Part of Who am I (bundled with answers)
· Lesson 26 of 31
24- Get to know the companions, scholars, and notables | Who am I? | Collected episodes from (231) to (240) with answers
0:000:00
Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
0:01
Pause,
0:04
and get to know the Companions, scholars, and notable figures.
0:12
A new challenge: Who am I?
0:16
I was one of the younger Companions from among the youth of the Ansar.
0:23
I was born ten years before the Hijrah.
0:26
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, deemed me too young on the day of Badr,
0:31
turning me back, but he permitted me to fight on the day of al-Khandaq.
0:35
Thus, I took part with him in fifteen military expeditions,
0:38
and journeyed with him eighteen times.
0:41
I was also among the scholars and jurists of the Companions,
0:45
narrating three hundred and five hadiths from the Prophet, peace be upon him.
0:52
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, once met me,
0:56
took me by the hand, and shook it.
0:59
So I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
1:01
I thought handshaking was practiced only by the non-Arabs."
1:05
He said, "We are more entitled to shake hands than they are.
1:09
No two Muslims meet and shake hands
1:13
except that their sins fall away from between them."
1:17
After that, I was always eager to shake hands,
1:22
and I would say, "Part of the completeness of greeting is to shake hands with your brother."
1:27
One day, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came
1:32
to my father at our house
1:35
and bought a camel saddle from him.
1:37
He asked my father to let me carry his gear,
1:40
so I carried it along with him.
1:42
When we set out,
1:44
I said, "O Abu Bakr,
1:46
tell me what you two did when you migrated with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
1:53
He replied, "Yes.
1:55
We traveled through our night and the following day,
1:58
until the midday sun was at its zenith,
2:01
and the road was empty, with no one passing by.
2:04
Then I spotted a tall rock that had some shade,
2:08
so we halted beside it.
2:10
With my own hands, I smoothed out a place for the Prophet, peace be upon him, to sleep,
2:16
spread a fur cloak over it,
2:18
and said, 'Sleep, O Messenger of Allah,
2:21
while I sweep and guard the area around you.'
2:24
So he slept, and I went out to sweep the surroundings.
2:28
Suddenly, I saw a shepherd approaching the rock with his sheep,
2:33
seeking from it the very shade we sought.
2:36
I said to him,
2:37
'To whom do you belong, boy?'
2:40
He replied,
2:41
'To a man from the people of Mecca.'
2:44
I asked,
2:45
'Do your sheep have milk?'
2:47
He said, 'Yes.'
2:49
I asked,
2:50
'Will you milk some for us?'
2:51
He said, 'Yes.'
2:53
So he took a ewe and milked it for us.
2:56
Then I went back to the Prophet, peace be upon him,
2:59
but I disliked waking him,
3:02
so I happened to reach him just as he awoke.
3:05
I poured water over the milk until its bottom had cooled down,
3:10
and said,
3:11
'Drink, O Messenger of Allah.'
3:13
He drank until I was fully satisfied,
3:16
and then I asked,
3:18
'Has the time not come to depart?'
3:20
He said, 'Indeed.'
3:22
So we departed after the sun had passed its meridian."
3:25
I was well known for my horsemanship and courage,
3:30
and for having no fear of death.
3:33
I killed one hundred men in single combat,
3:36
aside from those slain in the thick of battle.
3:38
I took part in the conquest of Tustar,
3:41
and was the commander of the force that conquered Rayy
3:45
in the year twenty-four of the Hijrah.
3:48
So, who am I?
3:51
The answer:
3:58
Al-Bara' Ibn 'Azib,
4:00
may Allah be pleased with him.
4:02
Pause,
4:08
and get to know the Companions, scholars, and notable figures.
4:13
A new challenge:
4:19
Who am I?
4:21
I was one of the cavalrymen of the Muslims,
4:25
one of the renowned archers among the Arabs,
4:28
and the fastest of all people on foot,
4:30
so much so that I could run down a wolf
4:33
and outrun horses.
4:35
I was also among the bravest of men when facing the enemy.
4:38
I pledged allegiance to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
4:41
unto death beneath the tree, pledging three times
4:44
in what is known as the Pledge of Ridwan.
4:48
One day, I rode out toward the highlands of Medina
4:53
on a horse belonging to Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him,
4:56
when 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn 'Uyaynah raided
4:59
the milking camels of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
5:02
He killed their herdsman
5:04
and drove off the camels,
5:06
he and several men with him on horseback.
5:09
So I said to the man who was with me,
5:11
"Take this horse,
5:13
deliver it back to Talhah,
5:15
and inform the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
5:19
Then I set out pursuing the raiders,
5:21
running entirely on foot.
5:23
I began shooting arrows at them and wounding them;
5:26
whenever a horseman among them turned back to face me,
5:29
I would take cover at the base of a tree,
5:31
shoot at him, and declare:
5:34
"I am Ibn al-Akwa'!
5:36
And today is the day of the base and vile!"
5:38
Whenever the mountain passes narrowed,
5:42
I ascended the mountain
5:44
and pelted them with stones.
5:46
That remained the state of affairs between me and them
5:49
until not a single camel belonging to the Prophet, peace be upon him, was left
5:54
that I had not rescued from their hands
5:56
and left safe behind my back.
5:59
Still, I continued shooting at them
6:01
until they had cast away more than thirty spears
6:05
and more than thirty cloaks
6:08
in order to lighten their load.
6:10
And they did not drop a single item
6:12
without me marking it with stones
6:14
and gathering it along the path of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
6:20
When mid-morning arrived,
6:22
reinforcements came to their aid,
6:24
so I climbed the mountain.
