Most
people find it easier to blend in with the crowd rather than
stand out and open themselves to criticism and ridicule. This
has been the case from olden times until now. But many people
have succeeded in overcoming the obstacles in their lives and
have developed into noble, great, and legendary characters.
Such is the case with Mus`ab ibn `Umayr.
Mus`ab
was born into a wealthy family headed by a mother whose
strength of personality and dominating character were
well-known in Makkah. Mus`ab was given everything a young
person could dream of. He wore the most fashionable clothes
and shoes, mixed with the most popular and notable people of
his area, and was greatly admired by all. Added to this was
his natural personality: he was a good communicator; he had a
bright intelligent mind; he was quick and alert and so was
allowed to attend the most prestigious meetings with
intelligent, elderly, and noble people. Mus`ab had everything
a young person of his time could ever dream of. So what could
ever make him consider giving it all up?
Mus`ab
would walk the streets of Makkah tall, confident,
well-dressed, loved, and perhaps envied by some, and during
one such time he came to know about Muhammad who was known as
Al-Amin (the trustworthy). This man called Muhammad (peace be
upon him) claimed to have been given a message by the Creator
and Lord of all. Makkah buzzed with this news and talk spread
quickly that the idols they worshipped were being threatened
by a man who they had always loved, trusted, and respected. To
them it was a curious matter. Mus`ab, being intelligent and
inquisitive, wanted to know more about the matter. During his
many talks with the notables of Makkah Mus`ab came to know
that the Muslims (for that is what the followers of Muhammad
(peace be upon him) called themselves) met in the house of
Al-Arqam in the outskirts of Makkah. Mus`ab decided to go and
have a look and see for himself what all this was about.
Makkah
at the time was full of spies and informants and so it
wasn’t long before Mus`ab’s comings and goings
were noted and reported. His mother was furious.
|
|
The
young, handsome man quietly and with dignity entered the house
of Al-Arqam and heard the recitation of the Qur’an—a thing
that led many like him to Islam. He was overwhelmed by what he
heard and felt. The words of the Qur’an made a deep and
lasting impression on him. Mus`ab was young but decisive and
determined. With strength of character and a pious heart he
met the Prophet (peace be upon him) and a historic moment was
recorded by the angels on high when Mus`ab declared his
acceptance of Islam at the hands of the Prophet himself (peace
be upon him).
Mus`ab
had grown up without fear of anything or anyone. He was sure
of himself, kind, confident, and clever but nevertheless he
was just a human being. The one thing that Mus`ab feared was
his own mother. She was a strong and fierce woman and was
well-known as such. After considering his situation for some
time Mus`ab decided to keep his acceptance of Islam a secret
for a while until the best way showed itself. In the meantime,
he continued to visit the house of Al-Arqam where he received
knowledge about Islam and learnt the Qur’an.
Makkah
was full of spies and informants and so it wasn’t long
before Mus`ab’s comings and goings were noted and reported.
You can imagine how furious his mother was. The news spread
like a storm and the power of his mother’s fury came down on
him. Basically Mus`ab was confident but since he accepted
Islam there came over him more of a sense of tranquility,
calmness, and inner resourcefulness. In this way, he faced his
furious mother with an air of determination and dignity. He
didn’t engage in a debate about the worship of Allah or that
of idols; he didn’t shout and rebuke; he didn’t say
demeaning mean words; he simply told her that he had in fact
become a Muslim and quietly explained to her why he had done
that. Regardless of her rantings he remained calm. He recited
some verses to her with the hope that she would understand
what he was doing but she refused to listen and was haughty.
Perhaps what bothered her a lot was the fact that most of
Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) early followers were from the
poor people and it was unthinkable that her son, Mus`ab, would
ever be counted among such people. It was simply unthinkable!
She didn’t realize that the message of Islam is for all and
that even poor, uneducated people can gain wisdom and nobility
from imbibing its pure teachings. Mus`ab knew this and that is
why he never considered himself superior to any of the Muslims
despite his wealth.
