Martyrdom

“Ultimately, Yasir (ra) met his demise by this torture, and as for the elderly Sumaiyyah (ra), the cruel Abu Jahl struck a spear into her thigh so mercilessly that piercing her body it reached her private area, and this innocent lady gave her life tossing in pain at that very place. Now, only Ammar (ra) was left. He was also subjected to extreme torture and anguish, and it was said to him, ‘Until you deny Muhammad, we shall continue torturing you.’ In extreme frustration, Ammar (ra) said certain inappropriate words, upon which the Quraish released him. However, quickly thereafter, Ammar (ra) presented himself before the Holy Prophet (sa) and began to weep bitterly. The Holy Prophet (sa) asked, ‘Why Ammar, what is the matter?’ He responded, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have been ruined! These tyrants gave me so much grief that I uttered some inappropriate words about you.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) responded, ‘How do you find your heart?’ He responded, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my heart is still a believer and is satiated in the love of Allah and His messenger.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘Then all is well. May Allah forgive your mistake.’”

(Seerat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra), p. 141)

Hazrat Umme Salma (ra) narrates, “The Holy Prophet (sa) stated, ‘Ammar will be killed by a rebellious group.’”

(At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 191, Ammar bin Yasir, Dar-ul-Ihya At-turath Al-Arabi, 1990, Beirut)

Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Hazm narrated from his father, “When Hazrat Ammar bin Yassir (ra) was martyred, Amr bin Hazm went to Hazrat Amr bin al-Aas and said, ‘Ammar (ra) has been martyred, whereas I have heard the Messenger of Allah (sa) saying, “He will be martyred by a rebellious group.”’ Upon hearing this, Hazrat Amr stood up, and in a state of worry, he went to Hazrat Muawiyah. Hazrat Muawiyah asked if everything was alright. He replied that Hazrat Ammar bin Yassir (ra) had been martyred. Hazrat Muawiyah asked as to what the issue was with Ammar (ra) being martyred. Hazrat Amr said, ‘I have heard the Messenger of Allah (sa) saying, “He will be martyred by a rebellious group.”’ Muawiyah replied, ‘We did not kill him. It was Hazrat Ali (ra) and his companions, who caused his death by positioning him before our spears and swords.’”

(Al-Mustadrak Ala Al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, p. 474, Hadith 5726, Dar-ul-Haramain Li Al-Taba’ati Wa Al-Nashre Wa Al-Tauzi, 1997)

Nonetheless, there was righteousness in Hazrat Amr bin al-Aas (ra) and thus he became worried. However, Amir Muawiyah did not give much importance to this matter. The Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) however, were always concerned when a narration reached them or they had themselves heard it directly in which the Holy Prophet (sa) had warned about an event or had given a certain glad tiding.

In the Khilafat of Hazrat Ali (ra), Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) fought alongside Hazrat Ali (ra) in the Battle of Siffin and in the Battle of Jamal. Abu Abdur Rahman Al-Salami narrates: “In the Battle of Siffin, we fought alongside Hazrat Ali (ra). I saw that wherever Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) would go, the Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) would follow him, as if he was a flag for them.”

Abdullah bin Salama says, “I saw Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir in the Battle of Siffin…” This is the battle that took place between Hazrat Ali (ra) and Amir Muawiya, the governor of Syria at the time. Abdullah bin Salama states, “[In the battle of Siffin] Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) had aged, yet he had a tall stature and a wheat-like complexion. Hazrat Ammar had a spear in his hand but his hand was shaking. Hazrat Ammar (ra) said, ‘By Him in Whose hand is my life! I have fought with this spear in three battles alongside the Holy Prophet (sa)and this is the fourth. By Him in Whose hand is my life! Even if these people beat us and make us retreat to the date tree of Hajar, even then I will believe that we are on the right path and these people are in the wrong.’”

Abu Al-Bakhtri relates that on the occasion of the Battle of Siffin, Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir(ra) said, “Bring me milk to drink because the Holy Prophet (sa) had told me that the last drink I have in this world will be milk.” Thus, milk was brought and Hazrat Ammar (ra) drank it and then went forth to fight until he was martyred. In another narration it states that when milk was brought before Hazrat Ammar (ra), he laughed and said, “The Holy Prophet (sa) stated that the last drink I have would be milk.” And so he was happy at the fact that he was being martyred in such a state. On the occasion of the Battle of Siffin, Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) said, “Paradise lies under the lustre of the sword and the thirsty shall reach the spring. Today, I shall meet my loved ones and today, I shall meet the Holy Prophet (sa) and his Companions (ra).”

Abdul Rehman bin Abzi relates from his father that while travelling towards Siffin, at the edge of the River Euphrates, Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) said, “O Allah! If I knew that by throwing myself off of this mountain was the most desirable act in Your sight then I would I have done so. If I knew that You would be most pleased with me lighting a great fire and throwing myself into it then I would have done so. O Allah! If I knew that that You would be pleased with me leaping into water and drowning myself, then I would have done exactly that. I am only taking part in this battle in order to attain Your pleasure. I desire that You do not cause me to fail and I only seek to attain Your pleasure.”

Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) was martyred by Abu Waadya Mazni. He threw a spear at him as a result of which he fell and another person then attacked Hazrat Ammar (ra) and severed his head. Both of them then went to Muawiya arguing, each one claiming to have killed him. Hazrat Amr bin Al-Aas (ra) was a companion and at the time took the side of Muawiya due to certain misunderstandings; nonetheless he was with Muawiya and his piety can be gauged from what he said at the time. Hazrat Amr bin Al-Aas (ra) said, “I swear by God that you both are arguing over fire.” In other words, they had martyred Hazrat Ammar (ra) and both who were claiming to be the one who had martyred him were in actuality arguing over the hell-fire. When Hazrat Muawiya heard Hazrat Amr bin Al-Aas (ra) say this and the other two men had also retuned, he said to Hazrat Amr bin Al-Aas (ra), “I have never witnessed before what you have just said now. People have sacrificed their lives for us and yet you are saying to them that they are arguing over fire?” Hazrat Amr (ra) replied, “I swear by God this is precisely the case. I swear by God that you also knew him and I wish that I had died twenty years earlier and not witnessed such a time where we are fighting with one another.”

Hazrat Ammar (ra) passed away during the era of Hazrat Ali’s (ra) Khilafat during the Battle of Siffinn in Safar 37 Hijri at the age of 94. The age of 91 and 93 are also reported according to some estimates. Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) was buried in Siffin.

Yahya bin Aabis relates that at the time when Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir(ra) was martyred, he said to bury him in the same clothes as he would be worthy of admiration.

Hazrat Ali (ra) buried him in the same clothes. Abu Ishaaq states that Hazrat Ali (ra) led the funeral prayer of Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) and Hashim (ra) bin Atba, and kept Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) closer to him and Hashim (ra) was placed in front of Hazrat Ammar (ra). He then recited the Takbeerat over both of them 5, 6 or 7 times in a row.

These were the Companions (ra) who fought for the truth and sacrificed their lives for it. May God Almighty elevate their stations. There are a few more accounts and narrations regarding Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) and I will Insha-Allah mention these in the future.

Hazrat Ali’s (ra) body was washed by his two sons and also Hazrat Abdullah bin Ja‘far (ra). Hazrat Ali’s (ra) son, Hazrat Hasan (ra) led the funeral prayer and recited four takbiraat [proclaiming Allah is the Greatest]. Hazrat Ali (ra) was wrapped in three sheets, which did not include a shirt. He was buried before dawn. It is said that Hazrat Ali (ra) had some sacred musk, which was left over from the musk that was applied to the blessed body of the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Ali (ra) had stated as part of his will for that musk to be used on his body. There is a difference of opinion with regard to Hazrat Ali’s (ra) age at the time of his demise. Some narrations state that he was 57 years old at the time of his demise, while some state that he was 58. According to some, he was 65 years old, while others say he was 73 years old. The majority of the sources record the narration of 73 years old to be the most correct.

(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usdul Ghabah fi Ma‘rifatis Sahabah, Vol. 4, [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], p. 115)

Amr Dhi Mur narrates:

“Hazrat Ali (ra) suffered wounds caused by a sword. When I went to see him, he had his head tied up. I said to him, ‘O Leader of the Faithful! Show me your wound.’ He removed the cloth from the wound to which I said, ‘It is only a minor injury and nothing more.’ Hazart Ali (ra) stated, ‘I am soon to depart from you all.’ Upon hearing this, Umm-e-Kulthumra, Hazrat Ali’s (ra) daughter, who was behind a curtain, began to cry. Hazrat Ali (ra) told her to stop and said, ‘If you saw what I am witnessing before me, you would not cry.’ I then said to him, ‘O Leader of the Faithful! What are you seeing before you?’ Hazrat Ali (ra) replied, ‘I see before me delegations of angels and prophets and also the Holy Prophet (sa) who is saying’”, i.e. this was in the form of a vision in which he saw angels, prophets “‘and the Holy Prophet (sa) was saying, “O Ali, rejoice! For the place where you are going to is better than the place where you currently are.”’”

In another narration, it is stated that when Hazrat Ali (ra) finished reciting his will, he said:

“I say to you, may the peace and blessings of Allah and His mercy be upon you.” After this, he said nothing except the declaration of faith [Kalima] and thereafter, he passed away.

(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usdul Ghabah fi Ma‘rifah al-Sahabah, Vol. 4, (Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2003), pp. 114-115)

With regard to the background of Hazrat Ali’s (ra) martyrdom, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:

“The matters had not yet completely settled when a party of the Khawarij suggested to put an end to this disorder by killing all the prominent figures. Hence, some of their bold and brave men set out with the firm intention that one of them would kill Hazrat Ali (ra), while the other two would kill Hazrat Mu‘awiyah (ra) and Amr (ra) bin Aas, all in the same day and at the same time.

“The individual who set off towards Hazrat Mu‘awiyah (ra) managed to attack him, but since he did not land a clean strike with his sword, Hazrat Mu‘awiyah (ra) sustained only a minor injury. This individual was caught and was subsequently killed. The individual who set off to kill Amr (ra) bin Aas also failed in his attempt. This is because Hazrat Amr (ra) bin Aas could not go to the mosque to lead the prayer owing to an illness. Instead, the person who came to lead the prayer on behalf of Hazrat Amr (ra) bin Aas was killed. This person was also caught and subsequently executed.

“The individual who set off to kill Hazrat Ali (ra) attacked him when he was about to stand up to lead the morning prayer and as a result, Hazrat Ali (ra) was severely wounded. At the time of the attack, this individual uttered the following words: ‘O Ali! It is not your right that each and every word of yours be obeyed. This is the sole right of Allah!’”

(Anwar-e-Khilafat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 3, p. 202)

During the Battle of Khaybar, Hazrat Bishr (ra) also ate the poisoned goat meat alongside the Holy Prophet (sa), which was given to them as a gift by a Jewish woman. When Hazrat Bishr (ra) swallowed a piece of the meat, he had not yet moved from his place when all of a sudden, his facial complexion changed and became like telasaan – a cloth which was predominately black in colour. The pain was so severe, that for an entire year he was unable to turn over in bed without assistance and eventually, he passed away in this painful state. It is also stated [in other narrations] that the poison was so deadly that he had not yet moved from his place when after a short while of eating the meat, he passed away.

(al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 291, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

When Hazrat Bishr bin Bara (ra) passed away, his mother was severely grief stricken. She went to the Holy Prophet (sa) and said, “O Messenger of Allah (sa), the death of Bishr (ra) will destroy the Banu Salamah! Those destined to die from among the Banu Salamah will indeed pass away, however, will the deceased recognise one another? ([meaning that] owing to the impact of this action of the enemy, the Banu Salamah will be greatly affected, [so] will the deceased recognise one another) And is there any way of sending greetings to Bishr?” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “O Umme Bishr! Indeed, they will recognise one another. I swear by Him Who holds my life in His hands, just as birds recognise one another in the trees, in the same manner the inhabitants of paradise will recognise one another.”

(Subul al-Hudaa Wa al-Rashaad, Vol. 3, p. 132, Fi Tanbihaat Alaa Ba’d fawa’id Tata’aluq bi Qissati al-Mi’raj, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)

This meant that they would be able to recognise one another and that she would be able to send her greetings to him with those who are close to their death.

In another narration it is stated that after hearing this response from the Holy Prophet (sa), whenever a person from among the Banu Salamah neared their end, the mother of Hazrat Bishr (ra) would go to that person and say, “O such and such, peace be upon you,” to which they would reply in kind. She would then say, “Please convey my greetings to Bishr (ra).

(Mirqaatul Mafaatih Sharh Mishkaat al-Masaabih, Vol. 4, p. 99, Kitabul Jana‘iz, Bab Ma Yuqalu ‘Inda Man Hadarahu al-Maut, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Whenever a person from among the Banu Salamah would near their death, she would go to them and ask them to convey her greetings. Earlier, while referring to the statement that “Bishr’s death would destroy the Banu Salamah, therefore would the deceased be able to recognise one another?”, it may seem as if Hazrat Bishr’s (ra) mother was the enemy, however this is not the case, rather it was a particular style of expressing her grief. Therefore, as a result of this enormous grief, she asked if the deceased would recognise one another and whether her greetings could be conveyed to Bishr (ra). The Holy Prophet (sa) replied in the affirmative, and as a result, she would visit every person who was nearing death to convey her greetings to Bishr (ra) in Paradise.

In one narration, the sister of Hazrat Bishr (ra) visited the Holy Prophet (sa) close to the time of his demise. The Holy Prophet (sa) said to her, “The morsel that I ate along with your brother at Khaybar has severed my insides.”

(al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 82, Bab Dhikr Maghaziyah, Ghazwah Khaybar, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

Explaining this incident in detail, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) states:

“A Jewish woman asked the Companions (ra) what part of an animal the Holy Prophet (sa) preferred to eat. She was told that he preferred the shoulder of lamb or goat. The woman slaughtered a goat and made cutlets on hot stones. Then she mixed with them a deadly poison, especially in pieces cut from the shoulder, believing the Holy Prophet (sa) would prefer them. The Holy Prophet (sa) was returning to his tent after having led the evening prayers in congregation. He saw this woman waiting for him near his tent and asked, ‘Is there anything I can do for you?’

“She said, ‘Yes, Abul-Qasim, you can accept a present from me.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) asked a Companion to take whatever the woman had brought. When the Holy Prophet (sa) sat down to eat his meal, this present of roasted meat was also laid before him. The Holy Prophet (sa) took a morsel. A companion, Bashir bin Bara bin Ma‘rur (ra) also took a morsel.” Some books of history state the name as Bishr bin Bara, whereas in other places it is recorded as Bashir bin Bara. Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) has mentioned the name Bashir bin Bara, i.e. the same Bishr bin Bara (ra).

“The other Companions present at the meal stretched their hands to eat the meat. But the Holy Prophet(sa) stopped them saying, ‘My hand has informed me that the meat has been poisoned.’”

This did not mean that he had received a revelation, rather this is an expression used by the Arabs, which meant that upon tasting the meat, the Holy Prophet (sa) thought that it was poisoned. Therefore, this is the meaning of the aforementioned phrase and the Holy Prophet (sa) used it as an expression. The meaning of “his hand informing him” was that upon tasting the meat, the Holy Prophet (sa) realised that the meat had been poisoned. The subsequent quote [in regard to the incident] would shed further light on the matter. Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) has elaborated on this stating that the Holy Quran has made mention of a wall in the time of Prophet Moses (as). It is stated that “the wall wished for it to fall down”, however, this simply referred to the fact that the condition of the wall was such that it appeared that the wall would collapse at any moment. Thus, even in this incident this statement was in fact an expression.

Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) then further says, “Bashir (ra), i.e. Bishr bin Bara, then said, ‘I swear by God, Who has granted you honour, I too thought the morsel was poisoned. I wished to spit out the morsel, however I thought that if I did so, then perhaps you may dislike my action and it may disturb you while you are eating.’” (He said that he too was hesitant about the food and thought there was something suspicious with it). “‘Seeing you take a morsel, I also took one, but I soon began to wish you had not taken yours as I suspected that it may have been poisoned.’ Soon afterwards Bashir (ra) became ill and, according to some reports, died there in Khaybar. According to other reports he died after remaining ill for some time.

“The Holy Prophet (sa) then took a piece of the meat and gave it to a dog, but it too died shortly after eating the meat. The Holy Prophet (sa) then sent for the woman and asked her if she had poisoned the meat. The woman asked the Holy Prophet (sa) how he ever got to know about it. The Prophet (sa) was holding a piece of the goat in his hand, and said, ‘My hand told me this,’ The woman then realised that the Holy Prophet (sa) had discovered the truth. The woman admitted what she had done. The Holy Prophet (sa) asked, ‘What made you commit such a heinous act?’ She replied, ‘My people were at war with you and my relations were killed in this battle, I decided to poison you, believing that if you were an impostor, you would die and we should be safe, but if you were a Prophet, God would save you.’ Hearing this explanation, the Holy Prophet (sa) forgave the woman. Otherwise she would surely have been given the death penalty. This incident shows that the Holy Prophet (sa) was ever ready to forgive those who attacked him and his followers, and punished only when punishment was necessary, when it was feared the guilty one would continue to cause mischief and strife.”

(Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwarul Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 327-329)

When the captors took Khubaib (ra) to a place outside of the Haram [vicinity of the Ka‘bah] in order to kill him, Khubaib (ra) sought permission from them to offer two rak‘ats [unit of prayer] of Salat, to which they agreed. When he had offered his two rak‘ats of prayer, he said: “I desired to prolong my Salat even more, but then I thought that you may assume that I am prolonging my Salat with the intention of deferring death.” Then he prayed to God Almighty saying: “O Allah! Destroy each and every one of them.” Just before they were about to martyr him, he prayed saying: “O Allah! Destroy each and every one of them.” Hazrat Khubaib (ra) then recited the following couplet:

وَلَسْتُ اُبَالِیْ حِیْنَ اُقْتَلُ مُسْلِمًا

عَلٰی اَیِّ شِقٍّ کَانَ لِلّٰہِ مَصْرَعِیْ

وَذَالِکَ فِیْ ذَاتِ الْاِلٰہِ وَاِنْ یَّشَأْ

یُبَارِکْ عَلٰی اَوْصَالِ شِلْوٍ مُمَزَّعِ

“When I am being martyred in the cause of Islam as a Muslim, I care not as to which flank I fall upon after being martyred; all of this is for the sake of God; and if my God so wills, He shall bless my every severed limb.”

Allama Hajar Asqalani, who has written a commentary of Sahih Bukhari, writes the following commentary under a Hadith regarding Ghazwah Raji:

“At the time of his martyrdom, Hazrat Khubaib (ra) prayed the following:

اَللّٰهُمَّ أَحْصِهِمْ عَدَدًا

‘O Allah! Take note of each one of these enemies of mine, so that You may deal with them.’” In another narration it is recorded that he also said:

وَاقْتُلْهُمْ بَدَدًا وَلَا تُبْقِ مِنْھُمْ اَحَدًا

“Kill every single one of them and do not spare anyone from among them.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 3045) (Fath-ul-Bari, Sahrah Sahih Bukhari Li Imam ibn Hajjar Asqalani, Vol. 7, p. 488, Qadeemi Kutub Khana Maqabil Araam Baagh, Karachi)

Nonetheless, after Hazrat Khubaib (ra) had finished offering his prayers, Uqbah, the son of Harith, killed Khubaib (ra) and thus he became a martyr. In another narration of Bukhari it is written that Abu Sarawa‘ah killed Hazrat Khubaib (ra). Hazrat Khubaib (ra) was the one who established the tradition of offering two rak‘ats of prayer for every Muslim who is killed in captivity.

God Almighty accepted the prayer of Asim (ra) bin Thabit which he supplicated on the day he was martyred and subsequently the Holy Prophet (sa) then informed his companions about it. As it has already been mentioned, Asim (ra) bin Thabit, who was the leader of the party, among whom Hazrat Khubaib (ra) was also a part, prayed to God Almighty to inform the Holy Prophet (sa) about their situation. The Holy Prophet (sa) informed his companions about the entire incident and the difficulties they had to endure. When the Quraish were informed that Asim (ra) had been killed, they sent a group of men to the place where Asim (ra) was killed in order to bring back a part of his body whereby he could be recognised. Asim (ra) had slain a principal chieftain of the Quraish during the Battle of Badr. However, God Almighty made such provisions that a swarm of hornets acted as a shield over his body and the disbelievers were unable to harm him. God Almighty saved him and they were unable to take back any part of his body.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith 4086-4087)

When Hazrat Khubaib (ra) was about to be martyred, it is stated that he prayed, “O Allah, I have no means by which to convey my greetings to the Holy Prophet (sa). You alone can convey my greetings to him.” When Hazrat Khubaib (ra) stood on the plank he prayed to God Almighty. It is said that when an idolater heard the following prayer of Hazrat Khubaib (ra):

اَللّٰهُمَّ أَحْصِهِمْ عَدَدًا وَاقْتُلْهُمْ بَدَدًا

“O Allah! Take note of every single one of them and then kill each and every one of them”, he jumped to the floor out of fear. It is written that within one year, aside from the person who laid down out of fear, every single one of those who were involved in the killing of Hazrat Khubaib (ra) were dead and none of them survived.

Hazrat Muawiyyah (ra) bin Abi Sufyan stated, “I was present with my father at that time. When my father heard the prayer of Hazrat Khubaib (ra), he immediately pushed me to the ground.” Urwah has stated this and there are also similar narrations. Another narration of his is that the idolaters that were present at that time included: Abu Ihaab, Akhnath bin Shuraiq, Ubaidah bin Hakeem and Umayyah bin Utbah. He further narrates that Angel Gabriel came to the Holy Prophet (sa) and informed him about the entire incident, and the Holy Prophet (sa) in turn informed the companions (ra). The companions (ra) said that on that day, the Holy Prophet (sa) was seated in a gathering when he said:

وَعَلَیْکَ السَّلَامُ یَا خُبَیْبُ

“O Khubaib (ra)! May the peace and blessings of God be upon you.”

He also informed the companions that the Quraish had killed Khubaib (ra).

(Fath-ul-Bari, Sahrah Sahih Bukhari Li Imam ibn Hajjar Asqalani, Vol. 7, p. 488, Qadeemi Kutub Khana Maqabil Araam Baagh, Karachi. Hadith no. 4086)

Thus, God Almighty ensured that Khubaib’s greetings of peace were conveyed to the Holy Prophet (sa). This is all mentioned in the commentary of Sahih Bukhari.

When the idolaters martyred Hazrat Khubaib (ra), they turned his face away from the direction of the Qibla [towards the Ka‘bah in Mecca]. However, a short while later, the idolaters saw that his face had turned towards the Qibla again. They would constantly try to turn his face away from the Qibla but they did not succeed and eventually left him the way he was.

(Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 277, Khubaib (ra) bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)

In another narration it is related that the Quraish hung Khubaib (ra) to the branch of a tree and then killed him by repeatedly piercing him with lances. An individual by the name of Saeed bin Aamir was also among the crowd. Afterwards, he became a Muslim and even until the era of Khilafat of Hazrat Umar (ra), whenever he would remember the incident of Khubaib (ra), (he was among the perpetrators, but later accepted Islam) he would be overtaken by a state of swoon.

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 515-516)

At the time of his martyrdom, he requested Allah the Almighty to convey his Salam [greetings of peace] to the Holy Prophet (sa). Thus, we find that these people were of a very lofty status and had attained the nearness of Allah the Almighty. From this incident, we also learn about how Allah the Almighty bestowed His favours upon them. When Hazrat Khubaib (ra) bin Adiyy requested Allah the Almighty to convey his Salam to the Holy Prophet (sa) as there was no one else to do so, subsequently Allah the Almighty conveyed his Salam to the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa), while he was sitting with his companions (ra), replied with “Wa alaikumusssalam” and informed the companions(ra) about his martyrdom.

(Fath-ul-Bari Sharh Imam al-Bukhari ibn Hajr Asqalani, Vol. 7, p. 488, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith 4086, Qadimi Kutub Khana, Karachi)

After the martyrdom of Hazrat Khubaib (ra) bin Adiyy and his companions, the Holy Prophet (sa) commanded Hazrat Amr (ra) bin Umayyah to go to Mecca and to kill Abu Sufyan, the chief instigator of this cruel act as he was now deserving of this punishment. The Holy Prophet (sa) also sent Hazrat Jabbar (ra) bin Sakhr Ansari with him. Both of them tied their camels in a pass in the Valley of Yajaj, which is situated eight miles from Mecca and entered the city during the night. Hazrat Jabbar (ra) expressed his desire to Hazrat Amr (ra) if they could have the opportunity to perform tawaf [circuits] of the Ka‘bah and offer two rak‘at of nawafil. Hazrat Amr (ra) replied that it was a custom of the people of Quraish that after finishing their evening meal, they would sit in their courtyards at night. Therefore, he feared lest they were caught. Hazrat Jabbar (ra) replied that Insha-Allah [God willing], that would not happen. Hazrat Amr (ra) states, “We then performed tawaf and offered two rak‘at of prayer. Then we went forth in search of Abu Sufyan. By Allah, we were walking when a Meccan saw me and recognised me and said, ‘This is Amr bin Umayyah! Surely he must have come with some evil intent.’ Upon this, I told my companion to take caution and that we should leave from here! Then, we quickly came out of there and climbed a mountain. Some of the people began to pursue us. However, when we reached the peak of that mountain, they gave up and returned. Then, we came down and entered a cave in the mountain. We gathered some stones and stacked them up and we spent the night there. The next morning, one of the Quraish approached as he was walking his horse on that route. We hid back in the cave. I thought to myself that if he had seen us then he would create an uproar. It would be best to capture him and kill him.” Hazrat Amr (ra) further narrates, “I had a dagger, which I had prepared for Abu Sufyan. I struck that person’s chest with the dagger upon which he yelled such a loud cry that the Meccans also heard his voice. I once again returned to my spot and hid myself. The people quickly rushed to him while he was taking his last breaths. They asked him who attacked him? He replied that it was Amr bin Umayyah. Following this, he breathed his last and died on that very spot and was unable to inform them of where we were.”

In those days, this was the custom that if the enemies would become aware of [someone’s presence] then they would be killed due to the severe enmity between one another. Therefore, since they suspected that he had seen them, and so he may inform them about them, as a result of which the disbelievers would come after them and kill them. Hence, before such a thing like this could happen, he took this pre-emptive action in self-defence. Nevertheless, he further narrates, “He was unable to inform them of where we were and so they picked him up and took him away. At night, I said to my companion that we are safe now. Hence, we set off during the night to go from Mecca to Medina and passed by a party, which was guarding the body of Hazrat Khubaib (ra) bin Adiyy. One of them saw Hazrat Amr (ra) and said that ‘By God! I have never seen anyone walk so similar to that of Amr bin Umayyah’s style of walking. If he wasn’t in Medina, I would say that this is surely Amr bin Umayyah.’” Even here, Allah the Almighty cast a veil over their eyes. He further narrates, “When Hazrat Jabbar (ra) reached the plank of wood on which Hazrat Khubaib (ra) was hung, he quickly picked it up and ran away. The members of this party started to chase after him.”

In another narration, it is mentioned that the party standing on guard were intoxicated with alcohol. Some were drunk, some were awake, whilst some were asleep and others were in a drowsy state. Nevertheless, they did not realise and so these companions quickly took the body and ran away. When they became aware of this, they chased them until Hazrat Jabbar (ra) reached a fast-flowing stream near the mount Yajaj and he threw this plank of wood into the stream. This group of men pursuing them also arrived there, however, Allah the Almighty had caused this plank of wood to remain hidden from the sight of the disbelievers and they were unable to find it. Hazrat Amr (ra) narrates, “I said to my companion, Hazrat Jabbar (ra), that he should leave this place and ride away on his camel. I would prevent these people from coming after him.” Hazrat Amr (ra) further states, “I then started walking until I reached mount Dajnan, which is situated at a distance of 25 miles from Mecca. I took shelter in a cave and I left the cave until I reached the area of Arj, which is at a distance of 78 miles from Medina.” He further relates, “I then continued to walk until I reached the area of Naqi‘, which is at a distance of approximately sixty miles from Medina. There, I saw two men from among the idolaters of Quraish, who were sent to Medina as spies by the Quraish. I said to them that they should lay down their arms as it had now become evident that they had come to spy. However, they did not agree. Subsequently, a fight broke out.” He says, “I struck one with an arrow and killed him and imprisoned the other one, shackled him and brought him back with me to Medina.”

(Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, pp. 885-886, Ba‘th Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri li Qital Abi Sufyan, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 226, Khubaib bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995) (Lughaat-ul-Hadith, Vol. 4, p. 603, Kitab ‘yaa’, Vol. 3, p. 46, Kitab ‘faa’) (Mu‘jamul Buldan, Vol. 3, p. 225, 309, Vol. 4, p. 400)

According to another narration, Hazrat Amr (ra) bin Umayyah Zamri relates that the Holy Prophet (sa) sent him alone as an emissary in order to take Hazrat Khubaib(ra) down from the plank of wood. He says, “At night, I approached that place and climbed the plank of wood, which Hazrat Khubaib (ra) [was hanging from] and I was scared that someone might see me. When I released the plank of wood, it fell to the ground. Following this, the plank of wood vanished as if the ground had swallowed it. From that time until today, there is no mention of the bones of Khubaib (ra).”

(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 1, p. 648, Khubaib bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

According to yet another narration, Hazrat Amr (ra) bin Umayyah Zamri relates, “When I released Hazrat Khubaib (ra) from the ropes and laid him down, I heard a noise behind me. When I turned around again, I was unable to see anything and the body of Hazrat Khubaib (ra) had disappeared from my sight.”

(Al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, p. 25, Khubaib bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2002)

Hence, the first narration seems more authentic that when they chased them, he threw it into the river and that the river washed it away, or that the stream or the flow of water took it away. Hence, there are various narrations. Nevertheless, he became known by a title which meant one whose body disappeared in the earth.

(Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 226, Khubaib bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995)

The disbelievers, who wanted to mutilate his body, were unable to do so and Allah the Almighty protected it.

One narration in relation to the incident of the imprisonment of Hazrat Khubaib (ra) is as follows. Khubaib (ra) was imprisoned in Mecca, in the house of Muawiyyah, who was the freed female slave of Hujair bin Abu Ayhab, so that he may be killed as soon as the sacred months have passed. Muawiyyah accepted Islam later and proved to be a pious Muslim. Muawiyyah used to relate, “By God! I have not seen anyone better than Hazrat Khubaib (ra). I used to observe him from the door and he was shackled in chains. According to my knowledge, there wasn’t even a seed of a grape to eat on the face of the earth, (i.e. there were no grapes in that area), yet, Hazrat Khubaib (ra) used to have a bunch of grapes in his hand that was the size of a person’s head, (i.e. it was a large bunch of grapes) which he would eat from. This was nothing but the provisions granted to him by Allah. Hazrat Khubaib (ra) would recite the Holy Quran during the Tahajjud prayer [predawn voluntary prayer] and women would cry after hearing it and feel sympathetic towards Hazrat Khubaib (ra).” She says, “Once, I asked Hazrat Khubaib (ra), ‘O Khubaib (ra)! Do you have any need? Upon this, he replied, ‘I do not. Indeed, there is one thing. Please give me cold water to drink and do not give me any meat that has been slaughtered in the name of idols. Thirdly, inform me when they decide when it is that they will kill me.’” She then states, “Following this, once the sacred months had passed and once people had agreed on the killing of Hazrat Khubaib (ra), I went to him and informed him of this. By God! He did not care the least about being killed. He said to me to send a razor for him so that he could make himself presentable.” She says, “I sent this razor in the hands of my son, Abu Hussain.” This was not her biological son, rather she had only brought him up. This is what has been recorded. She further says, “When my son left, the thought suddenly came to me that by God, Khubaib (ra) had found his opportunity to exact revenge. My son was now with him, the razor was in his hands and he would take his revenge. What have I done by sending the razor with him? Khubaib (ra) would kill this child with the razor and suggest the taking of a life in exchange for another life.”

The more common narration states that the child was playing and found his way to him and that Khubaib (ra) had a razor in his hand. However, in this narration it states that the child was mature enough that it was possible to have something sent through him and hence she did so. She further states, “[I thought that] he would go to Khubaib (ra) and he would say that since they were going to kill him, then he would kill the child as well. Following this, when my son went to him with the razor, he took it and in a light-hearted manner said to the child that he was very courageous and said, ‘Is your mother not worried about my betrayal that she sent you to me with the razor, even though you people have decided to kill me?’” Hazrat Muawiyyah says, “I was listening to these words of Khubaib (ra). I said, ‘O Khubaib (ra)! I remained fearless from you due to the protection of Allah and I sent this child to you with the razor whilst placing my trust in the Being that you worship. I did not send it so that you may kill my son with it.’ Hazrat Khubaib (ra) replied, ‘I am not like this and would not kill him. We do not consider betrayal lawful in our religion.’” She says, “Following this, I informed Khubaib (ra) that he would be taken away the following morning and be killed. The following day, people shackled him in chains and took him to Taneem, which is a place located at a distance of three miles from Mecca towards Medina. Children, women, slaves and many people from Mecca had gathered to see the ordeal of Khubaib’s (ra) killing.” No one remained in Mecca according to this narration.

She further states, “Some people were there to seek vengeance for their elders who were killed in the battle. Others were present there not to seek revenge; instead, they were enemies of Islam and wished to watch his execution and take joy from it. When they took Khubaib (ra) along with Zaid bin Dasnah to Taneem, the idolaters instructed that a long piece of wood should be dug into the ground. When they brought Khubaib (ra) near this piece of wood, he asked permission to offer two rak‘at of prayer. They allowed him to do so. Khubaib (ra) offered two rak‘at of voluntary prayer and kept them brief and did not prolong them at all.” All of the aforementioned details have been mentioned in this narration by Muawiyyah.

(Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 8, p. 399, Ma’wiyatul Mawlaat Hujair, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Jihad, Bab Hal Yasir al-Rajul, Hadith 3045) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 1, p. 683, Hashiyah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

According to the narration that has just been presented with reference to Ibn-e-Sa‘d, Muawiyyah was a freed slave of Hujair bin Ayhab in whose house Hazrat Khubaib (ra) was held captive. According to Alama Ibn Abdul Bar, Khubaib (ra) was imprisoned in the house of Uqbah. Uqbah’s wife was providing food for him during this time, and she would open Hazrat Khubaib (ra) from his shackles when it was time to eat.

(Al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, p. 25, Khubaib bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2002)

Alama ibn Aseer Jazwi writes, “Hazrat Khubaib (ra) was the first among the Companions who was crucified for the sake of Allah Almighty.”

(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 1, p. 683, Khubaib bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

That is, he was tied to a piece of wood that was dug into the ground and was subsequently martyred.

Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) has written about the incident of Hazrat Khubaib’s (ra) martyrdom. He states:

“Among the spectators was Abu Sufyan, chief of Mecca. Abu Sufyan turned to Zaid and asked, ‘Would you not rather have Muhammad (sa) in your place? Would you not prefer to be safe at home while Muhammad (sa) was in our hands?’ Zaid replied furiously, ‘What, Abu Sufyan? What do you say? By God, I would rather die, than that the Prophet (sa) should tread on a thorn in a street in Medina.’ Abu Sufyan could not help being impressed by such devotion. He looked at Zaid in amazement and declared unhesitatingly, but in measured tones, ‘God is my witness, I have not known any one love another as much as the companions of Muhammad (sa) love Muhammad (sa).’”

(Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwarul Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 262-263)

This was the standard of love and devotion of the companions (ra) towards the Holy Prophet (sa). They were willing to sacrifice their lives for him. Similarly, Allah the Almighty’s treatment with them is also evident. At the time of his martyrdom, his lasts words were:

“When I am being martyred in the cause of Islam as a Muslim, I care not as to which flank I fall upon after being martyred, all of this is for the sake of God…”

(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 1, p. 683, Khubaib bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Such were his standards of love and devotion. Before he was martyred, his only desire which he expressed was to offer nawafil prayers before his Lord. He also desired that his greetings of peace [Salam] be conveyed to the Holy Prophet (sa) and God Almighty fulfilled that desire as well. The companions (ra) loved the Holy Prophet (sa) so much that it was unbearable for them even to imagine that their life was spared in return for a thorn pricking the feet of the Holy Prophet (sa). They cared immensely for the slightest affliction upon the Holy Prophet (sa) and were never concerned about their own life. For this reason, they were able to attain the pleasure and acceptance of Allah the Almighty.

There are narrations that detail the sentiments of the companions at the time of Hazrat Umar’s (ra) demise. Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) narrates, “When the body of Hazrat Umar (ra) was placed down for the funeral prayers, people gathered around. Before the body was taken, the people prayed for him, after which the funeral prayers were offered. I was also present among the people. A person grabbed hold of my shoulder which startled me. I turned to see that it was Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib (ra). He prayed for Allah to bestow mercy on Hazrat Umar (ra) and then said, ‘O Umar! You have not left behind anyone whose deeds I would rather have and go before Allah the Almighty. By God! I am certain that Allah will place you beside your companions’”, i.e. that Hazrat Umar (ra) would be with the Holy Prophet (sa) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra).

“‘On many occasions I heard the Holy Prophet (sa) say:

ذَهَبْتُ‭ ‬أَنَا‭ ‬وَأَبُو‭ ‬بَكْرٍ‭ ‬وَعُمَرُ‭ ‬وَدَخَلْتُ‭ ‬أَنَا‭ ‬وَأَبُو‭ ‬بَكْرٍ‭ ‬وَعُمَرُ‭ ‬فَخَرَجْتُ‭ ‬أَنَا‭ ‬وَأَبُو‭ ‬بَكْرٍ‭ ‬وَعُمَرُ

“Abu Bakr, Umar and I went; Abu Bakr, Umar and I entered; Abu Bakr, Umar and I went out.”’”

*(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada‘il Ashab al-Nabi (sa), Bab Manaqib Umar (ra) bin al-Khattab, Hadith 3685) *

In other words, the Holy Prophet (sa) would say this whilst narrating various incidents.

Jafar bin Muhammad narrates on the authority of his father that when the body of Hazrat Umar (ra) was washed and wrapped in the burial clothes, he was placed on a bedstead. Hazrat Ali (ra) stood beside him and praised him. Hazrat Ali (ra) said, “By Allah! There is not a single person on this earth whose deeds I would rather have and stand before Allah, than the deeds of the one wrapped in this shroud.”

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dhikr Hijrat Umar (ra) bin al-Khattab [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], p. 262)

Abu Makhlad narrates that Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) stated, “The Holy Prophet (sa) had not yet passed away when we realised that after the Holy Prophet (sa), the best among us was Abu Bakr (ra); and Abu Bakr (ra)had not yet passed away when we realised that Umar (ra) was the best among us after Abu Bakr (ra).”

(Sirat Umar bin al-Khattab (ra), Ibn Juzi, p. 212, Maktabah Misriyyah al-Azhar)

Zaid bin Wahab narrates:

“We came to see Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Mas‘ud. Whilst mentioning Hazrat Umar (ra), he cried so much that the stones on the floor became wet due to his tears. Then regarding Hazrat Umar (ra), he said, ‘Umar was a strong fortress for Islam. People would enter into it and not leave’”, i.e. he was a solid citadel in which people would enter but not leave. “‘When he passed away, cracks appeared in this fortress and people began leaving Islam.’”

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], p. 283)

Abu Wail narrates that Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Mas‘ud said, “If the knowledge of Umar (ra) was placed on one side of a scale and the knowledge of everyone else was placed on the opposite side, the knowledge of Hazrat Umar (ra) would be heavier.”

Abu Wail said, “I mentioned this to Ibrahim, to which he said, ‘By God! This is the truth. Abdullah bin Ma ‘ud has said something even greater than this.’ I asked what he had said, to which he stated, ‘When Hazrat Umar (ra) passed away, he’”, that is, Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, “‘said that it was as if nine tenths of knowledge had passed away with him.’”

(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Umar (ra) bin al-Khattab [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 2003], p. 651)

Hazrat Anas (ra) narrates that when Hazrat Umar (ra) was martyred, Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) said, “Among the Arabs or the Bedouins, there is not a single household that is free from the devastating effect of Umar’s martyrdom”.

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dhikr Istikhlaf Umar (ra) bin al-Khattab [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], p. 285)

That is, Hazrat Umar (ra) would help everyone and undoubtedly they would feel the effects of this loss.

After the funeral of Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Salam stood by his bedstead and said, “O Umar! Indeed, you were a great brother in Islam! You stood firmly for the truth and were fierce against falsehood. When it was appropriate to give approval, you would do so and you would express anger when the time was right. Your vision was pure; you were noble; you would not praise excessively, nor would you backbite.”

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dhikr Hijrat Umar (ra) bin al-Khattab [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990], p. 282)

In one narration, when Hazrat Umar (ra) passed away, Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Zaid began to cry. A person asked, “O Abul A‘war! Why do you cry?” He replied, “I cry for Islam. Indeed, the passing of Hazrat Umar (ra) has caused a crack within Islam, which will not be filled until the Day of Judgement.”

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990], p. 284)

Hazrat Ibn Umar (ra) states, “During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (sa), we would say that after him, the best among them was Abu Bakr (ra), then Hazrat Umar (ra) and then Hazrat Uthman (ra).”

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Sunnah, Bab fi al-Tafdil, Hadith 4628)

Hazrat Huzayfa (ra) would say, “During the time of Hazrat Umar (ra), the case of Islam was like a person who was heading towards the path of success and prosperity. When he was martyred, it was as if that success reversed and went into constant regression.”

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dhikr Istikhlaf Umar (ra) bin al-Khattab [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990], p. 285)

There are various narrations with regard to Hazrat Umar’s (ra) age at the time of his demise. Also there are differences of opinion regarding his date of birth. According to the various narrations found in Al-Tabari, Usd al-Ghabah, Al-Bidayah wa Al-Nihayah, Al-Riyad Al-Nadirah and Tarikh al-Khulafa, Hazrat Umar’s (ra) age is mentioned as: 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63 and 65.

(Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari [translated], Vol. 1 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Isha‘ah, 2003], p. 211) (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 4 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], p. 166) (Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Vol. 10, [Dar Hijr, 1998] pp. 192-194) (Riyad al-Nadirah, pp. 418-419, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut) (Jalaluddin Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Bakr al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa [translated], p. 168, Mumtaz Academy, Lahore)

However, according to the narrations in Sahih Muslim and Tirmidhi, Hazrat Umar (ra) was 63 years old [at the time of his demise].

Hazrat Anas bin Malikra narrates that at the time of his demise, the Holy Prophet (sa) was 63 years old; and at the time of Abu Bakr’sra demise, he was also 63 years old and when Hazrat Umar (ra) passed away, he was also 63 years old.

(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Fada‘il, Bab kam Sanah al-Nabi (sa) Yaum Qabd, Hadith 6091) (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Manaqib, Abwab fi Sunan al-Nabi (sa) kam kana hina mat, Hadith 3563)

While describing the incident of his martyrdom and his participation in the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes in Sirat Khataman-un-Nabiyyin:

“After setting out from Medina, the Holy Prophet (sa) ordered the setup of camp after a few miles, and inspected his army. Minors who had come along in their eagerness to ride with the Holy Prophet (sa) in this campaign, were sent back. Umair (ra), the younger brother of Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra) was also a minor. When he heard of the instruction that minors were to be sent back, he hid among the ranks. Eventually, however, his turn came and the Holy Prophet (sa) ordered him to return. Upon this, Umair (ra) began to weep, and upon witnessing his extraordinary eagerness, the Holy Prophet (sa) allowed him to remain.”

(Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 353)

In another book of history, the following account of him is given:

“Amr bin Sa‘d narrated from his father that prior to the Holy Prophet (sa) inspecting us in order to set out for Badr, I saw my brother Umair bin Abi Waqas trying to hide in different places. Upon this, I asked him, ‘O my Brother! What is the matter with you?’ He replied, ‘I fear that the Holy Prophet (sa) will see me and, considering me to be a minor, he will send me back. I wish to participate in the Battle so that God Almighty may grant me martyrdom.’ Thus, when he came before the Holy Prophet (sa), considering him to be a minor, he ordered him to return, upon which he began to weep. Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) allowed him to participate.”

(Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 79, Umair bin Abi Waqas, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

His sword was of a considerable size. It is mentioned in a narration that the Holy Prophet (sa)secured the sheath to his sword with his own blessed hands.

(Al-Isaba fi Tamyiz Al- Sahaba, Vol. 4, p. 603, Umair bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)

Hazrat Umair bin Abi Waqas was sixteen years old when he was martyred in the Battle of Badr.

(Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 79, Umair bin Abi Waqas, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

Although he was sixteen years of age, he had a short stature. Since the Holy Prophet (sa) would not allow minors to participate in battles in those days, therefore he was also not permitted.

Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Makhrama had an extraordinary level of passion to attain the status of martyrdom. He would pray to God Almighty that he remain alive until he had witnessed a wound on every joint of his body in the way of God Almighty. Subsequently, during the Battle of Yamamah, he suffered injuries on many of his joints, as a result of which he attained the status of martyrdom.

(Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 4, p. 193, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001)

Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Makhrama was extremely devoted to worship and would fervently pray even in his youth. Hazrat Ibn Umar (ra) relates:

“In the year in which the Battle of Yamamah took place, Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Makhrama, Hazrat Salim (ra), who was the freed slave of Hazrat Abu Hudhaifah (ra), and I were all together. All three of us would take turns to graze the goats and we also had to stand guard for protection of the provisions for the army. It was my turn to graze the goats on the day the Battle of Yamamah began. When I returned from grazing the goats, I saw Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Makhrama wounded and lying on the ground of the battlefield. I stood by him and he said, ‘O Abdullah bin Umar (ra)! Have those who are fasting ended their fast?’ (it was evening). I replied in the affirmative, upon which he asked for some water to be poured into his shield so that he could break his fast.’”

Thus, even during the battle, he was observing the fast. Hazrat Abdullah(ra) bin Umar states that he went to fetch some water, but when he returned, Hazrat Abdullah(ra) bin Makhrama had passed away.

(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 377, Abdullah (ra) bin Makhrama, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008), (Sair Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 570, Abdullah(ra) bin Makhrama, Dar-Isha’at, Karachi)

With reference to Hazrat Zubair (ra) it is written that Hazrat Zubair (ra) was martyred when he had left the battlefield and was returning from Jang-e-Jamal. With regard to fighting against Hazrat Ali (ra) he affirmed that he was wrong and subsequently left, but his martyrdom took place on the way back from Jang-e-Jamal. When Hazrat Ali (ra) reminded him by saying, “I implore you in the name of God that have you not heard the Holy Prophet(sa) say, ‘You will fight against Ali and you would be the one who transgresses.’” Hazrat Zubair (ra) replied, “Yes, and I have only just recalled this.” He then left. This was the reason why he refrained from fighting Hazrat Ali (ra). The details of this were mentioned in relation to the accounts of Hazrat Talha bin Ubaidullah (ra). From these accounts, it is evident that this discord was instigated by the rebels and the hypocrites and as result of the confusion [created by the rebels] many of the companions became embroiled in this. Nonetheless, the event that transpired was not the right course of action.

Harb bin Abi Al Aswad narrates, “I met Hazrat Ali (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra). When Hazrat Zubair (ra) was on his mount and began cutting through the ranks in order to leave, his son, Abdullah, stood in front of him and asked what had happened to him. Hazrat Zubair (ra) replied, ‘Hazrat Ali (ra) has reminded me of a saying of the Holy Prophet (sa), which I have also heard from the blessed tongue of the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa) had stated that I would confront Hazrat Ali (ra) in battle and I would be the oppressor. For this reason, I will not fight against Hazrat Ali (ra).’ His son said to him, ‘You have come here to bring about peace between the people and Allah the Almighty will bring about reconciliation through you.’ Hazrat Zubair (ra) said, ‘I have already made a promise [to not fight Hazrat Ali (ra) and leave].’ Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair (ra) said, ‘You can give expiation of this promise by freeing your slave, Jirjis, and remain here until Allah the Almighty brings about reconciliation between the people.’”

The narrator says Hazrat Zubair (ra) freed his slave Jirjis and remained there. However, the dispute worsened between the people and so he mounted his horse and left. Hazrat Zubair (ra) resolved to leave and on his way back to Medina he reached a place called Safwan, which is located near Basra. A person named Bakr, from the Banu Mujashia met Hazrat Zubair (ra) and said, “O Companion of the Messenger of Allah (ra), where are you heading to? You are my responsibility and I will not allow anyone to harm you.” So he accompanied Hazrat Zubair (ra) until they crossed paths with another person, Ahnaf bin Qais, to whom he said, “This is Zubair (ra) who I met in Safwan.” Ahnaf said, “Two groups of Muslims are fighting one another and are smiting one another’s heads with swords, whilst he [Hazrat Zubair (ra)] heads to his son and family?”

When Umair bin Jurmouz, Fazala bin Habis and Nufay heard this, they rushed on their mount in pursuit of Hazrat Zubair (ra) and found him with a caravan. Umair bin Jurmouz, mounted on his horse, came behind Hazrat Zubair (ra) and attacked with his spear, injuring him slightly. Hazrat Zubair (ra), who was mounted on a horse named Zhul Khimar, fought back. Ibn Jurmouz, realising he was moments from death, called out to his two friends. They attacked until ultimately Hazrat Zubair (ra) was martyred.

According to one narration when Hazrat Zubair (ra) was facing his murderer and managed to overpower him, the murderer sought refuge using the name of Allah. Hearing this Hazrat Zubair(ra) let his grip on him go. This man said this a few times but then treacherously rescinded on his oath and wounded Hazrat Zubair (ra). Hazrat Zubair (ra) said to him, “May Allah cause your ruin. You had been seeking protection by using Allah’s name yet then abandoned your oath.” After Hazrat Zubair (ra) was martyred, Ibn Jurmouz brought the head and sword of Hazrat Zubair(ra) to Hazrat Ali (ra). Hazrat Ali (ra) took the sword and said, “I swear by Allah, this was the sword that would remove the expressions of anxiety from the countenance of the Holy Prophet (sa), yet now it is amidst disorder and bloodshed.” Ibn Jurmouz requested permission to enter. The courtier informed that Ibn Jurmouz is present who is the one who killed Hazrat Zubair (ra), and is standing at the door requesting to be allowed to come in. Hazrat Ali (ra) replied, “May he enter the hellfire, who killed Ibn Safia (Hazrat Zubair (ra)). I have heard the Holy Prophet (ra) say that every Prophet is granted disciples and his disciple was Zubair (ra).”

Hazrat Zubair (ra) was buried in the valley of Siba‘a. Hazrat Ali (ra) and his companions began to cry over his demise. Hazrat Zubair (ra) was 64 years old when he was martyred. According to other narrations he was 66 or 67.

(al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihain li al-Hakim, Vol. 3, p. 413, Kitab Marifat al-Sahabah, Hadith 5575, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Ibn Abd al-Barr, al-Isti‘ab fi Ma’rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 2, Mistah bin Uthathah(ra) [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Jil, 1992], 516) (al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihain li al-Hakim, Vol. 3, p. 412, Kitab Marifat al-Sahabah, Hadith 5571, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 78) (Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 83) (Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1995], 460)

The residents of Medina would say regarding Hazrat Atikah bint Zaid (ra), wife of Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam (ra), that whoever desires to attain martyrdom should marry Hazrat Atika bint Zaid (ra). She was first married to Abdullah bin Abi Bakr, who was martyred. Then she married Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (ra), who was also martyred. Then she married Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam (ra) who was also martyred.

On the martyrdom of Hazrat Zubair (ra), Hazrat Atika (ra) wrote the following couplets:

غَدَرَ ابْنُ جُرْمُوزٍ بِفَارِسِ بُہْمَۃٍ

یَوْمَ اللِّقَاءِ وَ کَانَ غَیْرَ مُعَرِّدِ

یَا عَمْرُو لَوْ نَبَّہْتَہٗ لَوَجَدْتَہٗ

لَا طَائِشًا رَعِشَ الْجَنَانِ وَلَاالْیَدِ

شَلَّتْ یَمِیْنُکَ إِنْ قَتَلْتَ لَمُسْلِمًا

حَلَّتْ عَلَیْکَ عُقُوْبَۃُ الْمُتَعَمِّدِ

ثَکِلَتْکَ أُمُّکَ ہَلْ ظَفِرْتَ بِمِثْلِہٖ

فِیْمَنْ مَضٰى فِیْمَا تَرُوْحُ وَ تَغْتَدِیْ

کَمْ غَمْرَۃٍ قَدْ خَاضَہَا لَمْ یَثْنِہِ

عَنْہَا طِرَادُکَ یَا ابْنَ فَقْعِ الْقَرْدَدِ

“Ibn Jurmouz, on the day of battle, deceived that brave rider, who was not one to flee. O Amr bin Jurmouz, if you had captured him you would find him not cowardly, with hands trembling.

“May you wither away as you murdered a Muslim. You are now accountable for the punishment of murder. May ruin befall you.

“Amongst all those you spend company with day and night of that era, have you ever vanquished a person with such a high status as he.

“O you who is unable to bear even trivial suffering, Zubair was a person who even in the harshest circumstances would be at the forefront of battle.

“O ye of light complexion, your spear attack could cannot diminish the honour and greatness of Hazrat Zubair (ra) in slightest.”

(Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 83)

It is narrated in al-Tabaqat al-Kubra that when Ibn Jurmouz arrived and requested permission from Hazrat Ali (ra) to enter, Hazrat Ali (ra) preferred to not see him. Upon this he [Ibn Jurmouz] said, “Was Zubair not amongst the party creating disorder?” Hazrat Ali (ra) responded, “May ruin befall you. I am certain that Talha (ra) and Zubair (ra) will be counted amongst those regarding whom Allah the Almighty says:

وَنَزَعۡنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِم مِّنۡ غِلٍّ إِخۡوَٰنًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُّتَقَٰبِلِينَ

“And We shall remove whatever of rancour may be in their hearts so that they will become as brothers seated on thrones, facing one another.”

(Surah al-Hijr, Ch.15: V.48) (Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990], 84)

Hazrat Zubair (ra) had numerous marriages at different times and had a large number of children. The details are as follows:

The following were born through Hazrat Asma bint Abi Bakr (ra): Abdullah, Urwa, Munzir, Asim, Khadijatul Kubra, Ummul Hassan and Aisha.

From Hazrat Ummul Khalid (ra) the following children were born: Khalid, Amr, Habiba, Sauda and Hind.

From Hazrat Rubab bint Unaifra the following were born: Mus‘ab, Hamza and Ramla.

From Hazrat Zainab Umm Jafar bin Mursad (ra) the following were born: Ubaidah and Jafar.

From Hazrat Umm Kulthum bint Uqbah, Zainab was born.

From Hazrat Hilal bint Qais (ra), Khadijatul Sughra was born.

(Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 74)

And one of his wives was Hazrat Atika bint Zaid (ra).

(Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990] 83)

During the battle, he valiantly killed many leaders. During the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Hamza (ra) also proved his excellence in gallantry. This display of bravery was a thorn in the sight of the Quraish of Mecca. Details of this event are recorded in Bukhari is as follows:

Hazrat Ja‘far bin ‘Amr bin Umayya Zamri (ra) narrates, “I was travelling with Ubaidullah bin Adi bin Khiyar (ra) when we arrived at Homs, which is a famous city in Syria. Once we reached there Ubaidullah bin Adi (ra) said to me, ‘Would you like to meet Wahshi bin Harb of Abyssinia. We will ask him about the murder of Hazrat Hamza (ra). Wahshi used to live in Homs. Therefore, we enquired about his address and we were told that Wahshi is sitting idle under the shade of his palace.”

Ja‘far says, “We went to Wahshi and stood by him for a short while. We offered the greetings of peace, to which he replied in kind.” Ja‘far said, “Ubaidullah at the time was wearing a turban. His head and face were covered. Wahshi could only see his eyes and feet. Ubaidullah said to Wahshi if he could recognise him? Wahshi looked at Ubaidullah carefully and then replied, ‘By God, I do not recognise you except that I know that Adiyy bin Khiyar married a woman called Ummul Qital bint Abi Lais. They had a child in Mecca. I would feed this baby and carry him to the mother and would hand him over to her. I used to see the feet of this child, and by looking at your feet today, I have a feeling you are the very same person.’”

On hearing this Ubaidullah revealed his face. (So Wahshi recognised Ubaidullah from his feet). Then Ubaidullah said to Wahshi to narrate the incident of the murder of Hamza(ra).

Wahshi explained that Hazrat Hamza (ra) had killed Tu‘aimah bin Adiyy bin Khiyar during the battle of Badr. Wahshi’s master at the time Jubair bin Mut‘am had said to him that if he could avenge the murder of his uncle Tu‘aimah by killing Hamza (ra), and in return he will be set free.

Wahshi then said that when people saw that the Battle of Uhud was to commence, and they were heading towards ‘Ainain, one of the hills of Uhud. There was a valley between this hill and Uhud. Wahshi also joined the expedition here. When people lined up to begin the battle, Siba‘ came forward and called out if anyone dared challenge him. On hearing this Hazrat Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib (ra) stepped forward and said, “O Siba‘, do you war with Allah and His Messenger (sa)”.

After saying this, Hazrat Hamza (ra) attacked him and slayed him as if he had not existed from before. (This means that he swiftly overpowered Siba‘ and dealt with him.) Wahshi says that he was hiding behind a large stone waiting to ambush Hazrat Hamza (ra). When Hazrat Hamza (ra) came near him, he attacked him with his spear and impaled him with it, penetrating his torso.

These were Hazrat Hamza’s last moments. When people returned to Mecca, Wahshi also returned with them and stayed in Mecca until the people of Mecca accepted Islam, at which he then migrated to Taif. People sent ambassadors to the Holy Prophet (sa) and Wahshi was asked as to why he would not go with those ambassadors, as they could not be harmed in any way. So, Wahshi also joined them, and when he went to see the Holy Prophet (sa), as soon as the Prophet saw him, he asked, “Are you the one they refer to as Wahshi?” Wahshi responded in the affirmative. The Holy Prophet (sa) asked if he was the one that killed Hamza (ra). Wahshi said that the Prophet had been correctly informed. At this, the Holy Prophet(sa) said:

“As much as possible do not come before me.”

Wahshi says that on hearing this he left this place.

When the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away and Musailimah Kadhdhab started a rebellion, Wahshi thought that he ought to go to Musailimah, and if he was the one to kill him, then this may serve as an atonement for the killing of Hazrat Hamza (ra).

Wahshi says that he too set out for the war with the people and the battle panned out as it did. He saw that a man was stood in the gap of a wall. This man’s complexion resembled that of a wheat coloured camel. He was so dishevelled, and his hair was scruffy. So, Wahshi continued that he attacked this man with his spear by striking him on his chest which impaled him between the shoulders, and then an Ansari cut the man’s throat. So, this was his ending at last.

(Sahih Al Bukhari, Kitabul Mughazi, Bab Qatli Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib, Hadith No.4072)

Umair bin Ishaq narrates that on the day of Uhud, Hamza (ra) bin Abdul Muttalib was fighting in front of the Holy Prophet (sa) with two swords. He was chanting that he was the Lion of God. During this chant he would move forward and backward. Whilst doing this his foot slipped and he ended up falling on his back. Wahshi Aswad saw him in this state. Abu Usama narrates that Wahshi attacked him with his spear and murdered Hamza.

(At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra Li Ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p.8, Hamza bin Abdil Muttalib, Darul-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990, Beirut)

Hazrat Hamza (ra) was martyred during the Battle of Uhud, 32 months after the migration of the Prophet (sa) to Medina. At the time, his age was 59 years.

(At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra Li Ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p.6, Hamza bin Abdil Muttalib, Darul-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990, Beirut)

It is narrated that Hind, who was the wife of Abu Sufiyan, also was present with the army of the disbelievers on the day of Uhud. She wanted to avenge the death of her father, who was killed while fighting Hazrat Hamza (ra) during the Battle of Badr. She had sworn that whenever the opportunity arose she would chew the liver of Hamza (ra). When such a situation did arise and Hazrat Hamza (ra) fell, the disbelievers dismembered the bodies of the martyred Muslims, defaced them and cut their noses and ears. They also cut out a part of the liver of Hazrat Hamza(ra) and gave this to Hind. Hind attempted to chew upon this liver but was unable to swallow it, so she spat it out. When this incident came to the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (sa), he said that Allah Almighty had forbidden the fire to ever touch any part of the body of Hamza (ra).

(At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra Li Ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p.8, Hamza bin Abdil Muttalib, Darul-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990, Beirut)

Hazrat Unais Bin Qatadah bin Rabi‘ah was from the Ansar tribe of Aus. He accompanied the Holy Prophet (sa) during the Battle of Badr. He was martyred during the battle of Uhud by Abul Hakam bin Akhnas Bin Shareek. Hazrat Unais bin Qatadah was married to Hazrat Khansaa bint Khizam.

However, another narration states that Hazrat Aneesah bint ‘Adi came to the Holy Prophet (sa) and stated, “O Messenger of Allah (sa), my son ‘Abdullah, who fought in the Battle of Badr, was martyred in the battle of Uhud. It is my desire that I bury my son near our home so that I remain close to him.” The Holy Prophet (sa) allowed her to do so and also it was decided that along with Hazrat ‘Abdullah, his friend Hazrat Mujazar shall also be buried in the same grave. Hence, both friends were wrapped together in one single of sheet of cloth and were carried to Medina on a Camel. Abdullah was bulkier and well-built than Mujazar who was slim and slender. It is mentioned that people were astonished to notice that they both weighed the same when people took them off of the camel. The Holy Prophet (sa) stated, “Their deeds have made them both equal to each other.”

(Usdul Ghaaba, Vol. 7, p. 31, Aneesah bint ‘Adi, Dar-ul-Kutub-ul-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

Hazrat Talha (ra) was martyred in Jang-e-Jamal [Battle of the Camel]. With regard to this, there is a narration by Qais bin Abi Hazim in which he states:

“On the day of Jang-e-Jamal, Marwan bin Hakam shot an arrow which hit Hazrat Talha (ra) bin Ubaidullah in the knee, piercing a blood vessel. When he would apply pressure on the wound, the blood would stop, but when he would leave it, blood would gush out. Hazrat Talha (ra) then said, ‘By God! We have not experienced their arrows as of yet.’ He then said, ‘Leave my wound, as this arrow was sent by God Almighty!’” Hazrat Talha (ra) bin Ubaidullah was martyred on 10 Jumad al-Thani, 36 AH, during Jang-e-Jamal. At the time of his martyrdom, Hazrat Talha (ra) was 64 years old, whilst according to another narration he was 62 years old.

(Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 88, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

During the Battle of Mautah, which took place in Jamadi al-Ula 8 AH, Hazrat Zaid (ra) was martyred, and the Holy Prophet (sa) went to his home to pay his condolences. Thereupon, his daughter came to the Holy Prophet (sa) whilst weeping constantly in agony and distress. As a result, the Holy Prophet (sa) also began to cry. Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah then asked, “What is the reason for this?”, to which the Holy Prophet (sa) replied:

ھٰذَا شَوْقُ الْحَبِيْبِ اِلٰي حَبِيْبِہٖ

“This is one’s affection towards his beloved.”

(Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 34, Zaid al-Hubb bin Haritha, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Abu Sa‘eed Khudhri (ra) narrates, “I heard Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr stating ‘O Abu Sa‘eed! I saw in a dream last night that the heavens were opened for me and were then closed shut. God willing, I will achieve martyrdom.’ I said, ‘By God! You have witnessed something really good.’” Abu Sa‘eed Khudhri further states, “At the time of the Battle of Yamama, I saw Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr calling upon the Ansar and saying, ‘Break the sheaths of your swords and separate yourself from others.’ He selected four hundred people from amongst the Ansar who did not have anyone in front of them and they were led by Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr, Hazrat Abu Dujana and Hazrat Braa bin Malik. They reached Baabul Hadiqah and fought an intense battle. Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr was martyred. I saw countless marks on his face that were inflicted by the swords and was only able to recognize him from his body.”

(At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 336-337, Abbad bin Bishr, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, 1990, Beirut)

Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair was martyred during the Battle of Uhud. On the day of Uhud, Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair was fighting in front of the Holy Prophet (sa) and was martyred during the battle. He was martyred by Ibn Qami‘ah.

(al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, p. 383, Ghazwah Uhud, Maqtal Mus‘ab (ra) bin ‘Umair, Dar Ibn Hazm, Beirut [2009])

In the books of history, it is mentioned that the flag-bearer during the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair, protected the flag [of Islam] in an excellent manner. Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) was carrying the flag on the day of Uhud, when Ibn Qami‘ah, who was riding a horse, attacked with his sword and struck the right hand of Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra), with which he was holding the flag, and severed it. Upon this, Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) started reciting the following verse:

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ اِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِہِ الرُّسُلُ

[And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him] and grasped the flag in his left hand. Ibn Qami‘ah struck the left hand and severed it as well, upon which Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) embraced the flag of Islam with both of his arms and held it to his chest. Following this, Ibn Qami‘ah attacked Hazrat Mus‘ab(ra) with a spear for a third time which pierced his chest. The spear broke and Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) fell to the ground. Upon this, two individuals from [the tribe of] Banu Abd-id-Dar, Suwaibit (ra) bin Sa‘d bin Harmala and Abu Rum (ra) bin Umair, stepped forward. Abu Rum bin Umair grabbed the flag and it remained in his hands until the Muslims returned and entered Medina.

(al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 89, Mus‘ab (ra) bin ‘Umair, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut [1990])

Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) was 40 years old, or just over 40 at the time of his martyrdom.

(Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 5, p. 76, Mus‘ab (ra) bin ‘Umair, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut [2003])

Mentioning this particular incident, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) states in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin:

“The army of the Quraish had pretty much surrounded them from all four fronts and continued to crush the Muslims moment by moment through repeated attacks. Yet, even after all this, the Muslims probably would have regained themselves shortly thereafter, but the outrage was that a bold warrior from among the Quraish named Abdullah bin Qami‘ah attacked Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair, the flag-bearer of the Muslims and severed his right hand with the blow of his sword. Mus‘ab (ra) immediately clutched the flag with his other hand and advanced to confront Ibni Qami‘ah, but in his second blow, the other hand was severed as well. Upon this, Mus‘ab (ra) joined both of his severed hands together in an endeavour to keep the Islamic flag from falling and held it to his chest, upon which Ibni Qami‘ah struck him a third time, and this time Mus‘ab (ra) was martyred and fell to the ground. As far as the flag was concerned, another Muslim immediately advanced and took hold of it, but since the size and figure of Mus‘ab (ra) resembled the Holy Prophet (sa), Ibni Qami‘ah thought that he had slain the Holy Prophet (sa). It is also probable that this scheme of his was merely guided by motives of mischief and deceit. In any case, when Mus‘ab (ra) was martyred and fell, Ibni Qami‘ah exclaimed that he had slain Muhammad [sa]. At this news, the Muslims lost whatever composure was left in them and their force was scattered completely.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 493)

This was also a major reason the Muslims lost their composure during the Battle of Uhud. Nevertheless, they regrouped later. When the Holy Prophet (sa) approached the body of Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra), it was turned face down. The Holy Prophet (sa) stood beside it and recited the following verse:

مِنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوۡا مَا عَاہَدُوا اللّٰہَ عَلَیۡہِ ۚ فَمِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ قَضٰی نَحۡبَہٗ وَمِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ یَّنۡتَظِرُ ۫ۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُوۡا تَبۡدِیۡلًا

That is, “Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they made with Allah. There are some of them who have fulfilled their vow, and some who still wait, and they have not changed their condition in the least.” [Surah al-Ahzab, Ch.33: V.24]

Following this, the Holy Prophet (sa) said,

اِنَّ رَسُولَ اللہِ یَشْھَدُ اَنَّکُم اشُّھَدَاءُ عِنْدَ اللہِ یَومَ القیامَۃِ

That is, “the Messenger (sa) of Allah bears witness that even on the Day of Judgement they will be counted as martyrs in the sight of Allah.”

Then, the Holy Prophet (sa) addressed the companions and said, “You should visit him and send your salutations upon him. By Him, in Whose hand lies my life, he will respond to the salutations of everyone who will send salutations upon him until the Day of Judgment.” Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra)’s brothers, Hazrat Abu Rum (ra) bin Umair, Hazrat Suwaibit (ra) bin Sa‘d and Hazrat Aamir (ra) bin Rabi‘ah lowered him into the grave.

(al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 89, Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut [1990])

In Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) mentions this in the following manner:

“One honourable man from among the martyrs of Uhud was Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair. He was the first Muhajir who was sent to Medina as a missionary of Islam. In the era of the Jahiliyyah, among the young men of Mecca, Mus‘ab (ra) was considered to be the most well-dressed and elegant, and lived in great comfort and luxury. After accepting Islam, his condition was transformed completely. In fact, there is a narration that on one occasion, the Holy Prophet (sa) saw him dressed in a cloth which was covered with numerous patches. At this, the Holy Prophet (sa) was reminded of his earlier life, and the eyes of the Holy Prophet (sa) began to glisten with tears. When Mus‘ab (ra) was martyred at Uhud, he did not even have enough cloth by which his body could be fully covered. If his feet were covered, his head would become exposed, and if his head was covered, his feet would become bare. As such, according to the instruction of the Holy Prophet (sa), his head was covered with cloth and his feet were covered with grass.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 501)

There is a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari which states:

“Food was brought before Hazrat Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf to break the fast which he was observing at the time. Upon this he said, ‘Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair was martyred and he was better than me, but only one sheet was available to shroud him [at the time of his burial]. It was so small that when his head was covered; his feet remained uncovered and if his feet were covered, his head remained uncovered.’ The narrator states that he believes Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf also said, ‘Hamza (ra) was martyred and he was better than me.’ Thereafter he continued, ‘Then the bounties of this world were bestowed upon us generously’ or perhaps he said, ‘We were granted that which was destined for us and I am afraid that the reward of our good deeds may have been bestowed to us in this world.’ Thereupon, he began to cry and left the food untouched.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Jana’iz, Bab idha lam yujad illa thaub wahid, Hadith 1375)

He became emotional owing to his fear of God Almighty and the treatment he would receive from God in the Hereafter, for if they had been granted bounties in this world, then he thought that perhaps they may not receive anything in the next life.

Hazrat Khubbab (ra) bin Art narrates, “We migrated with the Messenger (sa) of Allah seeking the pleasure of Allah and expecting our reward from Him. Some of us died without partaking anything from their reward. Among them was Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair, and there are those among us whose fruits of their deeds have ripened and they are enjoying its delight. Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair was martyred in the Battle of Uhud, and there was only one cloth available for us to cover him in. When we covered his head with it, his feet were exposed and when we covered his feet with it, his head was uncovered. So the Holy Prophet (sa) told us to cover his head and to put some idhkhir (i.e., lemon grass) over his feet.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Jana‘iz, Bab idha lam yajid kaffuna illa ma yuwari ra‘sahu, Hadith 1376)