Most Read in the Category of The Four Caliphs and the Companions who were promised Paradise
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Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (r.a.)
One of the ten Companions who were given the glad tidings of Paradise while they were alive is Hz. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas. He became a Muslim through Hz. Abu Bakr. He was the eighth Muslim. He was a relative of the Prophet (pbuh) through his mother. The Prophet often complimented him saying, "This is my maternal uncle Sa'd. Is there anyone who as an uncle like him?"
Hz. Sa'd believed in Islam wholeheartedly. He was a soldier of belief and a warrior of Islam. However, his mother was disturbed because he became a Muslim, performed prayers, loved the Prophet and regarded his love as superior to everything. She talked to her son and wanted her to abandon Islam. When she could not dissuade him, she resorted to something else. She knew the weakest point of Hz. Sa'd. She asked,
"Do you not say that Allah orders you to take care of your relatives and to treat your parents well?" Hz. Sa'd said,
"Yes. Allah orders Muslims to do so."
His mother became hopeful when she heard this answer. She approached an idol that was at home and started to caress and love it. Then, she vowed by the name of idols:
"O Sa'd! I will not eat or drink anything unless you deny what Muhammad has brought." Then, she sat behind the idol. She did not eat or drink anything for a few days.
Hz. Sa'd loved his mother very much. He had great respect for her without fail. His mother knew it. That is why she did something like that. She thought she could make her son leave Islam. However, she was disappointed. She saw just the opposite. In a few days, she received the following determined answer from him:
"O Mum. By Allah, if I had 100 lives and I lost them one by one, I would not abandon my religion. It is up to you to eat or not to eat."
She was frustrated when Hz. Sa'd showed this determined attitude and she had to stop her hunger strike.[1]
Thereupon, verse 8 of the chapter of al-Ankabut, which states that it is not permissible to obey a person even if that person is one's mother or father if this obedience necessitates disobedience to Allah: "We have enjoined on man kindness to parents: but if they (either of them) strive (to force) thee to join with Me (in worship) anything of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not. Ye have (all) to return to Me, and I will tell you (the truth) of all that ye did."
Soon after this incident, Hz. Sa'd's brother, Amir, also became a Muslim. Thus, the problem of Sa'd's mother doubled. She used the same tactics for Amir. She vowed that she would not sit under the shade and not eat or drink anything until Amir abandoned his religion. However, it was useless.
Not only his mother but also all of the polytheists opposed Hz. Sa'd. During that period, Makkan polytheists used to torture and insult the Muslims, whose number was very few. They would not allow them to worship easily. Therefore, Hz. Sa'd, Said bin Zayd (r.a.), Khabbab bin Arat and Ammar bin Yasir went to Abu Lub Valley in order to worship. When they started to make wudu and perform prayers, a group of polytheists saw them and approached them. They started to make fun of them and say that their worship was useless. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas could not put up with it any more. He tried to move them away with a bone of camel he found. He hit one of them on the head and made his head bleed. When the other Companions also took action, the polytheists started to run away. Thus, Hz. Sa'd obtained the honor of being" the first Companion to shed blood in the way of Allah". [2]
Hz. Sa'd, who also had the honor of "throwing the first arrow in the way of Allah", was a heroic mujahid of Islam. He was dying for fighting in the way of Allah. He caused great distress to the polytheists during the Battle of Badr. He was one of the Companions who formed a wall of flesh around the Prophet at the most dangerous moments of the battle during the Battle of Uhud. When the Prophet saw Hz. Sa'd's zealous struggle against the enemy, he gave the arrows he was holding to him and complimented him by saying,
"Throw O Sa'd! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you!" [3] The Prophet had not addressed anybody like that before.
On the same day, the Messenger of Allah prayed for him as follows:
"O Allah! Make his arrows hit the target and make his prayer acceptable!" [4]
Hz. Sa'd, who had took part in all battles together with the Prophet, went to Makkah for the Farewell Hajj. He became very ill there. The Messenger of Allah visited this distinguished Companion. Hz. Sa'd said,
"O Messenger of Allah! As you see, my illness got worse. I have a lot of wealth. I have no inheritors except my daughter. Shall I bequeath all of my wealth to the poor?"
The Prophet did not allow him to do so. However, he let Sa'd bequeath one-third of his wealth to the poor. Then, he said,
"One-third is all right. It is not a small amount. What you give away from your wealth is sadaqah. However, what you give to your family is also sadaqah. What your wife eats from your wealth is also sadaqah. Doubtlessly, it is better for you to bequeath your wealth to your family than making them beg money from others."