His
mother wanted to beat him and degrade him to compensate
herself for the sorrow and humiliation she felt. But then she
thought of something better and perhaps more lasting. She
ordered her servants to take her son and bind him tightly;
keep him a prisoner in his own home.
As
usual Mus`ab remained calm but sought the first opportunity to
escape. Allah the Almighty opened the way for him and he left
with a group of the Muslims who were heading for Abyssinia
seeking safety there from the persecution of the Makkans. So
Mus`ab left his mother, his home, his wealth, the city of the
childhood and headed off to the unknown. His sure and strong
faith in Allah made him strong, determined, and peaceful.
Mus`ab
was seen walking around Makkah with a smile on his
face and light and hope beaming from his eyes.
|
|
After
some time Mus`ab heard news that it was now safe to return to
Makkah. He set off at once but upon arrival he learned that
the situation was still the same. Inevitably he once again
confronted his mother who was unsure what she should do now.
Once again he explained the simple and beautiful message of
Islam and invited her to join him but she was persistent and
chose to follow the idols and the ways of her
forefathers—helpless in her pride and arrogance to admit she
was wrong. She threatened once again to have him tied up and
imprisoned but this time the gentle Mus`ab told her in no
uncertain terms that if she tried that again he would kill
anyone who helped her to do that. His mother saw the glint of
determination in his eyes and succumbed. She told him in an
offhand manner to go on his way and not to darken her door
again. He was no longer her son. Mus`ab came close to her and
tried one more time to advise her and invite her to the mercy
of Allah the Almighty and the truth of His messenger Muhammad
(peace be upon him) but she simply couldn’t. Moreover, in
her arrogance she swore by the shooting stars that she would
never accept Islam even if she was ridiculed. There was
nothing more that Mus`ab could do. He left.
Not
only did he leave his mother and home but he also left the
wealth and luxury he had been brought up in. Some people would
feel sad and disillusioned if such a fate befell them; it may
even cause them to be depressed and hopeless in life, but not
with Mus`ab. He was seen walking around Makkah with a smile on
his face and light and hope beaming from his eyes. His time
was spent in learning Islam and spending time with the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and his noble companions, of which he was
now one.
One
time the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions were
sitting and they saw Mus`ab approaching. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) said: “I have seen this Mus`ab with his parents in
Makkah. They lavished care and attention on him and gave him
all comforts. There was no Quraish youth like him. Then he
left all that seeking the pleasure of Allah and devoting
himself to the service of His Prophet (peace be upon him).”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) predicted that the Muslims
would one day become rich and powerful. This was very
significant because at that time they were living in great
poverty. The Prophet (peace be upon him) further remarked that
even though they were poor at that time, they were really
better off. Meaning that having riches isn’t necessarily
good for people.
The
Prophet and his companions (peace be upon them all) stayed in
Makkah for another ten years inviting people to Islam but they
remained hostile. The future looked bleak but the Muslims
never gave up. Then the opportunity came for the message of
Islam to spread in a place called Yathrib which was later
called Madinah. For the honored task of being the first
ambassador of Islam, Mus`ab was chosen, above older people and
those who were closely related to the Prophet himself (peace
be upon him). Why was this young man chosen? He was chosen for
his noble pious character, fine manners, and sharp
intelligence. He was also able to recite the Qur’an
beautifully and movingly and he had a lot of knowledge of
Islam. He was perfect for the job.
Mus`ab
knew this was a very sacred mission he was being called to do.
He knew that he was inviting people to Allah and His prophet
(peace be upon him) and that this city would be the base for
the young and struggling Muslim community. Once in Madinah, he
used to go to the people in their houses and gatherings and
speak to them about Islam reciting the Qur’an to them. Many
people accepted Islam. Although this pleased Mus`ab, it
greatly displeased the leaders of Madinah.
