KHUTAb XI: 9. THE POSITION OF THE ṢAḤĀBAH (2)

9. THE POSITION OF THE ṢAḤĀBAH (2)

          The exact number of the ṣaḥābah is unknown due to their scattering in countries, cities, and villages. Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal said that he went to Tabūk expedition with over thirty-thousand people. Abū Zur‘ah said that there were people who accompanied the Prophet (ﷺ) in his Tabūk campaign, and the total number of Muslim was 120,000. Al-Shāfi‘ī said that the number of ṣaḥābah is sixty-thousands, half of them lived in cities, others were among tribes. Ibn Ḥajar in his al-Iṣābah (الإصَابَةُ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الصَّحابَة) recorded 12,297 names men and women. They did not belong to the same level of piety, virtue and eminence, as mentioned in the Qur’ān as follows:

... لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ أُولَئِكَ

أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُوا وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ

الْحُسْنَى وَاللَّهُ  بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِير (الحديد ٥٧ : ١٠(

… Not equal among you are those who spent and

 fought before the conquering (of Makkah, with those

 among you  who did so later). Such are higher in degree

 than those who spent and fought afterwards.  But to all

 Allah has promised the best (reward). And Allah is

 Well-Acquainted with what you do. (Q., 57:10).

وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ

رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ

خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ (التوبة: 100)

And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhājirūn

(those who migrated from Makkah to al-Madinah) and

the Anṣar (the citizens of al-Madinah who helped and

gave aid to the Muhajirūn) and also those who followed

them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as

they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for

them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success. (Q. 9:100)

          Although all of the ṣaḥābah have their own virtues and honour which are above those of any pious, ascetic, humble and devout non-ṣaḥābī, they do not have the same level in their status. Muslim traditionist Ibn Ḥibbān and al-Ḥākim divided them into twelve levels, as follows:

1.  Earlier converts in Makkah. Among them were: The    Prophet (ﷺ)’s wife Khadījah who was the first convert, his freed slave Zayd ibn Ḥārithah, his cousin ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib who had lived with him since his early childhood, his intimate friend Abū Bakr who was wealthy, obliging, mild, and upright. They were converts on the first day of the call. Through Abu Bakr’s effort a number of people converted to Islam, such as: ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Āffān, al-Zabayr ibn ‘Awwām, ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf, Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ, and Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh. Among the early converts were: Bilāl ibn Rabāh the Abyssinian, Abū ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ, Abū Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad, al-Arqam ibn Abī ’l-Arqam, ‘Uthmān ibn Maẓ‘ūn and his two brothers Qudāmah and ‘Abd Allāh, Sa‘īd ibn Zayd al- ‘Adawī and his wife Fāṭimah (sister of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb), Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt, ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ūd and others, more than forty of them all.

2. Those who had embraced Islam at Dār al-Nadwah (al-Nadwah Council, Assembly House, the Parliament of the Quraysh). When ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb converted to Islam he took the   Prophet (ﷺ) to this place, where some people converted by him. But taking the Prophet (ﷺ) to this place claimed by al-Ḥākim was doubted, as at that time he was hiding at Dār al-Arqam between al-Ṣafā and al-Marwah.

3. Refugees to Ethiopia. When the condition of Muslims in Makkah was getting worse and worse Allah revealed to the   Prophet (ﷺ) that the world was spacious enough to take refuge. Allah revealed:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ

وَأَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةٌ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ (الزمر:10(

Say O Muhammad): “O My slaves who believe (in the

 Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism), be afraid of

your Lord (Allah) and keep your duty to Him. Good is

(the reward) for those who do good in his world,

and Allah’s earth is spacious (so if you cannot

worship Allah at a place, then go to another)! Only

those who are patient shall receive their reward

in full, without reckoning. (Q. 39:10

          The Prophet (ﷺ) learned that Ashamah whose title was Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) was a fair ruler. In Rajab of the fifth year of prophethood he sent 12 man and 4 women to take refuge there, including ‘Uthmān and his wife Ruqayyah (the Prophet’s daughter), and Abū ‘Ubaydah.

In Shawwāl the same year they returned to Makkah for having misinformation that the situation there had been improved, and therefore, some of them returned to Ethiopia. The Prophet (ﷺ) sent again his followers to Ethiopia for the second time, consisting of 83 men and 13 (some said 18) women.

4. Those who participated at the first ‘Aqabah Pledge in the 12th year of the prophethood. They were twelve people: As‘ad ibn Zurārah, ‘Awf ibn Ḥārith, Rāfi‘ ibn Mālik, Quṭbah ibn ‘Āmir, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir, Mu‘ādh ibn al-Ḥārith, Dhakwān ibn ‘Abd al-Qays, Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, Yazīd ibn Tha‘labah, al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Ubādah, Abū ‘l-Haytham ibn al-Tayhān, and ‘Uwaym ibn Sā‘idah. The last two were from Aws tribe, and the remaining ten were from Khazraj tribe.  The wording of the pledge as narrated by ‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, and recorded by al-Bukhārī, the Prophet (ﷺ) said as follows:

Come here and pledge that you will not associate any with Allah, that you will not steal, nor commit unlawful sexual intercourse, nor kill your children, not utter slander inten-tionally forging falsehood, nor disobey me in any good. He

who fulfils this, Allah  will reward him; and who neglects anything and is afflicted in this world, it may prove redemp- tion for  him in the Hereafter; and   if the sin remains hidden from the eyes of the men and no grief comes to him, then

 his affair is with Allah. He may forgive him or He may not.

5.  Those who participated in the second ‘Aqabah Pledge. In the thirteenth year of  Prophet (ﷺ) hood (June, 622 CE) during the pilgrimage season over 70 converts came from Madinah and made a secret meeting with the   Prophet (ﷺ) at the night in a small hill at al-‘Aqabah during the night of tashrīq days (11th, 12th and 13th of Dhū’l-Ḥijjah). They consisted of 73 men, including Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, and two women (Nuṣaybah bint Ka‘b from Banī Māzin, and Asmā’ bint ‘Amr from Banī Salamah), led by Ka‘b ibn Mālik. When they asked what should they pledge, the Prophet (ﷺ) answered, as narrated by Jābir and recorded by al-Imām Aḥmad, as follows:

-  to listen and obey in all difficulty and ease.

-  to spend in plenty as well as in scarcity

-  to enjoin good and forbid evil

    in Allah’s service, you will fear the censure of none

to aid me when I come to you, and protect me from anything you protect yourself, your spouses and children from. Then Paradise is in store for you.

When they asked assurance from the   Prophet (ﷺ) that he would not leave them when Allah granted him victory and power, he said:

Nay, it would never be; your blood will be my

blood. In life and death I will be with you and you

with me. I will fight whom you fight and I will make

peace with those with whom you make peace.

     Then they extended their hands, shook hands with the   Prophet (ﷺ). The two women just took the pledge orally without shaking hands with the   Prophet (ﷺ).

6. Emigrants who arrived at Qubā’ before the Prophet (ﷺ)   entered Madinah and before the building of the mosque of Madinah. Abū Salamah was the first one to migrate, a year before the second Aqabah Pledge. Then he was followed by his wife and son. Ṣuhayb ibn Sinān al-Rūmī was released only and allowed to leave for Madinah after he offered them to give away all his wealth. The Prophet after hearing this story said: “Ṣuhayb has profited, Suhayb has profited.” Then ‘Umar migrated and arrived with 20 of the ṣaḥābah.

7. Those who joined the battle of Badr, called Ahl Badr (lit. “people of Badr”). For this battle the Makkan army prepared 1300 soldiers, 600 of them in mail armour, and 100 horsemen and many camels. Every day they slaughtered between 9 and 10 camels for food, and they planned to stay 3 days. As the caravans led by Abū Sufyān escaped the ambush of the Muslim army, Banū Zahrah broke away and returned to Makkah. Banū Hāshim could not break away because of Abū Jahl’s threats. So, there remained 1000 soldiers proceeding to Badr to fight the Muslim army consisting of between 300 and 317 soldiers, with 12 horses and 70 camels. There were between 82 and 86 of them were Muhājirīn (emigrants), and the remaining were Anṣār (the Helpers, the Madinians) 61 from Aws tribe, and 170 from Khazraj tribe. Facing the army threefold the size of that of his army the Prophet’s prayer was answered. Allah said:

إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُمْ بِأَلْفٍ

مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ (الأنفال:9(

(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord

and He answered you (saying): “I will help you

with a thousand of angels each behind the other

(following one another) in succession” (Q. 8:9)

          Ibn ‘Abbās narrated reported by Muslim: “While on that day a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever and he heard over him the swashing of a whip and the voice of the rider saying: ‘Go ahead Hayzun’. He glanced and the polytheist who had (now) fallen down on his back. When he asked the Prophet about the event, the Prophet replied: ‘You have told the truth. This was the help from the third heaven.’”

          The Prophet (ﷺ)’s uncle ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib who was forced to join the Makkan army was captured by one of the Anṣār. He said to the Prophet (ﷺ): “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, this man did not capture me. I was captured by a man who was bald and had the most handsome face, and who was riding a piebald horse. I cannot see him here among the people.” The man interrupted: “O Messenger of Allah, I captured him.” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: “Be quiet, Allah the Almighty strengthened you with the help of a noble angel.”

There were 14 martyrs in this battle, 6 among them were Muhājirīn, and 8 were the Anṣār, whereas the Makkan casualties: the loss of 70 men including Abū Jahl, and several were taken prisoners.

Ahl Badr had special status. Ḥāṭib ibn Abī Balta‘ah in order to save his disbelieving relative in Makkah informed them of the Prophet’s plan to conquer Makkah. When it was discovered through revelation, ‘Umar wanted to kill him as a hypocrite. But the Prophet said: “He is one of those who fought in the battle of Badr. What do you know, ‘Umar? Perhaps Allah has looked at the people of Badr, and said: ‘Do as you please, for I have forgiven you’” ‘Umar released him, and said: “Allah and His Messenger know better. Then it was revealed:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ (الممتحنة:1(

O you who believe! Take not my enemies and your

enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists) as friends,

showing affection towards them… (Q. 60:1)

        (CIVIC, 4 November. 2016                                     المراجع:

تفسير الطبري (ت. 310 هـ)

تفسير القرطبى(ت. 671 هـ)

تفسير ابن كثير(ت. 774 هـ)

Safi-ur-Rahman Al-Mubakafrakpuri. The Sealed Nectar.

 https://islamqa.info/ar/181943

http://www.d1g.com/qna/show/3894722

http://www.darululoom-deoband.com/arabic/magazine/

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http://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=76555