6:26
Four of them climbed up toward me,
6:29
so I said to them, "Do you know who I am?"
6:32
They said, "Who are you?"
6:34
I said, "I am Ibn al-Akwa'!
6:37
By the One Who honored the face of Muhammad, peace be upon him,
6:41
none of you can pursue me and catch me,
6:45
nor can I pursue any of you without overtaking him."
6:48
So I stayed there
6:50
until I saw the horsemen of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
6:55
threading their way through the trees.
6:57
The polytheists then fled,
6:59
and I darted off, running right on their heels.
7:02
Shortly before sunset, they descended into a valley containing water
7:06
known as Dhu Qarad.
7:08
Seeing me running right behind them,
7:11
they abandoned the water
7:13
without having tasted a single drop of it.
7:15
They also left two horses behind,
7:17
which I led to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
7:22
who had halted by the very water from which I had driven them away,
7:25
accompanied by five hundred of his Companions.
7:28
Suddenly, there was Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him,
7:31
who had slaughtered a camel from those I had left behind,
7:35
roasting its meat for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
7:39
I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
7:42
let me select one hundred men from your companions,
7:45
and I will pursue them
7:47
so that not a single eye-witness among them escapes."
7:50
He, peace be upon him, asked,
7:53
"Would you really do that?"
7:55
I said, "Yes."
7:57
Thereupon, the Prophet, peace be upon him, laughed
8:00
until his molar teeth showed in the firelight.
8:04
When morning came,
8:06
the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to me,
8:10
"You are the best of our infantrymen,"
8:13
and he awarded me both the share of an infantryman and that of a horseman.
8:17
Then he seated me behind him on al-'Adba',
8:20
and we returned to Medina.
8:24
When we were a short distance from Medina,
8:28
there was a man among the people who was never outpaced in running.
8:31
He began calling out,
8:33
"Is there any man who will race to Medina?"
8:36
He repeated this several times,
8:38
but no one answered him.
8:41
I remained silent out of respect for my position behind the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
8:46
When he persisted,
8:49
I said to him,
8:50
"Do you not show respect to an honorable man, nor revere a nobleman?"
8:54
He said, "No,
8:55
unless it be the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
8:59
So I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
9:02
may my father and mother be sacrificed for you!
9:04
Let me race him."
9:06
He said, "If you wish."
9:08
So I said to the man,
9:10
"Go ahead!"
9:11
I bided my time until he was out of sight,
9:15
and then I sprinted after him until I caught up with him.
9:19
I struck him with my hand between his shoulders
9:22
and said,
9:23
"By Allah, I have outrun you!"
9:25
And the man laughed.
9:27
So, who am I?
9:29
The answer:
9:35
Salamah Ibn al-Akwa', may Allah be pleased with him.
9:39
Pause,
9:46
and get to know the Companions, scholars, and notable figures.
9:51
A new challenge:
9:57
Who am I?
10:01
I was a Companion of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
10:05
I witnessed the Pledge of Ridwan with him,
10:08
performed the Farewell Pilgrimage with him
10:10
when I was thirty years of age,
10:13
and was known in the pre-Islamic era of ignorance for my sound judgment and truthfulness in speech.
10:18
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent me
10:21
to call my people, the Bahilah, to Islam.
10:25
When I reached them, they were consuming blood.
10:28
They welcomed me and invited me to share their food,
10:31
but I said,
10:33
"I have come to forbid you from eating this food,
10:36
for I am an emissary of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
10:40
that you may believe in him."
10:42
Yet they rejected me and turned me away.
10:45
So I left, hungry and parched with thirst.
10:48
Then I fell asleep,
10:50
and in my dream, a vessel of milk was brought to me.
10:53
I drank from it until I was completely satisfied,
10:56
and my belly was full.
10:59
Afterward, my people reflected upon what had happened,
11:01
and said to one another,
11:03
"A nobleman and one of the finest among you came to you,
11:06
yet you turned him away."
11:08
So they brought me food and drink,
11:11
but I said, "I have no need for it;
11:14
Allah has already fed me and quenched my thirst."
11:18
They looked at my condition and my full stomach,
11:21
and they all embraced Islam.
11:23
Later, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) intended
11:27
to dispatch an expedition for battle,
11:30
and I was among them.
11:31
I came to him and said,
11:33
"O Messenger of Allah,
11:35
pray for martyrdom for me."
11:37
But he said,
11:38
"O Allah, grant them safety and grant them spoils."
11:41
So we fought, returned safely, and acquired spoils.
11:45
Then I came to him after that
11:47
and said,
11:48
"O Messenger of Allah,
11:50
direct me to a deed I may learn from you,
11:53
that Allah, Exalted and Glorious, may benefit me by it."
11:55
He said,
11:57
"Adhere to fasting,
11:59
for there is nothing equal to it."
12:01
Thereafter, I, my wife, and my servant
12:04
never abandoned fasting.
12:06
Then I came to him after that
12:08
and said,
12:09
"O Messenger of Allah,
12:11
you enjoined an action upon me,
12:13
and I hope that Allah, Exalted and Glorious,
12:16
has benefited me by it.
12:18
So command me with another deed
12:20
by which Allah, Exalted and Glorious, may benefit me."
12:23
He said,
12:24
"Know that you never perform a single prostration to Allah
12:28
except that Allah, Exalted and Glorious, elevates your rank thereby,
12:32
or pardons a sin for you through it."
12:35
I became renowned for asceticism, piety, and abundant worship,
12:41
and I was among those who fasted constantly and spent long nights in prayer.
12:46
A man came to me and said,
12:48
"I saw you in my dream,
12:51
and the angels were supplicating for blessings upon you
12:54
whenever you entered and whenever you exited,
12:57
and whenever you stood up and whenever you sat down."
13:00
I replied,
13:01
"O Allah, forgive us!
13:03
Leave off such talk!"
13:05
Then I said to those around me,
13:08
"If you so willed,
13:10
the angels would pray for blessings upon you as well."
13:12
Then I recited to them His words, Exalted is He:
13:16
"O you who have believed,
13:20
“O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance.” (33:41)
13:25
and glorify Him morning and evening.
13:31
“He it is Who blesseth you, and His angels (bless you), that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light; and He is ever Merciful to the believers.” (33:43)
13:37
that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light.
13:43
And He is ever, to the believers, Merciful."
13:47
I was a generous man who loved charity,
13:52
and I never turned away a beggar.
13:54
One morning, I possessed nothing except three dinars.
13:59
A beggar came to me, so I gave him a dinar.
14:03
Then another came, and I gave him a dinar.
14:07
Then a third came, and I gave him a dinar.
14:12
My wife grew angry and said,
14:14
"We have nothing left to eat!"
14:17
and she began to reproach me.
14:19
So I left her and went out to the mosque.
14:22
Feeling pity for me,
14:24
she went and borrowed some money,
14:27
bought dinner with it,
14:29
and laid out a table for us.
14:31
When she went to prepare the bedding,
14:34
she lifted the cushion,
14:36
and found three hundred gold dinars beneath it.
14:40
She left them as they were.
14:43
When I entered and saw what she had prepared for me,
14:47
I praised Allah Almighty,
14:49
and said, "This is better than anything else."
14:53
So I sat down and ate dinner.
14:55
She said to me, "May Allah forgive you!
14:59
You brought all that immense wealth,
15:02
and then placed it where it could easily be lost!"
15:05
I asked, "What do you mean?"
15:08
She said, "The dinars you brought,"
15:11
and she lifted the cushion off them.
15:14
I was astonished by what I saw beneath it,
15:17
and exclaimed, "Woe to you, what is this?!"
15:20
She said, "I have no knowledge of it,
15:23
except that I found it here just as you see."
15:27
I realized then that it was from the provision of Allah,
15:30
and I praised Allah.
15:32
After the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
15:37
I took part with the Muslims in the conquests of the Levant,
15:41
and played a role in spreading Islam there.
15:45
I used to decline governorships and public offices,
15:48
preferring a life of asceticism
15:51
and spreading knowledge among the people until my death.
15:54
I was among the last of the Companions
15:57
to pass away in the blessed land of the Levant.
16:00
So, who am I?
16:08
The answer: Abu Umamah al-Bahili,
16:11
Suday ibn 'Ajlan (may Allah be pleased with him).
16:14
Pause!
16:21
Pause and learn about the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures.
16:27
A new challenge: Who am I?
16:35
I am one of the senior Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
16:41
from among the Ansar, and was very close to him.
16:45
I was a merchant renowned for valor and horsemanship since pre-Islamic times.
16:51
The Prophet (peace be upon him) appointed me over Medina
16:55
when he marched out for the Major Battle of Badr,
16:59
and he later allotted me a share of the reward and spoils;
17:02
thus, I am counted among the veterans of Badr.
17:06
I witnessed all the major expeditions with him thereafter.
17:10
After the Battle of the Trench concluded,
17:14
the Prophet (peace be upon him) set out,
17:17
accompanied by three thousand Muslims,
17:20
toward the Banu Qurayzah, who had breached their covenants
17:24
and conspired with the confederates against the Muslims.
17:28
A siege was laid against them,
17:31
and after several days, they surrendered,
17:34
but they wished to consult one of the Muslims.
17:39
So they sent word to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
17:43
requesting that he send me to them for consultation,
17:47
for I had been their ally before Islam,
17:51
and my wealth and children were in their territory.
17:55
When they saw me, the men rose to meet me,
17:59
and they pushed women and children in my path, weeping before me,
18:04
so that I felt deep pity for them.
18:06
Then they asked me,
18:08
"Do you think we should submit to Muhammad's judgment?"
18:12
I replied, "Yes,"
18:14
but I gestured with my hand across my throat,
18:17
signaling slaughter—
18:19
meaning that you will be put to death.
18:22
Instantly, I realized that I had betrayed Allah and His Messenger,
18:26
and I was horrified by what I had done.
18:28
I hurried away from them
18:31
and did not return to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
18:35
but instead headed straight for the mosque.
18:38
There, I tied myself to one of its pillars,
18:41
and swore that none should untie my bonds except the Messenger of Allah with his own hand.
18:48
When news of my action reached the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
18:52
he said,
18:54
"Had he come to me, I would have sought forgiveness for him;
18:58
but since he did what he did,
19:01
I am not the one to release him from his place
19:04
until Allah accepts his repentance."
19:07
I remained tied to the pillar for six nights;
19:10
my wife would come at every prayer time
19:13
to untie me for prayer,
19:16
and I would pray and then return to be tied to the pillar once again.
19:20
It went on like this
19:22
until, one night before dawn, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) heard
19:27
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
19:30
laughing.
19:32
She asked, "What makes you laugh, O Messenger of Allah?"
19:37
Thereupon, he gave her the glad tidings that Allah had accepted my repentance.
19:40
Umm Salamah asked,
19:42
"Shall I not convey the glad tidings to him, O Messenger of Allah?"
19:45
He said, "Yes, if you wish."
19:47
So she stood at the door of her chamber
19:51
and called out to me,
19:53
"Rejoice! Allah has accepted your repentance!"
19:56
And Allah Almighty revealed regarding me His words:
19:59
"And others who have acknowledged their wrongdoings.
20:03
They have mixed a righteous deed
20:07
with another that was evil.
20:09
“And (there are) others who have acknowledged their faults. They mixed a righteous action with another that was bad. It may be that Allah will relent toward them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (9:102)
20:13
Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."
20:18
People rushed to untie me,
20:23
but I said, "No, by Allah,
20:25
not until it is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
20:29
who unties me with his own hand."
20:32
When the Messenger of Allah passed by me
20:36
on his way out for the dawn prayer,
20:39
he loosened my bonds and set me free.
20:42
That pillar remains known in the Prophet's Mosque to this day,
20:49
bearing my name as a testament to the sincerity of my repentance.
20:53
So, who am I?
20:55
The answer: Abu Lubabah,
21:02
Bashir ibn 'Abd al-Mundhir (may Allah be pleased with him).
21:06
Pause and learn about the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures.
21:18
A new challenge: Who am I?
21:25
I am one of the Companions from among the youth of the Ansar.
21:31
I embraced Islam upon the arrival of Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him) in Medina.
21:37
I used to keep close company with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Medina
21:42
following his migration there.
21:45
As for my father, he was called "the Monk" during the pre-Islamic days of ignorance,
21:50
for he used to speak of the Resurrection and the monotheistic religion of Abraham (Hanifiyyah).
21:54
Yet when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sent as a messenger,
21:58
envy overcame him,
22:01
so he refused to answer his call;
22:03
instead, he showed him outright hostility
22:06
and departed from Medina,
22:08
going on to join Quraysh in the Battle of Uhud.
22:11
Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) named him "the Transgressor" (al-Fasiq)
22:15
instead of "the Monk."
22:17
I married in the third year of the Hijrah
22:21
an honorable female Companion
22:24
named Jamilah,
22:26
the daughter of 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul (may Allah be pleased with her).
22:31
I consummated the marriage with her on the night prior to the morning of the Battle of Uhud,
22:36
having asked the Prophet's permission to spend the night with her,
22:42
and he granted me leave.
22:44
After I prayed the dawn prayer,
22:46
I set out intending to catch up with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
22:51
But my wife Jamilah held me back,
22:54
so I returned and lay with her,
22:56
thereby entering a state of major ritual impurity (janabah).
22:58
Then, hearing the call to jihad,
23:01
I hastened to depart,
23:03
whereupon she sent for four men of her people
23:06
to witness that I had consummated the marriage with her.
23:09
I then went forth and joined the ranks of the Muslim army.
23:13
When the fighting commenced
23:15
and the two forces clashed,
23:18
I encountered Abu Sufyan ibn Harb during the heat of battle.
23:22
We duelled with our swords,
23:25
and I struck him a blow that threw him to the ground.
23:28
Just as I drew my sword over him to finish him off,
23:31
Shaddad ibn al-Aswad saw me,
23:34
and he struck me in the back with his spear, killing me.
23:39
After the battle was over,
23:42
the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw me
23:45
being washed between heaven and earth
23:48
with cloud-water in basins of silver.
23:52
So he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
23:55
"Ask his wife about this."
23:58
They questioned her,
24:00
and she said that upon hearing the call to jihad,
24:04
he rushed out from my side while in a state of ritual impurity.
24:07
She was subsequently asked:
24:10
"Why did you call witnesses regarding him?"
24:12
She replied:
24:13
"I saw as though the sky had split open,
24:16
and my husband entered into it, after which it closed.
24:20
So I said to myself, 'This is martyrdom,'
24:23
and took witnesses that he had consummated our marriage,
24:26
lest any suspicion be cast upon me."
24:29
They related this to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
24:33
and he said: "That is why the angels washed him."
24:38
Later, they found me among the slain
24:40
with water dripping from my head,
24:42
though there was no water anywhere nearby.
24:45
Thus I came to be known as "the One Washed by the Angels" (Ghasil al-Mala'ikah).
24:48
The two tribes of the Ansar,
24:52
the Aws and the Khazraj, used to boast of their virtues.
24:54
The Aws would say:
24:56
"Among us is the one washed by the angels,"
24:58
referring to me;
25:00
"and among us is the one for whom the Throne of the Most Merciful shook,"
25:04
Sa'd ibn Mu'adh;
25:06
"and among us is the one whom the swarm of hornets protected,"
25:08
'Asim ibn Thabit;
25:11
"and among us is the one whose single testimony was accepted as equal to that of two men,"
25:15
Khuzaymah ibn Thabit.
25:17
And the Khazraj would say:
25:20
"Among us are four who memorized the entire Qur'an
25:22
during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
25:26
none other having collected it all:
25:29
Zayd ibn Thabit,
25:31
Abu Zayd,
25:32
Ubayy ibn Ka'b,
25:34
and Mu'adh ibn Jabal" —
25:36
may Allah be pleased with them all.
25:39
So, who am I?
25:41
The answer:
25:48
Hanzalah ibn Abi 'Amir
25:50
(may Allah be pleased with him).
25:52
Pause here
26:00
and learn about the Companions, scholars, and luminaries.
26:04
A new challenge:
26:10
Who am I?
26:14
I am one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
26:18
a young man from the tribe of Muzaynah.
26:21
My father passed away while I was still young,
26:23
so I grew up as a penniless orphan.
26:26
My uncle then took me under his guardianship;
26:28
he was an affluent man
26:30
who loved me with great affection
26:33
and showered me with riches,
26:35
until I became the wealthiest youth in our tribe.
26:39
Fine garments were brought specially for me from the lands of the Levant,
26:43
and I owned an extraordinary mare,
26:45
the likes of which no other young Arab possessed.
26:50
Then I heard of Islam,
26:53
and faith entered deep into my heart,
26:55
as did love for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
26:59
So I accepted Islam, keeping my faith secret,
27:02
and would watch for the migrating Companions
27:05
as they traveled on their way to Medina.
27:08
Whenever I encountered one of them,
27:10
I would walk alongside him on foot,
27:13
learning from him the rulings of the religion
27:15
and being taught the Qur'an,
27:18
continuing until sunset.
27:20
Then I would return to my people,
27:23
only to look out for another traveler the following day,
27:26
and so on.
27:28
I longed dearly for my uncle to embrace Islam,
27:30
the one who had sheltered me and showered me with favors.
27:33
When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) arrived in Medina,
27:39
my soul yearned intensely to migrate,
27:42
but I was unable to do so because of my uncle.
27:45
Years and major battles passed by,
27:48
while I remained held back in my place.
27:50
So one day I said to my uncle:
27:52
"O uncle,
27:54
I have waited long for you to accept Islam,
27:57
but I see that you have no desire to follow Muhammad.
28:01
Grant me permission, then, to embrace Islam."
28:03
He grew furious with me and said:
28:06
"By Allah, if you follow Muhammad,
28:09
I will not leave a single thing in your hands
28:11
that I previously gave you,
28:13
but that I will strip it away from you,
28:15
even these two garments you are wearing!"
28:17
I said:
28:19
"By Allah, I am indeed following Muhammad
28:22
and forsaking the worship of stones and idols;
28:25
here is all I possess, so take it!"
28:28
He took back everything he had ever given me,
28:31
even stripping me of my clothes.
28:34
I went to my mother,
28:36
and she cut a coarse woollen cloak (bijad) of hers into two pieces—
28:39
a bijad being a thick, rough fabric—
28:42
so I made one piece a waist-wrapper and the other an upper wrap.
28:46
Then I set out, migrating to Medina,
28:49
without any food in my possession.
28:52
The journey exhausted me, my body grew weak,
28:55
and my face turned pale,
28:57
until I reached Medina at the time of dawn.
29:00
I lay down to rest in the Mosque,
29:03
and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) led us in the morning prayer.
29:08
After the prayer, he began looking over the faces of the people;
29:12
his gaze fell upon me, and not recognizing me,
29:14
he asked: "Who are you?"
29:17
I told him my story,
29:19
and he said: "Stay close to me."
29:22
And so I did.
29:24
I became one of his regular guests,
29:27
and he would teach me the Qur'an
29:29
until I had committed a great portion of it to memory,
29:32
keeping close to his company most of my time.
29:35
I took part alongside the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
29:39
in the Expedition of Tabuk.
29:41
On our return journey,
29:43
I fell severely ill.
29:45
We halted along the way,
29:48
and my illness worsened
29:50
until my soul was taken.
29:53
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) awoke during that night
29:58
and saw a faint light at the edge of the camp.
30:02
He said: "Let me draw near them;
30:05
perhaps I may find some food with them,"
30:09
for the people were suffering from severe hunger.
30:12
He drew near to the light,
30:14
and there was the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
30:18
standing down inside my grave,
30:20
while Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them)
30:23
were lowering my body to him,
30:25
as he said:
30:27
"Bring your brother closer to me."
30:29
Once he had settled me into my niche in the grave,
30:33
he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed:
30:36
"O Allah, I have reached this evening pleased with him,
30:40
so be You pleased with him!"
30:42
He said it three times,
30:45
whereupon Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
30:48
"Would that I were the occupant of that grave!"
30:53
So, who am I?
31:01
The answer: Dhu al-Bijadayn,
31:04
'Abdullah al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him).
31:11
Pause here
31:14
and learn about the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures.
31:21
A new challenge: Who am I?
31:25
I am a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
31:32
and the son of one of the most generous men the Arabs ever knew,
31:36
a man whose name became synonymous with boundless generosity and beneficence.
31:40
From my father, I inherited noble character,
31:43
boundless generosity, and a passion for giving,
31:45
until I became the leader of my people
31:48
and a nobleman among the nobles of the Arabs.
31:51
When I heard that the Muslim armies had drawn near our lands,
31:56
I fled with whomever I could of my family,
31:59
and joined my coreligionists among the Christians in the Levant,
32:03
leaving behind my sister, Saffanah, in our homelands.
32:06
The Muslim army captured her among the captives,
32:10
and brought her before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
32:14
among the captives of Tayy.
32:17
She was confined in an enclosure by the door of the mosque,
32:20
where the female captives used to be kept.
32:23
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) passed by her,
32:27
so she stood up before him and said,
32:30
"O Messenger of Allah,
32:32
the father has perished, and the provider has vanished;
32:35
so bestow your favor upon me, and may Allah bestow favor upon you."
32:40
He asked, "And who was your provider?"
32:43
She replied, "My brother," naming me by my name.
32:47
He (peace be upon him) said,
32:50
"The one who fled from Allah and His Messenger?!"
32:53
Then he walked on and left her.
32:56
The next day, he passed by her again,
32:59
and she spoke to him in the same manner,
33:02
and he gave her the same answer as the day before.
33:05
On the day after that,
33:08
he passed by her when she had lost all hope,
33:11
so she did not stand up to him.
33:13
Then a man behind him signaled to her,
33:15
"Stand up and speak to him."
33:17
So she stood up before him and said,
33:19
"O Messenger of Allah,
33:21
the father has perished, and the provider has vanished;
33:24
so bestow your favor upon me, and may Allah bestow favor upon you."
33:27
He (peace be upon him) said,
33:30
"I have granted it,
33:32
but do not rush to leave
33:34
until you find trustworthy people among your kinsmen
33:38
who can convey you safely to your homeland."
33:41
So when a group of our kinsmen arrived,
33:44
whom we trusted to convey her safely,
33:46
she informed the Prophet (peace be upon him).
33:50
He clothed her, provided her with a mount,
33:52
and gave her travel provisions;
33:54
so she embraced Islam and departed with them
33:57
until she arrived in the Levant.
33:59
When she came before me,
34:01
she said, "O you unjust, heartless severer of ties!
34:05
You took away your wife and your children,
34:08
and abandoned your sister, the surviving remnant of your father!"
34:11
I said, "O my dear sister,
34:14
do not say anything but good,
34:17
for by Allah, I have no excuse."
34:20
Then she dismounted and stayed with me.
34:23
When she told me of how the Prophet (peace be upon him) treated her,
34:29
I said to myself,
34:31
"If only I were to go to this man!
34:33
If he is truthful, I shall follow him."
34:36
When I arrived in Medina
34:38
and met the Prophet (peace be upon him),
34:42
he welcomed me warmly and took me along to his home.
34:45
While we were on the way,
34:48
an elderly, frail woman met him
34:51
and asked him to stop;
34:53
so he stood with her for a long time
34:55
as she spoke to him about her need.
34:58
I said to myself,
35:00
"By Allah, this is not the conduct of a king."
35:04
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) proceeded with me,
35:08
and when he brought me into his home,
35:11
he took a leather cushion
35:13
stuffed with palm fibers,
35:15
tossed it toward me,
35:17
and said,
35:19
"Sit on this."
35:21
I said,
35:22
"Rather, you sit on it."
35:24
But he said,
35:25
"No, you."
35:27
So I sat on it,
35:29
while the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sat upon the bare ground.
35:34
I said to myself,
35:36
"By Allah, this is certainly not the way of a king."
35:39
Then he said,
35:40
"Submit, and you will be safe."
35:42
I said,
35:43
"I already follow a religion."
35:45
He said,
35:46
"I know more about your religion than you do.
35:49
Do you not lead your people?"
35:51
I replied, "Yes."
35:53
He said,
35:54
"Are you not a Rakusi who takes a fourth of the spoils?"
35:57
I replied, "Yes."
35:59
He said,
36:00
"Indeed, that is not lawful for you according to your own religion."
36:04
Thereupon, I realized with certainty that he was a prophet,
36:07
so I embraced Islam.
36:10
I once heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) reciting the verse:
36:15
“They have taken as lords beside Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah son of Mary, when they were bidden to worship only One Allah. There is no Allah save Him. Be He Glorified from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him)!” (9:31)
36:23
So I said to him,
36:24
"We did not used to worship them."
36:27
He said,
36:28
"Did they not forbid what Allah made lawful, and you forbade it too;
36:32
and did they not make lawful what Allah forbade, and you treated it as lawful?"
36:36
I replied, "Yes."
36:38
He said,
36:39
"That was your worship of them."
36:43
After embracing Islam, I became abundant in charity and giving,
36:47
frequent in the remembrance of Allah Almighty.
36:50
No prayer time would draw near without me yearning for it,
36:55
and the call to prayer was never made since I became Muslim
36:58
except that I was already in a state of wudu.
37:01
I was a means of keeping my people steadfast in the faith
37:05
on the day when most of the Arabs apostatized after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
37:11
So who am I?
37:13
The answer:
37:20
'Adi Ibn Hatim al-Ta'i, may Allah be pleased with him.
37:24
Pause.
37:31
Pause and learn about the Companions, scholars, and luminaries.
37:36
A new challenge:
37:41
Who am I?
37:43
I am one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
37:49
I was the first to perform Umrah in Islam,
37:52
and the first Muslim to enter Mecca chanting the Talbiyah of Tawhid.
37:57
I was the chieftain of Banu Hanifah and one of their foremost leaders.
38:02
I was the first to impose an economic boycott on the disbelievers,
38:07
when I cut off grain provisions from the people of Mecca
38:10
in support of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
38:16
Before my Islam, while I was still an idolater, I had ambushed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
38:23
intending to kill him, but Allah protected him.
38:27
The Prophet (peace be upon him) then prayed that Allah would grant him power over me.
38:32
Some time later,
38:34
the Prophet (peace be upon him) dispatched a detachment toward Najd.
38:39
On their way back,
38:42
they captured me while I was heading out to perform Umrah.
38:45
They took me as a captive with them to Medina,
38:48
and bound me to one of the pillars of the mosque.
38:53
The Prophet (peace be upon him) came out to me
38:58
and asked, "What do you have to say?"
39:01
I said, "I have good expectations, O Muhammad.
39:05
If you kill me, you kill a man of noble blood;
39:08
if you show favor, you show favor to one who is grateful;
39:11
and if you want wealth, ask for whatever you wish of it."
39:16
So he left me, instructing his Companions to treat me kindly.
39:21
I was fed with the best of what they ate.
39:25
On the next day,
39:27
he came to me and asked, "What do you have to say?"
39:31
I replied, "I have what I told you yesterday."
39:35
So he left me.
39:37
On the third day,
39:39
he came to me and asked,
39:41
"What do you have to say?"
39:43
I replied, "I have what I told you."
39:46
So he (peace be upon him) said to his Companions,
39:50
"Release him."
39:52
And they untied me.
39:54
Throughout those three days,
39:57
I had been listening to the words of Allah,
39:59
witnessing the worship of the Muslims and their mutual harmony,
40:02
their devotion to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
40:06
and their selflessness toward one another.
40:09
So I went to a cluster of date palms near the mosque,
40:12
performed a full ritual bath (ghusl),
40:14
and then entered the mosque.
40:16
I said,
40:18
"I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,
40:21
and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
40:24
By Allah, O Messenger of Allah,
40:26
there was no face on earth more hated by me than yours,
40:31
but now your face has become the most beloved of all faces to me.
40:35
By Allah, there was no religion more hated by me than yours,
40:40
but now your religion has become the most beloved of all religions to me.
40:44
By Allah, there was no land more hated by me than yours,
40:49
but now your land has become the most beloved of all lands to me.
40:54
Your cavalry captured me while I was on my way to perform Umrah,
40:58
so what do you advise?"
41:00
The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave me glad tidings,
41:03
prayed for me,
41:05
and commanded me to complete my Umrah.
41:09
When I reached Mecca,
41:11
I raised my voice with the Talbiyah of monotheism.
41:14
One of the people of Mecca said to me,
41:17
"Have you apostatized?"
41:19
I replied, "No,
41:20
but rather I have embraced Islam
41:22
and followed Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)."
41:27
They rushed toward me to harm me,
41:30
so I said to them,
41:32
"By Allah, not a single grain of wheat shall come to you from al-Yamamah
41:36
until the Prophet (peace be upon him) permits it!"
41:41
One of the youths of Quraysh attempted to shoot me with an arrow,
41:45
but they seized his hands and said,
41:48
"Woe to you! Do you know who this is?
41:51
He is the king of al-Yamamah!"
41:54
When I returned to my people,
41:56
I fulfilled my oath
41:58
and withheld supplies from the people of Mecca,
42:00
completely stopping the provisions and food that used to reach them from al-Yamamah,
42:05
until severe hardship afflicted them.
42:08
Thereupon, they wrote to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), saying:
42:13
"We have always known you
42:15
to enjoin upholding kinship ties and urge people to do so,
42:19
yet your companion has cut off our provisions and caused us severe harm.
42:24
If you see fit to write to him
42:27
to let our provisions pass through to us, please do so."
42:31
So the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, responded to his people's plea,
42:36
and wrote to me, saying: "Allow Quraysh access to their provisions."
42:41
I immediately complied with the order of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
42:46
and permitted Banu Hanifah to send their crops to Mecca.
42:52
Toward the end of the Prophet's life, peace be upon him,
42:56
the tribulation of Musaylimah the Liar emerged among my people,
43:00
and it worsened after the passing of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
43:05
Yet Allah kept me steadfast upon the faith,
43:07
and I did not apostatize alongside those of Yamamah who did.
43:11
I said to my people, warning them against Musaylimah:
43:15
"O Banu Hanifah!
43:17
Beware of this dark affair in which there is no light!
43:22
By Allah, it is nothing but misery decreed by Allah, Glorified and Exalted,
43:26
upon whoever among you embraces it,
43:29
and a trial for whoever rejects it!
43:32
O Banu Hanifah!
43:34
Two prophets can never coexist simultaneously,
43:38
and Muhammad is indeed the Messenger of Allah, after whom there is no prophet!"
43:43
Then I fought alongside the Muslims
43:45
until the tribulation of Musaylimah the Liar ended with his death.
43:50
Afterward, I prepared an army from Banu Hanifah
43:53
and marched with them until we joined the army of al-'Ala' Ibn al-Hadrami, may Allah be pleased with him,
43:59
in his campaign against the apostates of Bahrain.
44:04
So, who am I?
44:06
The answer:
44:12
Thumamah Ibn Uthal, may Allah be pleased with him.
44:19
Pause,
44:22
and learn about the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures.
44:30
A new challenge: Who am I?
44:34
I am one of the senior Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
44:41
I embraced Islam early on in Mecca,
44:44
then migrated to Abyssinia during the second migration,
44:48
and later joined the Prophet, peace be upon him, in Medina.
44:53
I participated with him in his military expeditions,
44:55
and I was proficient in reading and writing,
44:58
serving as one of the scribes of divine revelation.
45:01
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, entrusted me
45:04
with bringing his wife Umm Habibah, may Allah be pleased with her, back from the land of Abyssinia.
45:10
Later, toward the end of his life, he sent me with a missive to the ruler of Egypt,
45:15
and he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, passed away while I was in Egypt.
45:20
I loved the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, deeply
45:24
and prioritized him over myself.
45:27
One day,
45:29
al-Shifa' bint 'Abdillah came in to see us;
45:32
she was my mother-in-law.
45:34
The time for prayer had arrived,
45:37
and she found me sitting at home.
45:39
She began to reproach me, saying:
45:42
"The prayer has been called, and yet here you are?!"
45:45
I said: "O aunt, do not reproach me.
45:49
I only possessed two garments:
45:51
one I wore as a lower wrap, and the other as an upper cloak.
45:55
But the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, borrowed
45:58
one of them from me so he could go out to the prayer,
46:01
so I gave him my cloak
46:04
and remained right here."
46:07
I took part with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in his campaigns,
46:11
then fought in the Ridda wars,
46:15
and conquered lands during the caliphates of Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them.
46:21
When Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, intended to campaign against the Byzantines,
46:26
I came and asked him about it.
46:28
Abu Bakr said:
46:30
"Yes, I have been contemplating that within myself,
46:34
and I have not disclosed it to anyone.
46:36
How did you come to know of it?
46:39
Surely you only asked me about it because of something you know."
46:43
I said: "Indeed, O successor of the Messenger of Allah."
