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Yemeni shoes were
then considered to be very elegant and it was his privilege to have the very
best of these.
As a youth he was
admired by the Quraysh not only for his good looks and style but for his
intelligence.
His elegant bearing
and keen mind endeared him to the Makkan nobility among whom he moved with ease.
Although still young, he had the privilege of attending Quraysh meetings and
gatherings. He was thus in a position to know the issues which concerned the
Makkans and what their attitudes and strategies were.
Among Makkans there
was a sudden outburst of excitement and concern as Muhammad, known as al-Amin
(the Trustworthy), emerged saying that God had sent him as a bearer of good
tidings and as a warner.
He warned the Quraysh
of terrible chastisement if they did not turn to the worship and obedience of
God and he spoke of Divine rewards for the righteous. The whole of Makkah
buzzed with talk of these claims.
The vulnerable
Quraysh leaders thought of ways of silencing Muhammad. When ridicule and
persuasion did not work, they embarked on a campaign of harassment and
persecution.
Musab learnt that
Muhammad and those who believed in his message were gathering in a house near
the hill of as-Safa to evade Quraysh harassment. This was the house of
al-Arqam.
To satisfy his
curiosity, Musab proceeded to the house undererred by the know ledge of Quraysh
hostility. There he met the Prophet teaching his small band of companions,
reciting the verses of the Quran to them and performing Salat with them in
submission to God, the Great, the Most High.
The Prophet welcomed
him, and with his noble hand tenderly touched Musab's heart as it throbbed with
excitement. A deep feeling of tranquility came over him.
Musab was totally
overwhelmed by what he had seen and heard.
The words of the
Quran had made a deep and immediate impression on him.
In this first meeting
with the Prophet, the young and decisive Musab declared his acceptance of
Islam.
It was a historic
moment. The keen mind of Musab, his tenacious will and determination, his
eloquence and his beautiful character were now in the service of Islam and
would help change the course of men's destinies and of history.
On accepting Islam
Musab had one major concern his mother. Her name was Khunnas bint Malik. She was
a woman of extraordinary power. She had a dominant personality and could easily
arouse fear and terror.
When Musab became a
Muslim, the only power on earth he might have feared was his mother. All the
powerful nobles of Makkah and their attachment to pagan customs and traditions
were of little consequence to him.
Having his mother as
an opponent, however, could not be taken lightly. Musab thought quickly. He
decided that he should conceal his acceptance of Islam until such time as a solution
should come from God. He continued to frequent the House of al-Arqam and sit in
the company of the Prophet.
He felt serene in his
new faith and by keeping all indications of his acceptance of Islam away from
her, he managed to stave off his mother's wrath, but not for long.
It was difficult
during those days to k eep anything secret in Makkah for long. The eyes and
ears of the Quraysh were on every road. Behind every footstep imprinted in the
soft and burning sand was a Quraysh informer. Before long, Musab was seen as he
quietly entered the House of al-Arqam, by someone called Uthman ibn Talhah.
At another time,
Uthman saw Musab praying in the same manner as Muhammad prayed. The conclusion was
obvious.
As winds in a storm,
the devastating news of Musab's acceptance of Islam spread among the Quraysh and
eventually reached his mother. Musab stood before his mother, his clan and the
Quraysh nobility who had all gathered to find out what he had done and what he
had to say for himself.
With a certain
humility and calm confidence, Musab acknowledged that he had become a Muslim
and no doubt he explained his reasons for so doing. He then recited some verses
of the Quran - verses which had cleansed the hearts of the believers and
brought them back to the natural religion of God.
Though only few in
number, their hearts were now filled with wisdom, honor, justice and courage. As
Musab's mother listened to her son on whom she had lavished so much care and
affection, she became increasingly incensed.
She felt like
silencing him with one terrible blow. But the hand which shot out like an arrow
staggered and faltered before the light which radiated from Musab's serene
face.
Perhaps, it was her
mother's love which restrained her from actually beating him, but still she
felt she had to do something to avenge the gods which her son had forsaken.
The solution she
decided upon was far worse for Musab than a few blows could ever have been. She
had Musab taken to a far corner of the house.
There he was firmly
bound and tethered. He had become a prisoner in his own home. For a long time,
Musab remained tied and confined under the watchful eyes of guards whom his
mother had placed over him to prevent him from any further contact with
Muhammad and his faith.
Despite his ordeal,
Musab did not waver. He must have had news of how other Muslims were being
harassed and tortured by the idolators. For him, as for many other Muslims,
life in Makkah was becoming more and more intolerable.
Eventually he heard
that a group of Muslims were preparing secretly to migrate to Abyssinia to seek
refuge and relief. His immediate thoughts were how to escape from his prison
and join them.
At the first
opportunity, when his mother and his warders were off-guard, he managed to slip
away quietly. Then with utmost haste he joined the other refugee s and before
long they sailed together across the Red Sea to Africa.
Although the Muslims
enjoyed peace and security in the land of the Negus, they longed to be in
Makkah in the company of the noble Prophet. So when a report reached Abyssinia
that the conditions of the Muslims in Makkah had improved, Musab was among the
fi rst to return to Makkah. The report was in fact false and Musab once again
left for Abyssinia.
Whether he was in
Makkah or Abyssinia, Musab remained strong in his new faith and his main
concern was to make his life worthy of his Creator.
When Musab returned
to Makkah again, his mother made a last attempt to gain control of him and threatened
to have him tied up again and confined. Musab swore that if she were to do
that, he would kill everyone who helped her.
She knew very well
that he would carry out this threat for she saw the iron determination he now
had. Separation was inevitable. When the moment came, it was sad for both
mother and son but it revealed a strong Persistence in kufr on the part of the
mother and an even greater persistence in iman on the part of
the son.
As she threw him out
of her house and cut him off from all the material comforts she used to lavish
on him, she said:
"Go to your own
business. I am not prepared to be a mother to you." Musab went up close to
her and said:
"Mother, I
advise you sincerely. I am concerned about you. Do testify that there is no god
but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger."
"I swear by the
shooting stars, I shall not enter your religion even if my opinion is ridiculed
and my mind becomes impotent," she insisted.
Musab thus left her
home and the luxury and comforts he used to enjoy. The elegant, well-dressed
youth would henceforth be seen only in the coursest of attire. He now had more
important concerns. He was determined to use his talents and energies in
acquiring knowledge and in serving God and His Prophet.
One day, several years
later, Musab came upon a gathering of Muslims sitting around the Prophet, may God
bless him and grant him peace. They bowed their heads and lowered their gaze
when they saw Musab, and some were even moved to tears.
This was because his
jalbab was old and in tatters and they were immediately taken back to the days
before his acceptance of Islam when he was a model of sartorial elegance. The
Prophet looked at Musab, smiled gracefully and said:
"I have seen
this Musab with his parents in Makkah. They lavished care and attention on him
and gave him all comforts. There was no Quraysh youth like him. Then he left
all that seeking the pleasure of God and devoting himself to the service of His
Prophet." The Prophet then went on to say:
"There will come
a time when God will grant you victory over Persia and Byzantium. You would
have one dress in the morning and another in the evening and you would eat out
of one dish in the morning and another in the evening."
In other words, the
Prophet predicted that the Muslims would become rich and powerful and that they
would have material goods in plenty. The companions sitting around asked the
Prophet:
"O Messenger of
Allah, are we in a better situation in these times or would we be better off
then?" He replied:
"You are rather
better off now than you would be then. If you knew of the world what I know you
would certainly not be so much concerned with it."
On another occasion,
the Prophet talked in a similar vein to his companions and asked them how they would
be if they could have one suit of clothes in the morning and another in the
evening and even have enough material to put curtains in their houses just as
the Kabah was fully covered.
The companions replied
that they would then be in a better situation because they would then have
sufficient sustenance and would be free for ibadah (worship). The Prophet
however told them that they were indeed better o ff as they were.
After about ten years
of inviting people to Islam, most of Makkah still remained hostile. The noble Prophet
then went to Taif seeking new adherents to the faith. He was repulsed and
chased out of the city.
The future of Islam
looked bleak. It was just after this that the Prophet chose Musab to be his
"ambassador" to Yathrib to teach a small group of believers who had
come to pledge allegiance to Islam and prepare Madinah for the day of the great
Hijrah.
Musab was chosen
above companions who were older than he or were more closely related to the Prophet
or who appeared to possess greater prestige. No doubt Musab was chosen for this
task because of his noble character, his fine manners and his sharp intellect.
His knowledge of the Quran and his ability to recite it beautifully and
movingly was also an important consideration.
Musab understood his
mission well. He knew that he was on a sacred mission. to invite people to God and
the straight path of Islam and to prepare what was to be the territorial base
for the young and struggling Muslim community.
He entered Madinah as
a guest of Sad ibn Zurarah of the Khazraj tribe. Together they went to people,
to their homes and their gatherings, telling them about the Prophet, explaining
Islam to them and reciting the Quran.
Through the grace of
God, many accepted Islam. This was especially pleasing to Musab but profoundly
alarming to many leaders of Yathribite society.
Once Musab and Sad
were sitting near a well in an orchard of the Zafar clan. With them were a
number of new Muslims and others who were interested in Islam. A powerful
notable of the city, Usayd ibn Khudayr, came up brandishing a spear. He was
livid with rage. Sad ibn Zararah saw him and told Musab:
"This is a
chieftain of his people. May God place truth in his heart." "If he
sits down, I will speak to him," replied Musab, displaying all the calm
and tact of a great daiy.
The angry Usayd
shouted abuse and threatened Musab and his host. "Why have you both come
to us to corrupt the weak among us? Keep away from us if you want to stay
alive." Musab smiled a warm and friendly smile and said to Usayd:
"Won't you sit
down and listen? If you are pleased and satisfied with our mission. accept it
and if you dislike it we would stop telling you what you dislike and leave."
"That's
reasonable," said Usayd and, sticking his spear in the ground, sat down.
Musab was not compelling him to do anything. He was not denouncing him. He was
merely inviting him to listen.
If he was satisfied,
well and good. If not, then Musab would leave his district and his clan without
any fuss and go to another district.
Musab began telling
him about Islam and recited the Quran to him. Even before Usayd spoke, it was clear
from his face, now radiant and expectant, that faith had entered his heart. He
said:
"How beautiful
are these words and how true! What does a person do if he wants to enter this
religion?" "Have a bath, purify yourself and your clothes. Then utter
the testimony of Truth (Shahadah), and perform Salat.
Usayd left the
gathering and was absent for only a short while. He returned and testified that
there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. He then
prayed two rakats and said:
"After me, there
is a man who if he follows you, everyone of his people will follow him. I shall
send him to you now. He is 'Sad ibn Muadh."
Sad ibn Muadh came
and listened to Musab. He was convinced and satisfied and declared his submission
to God. He was followed by another important Yathribite, Sad ibn Ubadah. Before
long, the people of Yathrib were all in a flurry, asking one another.
"If Usayd ibn
Khudayr, Sad ibn Muadh and Sad ibn Ubadah have accepted the new religion, how
can we not follow? Let's go to Musab and believe with him.
They say that truth
emanates from his lips." The first ambassador of the Prophet, peace be on
him, was thus supremely successful. The Prophet had chosen well.
Men and women, the
young and the old, the powerful and the weak accepted Islam at his hands. The
course of Yathribite history had been changed forever.
The way was being
prepared for the great Hijrah. Yathrib was soon to become the center and the
base for the Islamic state.
Less than a year
after his arrival in Yathrib, Musab returned to Makkah. It was again in the
season of pilgrimage. With him was a group of seventy-five Muslims from
Madinah. Again at Aqabah, near Mina, they met the Prophet.
There they solemnly
undertook to defend the Prophet at all cost. Should they remain firm in their
faith, their reward, said the Prophet, would be nothing less than Paradise.
This second bayah or
pledge which the Muslims of Yathrib made came to be called the Pledge of War. From
then on events moved swiftly.
Shortly after the
Pledge, the Prophet directed his persecuted followers to migrate to Yathrib
where the new Muslims or Ansar (Helpers) had shown their willingness to give asylum
and extend their protection to the afflic ted Muslims.
The first of the
Prophet's companions to arrive in Madinah were Musab ibn Umayr and the blind
Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum. Abdullah also recited the Quran beautifully and
according to one of the Ansar, both Musab and Abdullah recited the Quran for
the people of Yathrib.
Musab continued to
play a major role in the building of the new community. The next momentous situation
in which we meet him was during the great Battle of Badr.
After the battle was over, the Quraysh
prisoners of war were brought to the Prophet who assig ned them to the custody
of individual Muslims. "Treat them well," he instructed.
Among the prisoners
was Abu Aziz ibn Umayr, the brother of Musab. Abu Aziz related what happened: "I
was among a group of Ansar...Whenever they had lunch or dinner they would give
me bread and dates to eat in obedience to the Prophet's instructions to th em
to treat us well.
"My brother,
Musab ibn Umayr, passed by me and said to the man from the Ansar who was
holding me prisoner:
'Tie him firmly...
His mother is a woman of great wealth and maybe she would ransom him for
you.'"
Abu Aziz could not
believe his ears. Astonished, he turned to Musab and asked: "My brother,
is this your instruction concerning me?"
"He is my
brother, not you," replied Musab thus affirming that in the battle between
iman and kufr, the bonds of faith were stronger than the ties of kinship. At
the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet called upon Musab, now well-known as Musab
al-Khayr (the Good), to carry the Muslim standard.
At the beginning of
th e battle, the Muslims seemed to be gaining the upper hand. A group of
Muslims then went against the orders of the Prophet and deserted their
positions.
The mushrikin forces
rallied again and launched a counterattack. Their main objective, as they cut through
the Muslim forces, was to get to the noble Prophet.
Musab realized the
great danger facing the Prophet. He raised the standard high and shouted the
takbir. With the standa rd in one hand and his sword in the other, he plunged
into the Quraysh forces. The odds were against him.
A Quraysh horseman
moved in close and severed his right hand. Musab was heard to repeat the words:
"Muhammad is
only a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before him," showing that
however great his attachment was to the Prophet himself, his struggle above all
was for the sake of God and for making His word supreme.
His left hand was
then severed also and as he held the standard between the stumps of his arms,
to console himself he repeated: "Muhammad is only a Messenger of God.
Messengers have
passed away before him." Musab was then hit by a spear. He fell and the
standard fell. The words he repeated, every time he was struck were later
revealed to the Prophet and completed, and became part of the Quran.
After the battle, the
Prophet and his companions went through the battlefield, bidding farewell to
the martyrs.
When they came to
Musab's body, tears flowed. Khabbah related that they could not find any cloth
with which to shroud Musab's body, except his own garment. When they covered
his head with it, his legs showed and when his legs were covered, his head was
exposed and the Prophet instructed:
"Place the
garment over his head and cover his feet and legs with the leaves of the
idhkhir (rue) plant."
The Prophet felt deep
pain and sorrow at the number of his companions who were killed at the Battle
of Uhud. These included his uncle Hamzah whose body was horribly mutilated.
But it was over the
body of Musab that the Prophet stood, with great emotion. He remembered Musab
as he first saw him in Makkah, stylish and elegant, and then looked at the
short burdah which was now the only garment he possessed and he recited the
verse of the Quran:
"Among the believers
are men who have been true to what they have pledged to God." The Prophet
then cast his tender eyes over the battle field on which lay the dead
companions of Musab and said: "The Messenger of God testifies that you are
martyrs in the sight of God on the day of Qiyamah."
Then turning to the
living companions around him he said: "O People! Visit them, send peace on
them for, by Him in whose hand is my soul, any Muslim who sends peace on them
until the day of Qiyamah, they would return the salutation of peace."
As-salaamu alayka yaa
Musab...
As-salaamu alaykum,
ma'shar ash-shudhadaa.
As-salaamu alaykum wa
rahmatullah wa barakatuhu.
Peace be on you, O
Musab...
Peace be on you all,
O martyrs. .
Peace be on you and
the mercy and blessings of God.
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