An Illustrious Poet
He was an illustrious poet. Amongst the Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa), aside from Hazrat Ka‘b bin Malik and Hazrat Hassan bin Thabit, he was among the three illustrious poets. His poetry was in the Razmiya [epic tales] style.
The author of Mu‘jam Al-Shu‘ara wrote:
“Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Rawaha was also a renowned poet in the Jahiliyya [pre-Islam era] period, and even after the dawn of Islam he held a prominent status. Hazrat Abdullah (ra) composed such a couplet in praise of the Holy Prophet (sa) that can be termed as his best couplet. This couplet beautifully captures the state of his heart in which Hazrat Abdullah addresses the Holy Prophet (sa):
لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِيْهِ آيَاتٌ مُّبَيِّنَةٌ
كَانَتْ بَدِيْهَتُهُ تُنْبِيْكَ بِالْخَبَرِ
‘O Muhammad! Even if you were without the countless luminous signs that radiate your truthfulness and veracity, your countenance alone was enough to declare your truthfulness.’”
(Al-Asabah fi Tamiz Al-Sahaba, vol. 4 p. 75, Abdullah (ra) bin Rawaha, Darul Kutub al-‘ilmiyah, Beirut 2005)
These people were true ardent devotees of the Holy Prophet (sa), who recognised the truth by merely seeing the countenance of the Holy Prophet (sa).
Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Rawaha was also a poet and among those who would respond to the insults of the opponents in defence of the Holy Prophet (sa).
Some of these verses are as follows:
إِنِّيْ تَفَرَّسْتُ فِيْكَ الْخَيْرَ اَعْرِفُهُ
وَ اللّٰہُ يَعْلَمُ أَنْ مَا خَانَنِيْ الْبَصَرُ
أَنْتَ النَّبِيُّ وَ مَنْ يُحْرَمْ شَفَاعَتَهُ
يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ فَقَدْ أَزْرَى بِهِ الْقَدَرُ
فَثَبَّتَ اللّٰهُ مَا آتَاكَ مِنْ حَسَنٍ
تَثْبِيْتَ مُوْسٰى وَنَصْرًا كَالَّذِيْ نُصِرُوْا
That is, “I recognised the goodness in your blessed being (that is the Holy Prophet (sa)) and Allah knows that my eyes were not deceived. You indeed are the Prophet. Whoever will be deprived of your intercession on the Day of Judgement has certainly been decreed to be worthless. Thus, may Allah grant him [i.e. the Holy Prophet (sa)] steadfastness in the qualities He has endowed him with, just as He granted Moses (as) steadfastness, and may God help him just as the prophets of the past were helped.”
Hearing these verses, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “O son of Rawaha! May Allah grant you steadfastness.”
Hisham bin Urwah said that as a result of this prayer, Allah granted him great steadfastness, so much so that when he was martyred and the doors of heaven were opened for him, he entered therein. Ibn Saad relates that when the following verse was revealed:
وَ الشُّعَرَآءُ یَتَّبِعُہُمُ الۡغَاوٗنَ
“And as for the poets – it is the erring ones who follow them” (Surah al-Shu‘ara, Ch.26: V.225)
Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Rawaha said that Allah the Exalted is well aware if he is from among them. Upon this, the following verse was revealed:
اِلَّا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ
“Save those who believe and do good works.”
(Surah al-Shu‘ara, Ch.26: V.228)