After this conversation, Hz. Sa'd said,
"O Messenger of Allah! You will return to Madinah. Am I going to stay here and die?"
The Prophet felt sorry about him. He told Sa'd not to feel sorry, that he will serve Islam a lot in the future and that many nations will accept Islam thanks to him. Then, he prayed of Sa'd as follows:
"O Lord! Cure Sa'd! O Lord! Cure Sa'd! O Lord! Complete my Companions' return from Makkah to Madinah!" [5]
Indeed, Hz. Sa'd got rid of that severe illness. He was appointed as the commander of the army during the caliphate of Hz. Umar. He conquered many places. He served as a means for many people to become Muslims.
Hz. Sa'd was a lucky person who attained the consent of Allah and the position of becoming one of His special slaves. Once, when the Prophet was sitting in the mosque, he prayed as follows:
"O Allah! Let someone whom you love and who loves you enter the mosque now!"
Soon, Hz. Sa'd entered the mosque. [6] This glad tiding was superior to everything in the world for that great Companion.
Sa'd loved the Messenger of Allah wholeheartedly and did his best to prevent him from being harmed. During the first days after the Migration, the Jews of Madinah might have wanted to kill the Prophet. One day, Hz. Sa'd put on his sword and went to the presence of the Messenger of Allah. When the Prophet saw him like that, he asked,
"What is the matter? O Sa'd?"
"O Messenger of Allah! I feared that something bad might happen to you. Therefore, I came here to protect you. "
The Prophet was glad to hear it from him. Then, he prayed for Sa'd. [7]
Hz. Sa'd' brother, who was a polytheist, wounded the Prophet's face in the Battle of Uhud. Hz. Sa'd got furious. He shouted,
"Utba! If I catch you, I will shed your blood like water."
Hz. Sa'd, who served the Prophet until he died and who never left him alone, became very sad when the Prophet died.
He did his best in order to spread Islam like the other Companions.
Hz. Sa'd was a person who was very good at leading and controlling an army. Knowing this skill of Sa'd's, Hz. Umar appointed him as the commander of the army prepared for the conquest of Iran. Before the army set off, Hz. Umar addressed Hz. Sa'd as follows:
"O Sa'd! The fact that you are the maternal uncle of the Messenger of Allah should not make you feel conceited and should not prevent you from obeying the orders of Allah. Allah eliminates a bad deed through a good deed, not through a bad deed. All people are equal. Allah is their Lord; they are Allah's slaves. People attain Allah's bounties by obeying Him. Remember what you saw from the Messenger of Allah before he died and try to do them. For, the way to salvation is there.
Your duty is hard. Nothing but honesty can save you. Make yourself and the people under your command accustomed to doing good deeds. Start everything with a good deed. Everything that becomes a custom has a beginning. Be careful. Patience is the beginning of all good deeds. Do not abandon patience when some troubles and misfortunes hit you. Patience teaches you to fear Allah. Fear of Allah is mainly in two things: Obeying Allah and avoiding sins. A person who obeys Allah by ignoring the ephemeral face of the world and by desiring the hereafter obeys Allah truly. Hearts are treasures of truths."
After listening to the valuable advice of Hz. Umar, Hz. Sa'd set off. After a tiring journey, they arrived in Iran. Hz. Sa’d did not want to fight the Iranians before calling them to peace and Islam. To this end, he formed a committee consisting of Arab tribe chiefs and some notables and sent them to the Shah of Iran.
At that time, the capital city of Sasanids was Madayin. The people were waiting on the road to see them. The appearance of the members of the delegation was modest. They did not have weapons and their horses did not have saddles. However, the nobility and majesty given by Islam were visible on their faces. They proceeded with a dignified attitude and a brave manner on the Iranian land. Their horses tromped the Sasanid land.
Yazdegerd, the Shah of Iran, heard the footsteps of the horses and asked the people around him about the reason for this noise. They told him that a delegation of Muslims had arrived.
The Shah, who gave great importance to show-off and ostentation, ordered his men to decorate and embellish the palace. The palace was decorated soon. After the decoration was completed, the Islamic delegation was accepted.
Without paying attention to the decorations and ostentation, the Islamic delegation entered the palace with their large gowns, turbans around their heads, whips in their hands and wearing boots. Yazdegerd was surprised when he saw the Islamic delegation in plain clothes; he was astonished when he saw their harsh attitudes and grim acts.
Iranians used to interpret everything. They sought luck or ominousness behind everything. Yazdegerd, asked the delegation some questions:
"What is fabric called in Arabic?"
He received the answer "burd" from the delegation. As soon as the Shah heard it, he said, "Chehan burd." He interpreted this word as Muslims would conquer the whole world. Then, he pointed to the whip in the hands of the Muslims and asked:
"What is that called in Arabic?
He received the answer "Sawt". Yazdegerd interpreted a different meaning from it. He understood "sawt" as "suht". He said, "Pars suht". It meant, "They set Iran on fire."
The people around the Shah got tired of these bad interpretations and ominous meanings. However, they could not dare to object to the Shah.
Then, Yazdegerd asked the delegation why they had come. Numan bin Muqarrin, the head of the delegation told him about the principles of Islam first. Then, he said, "We ask you to become Muslims. If you do not accept Islam, we offer you two things: You will either pay jizyah or agree to fight us."
Yazdegerd, who did not accept peace and Islam, started to talk conceitedly and boastfully:
"You forgot that you were the poorest and weakest nation. When there was mutiny among you, we used to send our governors near you and they would make you obey. How come you make us this offer?"
The delegation listened to the Shah's conceited words calmly. Then, Mughira bin Zarara came forward and made the following concise speech pointing to his friends:
"All of the members of this delegation are leaders of their tribes. They told you what was necessary but there are a few more things that need to be uttered. I will tell you about them. It is true that we used to be poor and in the wrong way. We used to fight one another. We used to bury our daughters alive. Eventually, Allah Almighty sent us a prophet. We objected to him first and refused him. In the end, he became victorious. He did everything in accordance with the order of Allah. He ordered us to inform people all over the world about this religion. He told us to treat those who became Muslims as if they were our brothers. He advised us to regard those who reject Islam but accept to pay jizyah as people of dhimmah. The sword will be decisive between us and those who do not accept any of these offers."
Those words infuriated Yazdegerd. He said:
"If it were permissible to kill messengers, I would definitely kill all of you." He ordered a basket full of soil to be brought. When the basket was brought, he asked who the most prestigious person in the delegation was. They showed Asim bin Amr. The people of the palace put the basket full of soil on the head of Asim as a sign of insult. When the delegation returned, Asim told this incident to Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas and interpreted this as follows:
"O Sa’d! I congratulate you on your victory. The enemy surrendered their land to us."
Hz. Sa’d did everything that was necessary to do before war; he invited the enemy to choose one of the three alternatives. The conceited Shah chose war. It became necessary to put the Shah in his place. He summoned all of the commanders at once and consulted them. Then, he ordered the hafizes to read the chapter of al-Anfal, which is about jihad
The hafizes recited the chapter with their beautiful voices. They both recited the chapter and taught it to the mujahids. There was a spiritual atmosphere in the headquarters. The mujahids looked forward to fighting and defeating the conceited Iranian army.
When the expected moment came, Hz. Sa’d addressed the mujahids as follows:
"If you work in the world with asceticism and taqwa and desire the happiness of the hereafter, Allah will give you happiness both in the world and hereafter. Know it very well that war will not make your time of death come closer to you. Act together. If you disperse and regard yourselves as few and weak, you will be defeated. If you do so, you will endanger your hereafter, too. After performing the noon prayer, I will utter takbir three times. Utter takbir with me. When I utter the fourth takbir, say, ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is no power other than Allah)’ and attack." [8]
After a while, the two armies confronted. The mujahids started to attack by shouting "Allah, Allah!" They fought heroically. Many of them attained the rank of martyrdom. The Muslims won the war. This war was recorded as "the Victory of Qadisiya". After this victory, Muslims achieved great victories one after another. They captured the rich treasures of the Shah of Iran.
Hz. Sa’d informed Hz. Umar about the victory at once. He sent the treasure he obtained to Hz.Umar. He told Hz.Umar that he would be waiting in Madayin for his orders about what to do next. However, the climate of Madayin affected the mujahids. Many of them became ill. Hz. Sa’d informed Hz.Umar about the situation at once.
Hz. Umar became very pleased when he heard this victory of Muslims'. He appreciated it when Sa'd sent the rich treasures of the Shah of Iran to Madinah without losing any time. He wrote Sa'd a letter to tell him what to do next. He asked Sa'd to build a new city. When Sa'd received this order, he built the city of Kufa. In return for Sa'd's success, Hz.Umar appointed him the governor of Kufa. Hz. Sa’d was a good administrator. He made himself loved by the people of Kufa soon.
Hz. Sa’d received the prayer of the Prophet in the Battle of Uhud; so, he was a person whose prayers were accepted. Therefore, people avoided his curse. However, somebody slandered him. He said Sa'd did not distribute goods equally and that he did not lead the army in the battles. Hz.Umar heard about it. He sent somebody to inspect the issue. It turned out to be a slander. However, this incident affected this Companion, who was given the glad tidings of Paradise. He opened his hands to pray Allah as follows:
"O Allah! If he is lying, lengthen his life, increase his poverty and give him misfortunes."
After a while, everybody started to make fun of this man who was damned by Hz. Sa’d. He became blind. He suffered a lot of misfortunes. Thus, everybody believed that Sa’d was innocent.
Hz. Sa’d was a Companion who was worthy of being the Caliph. After Hz. Uthman was martyred, many people said they wanted to choose him as the caliph. However, Hz. Sa’d did not accept these offers. He remained impartial related to the incident between Hz. Ali and Hz. Muawiyah. When they asked him why he did not support one of them, he said he would keep remaining impartial unless they brought a sword that would discriminate between an unbeliever and a believer.
Hz. Sa’d believed that everything that Allah preordained was good even if they seem ugly. He surrendered to qadar. Somebody who visited him said to him:
"You are a person whose prayer is accepted. Would it not be better for you to pray Allah and ask him to make your eyes see?"
Hz. Sa’d answered him as follows:
"Allah Almighty’s ordainment for me is better for me than my eyesight."
Sa’d was a person who had all good characteristics. He would not consent to anybody being backbited in his presence; he would silence anybody who tried to do so. Once, he had argued with Hz. Khalid. Somebody who visited him started to talk against Hz. Khalid. This disturbed him a lot and said,
"Do not criticize him so much. The disagreement between me and him does not make me split with him and approve what you say about him."
Hz. Sa’d, who played an important role in the conveying hadiths to us, reported 270 hadiths. One of them is as follows:
"Wondrous is the affair of the believer for there is good for him in every matter and this is not the case with anyone except the believer. If he is happy, he thanks Allah and there is good for him. If he is harmed, he shows patience and there is good for him. He gets rewards (thawabs) even when he gives his wife something to eat." [9]
Hz. Sa’d, who died in the 55th year of the Migration, was enshrouded by the shirt he wore during the battle of Badr. His death upset Muslims a lot.
May Allah be pleased with him!
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Hz. Uthman, who was the third caliph of the Prophet and an example of modesty and good manners, was one of the lucky people who were promised Paradise when they were alive. Hz. Abu Bakr started to convey the message of the true religion to his sincere friends first by visiting them. One of those friends was Hz. Uthman. Hz. Uthman was a lenient, gentle and honest person with high ethics. His character was suitable for accepting Islam. He listened to Hz. Abu Bakr carefully and became very interested in with what he said. Then, they went to the presence of the Messenger of Allah together.
The Prophet (pbuh) said to Hz. Uthman:
“Seek Paradise, which is a grant of Allah. I was sent as a guide to find the right path to you and to the whole mankind. There is no god but Allah.“ Then, he read some verses from the Quran.
Hz. Uthman was fascinated by the divine speech. He uttered kalima ash-shahada and became a Muslim. Afterwards, he expressed his feelings as follows:
“The first words I heard from the tongue of the Messenger of Allah were so pure, plain and impressive that I uttered kalima ash-shahada on impulse.“
Hz. Uthman was 34 years old when he became a Muslim. He was a young, influential tradesman. He was well off. When his uncle, Hakam bin Abi'l-As, found out that Uthman became a Muslim, he went crazy. He tied Uthman to a post and said,
“I will not give you any food if you do not abandon this religion.“ However, another relative of Hakam's understood that he would not abandon it even if he was killed and made him release Uthman. [1]
Before the advent of Islam, Abu Lahab's son, Utba, was married to Ruqiyya, the daughter of the Prophet. When Utba heard that the Prophet propagated a new religion, he said to the Prophet (pbuh),
“I do not want your daughter and your religion. Thus, he divorced Hz. Ruqiyya. Thereupon, Hz. Uthman asked to marry Ruqiyya and married her.
Hz. Uthman and Ruqiyya were among the 15-people group that migrated to Abyssinia due to the oppression of the polytheists. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) heard that Hz. Uthman set off before everybody, he said,
“Their friend and owner is Allah. Uthman is the first person to migrate with his family after Lut (Lot).“ [2]
After staying in Abyssinia for a while, Hz. Uthman, returned to Makkah with his wife. After that, he migrated to Madinah.
The most distinct quality of Hz. Uthman was his bashfulness and modesty. According to a narration of Hz. Aisha, the Messenger of Allah was once resting covered in a blanket. Meanwhile Hz. Abu Bakr arrived and asked permission to enter the house. The Messenger of Allah allowed him in without changing his position; he asked a question and left. After a while, Hz. Umar arrived. The Messenger of Allah allowed him to come in without changing his position. After that, Hz. Uthman arrived and asked permission to enter. This time, the Messenger of Allah sat up and tidied himself up.
Thereupon, Hz. Aisha asked,
“O Messenger of Allah! You did not tidy yourself up when Abu Bakr and Umar. Why did you sit up and tidy yourself up when Hz. Uthman came?“
The Messenger of Allah answered as follows:
“For, Uthman is a very bashful and modest person. Even angels feel shy in his presence. Shall I not feel shy?“ [3]
Abu Musa'l-Ash'ari narrates:
We went to a house with the Messenger of Allah. He said to me,
“Wait at the door and do not let anyone in without permission!“
After a while, Abu Bakr arrived.
I said, “O Messenger of Allah! Abu Bakr arrived.“ He said,
“Let him in and give him the glad tiding of Paradise.“
After that, Umar arrived. He told me to tell him the same thing.
Then, Uthman arrived. He said the following about Uthman:
“Let him in and give him the glad tiding of Paradise due to the troubles he will confront.“ Thus, he stated that Hz. Uthman was one of the people who were promised Paradise and who would suffer several misfortunes in the future. [4]
Hz. Uthman could not take part in the Battle of Badr though he wanted it so much. For, his wife, Hz. Ruqiyya was very ill. Although the Prophet accepted his excuse, he felt the sadness of not being able to join the Battle of Badr in his heart. Hz. Ruqiyya could not get over the illness she caught and died. The victory of Muslims in Badr transformed Hz. Uthman's deep sorrow into joy.
After returning from Badr, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) gave Hz. Uthman another glad tiding:
“You received the rewards of a martyr though you did not join Badr.“
After that, the Prophet married his other daughter, Umm Kulthum, off to Hz. Uthman. Then, Hz. Uthman was called “Dhun-nurayn“ (possessor of two lights).
After the death of Umm Kulthum, the Prophet consoled his son-in-law, who was a symbol of modesty, by saying, “If I had 40 daughters, I would marry them off to Uthman one by one.“ [5]
Hz. Uthman (r.a.), who took part in the Battle of Uhud, sometimes remembered the sorrow he felt when he heard the false news of the death of the Prophet and expressed the severity of the agony he experienced there.
During the Expedition of Dhat ar-Riqa in the 4th year of the Migration, the Prophet appointed him as his deputy and left him in Madinah. Taking part in all of the battles after that, Hz. Uthman was sent as an envoy to the Qurayshis for the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. Hz. Uthman went to Makkah and told them that their purpose in going to Makkah was umrah but the polytheists opposed him and said to him,
“Go and tell the person who sent you here that he will never be able to enter Makkah and visit the Kaaba. However, if you want, you can circumambulate the Kaaba.“
Hz. Uthman answered them as follows:
“I will not circumambulate the Kaaba without the Messenger of Allah“
The Qurayshis were disturbed by these words of Hz. Uthman and they put him on probation for a while.
The statement of the polytheists turned out to be wrong; the Messenger of Allah circumambulated the Kaaba after a while.
The news that Hz. Uthman was put on probation reached the Muslims as if he was martyred. Being agitated by this news, the Muslims saw no other solution except fighting. Everybody was very excited. The divine revelation told Muslims to pay allegiance to the Prophet. All Muslims promised that they would obey the Messenger of Allah and that they would sacrifice their lives for the sake of Allah and His Messenger. The Messenger of Allah accepted the Muslims' allegiance by one hand for him and the other hand for Hz. Uthman. This allegiance was recorded as the Allegiance of Ridwan in the history of Islam.
When the polytheists heard about it, they became worried and released Hz. Uthman. The Muslims became very happy when Hz. Uthman returned. They said to him, “You have probably circumambulated the Kaaba.“ Hz. Uthman answered them as follows:
“I swear by Allah that if I stayed in Makkah for a year and if the Messenger of Allah were in Hudaybiyah, I would not circumambulate the Kaaba alone if the Prophet did not circumambulate the Kaaba.“ [6]
Afterwards, Hz. Uthman took part in the Battle of Khaybar, the Conquest of Makkah and the Battle of Hawazin. Hz. Uthman was among those who protected and defended the Messenger of Allah by forming a wall of flesh during the Battle of Hunayn.
Hz. Uthman gave away, 1000 dinars, 50 horses and 100 camels for the Expedition of Tabuk. The Prophet stated the following for this generosity:
“None of the mistakes Uthman will do from now on will harm him.“ [7]
Hz. Uthman helped the needy a lot in order to thank Allah for his wealth but he lived very humbly.
During a period of famine in Madinah, Hz. Uthman brought 100 camels loaded with wheat from Damascus. Some Companions hurried toward him to buy the wheat. He said to them,
“I have a better customer. He gives me more profit than you.“ The Companions went to Hz. Abu Bakr to tell him about what Uthman said. Hz. Abu Bakr knew Hz. Uthman better than anybody else. He said to them,
“He has the honor of being the son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah. He is also a friend of the Prophet in Paradise. You probably misunderstood him. Let us go to him together and find out about the situation.“
When they went over to Hz. Uthman, Hz. Abu Bakr said,
“O Uthman! The Companions felt very sorry when they heard your words. What is the matter? Can you explain it?“
Hz. Uthman answered as follows: “O Caliph of the Messenger of Allah! There is a better customer who gives 700 in return for 1. I sold the wheat to Him.“
With that statement, Hz. Uthman wanted to say that he gave away the wheat on the camels as charity for Allah.
As a matter of fact, he distributed the wheat on the 100 camels to the poor without demanding any money. Hz. Abu Bakr became very pleased and kissed Hz. Uthman on the forehead.
Once Hz. Uthman heard that there was no food left in the house of the Messenger of Allah. He bought a fat sheep, some flour and oil, and took them to the house where Hz. Aisha lived. He said to her,
“O mother of the believers! I think the Messenger of Allah will share it with his other wives. Tell him not to do so. I will take the same things to them, too.“
The Prophet came home and found out about the situation. He said,
“O Lord! Forgive all of the sins of Uthman whether in the past or in the future, whether known or unknown.“
When Hz. Ali was about to marry Hz. Fatima, he put up his armor for sale. He met Hz. Uthman in the market. He told Uthman that he was going to marry and that he wanted to sell his armor to have enough money for mahr. Uthman (r.a.) bought it for 480 dirhams and gave Ali the money. Then, he turned to Hz. Ali and said,
“O Ali! I am giving this armor to you as a wedding present so that you will serve Allah with it. This armor is fitting only for an Islamic hero like you.“
One of the greatest characteristics of Hz. Uthman was his generosity. He did not hesitate to spend his wealth in the way of Allah. Once, the Muslims had difficulty in finding water to drink. There was no fresh water to drink except the water of Ruma Well. That well belonged to a Jew. He sold water at a very high price. This situation distressed the Prophet (pbuh). When he was together with the Companions, he said,
“If a believer buys the Ruma Well, he will have a similar well in Paradise.“
Hz. Uthman was also there. He took action at once. He found the Jew. He told him that he wanted to buy the well. The Jew did not accept to sell the whole well. He sold half of it at a very high price. Hz. Uthman went to the presence of the Prophet joyfully. He said he had bought half of the well and that he allocated it to Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) complimented him by saying,
“The charity of Uthman is wonderful charity.“ Hz. Uthman bought the other half of the well later and allocated it to Muslims. [8]
One of the Companions Hz. Abu Bakr consulted the most during his caliphate was Hz. Uthman.
When Hz. Abu Bakr was on his deathbed, he was telling Hz. Uthman about the properties of the person to be the Caliph after him and Hz. Uthman was noting them down. Hz. Abu Bakr fainted before he mentioned the name of the person he described. Hz. Uthman thought he died and wrote the name of Hz. Umar.
After a while, Hz. Abu Bakr came to himself and asked him whose name he wrote. Hz. Uthman said, “O leader of the believers! I thought you died. I feared that there would be tumult and wrote the name of Umar bin Khattab.“
Hz. Abu Bakr became very happy due to his sensible act and said,
“May Allah reward you with goodness due to this favor you have done to Islam and Muslims. If you had written your name, you would also have acted correctly.“ [9]
Hz. Uthman supported Hz. Umar with might and main during his caliphate and undertook responsibility for fulfilling important duties. After the death of Hz. Umar, the consultation committee he appointed chose Hz. Uthman as the caliph.
The committee consisted of the following people:
Abdurrahman bin Awf, Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, Talha, Zubayr, Uthman and Ali (r.a.).
Hz. Umar's son, Abdullah was also in this committee. Hz. Umar asked the committee to choose a caliph among them within three days after his death.
After the funeral of Hz. Umar, the committee negotiated for two days but could not make a decision. On the third day, Abdurrahman bin Awf offered that three of the candidates waive their rights in favor of one of the remaining three candidates. Thereupon, Hz. Zubayr nominated Hz. Ali, Hz. Sa'd nominated Abdurrahman bin Awf and Hz. Talha nominated Hz. Uthman and waived their rights. After that, Abdurrahman bin Awf (r.a.) said that he also waived. Two candidates: Hz. Uthman and Hz. Ali remained.
Then, Hz. Abdurrahman negotiated with both of them. Meanwhile he asked the opinion of everybody, from men in the street, to women in their homes and students at schools. The majority preferred Hz. Uthman.
Hz. Abdurrahman called people to the mosque. He said he found Hz. Uthman more suitable for the caliphate and paid allegiance to him. After Hz. Abdurrahman, Hz. Ali became the second person to pay allegiance to Hz. Uthman. Then, the other Muslims paid allegiance to him. Thus, Hz. Uthman was chosen as the Caliph in 644. [10]
During the first six years of Hz. Uthman's caliphate, many places were conquered. An important part of Africa was conquered. The first Muslim attacks to Spain started in this period. Cyprus was conquered. Besides, the people of Armenia, who rebelled by taking advantage of the death of Hz. Umar, were suppressed. Tabaristan was conquered. An important incident of this period is that the Islamic navy confronted the Byzantine navy in the Mediterranean and that the Islamic navy defeated the Byzantine navy, which consisted of 500 ships. This victory enabled the Muslims to maneuver easily in the Mediterranean. The Muslims landed on the islands of Malta and Crete. A group of Muslims landed on the Anatolian shores while another group approached the walls of Istanbul. They worked hard in order to be fitting for the glad tiding of the Prophet.
During this period, the system of states was established in administration. The Islamic land was divided into two systems as civilian and administrative systems.
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One of the greatest and historical things and the most important one Hz. Uthman did was definitely the reproduction of the Quran. Some different views about pronouncing the Quran occurred among the Companions that went to conquer Armenia and Azerbaijan. For, the ones in the army of Iraq learned the Quran from Ibn Masud and those in the army of Damascus from Ubay bin Kab. Due to the small differences, Hudhayfah al-Yamani went to Hz. Uthman and said,
“Come to help Muslims before this ummah falls into disagreement like Jews and Christians.“
Upon this application, Hz. Uthman convened a committee of consultation. This committee consisted of 12 people. The prominent ones were Zayd bin Thabit, Abdullah bin Zubayr, Said bin As and Abdurrahman bin Harith (r.a.). The committee reproduced five (or seven) copies of the Quran that was in the house of Hz. Umar and under the protection of Hz. Hafsa based on the Quran that was compiled during the time of Hz. Abu Bakr. These copies were sent to Kufa, Basra, Damascus, Makkah, Yemen and Bahrain. One copy was left in Madinah. This copy was called “the imam“.
* * *
The last period of his caliphate was full of mischief and tumult. Islamic historians mention the following for the reasons for the depressing incidents of mischief and tumult that took place during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman (r.a.) and Hz. Ali (r.a.) as follows:
1- An important part of the Companions who had the luck of meeting the Messenger of Allah and received blessing and luminous light from him had died and the rest of the Companions had to retire and retreat. Therefore, there were not enough qualified administrators; the negligence and incapability of the administrators caused disorders in the course of time. Doubtlessly, the generation of Tabiun, who were taught by the Companions, was one of the most distinguished generations in history. However, it is not possible to say that they were as sensitive as the Companions in terms of justice, capability and equity.