The
first ambassador of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
was extremely successful.
|
|
One
time when Mus`ab was sitting with a group of people under a
tree, one of the notables of Madinah approached, brandishing a
spear. Mus`ab said to the group, ‘If he sits down, I’ll
speak to him.’ The man threatened Mus`ab and warned him to
leave the city and leave them all alone. Mus`ab smiled warmly
and invited him to sit down and hear what he had to say. He
added that if the man liked what he said he could accept it
and if he didn’t like it, he would leave and not bother him
again. The man agreed. He sat down and listened. Mus`ab did
not compel him to do anything; he didn’t ridicule him or
argue with him. Mus`ab simply recited the Qur’an and
explained the simply and beautiful message of Islam. The
man’s face changed and became radiant. It was clear that
faith had entered his heart. He accepted Islam. More and more
people accepted Islam at the hands of Mus`ab, through the
mercy of Allah the Almighty. The first ambassador of the
Prophet (peace be upon him) was extremely successful.
Mus`ab
stayed in Madinah for about a year then returned to Makkah
during the season of pilgrimage. He took 75 Muslims from
Madinah known as Ansar (helpers) because they helped the
Muslims from Makkah when they later migrated to Madinah. This
group made a pledge of allegiance with the Prophet (peace be
upon him) that they would defend him at all costs and remain
firm in their faith. Shortly after this pledge, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) directed his persecuted followers to
migrate to Madinah. The first of the companions to arrive
there were Mus`ab and a blind old man named Abdullah ibn Umm
Maktum.
The
next chapter of Mus`ab’s life was the battle of Badr. After
this battle the Quraish prisoners of war were brought to the
Prophet (peace be upon him) who put them into the custody of
individual Muslims. They were ordered to treat the prisoners
well. Among these prisoners was the brother of Mus`ab named
Abu `Aziz ibn `Umayr who told the story:
“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 them to treat us well. My brother,
Mus`ab passed by me and said to a 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.”
Aziz couldn’t believe his ears. He turned to Mus`ab and
said, “My brother, is this your instruction concerning
me?”
Mus`ab
replied, “He is my brother, not you.” Mus`ab meant that
the bonds of faith were stronger than the bonds of kinship.
Tears
flowed when they saw Mus`ab’s body. They could not
find any cloth with which to shroud Mus`ab’s body,
except the garment he was wearing.
|
|
Mus`ab
came to be known as Mus`ab Al-Khayr (the Good). At the battle
of Uhud the Prophet (peace be upon him) called upon him to
carry the Muslim standard (flag). The battle started and at
first the Muslims seemed to have the upper hand however, a
groups of Muslims disobeyed the order of the Prophet and left
their places and this gave the enemy the chance to
counter-attack and win the battle. The enemy forces wanted to
kill the Prophet (peace be upon him). Mus`ab understood the
danger the Prophet was in so with the flag in one hand and his
sword in the other he plunged into the ranks of the enemy.
Even when Mus`ab was being struck with enemy swords and his
life seemed certain to be over, the words he spoke were those
of concern for the Prophet (peace be upon him). He said, half
to himself, ‘Muhammad is only a Messenger. Messengers have
passed away before him.” He was reminding himself that his
struggle was not just for the Prophet but for the message of
Allah to the world. First one hand was severed, so he held the
flag with the other, then the other hand was severed and he
determinedly held the flag with the stumps of both arms then
finally he was struck by a spear and died. The words he
repeated every time he was struck were later revealed to the
Prophet and completed, and became part of the Qur’an.
After
the battle, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions
went sadly through the battle field bidding farewell to the
martyrs. Tears flowed when they saw Mus`ab’s body. Khabbab
related that they could not find any cloth with which to
shroud Mus`ab’s body, except the garment he was wearing.
When they covered his head, his legs were exposed and when his
legs were covered, his head was exposed. So the Prophet told
them to place the garment over his head and cover his feet and
legs with the leaves of the idhkhir (rue) plant.
The
Prophet (peace be upon him) felt great pain and sorrow at the
number of his companions who were killed at the battle of
Uhud. He (peace be upon him) remembered Mus`ab as he first saw
him in Makkah, stylish and elegant and then looked at the
garment he was then wearing—the only garment he owned, and
he recited the verse of the Qur’an:
