Love for the Holy Prophet (sa)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:
“In the ahadith it is mentioned that on one occasion, Hazrat Umar (ra) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)had a disagreement about something which intensified. Hazrat Umar (ra) had a rather impassioned nature and for this reason, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)thought it wise to leave the place, lest the matter worsened. When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)tried to leave, Hazrat Umar (ra) stepped forward and held on to his cloak, demanding an answer from him. When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)managed to release himself, his cloak ripped. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)left from there and went home. However, Hazrat Umar (ra) suspected that perhaps Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)would complain about him to the Holy Prophet (sa), and so he followed him, so that he could present his viewpoint.
“Along the way, Hazrat Umar (ra) lost sighting of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). Hazrat Umar (ra) thought that Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)went to the Holy Prophet (sa) to complain about him and so he went straight to the Holy Prophet (sa). But when Hazrat Umar (ra) went to the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)was not present. However, since Hazrat Umar (ra) regretted what he had done, he submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! I have committed an error and I treated Abu Bakr (ra)harshly. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)is not to blame, it is all my fault.’
“When Hazrat Umar (ra) went to see the Holy Prophet (sa), someone informed Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)that Hazrat Umar (ra) went to complain to the Holy Prophet (sa) about him. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)thought to himself that he should also go and clear the matter, lest only one side of the case was presented; therefore he decided to go and present his side of the story as well.
“When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)reached the gathering, Hazrat Umar (ra) was saying, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! I have made a mistake, I quarrelled with Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)and ripped his cloak.’
“When the Holy Prophet (sa) heard this, anger could be seen in his expression and he said, ‘O people! What is the matter with you! When the entire world rejected me and opposed me, including all of you, at that time it was only Abu Bakr who accepted me and helped me in every way.’ He then said in a sorrowful tone, ‘Will you not let Abu Bakr and I be even now?’ The Holy Prophet (sa) was saying these words when Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)entered.”
“This [i.e. what occurred thereafter] is the example of true love; instead of saying that it was not his fault and was all Umar (ra)’s fault; when Abu Bakr (ra)entered and saw that the Holy Prophet (sa) was displeased, as his true lover, he could not bear to see the Holy Prophet (sa) in pain because of him; for this reason, as soon as Abu Bakr (ra)came, he sat down on his knees before the Holy Prophet (sa) and submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! It is not Umar’s fault, but it is my fault.’”
(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 27, pp. 313-314)
Hazrat Anas bin Malik states that from among the Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa), there were two Companions who lived the farthest; Hazrat Abu Lubabah bin Abdul Munzir, whose house was in Quba and Hazrat Abu Abbas bin Jabrah, who lived with the tribe of Banu Haritha. Both of them would come to offer their prayer with the Holy Prophet (sa).
(Al-Mustadrak Ala Al-Sahihain, Vol. 1, p. 309, Hadith 5726, Dar-ul-Haramain Li Al-Taba’ati Wa Al-Nashre Wa Al-Tauzi, 1997)
Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra) was a brave and skilled cavalier from among the Quraish. During battles, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra) was one of the companions who were entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the Holy Prophet (sa).
(Al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, p. 325, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001)
Abu Ishaq narrates that there were four powerful fighters among the companions of the Holy Prophet (sa): Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Ali (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra) and Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra).
(Al-Isabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, p. 325, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001)
After the migration to Medina, the Muslims remained fearful of an attack by the disbelievers and owing to this apprehension, they found it difficult to sleep at night. The Holy Prophet (sa) would remain awake at night. In this regard, there is a narration by Hazrat Aisha (ra) in which she states:
“Upon arrival in Medina, on one night, the Holy Prophet (sa) had difficulty sleeping. He then prayed, ‘If only a suitable man from among my companions were to stand guard.’” Hazrat Aisha (ra) further narrates, “We were still in this state when we heard the clanking of arms. The Holy Prophet (sa) enquired who it was. The reply from the individual standing outside was, ‘It is I, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) enquired as to why he had come, to which he replied, ‘My heart was perturbed about you, therefore I came to stand guard.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) prayed for Sa‘d (ra) and then fell asleep.”
(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 282-283) (Sahih Muslim, Kitab Faza‘il as-Sahabah, Bab Fadl Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Hadith 2410)
Then, there is a narration in regards to the night following the marriage of the Holy Prophet (sa) with Hazrat Safia (ra). Although I have briefly mentioned this before in relation to another account, however I shall mention it again. At night, after the Holy Prophet’s (sa) marriage with Hazrat Safia (ra), Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) stood guard outside the tent with his sword unsheathed and remained on guard for the entire night, circling all four sides of the tent. In the morning, when the Holy Prophet (sa) saw Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) outside the tent, he asked him, “O Abu Ayub, what is the matter?” He replied saying, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah, I feared for your wellbeing since her father, husband and the people of her nation have been killed and she has only recently become a believer. Thus I stood guard the entire night for the sake of your security.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) prayed for Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra):
اَللّٰہُمَّ احْفَظْ اَبَا اَیُّوْبَ کَمَا بَاتَ یَحْفَظُنِیْ
“O Allah! Protect Abu Ayub just as he spent the entire night for the sake of my protection.”
Imam Suhaili states that as a result of this prayer offered by the Holy Prophet (sa), Allah the Almighty protected Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra), to the extent that the Romans used to safeguard his grave and would pray by his graveside for water, as a result of which it would rain upon them.
(Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Ghazwat Khaibar [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2002], 65)
The reference from Introduction to the Study of the Holy Quran by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) is complete and now the following is a hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra). Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) narrates that the Holy Prophet (sa) came to his home. The Holy Prophet (sa) stayed on the lower storey of the house while Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) was staying on the upper storey of the house. The narrator says that one night, Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) woke up and said that they were walking above the Holy Prophet (sa) and thus moved to one side and spent the entire night in a corner. Later, when he expressed this to the Holy Prophet (sa), he replied by saying that it was easier for him to remain on the lower floor. Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) said that he could not reside on the upper level, while the Holy Prophet (sa) resided beneath it. Thus, the Holy Prophet (sa) moved to the upper level and Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) came down to the lower storey of the house.
“Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) would prepare food for the Holy Prophet (sa) and when whatever remained from the food would be brought back to him, he would enquire from the person who brought it back as to where the Holy Prophet’s (ra) fingers had touched the food and Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) would touch the same places; meaning he ate from the exact place where the Holy Prophet (sa) had eaten from.
“Once he prepared food for the Holy Prophet (sa) which contained some garlic. When the food was brought back, he enquired once again as to where the Holy Prophet (sa) had eaten from. When he was informed that the Holy Prophet (sa) had not eaten that day, he became worried and went upstairs to the Holy Prophet (sa) to ask whether garlic was haram [forbidden]. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, ‘No, but I personally dislike it.’ Hearing this, Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) said, “If you dislike something, then I dislike it as well,” or he said, “If you do not like something, then I will not like it either.”
The narrator says that angels would visit the Holy Prophet (sa). This is a narration from Sahih Muslim. Since the angels would visit the Holy Prophet (sa), therefore he disliked anything with an unpleasant odour; however, he did not say it was forbidden.
Another narration from Sahih Muslim is also recorded as such; Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) narrates, “When food would be presented to the Holy Prophet (sa), he would eat from it and would send whatever was left to me. One day, he sent back the food, from which he had not eaten at all because it contained garlic. I asked the Holy Prophet (sa) whether this was forbidden, to which he replied, ‘No, but I do not like it due to its smell.’ Upon this, Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) said, ‘I also dislike that which you dislike.’”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Ashribah, Bab Ibahat al-Akl al-Thum, Hadith 5356-5358)
There is another narration from Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal in which this same incident has been recorded in the following manner; Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) narrates: “The Holy Prophet (sa) stayed on the lower storey of our home while I was residing on the upper level. Once, some water spilled on the upper level and so I, along with Umm Ayub, began drying the water with a sheet of cloth, for fear that lest some water drips onto the Holy Prophet (sa). Then, I nervously went before the Holy Prophet (sa) and submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, it feels inappropriate for us to be residing above you. I request that you move to the upper level.’ Thus, upon the instruction of the Holy Prophet (sa), his belongings, which comprised of very little, were moved to the upper level.
“I then submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, whenever you sent [some of your] food back to me, I would find the imprints of your fingers and would place my hand on the very same place. Today, however, when you sent the food back to me, I did not find the imprints of your fingers.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, ‘You are right. Actually, it contained onions’” – onions have been mentioned here instead of garlic – “‘and I did not wish to eat it due to the fact that there is an angel who comes to visit me. However, you may eat it.’”
(Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 7, Musnad Abu Ayub Ansari, Hadith 23966 [Beirut, Lebanon: Alam al-Kutub, 1998], 781)
Hazrat Umar’s (ra) intense love for the Holy Prophet (sa) can be gauged from the following incident – which has already been mentioned in a previous sermon as well. Hazrat Aisha (ra) narrates in this regard that when the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away and the news reached Hazrat Umar (ra), he stood up and said, “By God! The Holy Prophet (sa) has not passed away.” Hazrat Aisha (ra) said that Hazrat Umar (ra) would say, “By God, this was how I felt.” He truly thought that Allah would awaken the Holy Prophet (sa), so that he would cut off the hands and feet of some people. Then, when Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)arrived, he recited verse 145 of Surah Al-e-Imran [chapter 3 of the Holy Quran], and implored Hazrat Umar (ra) to see the reality, after which the matter was resolved.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada‘il Ashab al-Nabi (sa), Bab Qaul al-Nabi (sa) Law Kunta Muttakhidhan Khalila, Hadith 3667-3668)
Hence, the Holy Prophet (sa) stayed at his home. His house had two floors. Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) stayed in the upper floor and the lower floor was offered to the Holy Prophet (sa). He [Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra)] was on the upper floor one night, when a vessel or pot of water broke. They used to have pots of clay, in which they stored water. Even today, water is stored in such pots in third-world and impoverished countries, such as Pakistan and in Africa.
Anyhow, the pot broke. Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) and his wife spent the entire night drying [the spillage] with their quilt. The following day, he related the incident that had transpired the previous night to the Holy Prophet (sa) and requested the Holy Prophet (sa) to stay on the upper floor. The Holy Prophet (sa) accepted his request and stayed with him for approximately six or seven months. He tried to fulfil his dues of hospitality most excellently.
His own meal would be the leftovers of the Holy Prophet (sa). In a narration it is mentioned that wherever the marks of the Holy Prophet’s fingers could be seen, he would eat the leftovers of the Holy Prophet (sa) from there. One day, he observed that there were no finger marks of the Holy Prophet (sa) on the food and the food seemed not to have been eaten. He went to the Holy Prophet (sa) and asked, “Huzoor, you did not eat today?” Upon this the Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “I was about to eat, when I noticed that it was prepared with onions and garlic. As I do not like these, I did not eat.” Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (ra) said, “I dislike whatever the Holy Prophet (sa) dislikes and I will never eat these items in future.” How astonishing are these stories of love and devotion.
(Musnad Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Vol. 7, p. 781, Hadith 23966, Musnad Abu Ayub Ansari(ra), ‘Alam Al-Kutub, Beirut) (Sahih Muslim, Al-Ashriba, Bab Abahatu Aklith-Thaum, Hadith 5356) (Al-Tabqat Al-Kubra Li-ibni Sa‘d, Vol. 1, p. 183, Dhikr Khuruj Rasulullah(sa), Darul Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyah, Beirut 1990)
On the occasion of Hajjat-ul-Wida, the Holy Prophet (sa) travelled from Medina to perform the Hajj. When he arrived at the place of Hajj, his mount went missing. The Holy Prophet (sa) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) used the same mount, which was in the care of the servant of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) when it went missing. Hazrat Safwan (ra) bin Muattal travelled behind the main caravan and managed to find the missing camel. He brought the missing camel along with him, which still had the all the provisions loaded on top of it. When Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah heard of this incident, he came to the Holy Prophet (sa) along with his son, Qais (ra), and also brought a camel loaded with provisions to take along on a journey. When they met the Holy Prophet (sa), he was standing beside the entrance to his home. At that time, God Almighty had returned his camel to him, i.e., the camel that was lost and had been recovered by the time Sa‘d (ra) came to the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! We have heard that your camel along with all your provisions has been misplaced. Please take our mount instead.” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “God Almighty has brought our mount back to us” i.e., he had found the mount that went missing. “Both of you can take back the mount you have brought; may God Almighty bless both of you.”
(Subul al-Hudaa Wa al-Rashaad, Vol. 8, p. 460, Dhikr Nuzulihi bil Araj, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993) (Kitabul Maghazi Lil Waqidi, p. 1093, Bab Hajjatul Wadaa, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1984)
Narration 1
Then, there are narrations about how the Holy Prophet (sa) presented his claim before his tribe and how Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was always by his side. Allah the Almighty had decreed to grant dominance to His faith and bestow honour upon the Holy Prophet (sa) and fulfil His promise. Thus, during the days of Hajj, the Holy Prophet (sa) went outside and met with the Aus and Khazraj tribes of the Ansar. The Holy Prophet (sa) presented his claim before the people, as he would do so each year during the days of Hajj. In one narration, Hazrat Ali (ra) bin Abi Talib states, “When Allah the Almighty commanded the Holy Prophet (sa) to preach to the tribes of Arabia, Abu Bakr (ra) and I were with him when he set out towards Mina. We reached a gathering of the Arabs. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) moved ahead, and he was an expert in genealogy. He asked, ‘Which tribe do you belong to?’ They replied that they belonged to the Rabi‘ah tribe. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) asked, ‘Which branch of the Rabi‘ah tribe?’ They replied that they belonged to the Zuhl tribe.” Hazrat Ali (ra) further says, “We went to the gathering of the Aus and Khazraj and it was these people who were given the name of ‘Ansar’ by the Holy Prophet (sa), because they granted refuge to the Holy Prophet (sa) and said they would support him.” Hazrat Ali (ra) further says, “We left from that place once everyone had pledged allegiance to the Holy Prophet (sa).”
(Sharh al-Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 2, Dhikr ‘Ardh al-Mustafa’ Nafsah ala al-Qaba‘il [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1996], pp. 72-74)
Narration 2
In another narration, Hazrat Ali (ra) says:
“When Allah the Almighty commanded His Prophet (sa) to present his claim before the tribes of Arabia, the Holy Prophet (sa) set out for this task. Abu Bakr and I were with him at the time. We went to a gathering which was civilised and dignified. They were honourable and noble people. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) asked, ‘Which tribe do you people belong to?’ To this, they replied that they belonged to Banu Shayban bin Tha‘labah. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) turned to the Holy Prophet (sa) and said, ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! By Allah, there is not a nobler people among them.’ Among them was Mafruq bin Amr, Muthanna bin Harithah, Hani bin Qabisah and Nu‘man bin Shareek. The Holy Prophet (sa) recited the following verse to them:
قُلۡ تَعَالَوۡاْ أَتۡلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ أَلَّا تُشۡرِكُواْ بِهِۦ شَيۡـٔٗاۖ وَبِالۡوالِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَٰنًاۖ وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَوۡلَادَكُمْ مِّنۡ إِمۡلَاقٍ نَّحۡنُ نَرۡزُقُكُمۡ وَإِيَّاهُمۡۖ وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ الۡفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَا وَمَا بَطَنَۖ وَلَا تَقۡتُلُواْ النَّفۡسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ إِلَّا بِالۡحَقِّۚ ذَالِكُمۡ وَصّٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُوْنَ
The translation of this is: “Say, ‘Come, I will rehearse to you what your Lord has forbidden: that you associate not anything as partner with Him and that you do good to parents, and that you kill not your children for fear of poverty – it is We Who provide for you and for them – and that you approach not foul deeds, whether open or secret; and that you kill not the life which Allah has made sacred, save by right. That is what He has enjoined upon you, that you may understand.’” (Ch.6: V.152)
“Upon this Mafruq said, ‘These words are not of any human, if they were, we would certainly have known it.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) then recited the following verses:
إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَأۡمُرُ بِالۡعَدۡلِ وَالۡإِحۡسَانِ وَإِيتَآيِٕ ذِي الۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَيَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ الۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَالۡمُنكَرِ وَالۡبَغۡيِۚ يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ
“That is, ‘Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred; and forbids indecency and manifest evil and transgression. He admonishes you that you may take heed.’ [Ch.16: V.91]
“Upon hearing this, Mafruq stated, ‘O my Quraish brother! By Allah, you have invited us towards the highest morals and good deeds. The nation which rejects you and helps one another to oppose you are indeed liars.’
“Muthanna stated, ‘O my Quraish brother! We heard what you have said and you have discoursed in an excellent manner. What you have said has greatly inspired me. However, we have an agreement with Chosroes that neither will we initiate something from our own selves nor grant refuge to anyone else who initiates something new. What you are inviting us towards is perhaps something that the kings will be displeased with. If you wish that we help you and protect you against the people dwelling in and around Arabia, then we can do this for you.’
“The Holy Prophet (sa) stated, ‘There is nothing wrong in what you have said for you have openly spoken the truth. Only those people can protect the religion of Allah, whom Allah Himself has surrounded [by His grace].’ Thereafter, the Holy Prophet (sa) took hold of Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (ra) hand and departed from there.”
(Ibn Naeem, Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 4, Riwayat number 6382 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2002], pp. 309-310)
Narration 3
In another narration, it is mentioned that the Holy Prophet (sa) stated, “What do you say if, in just a short span of time, Allah the Almighty shall grant you the land of Chosroes and their women shall come under your authority, will you then praise and glorify Allah the Almighty?” Upon hearing this, he stated, “By God, we are ready!”
God manifested His will in such a manner that these words of the Holy Prophet (sa) were fulfilled to the letter. The same Muthanna, who at the time was greatly overawed by the might of Chosroes and was hesitant to accept Islam lest he displeased him, soon became the commander-in-chief of the Muslim army during the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) to fight against Chosroes, that is Muthanna bin Harithah. He was the one who broke the power of the Chosroes and became the recipient of the Holy Prophet (sa) glad tidings.
(Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra), Shakhsiyyat aur Karname, Urdu Tarjumah, p. 82, 84)
Narration 4
There is another narration from the occasion of Hajj wherein it states that when the tribe, Bakr bin Wail came for Hajj, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), “Go to these people and present my message before them.”
That is, to preach to them the message of Islam and present the claims of the Holy Prophet (sa) to them.
Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) went to those people and presented the message of the Holy Prophet (sa) before them and then the Holy Prophet (sa) gave them the message of Islam.
(Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Bab Dhikr ‘Ard al-Mustafa’ Nafsah ala al-Qaba‘il [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2002], p. 7)
Hazrat Ali (ra) relates:
“During the Battle of Uhud, when the people around the Holy Prophet (sa) became scattered, I started searching through the bodies of the martyrs, but did not find the Holy Prophet (sa). I then said, ‘By God! The Holy Prophet (sa) would never flee, nor have I found him among the martyrs. Instead Allah is displeased with us and has raised up His Prophet (sa). Hence, now it is best for me to continue fighting until I am killed.’ I then broke the sheath of my sword and launched an attack on the disbelievers, which caused them to disperse. Once they had dispersed, I saw that the Holy Prophet (sa) had been surrounded by them.”
(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 4, Dhikr Ali bin Abi Talib [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 2003], 45)
This is the tale of love and devotion, which began from childhood and manifested itself on each and every occasion.
Hazrat Anas (ra) bin Malik relates that when the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away, there was an individual in Medina who would prepare the lahad, [i.e. a grave which has a hollow cavity within the actual grave where the body would be placed], and there was another individual who would prepare a simple grave. The Companions (ra) decided that they would offer the Istikhara prayer before their Lord and then send word to both individuals. Whichever of the two came last, they would not use his services. In other words, they would use the services of the one who would come first. Thus, the message was sent to both individuals and the one who prepared the lahad came first and the Companions (ra) appointed him to prepare the grave of the Holy Prophet (sa). In the commentary of this narration, Allama Busiri states that Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) was the one who would prepare the lahad and Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (ra) bin al-Jarrah was the one who would prepare the simple grave.
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitabul Jana‘iz, Bab Maa Jaa‘a fi al-Shiqq, Hadith 1557) (Sharh Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Kitabul Jana‘iz, Bab Maa Jaa‘a fi al-Shiqq, p. 617, Baitul Afkar al-Dawliyyah, Jordan, 2007)
Hazrat Ali (ra) relates that the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “If I was to ever appoint someone as a governor without consultation it would be Abdullah bin Mas‘ud.”
(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 385, Dar-ul-Kutub al-ilmiyyah, Beirut)
Then, the same narration of Hazrat Ali (ra) has been recorded in the following manner in Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra wherein Hazrat Ali (ra) relates, “The Holy Prophet (sa) told me that if he was to appoint an Amir without the consultation of the Muslims, he would appoint Abdullah bin Mas‘ud as an Amir.” Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘ud relates that after embracing Islam he never slept beyond the period of chasht [between sunrise and noon].
(Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 114, Dar-ul-Kutb al-ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990).
A narration of al-Mustadrak has recorded that during the Battle of Badr, the flag of the Ansar was carried by Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah.
(al-Mustadrak Ala Al Sahihain, Vol. 3, p. 574, Kitab Marifatu al-Sahaba, Bab Dhikri Manaqib Sa‘d bin Ubadah, Hadith 5096, Dar-ul-Kutub Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)
When departing for the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah gifted a sword called adhab to the Holy Prophet (sa), which the Holy Prophet (sa) then used during this battle.
(Subul al-Hudaa Wa al-Rashaad, Vol. 4, p. 24, Ghazwah Badr al-Kubraa, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)
Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah also presented the Holy Prophet (sa) with a donkey as a gift.
(Subul al-Hudaa Wa al-Rashaad, Vol. 7, p. 406, Fi Bighhalihi wa Hameerihi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)
The Holy Prophet (sa) had seven chain armours, one of which was named “Zaatul-Fudhool” owing to its length. Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah gave this chain armour to the Holy Prophet (sa) when he had departed for the Battle of Badr. This chain armour was made of iron and it was the same chain armour that the Holy Prophet (sa) gave to Abu Shaham, a Jew, as assurance, in exchange for barley weighing 30 saa‘ [a unit of measure equal to approximately 2.5 kilograms]. This chain armour was kept as assurance with him for one year.
(Subul al-Hudaa Wa al-Rashaad, Vol. 7, p. 368, Fi Duru’ihi wa Mighfarihi wa Baidatihi, Darul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)
Hazrat ibn Abbas (ra) narrates, “During battles, the flag of the Holy Prophet (sa) would be carried by Hazrat Ali (ra) and the flag of the Ansar would be carried by Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah. When the battles would intensify, the Holy Prophet (sa) would be near the flag of the Ansar.”
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, p. 917, Musnad Abdullah bin Abbas, Hadith 3486, Alamul Kutub, Beirut, 1998)
In other words, the enemy would concentrate their efforts towards the flag of the Ansar because the Holy Prophet (sa) would position himself near their flag. Hazrat Usama bin Zaid (ra) narrates that on one occasion, the Holy Prophet (sa) was riding a donkey and underneath him was a blanket that was made in Fadak. The Holy Prophet (sa) placed Hazrat Usama bin Zaid (ra) behind him and they made their way to enquire about Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah, who was ill at the time. During those days, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah was in the compound of Banu Harith bin Khazraj. The incident being narrated took place prior to the Battle of Badr. Hazrat Usama bin Zaid (ra) relates that whilst travelling they went past a gathering in which Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool was also sat – at the time he had not become a Muslim. This is the very incident in which Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool was discourteous towards the Holy Prophet (sa).
Hazrat Anas (ra) narrates, “There was no one who would offer Asr prayer quicker than the Holy Prophet (sa).” (That is, in terms of offering the prayer on time; the Holy Prophet(sa) would offer Asr prayer at its first prescribed time). “There were two men amongst the Ansar whose residence were the furthest away from Masjid Nabwi [the Prophet’s mosque]. One was Abu Lubaba bin Abdul Munzir who was from Bani Amr bin Auf and the other one was Hazrat Abu Abas bin Jabr who was from Banu Haritha. Abu Lubaba’s house was located in Quba and Hazrat Abu Abas’s house was located in Banu Haritha. It was quite far, about two to two and half miles. Both of them would offer prayers with the Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) and when they would return to their tribes they still had not offered the Asr prayer yet.
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 4, p.607, Hadith 12516, Alam Al- Kutub, Beirut, 1998)
Such was their walking speed and also the fact that they would travel large distances in order to offer prayers behind the Holy Prophet (sa).”
Hazrat Abdullah bin Abas narrates: “The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘God Almighty has saved one from the fire whose feet become unclean in the way of God Almighty.’”
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 5, p.469, Hadith 16031, Alam Al- Kutub, Beirut, 1998)
That is, those who strive in the way of God Almighty, those who tread the path [to attain] His pleasure, those who work hard [for His sake] are included in this. Similarly, those who travel to invite others towards Allah and those who travel from afar to offer prayers at the mosque are also included in this group of people. God Almighty states that they have been saved from the fire.
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) writes in his book in relation to the battle of Badr about Hazrat Suwaad’s blessed fortune and love for the Holy Prophet (sa). He writes,
“It was Friday 17 Ramadan 2 A.H. or 14 March 623 A.D., according to the Christian calendar system. In the morning, Salat was first offered and then these worshippers of Divine Unity fell into prostration before the One God, in an open field. After this, the Holy Prophet (sa) delivered an address on Jihad. When light began to appear, the Holy Prophet (sa) began to arrange the Muslim ranks with the indication of an arrow. A Companion by the name of Sawaad was standing somewhat ahead of his row. The Holy Prophet (sa) used his arrow to indicate that he should move back in line. It so happened however, that the wooden part of the arrow belonging to the Holy Prophet (sa) touched his chest, whereupon he boldly protested, ‘O Messenger of Allah! God has sent you with the truth and justice, but you have unjustly poked me with your arrow. By God, I insist upon retribution.’ The Companions were shocked, as to what had gotten into Sawaad. However, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated with extreme affection, ‘Alright Sawaad, you may poke me with an arrow as well,’ and the Holy Prophet (sa) lifted the cloth upon his chest. In his immense love, Sawaad stepped forward and kissed the chest of the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa) smiled and enquired, ‘Why did you devise this plan?’ He responded with a trembling voice, ‘O Messenger of Allah! The enemy is before us. There is no telling whether I shall live to return or not. It was my desire, therefore, to touch your blessed body before my martyrdom.’”
(Seerat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra), pp. 357-358), (Usdul Ghaaba, Vol. 2, p. 590, Suwaad bin Ghazyah (ra), Dar-ul-Kutub-ul-Ilmiyyah, Beirut).
The Holy Prophet (sa) then prayed for his welfare.
Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Yazid relates that we went to Hazrat Huzaifah and said, “Tell us of such a man who was closest to the Holy Prophet (sa) in his practise, in following his example and in his deeds, so that we may learn from him and listen to his narrations”. He told them, “The person closest to the Holy Prophet (sa) in his practise is Abdullah bin Mas‘ud”.
(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 385, Dar-ul-Kutub al-ilmiyyah, Beirut)
The level of passion he had in following the example of the Holy Prophet (sa) was such that after the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa), when the Companions were asked which companion was the closest to the Holy Prophet (sa) in terms of conduct and habits, his behaviour and characteristics, Hazrat Huzaifah stated that to his knowledge, in terms of conduct, dialogue and behaviour, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘ud was the closest to the Holy Prophet (sa). Perhaps this is the reason why the Holy Prophet (sa) would say, “Whatever Abdullah bin Mas‘ud prefers, I desire the same for my people”. This is a Hadith of Bukhari.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitaab-ul-Munaaqib, Baab Munaaqib Abdullah bin Mas‘ud(ra), Hadith no. 3762)
Hazrat Alqamah relates that Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘ud’s behaviour, his good character and his moderation in his practises were similar to those of the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Abdullah bin Masu‘d’s son, Ubaidullah, relates that he [Abdullah bin Mas‘ud] had a habit of waking up for the Tahajjud prayer at night when everyone else was asleep. One night, he heard him murmuring like the humming of a bee.
(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 386, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-ilmiyyah, Beirut) i.e. he was murmuring lightly as he supplicated or recited the Holy Quran.
In a narration by Hazrat Anas (ra), the Holy Prophet (sa) sought counsel from the companions (ra) about the Battle of Badr. Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah also gave his advice. When the Holy Prophet (sa) was informed that Abu Sufyan was heading towards them, he sought advice from the companions(ra). The narrator states, “Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) gave his advice, but the Holy Prophet (sa) did not agree.
Similarly, Hazrat Umar (ra) wished to give his advice, but again the Holy Prophet (sa) did not accept it. Then, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah stood up and said: ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! You seek counsel from us. I swear by Him in Whose hand is my life, if you command us to jump into the sea with our horses, we will do so. If you command us to chase the enemy all the way to Barkul Ghimaad, we will do so.’” (This is a coastal city of Yemen, which is situated at a distance of five days’ travel from Mecca). The narrator then says, “The Holy Prophet(sa) gathered the people and they began the journey until they reached Badr.”
Having heard Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah’s submission, the Holy Prophet (sa) began the journey along with his companions (ra) until they reached the plains of Badr. When they reached there, the people assigned to collect water for the Quraish were also there. Among those assigned was a boy with dark complexion from the Banu Hajjaj. The Muslims captured him and enquired about Abu Sufyan and his army. Initially they had heard that Abu Sufyan was travelling with a large army or group. Nonetheless, they enquired about Abu Sufyan from him. He said that he had no knowledge about Abu Sufyan, however, Abu Jahl, Utbah, Shaibah and Umayyah bin Khalf were certainly present in the army. When he said this, they began to hit him and so he said, “Alright, I will tell you about him. Abu Sufyan is also among them.”
However, when they let go of him and again enquired where Abu Sufyan was, he replied with the same response that he had no knowledge where Abu Sufyan was, although Abu Jahl, Utbah, Shaibah and Umayyah bin Khalf were among the army which had camped near Badr but Abu Sufyan was not with them. And so, when he repeated this statement of his, they again began to hit him. The Holy Prophet (sa) was offering his prayers at the time and when he became aware of this situation, he concluded his prayers and stated, “I swear by Him, in Whose hands is my life, when he speaks the truth, you beat him and when he utters falsehood, you let him go.” The narrator [of this tradition] states that the Holy Prophet (sa) then stated, “Whatever this young man is saying, is the truth.”
The Holy Prophet (sa) then pointed towards the exact spot with his hands where certain individuals from the enemy were going to fall in the battlefield of Badr. The narrator states that every single one of them was killed and fell in the exact spot where the Holy Prophet (sa) had already pointed out from before where they were going to die.
(Sahih Muslim, Kitabul Jihad wa al Siyar, Bab Ghazwah Badr, Hadith 1779) (Farhang Sirat, p. 57, Zawwar Academy Publications, Karachi, 2003)
It is stated in one narration that Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Abi Waqas relates, “When I fell ill in Mecca, the Holy Prophet (sa) came to visit me. When he placed his hand on my chest, I felt the coolness of his hand upon my heart. Placing his hand, he said, ‘You have an ailment of the heart. Go to Harith bin Kaladah, brother of Banu Thaqif; he is a physician. Tell him to take seven Ajwa dates from Medina and crush them along with their pits and give it to you to drink as a medicine.”
(Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 108, Sa‘d (ra) bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
It is stated in one narration that the Holy Prophet (sa) appointed a specific person in Mecca to tend to Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) and stressed the fact that if Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) passed away in Mecca, he should not be buried there, but instead he should be brought to Medina to be buried.
(Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 108, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra), Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Jubair narrates, “The status and conduct of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Uthman (ra), Hazrat Ali (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra), Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) and Hazrat Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf and Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Zaid was such that during battles, they would stand right before the Holy Prophet (sa) and fight and during the prayers, they would stand right behind him.”
(Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 478, Saeed bin Zaid, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)
Hazrat Anas (ra) bin Malik relates, “The Holy Prophet (sa) said to Hazrat Abu Talha (ra), ‘Search someone from among your young men, who may assist me so that I may embark on the journey to Khaybar.’ Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) placed me (that is Hazrat Anas (ra)), on the back of his mount and took me with him.” Hazrat Anas (ra) relates, “I was a young boy at that time and had almost reached the age of adolescence. I would serve the Holy Prophet (sa) and when the Holy Prophet (sa) would dismount, I would often hear him recite the following prayer:
اَللّٰہُمَّ إِنِّیْ أَعُوْذُبِکَ مِنَ الْہَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْکَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّیْنِ وَغَلَبَۃِ الرِّجَالِ
‘O Allah, I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being burdened with debt and from being overpowered by others.’”
(Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul Wasaya, Bab Istikhdamal Yateem fi As-Safar Wal-Hadar, Hadith 2768)
In another account of Hazrat Anas (ra), which is from Bukhari – as was the previous narration – he states, “When the Holy Prophet (sa) arrived in Medina, he had no servant. Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) held my hand, brought me to the Holy Prophet (sa) and said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, Anas is an intelligent child, he can be of service to you’”. Hazrat Anas (ra) then says, “I served the Holy Prophet (sa) on journeys and also whilst he remained in his residence. The Holy Prophet (sa) never questioned me as to why I carried out a task the way I did, similarly, if there was a task I failed to undertake, he would never ask me why this was the case.” i.e., he would never admonish him.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Jihad wa As-Siyar, Bab Man Ghazaa bi Sabyi lil-Khidmah, Hadith 2893)
Asim Ahwal relates that he saw the Holy Prophet’s (sa) bowl in the possession of Hazrat Anas (ra). A crack had appeared in the bowl and Hazrat Anas (ra) had it repaired using silver. It was a large and beautiful bowl made from a very high-quality wood. Hazrat Anas (ra) related that on many occasions he had the opportunity to present water to the Holy Prophet (sa) from this bowl. Ibn Sireen relates that this bowl was joined together with a metal thread and Hazrat Anas (ra) wished to join it together with a thread made of gold or silver. However, Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) told him that he should not make any changes to what the Holy Prophet (sa) had made himself, thus he abandoned this idea of his.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Athar Bihi, Bab Ash-Shurb min Qadhi an-Nabi wa Aaniyatihi, Hadith 5638)
Hazrat Ibn Umar (ra) narrates the manner in which Hazrat Umar (ra) followed the Holy Prophet (sa). He relates that the Holy Prophet (sa) faced the Black Stone and kissed it and cried for quite some time. When he turned around, he saw that Hazrat Umar (ra) was also crying. The Holy Prophet (sa) said, “O Umar! This is the place where tears are shed.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Manasik, Bab Istilam al-Hajar, Hadith 2945)
Abis relates that Hazrat Umar (ra) went to the Black Stone and kissed it. Then he said, “I am aware that you are nothing but a stone which can neither harm nor provide benefit. Had I not seen the Holy Prophet (sa) kissing you, then I would never have kissed you.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Hajj, Bab ma Dhukira fi al-Hajar al-Aswad, Hadith 1597)
Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) states:
“Once, Hazrat Umar (ra) was performing the tawaf [circulating the Ka‘bah] and when he passed by the Black Stone, he struck it with his stick and said, ‘I am aware that you are a stone and you possess no power within yourself. However, I kiss you only because God has commanded so.’
“This was his passion for the unity of God which elevated him in the world. He was entirely devoted to the unity of God and could not bear for anything else to be associated with His powers. Certainly, he honoured the Black Stone, but only because it was the commandment of God Almighty to honour it, not because there was anything intrinsically special about the Black Stone.
“He thought that if God Almighty commanded to kiss something so insignificant, then we should be prepared to kiss it because we are the servants of God Almighty, not the servants of any stone or building. Thus, he honoured it, yet he did not allow for the unity of God to be overlooked. Such is the rank of a true believer; a true believer considers the House of Allah to be nothing more than a building made of stone, just likes thousands of other buildings in the world that are made of stone. A true believer considers the Black Stone to be nothing more than a stone, just like millions of other stones in the world, but at the same time, he honours the House of Allah and kisses the Black Stone as well, because he knows that his Lord has commanded him to honour these things. Yet, despite the fact that a true believer honours this structure and kisses the Black Stone, he remains steadfast in the belief that he is a servant of the One God and not the servant of a stone. This was the reality which Hazrat Umar (ra) expressed. He struck the Black Stone with a stick and said, ‘You have no significance in my view. You are a stone, just like millions of others stones in the world. However, my Lord has instructed that you should be honoured, and so I honour you.’ After saying this, he moved forward and kissed the stone.”
(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 10, p. 130)
On the occasion of Ghazwah Hamra-ul-Asad, whilst pursuing the enemy, the Holy Prophet (sa) met Hazrat Talha (ra) bin Ubaidullah. “Talha, where are your weapons?” asked the Holy Prophet (sa). Despite the fact that at the time, Hazrat Talha (ra) had sustained nine wounds to his chest alone from the Battle of Uhud, however he submitted that they were nearby and then quickly went and got hold of his weapons. There were a total of over 70 wounds on his entire body. Hazrat Talha (ra) relates that he was more concerned about the Holy Prophet’s (sa) injuries than his own. He states that the Holy Prophet (sa) came to him and asked where he had seen the enemy. He replied that he had seen them in the low ground area. The Holy Prophet (sa) states that he also thought the same and stated, “As far as the Quraish are concerned, they will never have the opportunity to act in this manner again to the point that that Allah the Almighty shall grant us victory over Mecca through our hands.”
(al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, pp. 350-351, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)
Hazrat Jabbar (ra) bin Sakkhar relates that whilst travelling towards Mecca, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “Who amongst us will go to Asaya first and prior to us reaching there, will prepare the well by covering its holes with soil and fill it with plentiful water?” Abu Owais who is also among the narrators states that that was the place the Holy Prophet (sa) sent them to.
Hazrat Jabbar then states, “I stood up and offered to render this service. The Holy Prophet (sa) permitted me to leave and I arrived at Asaya and mended the well and filled it. I was then overcome with sleep and slept for a while until I was awoken by a person whose camel was fast approaching the well and he was trying to stop it. This person instructed me to get to the well, I then noticed that this person was in fact the Holy Prophet (sa) and so, I replied in the affirmative.
The Holy Prophet (sa) then sat his camel down near the edge of the water. He then told me to bring a vessel and come with him. I went along with him with a vessel. The Holy Prophet (sa) then performed ablution and I also performed ablution. The Holy Prophet (sa) then stood for prayer and I stood to his left. (The first thing the Holy Prophet (sa) did upon reaching was perform ablution and offer prayer). When I stood on the left of the Holy Prophet (sa), he held my hand and stood me to his right side.”
The Holy Prophet (sa) was offering Nawafil [voluntary] prayer and he decided to also pray alongside the Holy Prophet (sa), however he stood on the left and the Holy Prophet (sa) immediately held his hand and placed him on his right side. When prayer is being offered in congregation and there are only two people in the congregation then second person will stand on the right side of the Imam [one who leads the prayer].
He then states, “We offered the prayer and we had just started it that the others also reached.”
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 5, p. 330, Hadith no. 15550, Alim-ul-Kutub, Beirut, 1998)
The Promised Messiah (as) states:
“Jesus (as), chose just one person – Thomas – to accompany him, just as our Holy Prophet (sa) chose only Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) at the time of the migration to Medina. The Roman Empire had declared Jesus (as) to be a rebel, and even Pilate had been assassinated on the order of Caesar due to the same accusation, because he was a secret supporter of Jesus (as) and his wife was also the follower of Jesus (as). Hence, it was necessary that Jesus (as) should depart the country secretly and not take a group with him. Therefore, he took only Thomas the apostle with him on this journey, just as our Holy Prophet (sa), took only Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) with him in his journey to Medina. And just as the rest of the Companions of our Holy Prophet (sa) joined him in Medina having taken different routes, so did the disciples of Jesus (as) join him through different routes at different times.”
(Zamimah Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya – Part V, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 21, p. 402)
There is also a narration about how Hazrat Umar (ra) respected and honoured the Holy Prophet (sa) and understood his lofty status. It is narrated by Hazrat Ibn Umar (ra) that he was once accompanying the Holy Prophet (sa) on a journey and was riding a camel of Hazrat Umar (ra) which would not remain in control. It would occasionally overtake the mount of the Holy Prophet (sa) and upon this, his father, Hazrat Umar (ra), would exclaim, “Abdullah! No one should ever overtake the Holy Prophet (sa)! Your mount should not pass in front of the mount of the Holy Prophet (sa)!” The Holy Prophet (sa) asked Hazrat Umar (ra) to sell [the camel] to him. Hazrat Umar (ra) replied that it was already the possession of the Holy Prophet (sa). Thus, the Holy Prophet (sa) purchased it and gifted it to Abdullah, saying that he could do with it whatever he wished.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Hibah, Bab man Ahda lahu Hadiyyah, Hadith 2610)
Hazrat Anas (ra) bin Malik narrates that once, when the sun began to descend from its zenith, the Holy Prophet (sa) came to offer Zuhr prayers and thereafter stood at the pulpit. He addressed the people about a promised time during which many major events would take place. He then said that if anyone wished to ask him anything, they could do so and he would answer them as long as he remained there. Many people began to cry and weep, while the Holy Prophet (sa) reiterated many times that they should ask him questions. Upon this, Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah Sahmi stood up and enquired, “Who is my father?” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “Huzafah.” The Holy Prophet (sa) again reiterated that they should ask him questions. Hazrat Umar (ra) sat on his knees and said:
رَضِيْـنَا بِاللّٰهِ رَبًّـا وَبِالْإسْلَامِ دِيْـنًا وَبِمُحَـمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا
That is, “We are content with Allah as our Lord and Islam as our faith and Muhammad (sa) as our prophet.” Thereupon, the Holy Prophet (sa) became silent. The Holy Prophet (sa) then said, “Paradise and the fire were shown before me in the width of that wall, and I have never seen such goodness and evil.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Mawaqit al-Salah, Bab Waqt al-Zuhr Inda al-Zawal, Hadith 540)
A similar narration in Bukhari makes mention of this, which is narrated by Hazrat Abu Musa (ra). He narrates that the Holy Prophet (sa) was asked about matters which he did not like. When the Holy Prophet (sa) began to be questioned even more, he became angry and said that they could ask him about whatever they pleased. Upon this, one person stood and enquired as to who his father was. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied that his father was Huzafah. Then, another person stood and asked, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah, who is my father?” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied that his father was Salim, the freed slave of Shaiba. When Hazrat Umar (ra) saw the change of emotion in the countenance of the Holy Prophet (sa), he said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! We repent for our mistake before Allah, the High and Mighty.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ilm, Bab al-Ghadab fi al-Maudi’ah, Hadith 92)
There is another narration of Bukhari in this regard, which is narrated by Zuhri. He narrates that Hazrat Anasra bin Malik related to him that once, when the Holy Prophet (sa) was departing, Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Huzafah stood up and enquired as to who his father was. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “Your father is Huzafah.” The Holy Prophet (sa) then repeated many times that people should ask him questions. Upon this, Hazrat Umar (ra) sat on his knees and said, “We are content with Allah as our Lord and Islam as our faith and Muhammad (sa) as our prophet.” Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet (sa) did not say anything.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ilm, Bab man Baraka ala Rukbataih inda al-Imam aw al-Muhaddath, Hadith 93)
Hazrat Abu Qatadah Ansarira narrates that the Holy Prophet (sa) was once asked about his fasting. The Holy Prophet (sa) was displeased at this question. Hazrat Umar (ra) said, “We are content with Allah as our Lord and with Islam as our faith and with Muhammad (sa) as our prophet and with our bai‘at as being a true covenant.”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Siyam, bab istijab Siyam Thalathat Ayyam min Kull Shahr wa Yaum Arafat, Hadith 2747)
Then, there is another narration in Sahih Bukhari, which states that once, Hazrat Umar (ra) visited the Holy Prophet (sa) while he was staying in the upper storey. Hazrat Umar (ra) relates, “I saw the Holy Prophet (sa) resting on a mat. There was no bedding in between the Holy Prophet (sa) and the mat, which caused the mat to leave impressions on his side. He was reclining on a leather pillow filled with bark from a date palm. When I looked toward the Holy Prophet’s (sa) residence, by Allah, I saw nothing but three raw hides. I asked the Holy Prophet (sa) to pray for his ummah so that Allah may grant them affluence, because the Persians and Byzantines were given great wealth and attained the riches of the world whereas they did not worship Allah. The Holy Prophet (sa), while seated and reclining, said, ‘O son of Khattab, are you still in doubt? They are such people who, in this very life, have very quickly been given that which they derive pleasure from.’ I then asked the Holy Prophet (sa) to pray for my forgiveness.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Mazalim, Bab al-Ghurfah wa al-Aliyyah al-Musharrafah wa Ghair al-Musharrafah, Hadith 2468)
The Promised Messiah (as) states:
“Once, Hazrat Umar (ra) went to the house of the Holy Prophet (sa) and saw that there were no provisions. He saw that the Holy Prophet (sa) was resting on a mat which left impressions on his back. Hazrat Umar (ra) saw this state and began to weep. The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘O Umar, why do you weep?’ Hazrat Umar (ra) submitted, ‘I weep upon seeing your pain. The emperors of the Byzantine and Persian empires, who are disbelievers, are living lives of comfort, while you spend your life in these hardships.’ Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘What concern do I have with this world? My example is like that of a traveller who travels in severe heat on a she-camel. When the searing heat of midday troubles him, he stops to take a rest under the shade of a tree in that very state. After a few minutes, he continues his journey in that same heat.’”
(Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 299-300)
There is an incident where the Holy Prophet (sa) asked Hazrat Umar (ra) for prayers. Hazrat Umar (ra) says, “I requested the Holy Prophet (sa) for permission to perform the Umrah [the lesser pilgrimage]. The Holy Prophet (sa) granted me permission and said:
لَا تَنْسَنَا يَا أُخَيَّ مِنْ دُعَائِكَ
‘My brother! Do not forget us in your prayers.’”
Hazrat Umar (ra) says, “Even if I was given everything in the world, in exchange for these words, it would not make me nearly as happy.”
According to another narration, the words were:
أَشْرِكْنَا يَا أُخَيَّ فِي دُعَائِكَ
“O my brother! Include us in your prayers.”
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Witr, Bab al-Dua, Hadith 1498)
Hazrat Ubayy bin Kaab’s (ra) love for the Holy Prophet (sa) can be gauged from the following incident.
In Masjid al-Nabawi, the Holy Prophet (sa) used to deliver the sermon whilst leaning against the trunk of a date-palm tree that was used a pillar. Later, a pulpit was constructed and when the Holy Prophet (sa) sat on the pulpit to deliver the Friday sermon, a weeping sound resounded from that trunk which was heard by all those that were in the mosque.
The Holy Prophet (sa) went to that trunk and placing his hand over it, he embraced the trunk. The trunk began to weep profusely, just like an innocent child that needs to be consoled and after a while it became content and the noise coming from it stopped. Subsequently when [part of the] mosque was demolished for reconstruction, Hazrat Ubayy (ra) bin Kaab took the trunk home, only because the Holy Prophet (sa) would lean against it. He took the trunk home but later it became withered and was reduced to [wood] dust as termites consumed it. However, he kept the trunk with him owing to his love for the Holy Prophet (sa). This is a narration of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal and some parts of it are from Sahih al-Bukhari.
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad al-Mukathirin min al-Sahabah, Musnad Jabir Abd-Allah Hadith 14075) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Buyu‘, Bab al-Najjar, Hadith 2095) (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Iqamat al-Salah wa al-Sunnah fiha, Bab ma ja‘a fi Bad’ Sha‘n al-Minbar, Hadith 1414) (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 158)
Then the Holy Prophet(sa) went to the body of Hazrat Hamza(ra). It is narrated that the Prophet(sa) expressed such sentiment and gave the glad tiding of high status to Hazrat Hamza(sa) in the following way:
When the Prophet (sa) visited the body of Hazrat Hamza (ra) and saw that his liver had been cut out and chewed, Ibn Hisham records this in his biography of the Prophet (sa) that the Holy Prophet (sa) stood by the body of Hazrat Hamza (ra) and said:
“O Hamza, no trial like this (i.e. your demise) will I ever face again. I have never seen a more painful scene till today.”
Then, the Holy Prophet (sa) said:
“Angel Gabriel has given me the tiding that Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib has been noted as the Lion of the Prophet in the seven heavens.”
(Sirat Ibn-e-Hisham, p.395, Bab Sariyatu Hamzah, Daru Ibn Hazm, 2009, Beirut)
Hazrat Zubair (ra) narrates that it was the day of the Battle of Uhud, and near the end of the expedition, a woman was seen running towards the battlefield. It was well-nigh that she would see the bodies of the martyrs. The Holy Prophet (sa) did not desire for women to go there and witness the disfigured bodies of the Companions. For this reason, he stopped the woman.
Hazrat Zubair (ra) narrates, “After observing carefully I noticed that the woman was my mother Hazrat Safiyyah (ra). Hence, I went running toward her, and before she could reach the bodies of the martyrs I caught up with her. When she saw me, she pushed me aside by the chest. She was a strong woman. She said for me to move aside and that she would not listen to anything I had to say. I informed her that the Holy Prophet (sa) told me to stop her from seeing the corpses. When she heard this she immediately stopped and took out two white pieces of cloth. She told me that she had brought these white cloths for her brother Hamza (ra) as she had been informed of his martyrdom.”
Hence, this was the obedience of the people in that era that as soon as they heard an instruction of the Holy Prophet (sa), in spite of all her anguish and despite her eagerness, she immediately controlled her emotions and stopped when the Holy Prophet’s (sa) instruction was mentioned. This is absolute obedience.
Hazrat Safiyyah (ra) then said, “I have brought these white cloths for my brother Hamza (ra) as I have been informed of his martyrdom, so go and shroud him in these.” Hazrat Zubair (ra) says, “When we were about to shroud Hazrat Hamza (ra) in these two cloths, we saw an Ansari companion lying beside Hazrat Hamza (ra), who had also been martyred and his body was also disfigured in the same manner as Hazrat Hamza (ra). We felt guilty to shroud Hazrat Hamza (ra) in two cloths whereas this Ansari companion had no cloth at all, therefore we decided to wrap Hazrat Hamza (ra) in one cloth and the Ansari Companion in the other. We realised that one companion was taller than the other, so we drew lots to see who would be buried in which cloth.
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, p. 452, Hadith No. 1418, A’alamul Kutub, 1998, Beirut)
Hazrat Hamza (ra) was shrouded in one cloth. When his face was covered, his feet went bare, and when the cloth was drawn down to his feet, his face would become bare. At this the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed for his face to be covered with the cloth, and for his feet to be covered with lemongrass.
When Marwan was serving as the governor of Medina, he once saw that someone had placed his face on the grave of the Holy Prophet (sa). Upon this, Marwan observed, “Do you know what you are doing? This is shirk for you are prostrating before it.” When Marwan came a little closer, he saw that it was Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) and he replied, “I have to come to visit the Holy Prophet (sa) and not these stones.”
(Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 7, Musnad Abu Ayub Ansari, Hadith 23983 [Beirut, Lebanon: Alam al-Kutub, 1998], 785) (Sheikh Shah Muinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Isha‘ah, 2004], 116)
To clarify the aforementioned incident, what he meant by this was that he had lowered himself out of his deep love for the Holy Prophet (sa) and he was not prostrating to the stones. He was not committing any shirk, rather it was an expression of his love and even whilst doing this he had the belief in the oneness of God and there was no aspect of shirk.
With regard to this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:
“Upon the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa), the companions reached the consensus that all previous prophets had passed away. This happened because when the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away, Hazrat Umar (ra) thought he was still alive and would return. He was so convinced of this view that he was ready to behead anyone who said anything contrary to this. However, when Hazrat [Abu Bakr] Siddiq (ra) arrived, he recited the following verse before all the companions:
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ اِلَّا رَسُوْلٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِه الرُّسُلُ
“‘And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him.’ (Ch.3: V.145)
“Hazrat Umar (ra) states, ‘My legs began shaking and I fell to the ground out of shock’. The companions expressed that it felt as if this verse had been revealed that very day, and they recited this verse that day throughout the markets. Thus, if there was a prophet meant to stay alive, then upon hearing that argument that if all prophets have passed away, then indeed the Holy Prophet (sa) would have to pass away as well, Hazrat Umar (ra) could have said, ‘This is not true because Jesus (as) is alive in heaven. Why then can our Holy Prophet (sa) not remain alive?’ However, the fact that the companions remained silent proves that the companions unanimously agreed that Jesus (as) had passed away.”
(Tohfat al-Muluk, Anwar-ul-Ulum, p. 128)
The Promised Messiah (as) has also said the same thing on the matter, which I detailed in a previous sermon.
On one occasion, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:
“When Hazrat Umar (ra) was close to his demise, he expressed his heartfelt desire to be buried in the company of the Holy Prophet (sa). And so, Hazrat Umar (ra) sent a message to Hazrat Aisha (ra) asking whether she would permit him to be buried beside the Holy Prophet (sa).
“It was Hazrat Umar (ra) regarding whom Christian historians also write that his governance was such that it is unmatched in the world. They use foul language against the Holy Prophet (sa)”, i.e. Christian historians, “yet commend Hazrat Umar (ra). A person who remained in his company at all times”, i.e. in the company of the Holy Prophet (sa), “longed during his final moments to be given a place near the feet of the Holy Prophet (sa). If any action of the Holy Prophet (sa) showed that he strove for anything other than attaining the pleasure of God, then after having attained the rank he did, would Hazrat Umar (ra) have desired to be given a place near the feet of the Holy Prophet (sa)?”
(Dunya ka Muhsin, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 10, p. 262)
Such was the status of the Holy Prophet (sa) as a result of which Hazrat Umar (ra) expressed his desire to be buried near the feet of the Holy Prophet (sa).
The service rendered by Hazrat Ali (ra) to the Holy Prophet (sa) during his final illness has been mentioned in a narration in Bukhari as follows:
Ubaidullah bin Abdillah has related that Hazrat Aisha (ra) used to say, “When the Holy Prophet (sa) became ill and his illness intensified, he sought permission from the rest of his wives for me to take care of him in my home; hence, they granted him permission. Following this, he left the house with the support of two men, whilst his feet were leaving a trail on the ground [as a result of the weakness in his body]. He was being supported by Hazrat Abbas (ra) and another individual.”
In other words, he was already in the home of Hazrat Aisha (ra) at the time and left her house with the support of two men in order to go to the mosque. Ubaidullah narrates that he mentioned what Hazrat Aisha (ra) had narrated to him to Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra), upon which he enquired whether he knew the individuals whom Hazrat Aisha (ra) mentioned. Ubaidullah replied in the negative and Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) stated that she mentioned Hazrat Abbas (ra) and the other individual, who she did not name was Hazrat Ali (ra) bin Abi Talib.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Azan, Bab Hadd al-Marid yashhadu al-Jama‘ah, Hadith 665)
There are incidents where Hazrat Abdullah bin Rawaha (ra) expressed his devotion, love and sense of honour for the Holy Prophet (sa), one of which is as follows:
Urwah related that Usama bin Zaid informed him that the Holy Prophet (sa) was mounted on a donkey which had a saddle, beneath which was a cloth from the region of Fadak. He had Usama sitting behind him. He had travelled to the tribe of Banu Harith bin Khazraj to enquire of the health of Hazrat Sa’d bin ‘Abadah (ra). This incident took place before the battle of Badr. The Holy Prophet (sa) passed by a group of people, which comprised of Muslims, idolaters and Jews who all sat together. Among them was ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy and also in this assembly was ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha (ra). When the Holy Prophet (sa) drew closer to the group, his mount caused a little dust to swirl up in the air. ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy (ra) covered his nose with his cloth and said, “Don’t spread dust on us.” The Holy Prophet (sa) said to them “Peace be upon you.” Then he stopped and dismounted. He began calling them to Allah the Exalted and reciting the Holy Qur’an to them. ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy said to the Holy Prophet (sa) “O you, this is not good. Even if what you say is true, do not come to our gathering and trouble us. So return to where you came from and relate only to those who come to you.” Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha (ra), who was also seated there said, “O Messenger of Allah! You may come to our gatherings we very much like this.”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab Al-Jihad Wa Al-Siyar, Bab Fi Du’a Al-Nabisa Wa Sabarihi, Hadith 4659)
He did not give heed as to what his leader was saying. This was the sense of honour and love which ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha (ra) overwhelmingly expressed for the Holy Prophet (sa) and did not care one bit for the chiefs and worldly people.
The Promised Messiah (as) states:
“To be buried amongst the company of the righteous is also a blessing. Regarding Hazrat Umar (ra), it is written that when his demise was imminent, he sent a message to Hazrat Aisha (ra) requesting permission to be buried in the space next to the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Aisha (ra) sacrificed this for his sake and granted him that space. Hazrat Umar (ra) then stated:
مَا بَقِيَ لِي هَمٌّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ
meaning ‘I no longer have any other worry, for now I will be buried alongside the Holy Prophet (sa).’”
(Malfuzat, Vol. 8, p. 286)
In another place, the Promised Messiah (as) states:
“One who develops a bond with God Almighty with utmost devotion is never made to face ruin, even if the entire world were to oppose him. Those who seek to establish a bond with Allah never experience hardship or loss and Allah does not abandon His truthful servants. Allah is the Greatest! How great was the sincerity and devotion of these two men” i.e. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)and Hazrat Umar (ra). “Both were buried in such a blessed grave that if Mosesas and Jesus (as) were alive today, they would express their earnest desire to be buried there. However, such a rank is never bestowed owing to one’s heartfelt longing or desire; rather, this is an eternal mercy bestowed from the Lord of Honour. And this mercy is only granted to those who are granted His Divine favours from the very beginning.”
(Sirr al-Khilafah, Ruhani Khaza‘in, Vol. 8, p. 346, Urdu translation of Sirr al-Khilafah, p. 78)
Hazrat Mu‘az (ra) bin Jabal’s love and devotion to the Holy Prophet (sa) can also be gauged by the fact that when the Holy Prophet (sa) returned to Medina following the Battle of Uhud, sounds of wailing and lamenting could be heard in the streets. The Holy Prophet (sa) asked what it was? They replied that these were the wives of the Ansar, who were weeping for their martyrs. Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “Is there no one to weep for Hamza?” The Holy Prophet (sa) then prayed for the forgiveness of Hazrat Hamza (ra).
When Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Mu‘az, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah, Hazrat Mu‘az (ra) bin Jabal and Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Rawahah heard this, they went to their respective neighbourhoods and gathered the women of Medina who were wailing and weeping. They then said, “No one shall now mourn over the martyrs of the Ansar until they have mourned over the uncle of the Holy Prophet (sa), because he said there is no one in Medina to mourn over Hazrat Hamza (ra).” This was their love and devotion to the Holy Prophet (sa) upon seeing that he was in pain due to [the martyrdom of] Hazrat Hamza (ra).
(Ibn Hisham, al-Raud al-Anf fi Tafsir al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Vol. 3, Ghazwat Uhud [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1986], 95-96)
With reference to Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (ra) relationship and friendship with the Holy Prophet (sa) prior to prophethood, it is narrated by Ibn Ishaq and others that they were friends even prior to prophethood. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was fully aware of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) honesty, trustworthiness, virtuous nature and excellent morals. In one narration, it is said, “Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was friends with the Holy Prophet (sa) even in the jahiliyya [era of ignorance prior to the advent of Islam].”
(Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Vol. 2, Ch. 3, Bab Dhikr Awal man Aslama, [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2001] 29, p. 32)
In Siyar al-Sahabah it is written, “From childhood, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) had a special bond of love and reverence with the Holy Prophet (sa). He was part of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) close associates and often had the fortune of travelling with him on many trade expeditions.”
(Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 1, p. 56)
With regard to the Holy Prophet’s (sa) circle of friends prior to his prophethood, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes:
“Prior to his prophethood, the circle of friendly relations of the Holy Prophet (sa) seems to be quite limited. This is because the Holy Prophet (sa) was one to prefer seclusion from the beginning and never intermingled with the common society of Mecca during any part of his life. However, there were a few individuals with whom the Prophet (sa) possessed a relationship of friendship. The most distinct among them was Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), also known as Abdullah bin Abi Quhafah, who belonged to a noble family of the Quraish. On account of his nobility and aptitude, his people looked upon him with great reverence. Next to him was Hakim bin Hizam, who was the nephew of Hazrat Khadijah (ra). He was a man of exceptionally good nature. In the beginning, he did not accept Islam, yet he held feelings of sincerity and love for the Holy Prophet (sa). Ultimately, his natural propensity drew him to Islam. The Holy Prophet (sa) also had relations with Zaid bin Amr. He was a near relative of Hazrat Umar (ra) and was among those who had abandoned polytheism even in the time of the jahiliyyah. He attributed himself to the Abrahamic Religion, but passed away prior to the advent of Islam.”
(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, p. 114)
Allama ibn Sa‘d has written that according to a narration, during the Battle of Qainqa and the Battle of Saweeq, Hazrat Abu Lubabah (ra) had the honour of serving as a representative of the Holy Prophet (sa) in Medina.
(At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, p. 22, Baab Ghazwah Qainqa Wa Ghazwah Saweeq, Dar Ihya At-turath Al-Arabi, 1990, Beirut)
At the Victory of Mecca, Hazrat Abu Lubabah (ra) was in the company of the Holy Prophet (sa) as his fellow-rider. He was holding up the flag of the Ansar tribe, Umar bin Auf. Hazrat Abu Lubabah (ra) accompanied the Holy Prophet (sa) in many battles.
(At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 349, Abu Lubabah bin Abdul Munzir, Dar Ihya At-turath Al-Arabi, 1990, Beirut)
Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Musayyib narrates, “On one occasion, Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) saw a piece of straw or something similar in the beard of the Holy Prophet (sa) and removed it. He then showed the Holy Prophet (sa) [what it was]. The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘May Allah remove from Abu Ayub that which displeases him.’” In a different narration the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “O Abu Ayub! May all your difficulties be removed.”
(Kanz al-Ummal, Vol. 13, p. 614, Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari, Hadith 37568, 37569, Maktabat Mu‘assisat al-Risalah, Beirut, 1985)