46:47
Then I related to him a dream I had seen in my sleep,
46:52
whose interpretation bore the glad tidings of the conquest of the Levant,
46:57
as well as the foretelling of Abu Bakr's death, may Allah be pleased with him,
47:01
indicating that his appointed time was drawing near.
47:03
I then requested his permission to join the campaign against the Byzantines,
47:07
and he granted me permission
47:08
and appointed me as one of the army commanders in the conquest of the Levant.
47:13
I conquered all of Jordan by force, except for Tiberias,
47:18
for its people made a peace treaty with me,
47:20
all under the directive of Abu 'Ubaydah Ibn al-Jarrah, may Allah be pleased with him.
47:26
Later, when 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, assumed the caliphate,
47:32
he relieved me of the army's supreme command.
47:35
So I said to him: "O Commander of the Faithful, did you find me incapable, or did I breach your trust?"
47:41
He replied: "You were neither incapable nor untrustworthy."
47:45
I asked: "Then why did you dismiss me?"
47:48
He said: "I felt uncomfortable appointing you when I could find someone more capable."
47:54
I said: "Then vindicate me, O Commander of the Faithful, before the people."
47:59
He replied: "Yes, I shall do so."
48:02
Thereupon 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up
48:05
and cleared my name publicly before the people,
48:07
and appointed me as governor over regions in the Levant.
48:12
'Amr Ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with him, delivered a sermon
48:15
when the plague spread across the Levant,
48:18
saying: "This plague is a filth,
48:22
so disperse throughout these mountain passes and valleys!"
48:27
When that reached me, I said:
48:30
"Rather, it is a mercy from your Lord, an answered supplication of your Prophet,
48:35
and the death of the righteous who came before you;
48:38
so remain gathered and do not scatter away from it!"
48:41
When this reached 'Amr Ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with him,
48:45
he said: "He has spoken the truth."
48:48
Then my appointed time came during the Plague of 'Amwas,
48:51
wherein Abu 'Ubaydah Ibn al-Jarrah, may Allah be pleased with him, and I were stricken
48:56
with the plague on the exact same day,
48:59
and we departed this life on that very day.
49:02
So, who am I?
49:11
The answer: Shurahbil Ibn Hasanah, may Allah be pleased with him.
49:16
Pause, and learn about the Companions, scholars, and prominent figures.
49:27
A new challenge:
49:33
Who am I?
49:37
I am one of the Mothers of the Believers,
49:39
and the last wife of the noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
49:45
My name was Barrah,
49:47
but the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, changed it.
49:51
I was the maternal aunt of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas
49:54
and Khalid Ibn al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with them both.
49:58
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent
50:01
Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him,
50:04
to propose to me on his behalf.
50:06
The news reached me while I was mounted upon my camel,
50:09
and I proclaimed:
50:11
"The camel and all that is upon it belong to Allah and His Messenger!"
50:15
Thereupon Allah Almighty revealed His words:
50:18
“O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and the daughters of thine uncle on the father's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the father's side, and the daughters of thine uncle on the mother's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the mother's side who emigrated with thee, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the (rest of) believers - We are Aware of that which We enjoined upon them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess - that thou mayst be free from blame, for Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (33:50)
50:23
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, proposed to me during the Fulfilled 'Umrah.
50:29
When he finished his 'Umrah,
50:32
he remained in Mecca for three days.
50:34
Then Suhayl Ibn 'Amr came to him with a group of Meccans,
50:38
and they said: "O Muhammad, depart from us!
50:42
Today marks the end of your agreed term."
50:45
It had been among the stipulations of the Treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah
50:48
that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
50:51
and the Muslims alongside him would perform 'Umrah the following year,
50:54
and remain in Mecca for only three days.
50:57
So he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
51:00
"Allow me to consummate the marriage with my wife,
51:03
and I shall prepare a feast for you."
51:05
But they said: "We have no need of your feast;
51:09
depart from us!"
51:11
So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, departed Mecca,
51:17
and along the way, he consummated the marriage with me,
51:22
having exited the state of ihram at Sarif,
51:24
a place near Mecca.
51:27
He gave a wedding banquet for the people of more than a sheep,
51:30
and my bridal gift was four hundred dirhams.
51:34
My nephew 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both,
51:38
used to stay overnight with me at times
51:40
in the home of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
51:44
acquiring sacred knowledge, refined etiquette, and noble character,
51:47
which he would then transmit among the Muslims.
51:50
Among his narrations is his saying:
51:52
"I stayed overnight at my maternal aunt's house,
51:55
and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
51:58
was with her on her allotted night.
52:01
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stood up to pray during the night,
52:06
so I stood at his left side.
52:08
He took hold of my hair
52:10
and positioned me at his right side.
52:13
Whenever I began to doze off,
52:15
he would gently pinch the lobe of my ear.
52:17
He prayed eleven rak'ahs,
52:20
then sat drawing his knees to his chest,
52:22
to the extent that I could hear his regular breathing as he rested.
52:25
When the dawn became clear to him,
52:29
he prayed two brief rak'ahs."
52:33
In the year 51 AH,
52:36
I set out for the Hajj pilgrimage,
52:38
and on my return journey,
52:40
my appointed time reached me while I was at Sarif—
52:43
at the very place where the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had wedded me.
52:49
I was buried at the spot of the canopy under which he had consummated our marriage.
52:56
'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said describing me:
53:01
"Indeed, she was among those of us most mindful of Allah,
53:05
and most diligent in upholding ties of kinship."
53:08
So, who am I?
53:10
The answer:
53:13
The Mother of the Believers,
53:20
Maymunah bint al-Harith,
53:22
may Allah be pleased with her.