "By Allah,
16:29
Jesus did not exceed what you said by the span of a fingernail."
16:32
Then the bishops around him snorted,
16:35
disapproving of his statement.
16:38
He looked at them askance and said, "Even if you snort."
16:42
Then he said to Ja'far and those with him,
16:45
"Go, you are safe in my land.
16:48
Whoever harms you, his penalty
16:51
whoever harms you, his penalty.
16:54
And I would not wish to be given a mountain of gold
16:57
and harm anyone of you.
17:00
Then he said to his chamberlains,
17:03
"Return their gifts to 'Amr and his companion,
17:06
for we have no need of them.
17:09
Bribery, when he returned me to my kingdom,
17:12
so that I would accept bribery for it.
17:15
And the people did not obey me in my command,
17:18
until I obeyed them in his command.
17:23
Suppose the bishops were to announce to the people
17:26
that the Negus had abandoned his religion
17:29
and replaced it with another religion,
17:32
and they began to call them to depose him.
17:35
Then the Abyssinians rallied against him.
17:38
Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and his companions
17:41
informed him of the matter.
17:44
And he prepared ships for them and said to them,
17:47
"Embark upon them and prepare for what will happen.
17:50
If I am defeated, flee wherever you wish.
17:53
If I am victorious, settle as you were."
17:56
Then he brought a piece of gazelle skin
17:59
and wrote on it:
18:02
"I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
18:05
He is the Seal of His messengers,
18:08
and I bear witness that Jesus is His servant and His messenger,
18:11
and His spirit and His word which He cast unto Mary."
18:14
Then he tied the parchment to his chest
18:17
and wore his robe over it,
18:20
and went to meet those who had rebelled against him.
18:23
When he stood before them,
18:26
he called out to them, saying,
18:29
"O assembly of Abyssinians, how have you seen my conduct among you?"
18:32
They said, "The best conduct."
18:35
He said, "And who incited you against me?"
18:38
They said, "You have abandoned our religion
18:41
and claimed that Jesus is a servant."
18:44
He said, "What do you say about Jesus?"
18:47
They said, "He is the son of Allah."
18:50
So he placed his hand on his robe
18:53
and made it rest upon the parchment and said,
18:56
"And I bear witness that Jesus did not exceed
18:59
this in any way."
19:02
And he meant what he had written on the parchment.
19:05
They were pleased with what he said,
19:08
and dispersed, satisfied and reassured.
19:13
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
19:16
stood by what had transpired between the Negus and his people,
19:19
and admired his care for the Muslims who
19:22
had migrated to his land
19:25
and found security under his protection,
19:28
and his conviction in the truth of what was in the Qur'an.
19:31
Then prayer began to deepen
19:34
between him and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
19:37
and become more firmly established.
19:40
In the first month of the seventh year of Hijrah,
19:43
the noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
19:46
resolved to invite six of the great kings of the earth
19:49
and their rulers
19:52
to enter the religion of Allah.
19:55
A sweet message, urging them to Islam,
19:58
beautifying faith for them,
20:01
and warning them against disbelief and polytheism.
20:04
He had prepared for this purpose
20:07
six of the best Companions.
20:10
Each of them learned the language of the people to whom
20:13
he would be sent.
20:16
Then they departed to carry out this mission
20:19
on the same day.
20:22
The King of Abyssinia.
20:25
'Amr ibn Umayyah entered upon the Negus
20:28
and greeted him with the greeting of Islam.
20:31
He was answered with a better greeting,
20:34
and welcomed him most warmly.
20:37
When he was seated,
20:40
he presented the Negus with the letter that he brought
20:43
from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
20:46
He hastened to open it,
20:50
inviting him to Islam,
20:53
and reciting to him some of the Qur'an.
20:56
The Negus placed the letter upon his eyes
20:59
in reverence for him and descended from his throne
21:02
out of humility for what was revealed in it.
21:05
Then he declared his Islam publicly to his assembled companions,
21:08
and bore witness to the truth.
21:11
He said, "If only I could come
21:14
to Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
21:18
Then he wrote to the Prophet, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him,
21:21
a gentle letter,
21:24
in which he responded to his call
21:27
and expressed his prior belief
21:30
in his prophethood.
21:33
At that point, Umar ibn Umayyah brought
21:36
another letter from the Messenger, peace be upon him,
21:39
to the Negus,
21:42
inviting him to marry to him
21:46
Umm al-Mu'minin Ramlah,
21:49
known as Umm Habibah.
21:52
A story sad at its beginning,
21:55
joyous and hopeful at its end.
21:58
So let us briefly touch upon it.
22:01
Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan disbelieved
22:06
in the idols of her father, the chief of Quraysh,
22:09
and she and her husband, 'Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh, believed
22:12
in Allah alone, without partner,
22:15
and affirmed the message of His Prophet Muhammad,
22:18
peace be upon him.
22:21
Quraysh then subjected them to great hardship in their affair
22:24
and inflicted upon them the most severe torment,
22:27
until they could no longer bear to remain
22:30
in Mecca.
22:33
So she was among those who migrated to Allah
22:36
for their religion, seeking refuge with the Negus
22:39
because of their faith.
22:43
Until it seemed to Umm Habibah that the days
22:46
had cleared for her after a period of gloom,
22:49
for she did not know what fate had stored
22:52
for her.
22:55
For Allah, in His wisdom, willed
22:58
to test Umm Habibah
23:01
with a harsh trial that would confound the minds.
23:04
This was because her husband, 'Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh,
23:07
had apostatized from his religion and become Christian,
23:10
and began to mock Islam and the Muslims.
23:13
Then he became addicted to the taverns of wine,
23:16
drinking the mother of all evils,
23:19
never satiating himself from it.
23:22
He gave her a choice between two options, the lesser of which was bitter:
23:25
either she divorce him,
23:28
or she become Christian.
23:31
Umm Habibah found herself facing three choices:
23:34
either she comply with her husband,
23:38
thereby incurring the disgrace of this world
23:41
and the punishment of the hereafter,
23:44
or she return to her father's house in Mecca,
23:47
which was still a stronghold of polytheism,
23:50
or she remain in the land of Abyssinia,
23:53
alone and an exile,
23:56
with her young daughter Habibah.
23:59
So she preferred the pleasure of Allah, the Almighty, over all else,
24:02
and resolved to remain in Abyssinia.
24:06
Umm Habibah's ordeal did not last long,
24:10
for her husband met his end
24:13
while drunk and inebriated.
24:16
Then, after she completed her waiting period from him,
24:19
relief came to her.
24:22
One bright morning, in the radiant light,
24:25
fate knocked on her door.
24:28
When she opened it,
24:31
she was surprised by Abreha, a servant of the Negus,
24:34
greeting her and saying to her,
24:37
"The king sends you his greetings
24:40
and says to you, 'Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah,
24:43
has asked for your hand in marriage.
24:46
He has appointed me to conduct the marriage contract for him.'
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So appoint someone on your behalf whom you trust in religion, if you wish."
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Umm Habibah was overjoyed and exclaimed,
24:55
"May Allah give you good tidings!"
24:58
"May Allah give you good tidings!"
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"I have appointed Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As on my behalf,
25:05
for he is the closest person to me in this land."
25:08
And in the palace of the Negus,
25:13
the Companions residing in Abyssinia gathered
25:16
to witness the marriage contract of Umm Habibah
25:19
to the Messenger, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him.
25:22
When the gathering was complete,
25:25
the Negus praised Allah and lauded Him,
25:28
then said, "To proceed:
25:31
The Messenger, peace be upon him,
25:34
asked me to marry him to Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan.
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So I have accepted his request,
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and I have given her a dowry on his behalf
25:43
of four hundred gold dinars,
25:46
according to the Sunnah of Allah and His Messenger."
25:49
Then Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As stood,
25:52
praised Allah and sought His help,
25:55
and sent blessings and peace upon His Prophet, then said:
25:59
"I have accepted the request of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
26:02
and married him to my client,
26:05
Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan.
26:08
May Allah bless His Messenger in his wife,
26:11
and congratulations to Ramlah for what Allah has bestowed upon her
26:14
of goodness."
26:19
The Negus prepared two of his ships
26:22
and sent upon them Umm al-Mu'minin,
26:25
Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan, and her daughter Habibah,
26:28
and those of the Messenger's Companions who remained with him, peace be upon him.
26:33
He also sent with them a group of Abyssinians
26:36
who had believed in Allah and His Messenger,
26:39
and longed to meet the Prophet, upon whom be the best
26:42
of prayers and the purest of peace,
26:45
and to behold him and pray behind him.
26:48
And he appointed Ja'far ibn Abi Talib over them all,
26:51
may Allah be pleased with him.
26:54
Then he gifted Ramlah, Umm al-Mu'minin,
26:57
along with his other wives, precious perfumes, saffron,
27:00
aloeswood, and ambergris.
27:03
He also sent with them some gifts for the Messenger, peace be upon him.
27:06
Among what he gifted him
27:09
were three staffs from the finest Abyssinian staffs.
27:12
The Messenger, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, took
27:15
one of them.
27:18
As for the second and third,
27:21
he gifted them to Umar ibn al-Khattab
27:24
and Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them both.
27:27
Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him,
27:30
used to walk in front of the Prophet,
27:33
peace be upon him, with the staff,
27:36
keeping it for himself,
27:39
and planting it before him when prayer was established,
27:42
in places where there was no
27:45
mosque or structure to indicate the Qiblah,
27:48
and on the Prophet's journeys, peace be upon him,
27:51
and on the two Eids and during the prayer for rain.
27:54
Bilal continued to walk with it
27:58
before Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him.
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When the caliphate devolved
28:04
to Umar ibn al-Khattab,
28:07
and to Uthman ibn Affan after him,
28:10
Sa'd al-Qurazi walked with it before them.
28:13
Then the caliphs continued this practice
28:16
for a long time.
28:19
The Negus presented the Prophet, peace be upon him,
28:22
with an ornament containing a gold ring.
28:25
He took it, though he was turning away from it,
28:28
then sent it to his daughter Zaynab, Ummamah,
28:31
and said to her,
28:34
"Adorn yourself with this, my daughter."
28:39
And shortly before the conquest of Mecca,
28:42
the Negus passed away to his Lord.
28:45
The Messenger, peace be upon him, called out,
28:49
"Your brother Ashamah al-Negus has passed away.
28:52
So pray for him."
28:55
Then he led them in prayer, and they prayed for him,
28:58
the funeral prayer in absentia, even though the Prophet,
29:01
peace be upon him,
29:04
had not prayed for anyone in absentia before the Negus,
29:07
nor after him, may Allah be pleased with
29:10
Ashamah al-Negus and be satisfied with him,
29:13
and make Paradise his abode,
29:16
and the early Muslims from weakness,
29:19
and secure them from fear,
29:22
and in that he sought the pleasure of Allah and His Messenger.
29:25
When the Negus died,
29:32
we used to say that a light still shone upon his grave.
29:35
Aisha, Umm al-Mu'minin,
29:39
may Allah be pleased with her.
29:51
They were here,
29:54
watering the clouds of our lives.
29:57
So they passed away among us.
30:00
Their remembrance ascends.
30:03
They departed and left in the heart
30:06
a question: did anyone like them
30:09
rise as a star and shine?
30:12
They filled life
30:15
with pride in their deeds.
30:18
They set a limit to the worldly ego.