Indeed all praise are due Allah
and we bear witness our Prophet Mohammed is the messenger and slave of Allah.
Today we start the stories of the
Sahabas and we pray Allah through these stories will lead us into strengthening
of our faith.
Allah says in the Noble Quran in
Sarah Yusuf 12:7
لَّقَدْ كَانَ فِى يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِۦٓ ءَايَٰتٌ لِّلسَّآئِلِينَ
Certainly were there in Joseph
and his brothers signs for those who ask.
These stories of our past
prophets and predecessors are meant to educate us not to entertain us.
Today we talk about the story of
Musab Ibn Umair.
Mus'ab bin 'Umair (Radhiyallaho
anho) had been brought up with great love with his wealthy parents. It is said
that he was the most well-dressed youth of Mecca. In fact his parents would buy
him the most expensive clothes as soon as it is brought to the market. He was
privileged to sit amongst the elders in decision making because of the status
the mother provided him.
He embraced Islam in its early
days, without the knowledge of his parents. He will go to Darul Arkaam to learn
Islam from Rasul. When his powerful mother, Khunnas bint Malik, came to know of
it she tied him with a rope and compelled him to stay at home. He got an opportunity to escape
and emigrated to Abyssinia. On return
from Abyssinia, he emigrated again to Madinah. So a person like him, brought up
in luxury and comfort was now living a life of abstinence and austerity.
When he returned from Abyssinia the mother threw him out of the house. As she threw him out of her house and cut him off from all the material comforts she used to lavish on him, she said:
When he returned from Abyssinia the mother threw him out of the house. As she threw him out of her house and cut him off from all the material comforts she used to lavish on him, she said:
"Go to your own business. I
am not prepared to be a mother to you."
Musab went up close to her and
said:
"Mother, I advise you
sincerely. I am concerned about you. Do testify that there is no god but Allah
and that Muhammad is His servant and His
Messenger."
"I swear by the shooting
stars, I shall not enter your religion even if my opinion is ridiculed and my
mind becomes impotent," she replied.
Once the Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) was sitting when Mus'ab (Radhiyallaho anho) passed in front of
him. He had only one sheet of cloth to clothe his body, and this bore a number
of patches. including one of leather. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) with tears in his eyes mentioned Mus'ah's life of luxury before Islam
to those present.
In the battle of Uhud, Musab
(Radhiyallaho anho) held the flag of Islam. When the Muslims on meeting defeat
were dispersing in confusion. he held the flag and stood at his post like a
rock protecting the prophet from the sward of the enemy. An enemy came and cut his hand
with a sword. so that the' flag might fall and the defeat might be
accomplished. He at once took the flag in the other hand. The enemy then cut
the other hand also. He held the flag to his bosom with the help of his
bleeding arms.The enemy at last pierced his
body with an arrow. He fell dead and, with him fell the flag that he had not
allowed to fall while he was alive. Another Muslim ran and took over the flag.
At the time of his burial, he had only one sheet to cover his body. This sheet was too short for his size. When it was drawn to cover the head. the feet would be exposed, and when it was drawn to cover the feet. the head would become uncovered.
The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) said:
"Cover his head with the
sheet, and his feet with 'Azkhar' leaves ...
Abu wail narrates the incident
in this manner ;
حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا وَائِلٍ، يَقُولُ عُدْنَا خَبَّابًا فَقَالَ هَاجَرْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نُرِيدُ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ، فَوَقَعَ أَجْرُنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ، فَمِنَّا مَنْ مَضَى، لَمْ يَأْخُذْ مِنْ أَجْرِهِ شَيْئًا، مِنْهُمْ مُصْعَبُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ قُتِلَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ، وَتَرَكَ نَمِرَةً، فَكُنَّا إِذَا غَطَّيْنَا بِهَا رَأْسَهُ بَدَتْ رِجْلاَهُ، وَإِذَا غَطَّيْنَا رِجْلَيْهِ بَدَا رَأْسُهُ، فَأَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ نُغَطِّيَ رَأْسَهُ، وَنَجْعَلَ عَلَى رِجْلَيْهِ شَيْئًا مِنْ إِذْخِرٍ. وَمِنَّا مَنْ أَيْنَعَتْ لَهُ ثَمَرَتُهُ فَهْوَ يَهْدِبُهَا.
We visited Khabbaba who said,
"We migrated with the Prophet (ﷺ) for
Allah's Sake, so our reward became due and sure with Allah. Some of us passed
away without taking anything of their rewards (in this world) and one of them
was Mus`ab bin `Umair who was martyred on the day (of the battle) of Uhud
leaving a striped woolen cloak. When we covered his head with it, his feet
became naked, and when covered his feet, his head became naked. So Allah's
Messenger (ﷺ) ordered us to cover his head
and put some Idhkhir (i.e. a special kind of grass) on his feet. (On the other
hand) some of us have had their fruits ripened (in this world) and they are
collecting them." Sahih al-Bukhari 3897
Such was the end of the youth who
was brought up in luxury and comfort. The person who used to wear a dress worth
two hundred dirhams does not have sufficient cloth to cover his dead body.
Narrated
Sa`d from his father:
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَكِّيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ أُتِيَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَوْمًا بِطَعَامِهِ فَقَالَ قُتِلَ مُصْعَبُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ ـ وَكَانَ خَيْرًا مِنِّي ـ فَلَمْ يُوجَدْ لَهُ مَا يُكَفَّنُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ بُرْدَةٌ، وَقُتِلَ حَمْزَةُ أَوْ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي فَلَمْ يُوجَدْ لَهُ مَا يُكَفَّنُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ بُرْدَةٌ، لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدْ عُجِّلَتْ لَنَا طَيِّبَاتُنَا فِي حَيَاتِنَا الدُّنْيَا، ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَبْكِي.
Once the meal of `Abdur-Rahman
bin `Auf was brought in front of him, and he said, "Mus`ab bin `Umair was
martyred and he was better than I, and he had nothing except his Burd (a black
square narrow dress) to be shrouded in. Hamza or another person was martyred
and he was also better than I and he had nothing to be shrouded in except his
Burd. No doubt, I fear that the rewards of my deeds might have been given early
in this world." Then he started weeping. Sahih al-Bukhari 1274
I choose his story because it has
a correlation with the youth of our time. Can we sacrifice our so called
fancy dressing to dress like the way Islam thought us? Can we abandon the games and or
the activities that send us away from the pleasure of Allah?
Musab had it all but when he saw
hedaaya he didn't fancy those worldly things again. Subhaana-Allah Today if you do a
similar thing people will say you are mad. How many of us here will
sacrifice our time to go out to people to do Dawa?
Let's learn from the story of
Musab and Submit to Allah
May Allah increases us in iman
BY: ABDINA ALI ISSIFU
BY: ABDINA ALI ISSIFU