2- The feelings of pride in tribes and clans, which were regarded as a source of pride in the Era of Jahiliyyah, had been replaced by lofty properties and feelings in the first periods of Islam due to obeying the holy orders loyally. However, that the young people of the Quraysh tribe obtained important ranks and positions with the conquests and victories after the death of the Prophet somewhat aroused their pride in their tribe. Belonging to the Quraysh tribe started to be regarded as a means of privilege and superiority, which started uneasiness among Muslims.
3- With the conquests, the borders of the Islamic state reached to Morocco in North Africa and Qabil in Asia. This caused people of different religions, languages and races to become Muslims or to live under the domination of Muslims. The pride of some of these nations, especially Iranians, was hurt a lot; so, a rebellion and opposition movement against the central Islamic authority started gradually.
4- That Hz. Uthman (r.a.) was a lenient and gentle person, that he preferred forgiving people to punishing them caused some people to take advantage of it, which caused misuse and weaknesses in administration. People with ill intentions practiced their deeds of mischief and tumult easily under the administration with such weaknesses.
5- Hz. Uthman (r.a.) was very rich, beneficent and generous before he became a Muslim, too. He liked his relatives and helped them all the time. After becoming a Muslim, these feelings of his and beneficence increased, too; he started to take care of his relatives more. Some people started to say that his charity out of his own wealth was from the Treasury and propagated against him; thus, they instigated mischief and tumult.
6- The administrators during the caliphate of Hz. Abu Bakr and Umar (r.a.) were shrewd authoritarian people; the atmosphere was away from the movements of mischief and tumult. Due to the conditions of his time, Hz. Uthman (r.a.) could not rely on anybody; therefore, he started to appoint his relatives for whom he had done favors to important administrative posts. He started to maintain the authority by doing so. These relatives were definitely capable and honest people. However, this situation was described and propagated as nepotism and appointing relatives to important posts.
7- With the conquests, the community of Arabs started to have relationships with different nations; the children born out of these marriages with new Muslims or Christians and Jews turned out to be weak individuals in terms of ethics and religion. This formed a suitable environment for mischief and tumult.
Along with the reasons above, the efforts of Abdullah Ibn Saba, who was originally a Jew, instigated a tumult that could not be prevented.
In the 35th year of the Migration and 12th year of Hz. Uthman's caliphate, troublemakers from Kufa, Basra, Egypt, etc started to besiege Hz. Uthman's house. The notables of the Companions, primarily Hz. Ali, tried to end the siege but they failed. Whatever was predestined was going to happen. The troublemakers were determined to martyr Hz. Uthman, who was an example of good manners and modesty and who was innocent. Hz. Uthman addressed them as follows:
“Why do you want to kill me? I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘It is haram to kill a Muslim except three cases: A Muslim who commits adultery though he is married; a Muslim who kills a person intentionally; a person who exits the religion of Islam after becoming a Muslim.' I swear by Allah that I did not commit adultery in the Era of Jahiliyyah or after becoming a Muslim. I did not kill anybody. I did not exit the religion of Islam after becoming a Muslim. Then, why do you want to kill me?“ [11]
However, the network for the tumult had already been prepared and the agitation had reached a point that could not be reversed. Hz. Ali (r.a.) left his two sons, Hasan and Husayn, with the Caliph as guards. Abdullah bin Umar and some Companions were also there. There were enough people to fight the troublemakers. Abdullah bin Zubayr, Zayd bin Thabit, Abu Hurayra and other Companions said they were ready to help the religion of Allah and that they wanted to fight the troublemakers if the Caliph allowed them. However, Hz. Uthman did not want Muslim blood to shed. He refused those offers:
“I never want to be described as a caliph that shed Muslim blood. I take refuge in Allah against shedding the blood of even one person. I know that I will win if I fight them. However, I leave their punishment and those who agitate them to Allah.“ [12]
Hz. Uthman, who was an example of good manners, modesty and merits, saw the Prophet (pbuh) Hz. Abu Bakr and Hz. Umar in his dream one day before he was martyred. The Prophet addressed him as follows:
“We are fasting; we are waiting for you for iftar.“ When Hz. Uthman woke up that night, he intended to fast.
He was happy because it was time to rejoin Allah and His Messenger. It was Friday. He started to read the Quran. Meanwhile, some troublemakers managed to get inside the house and martyred Hz. Uthman. Some blood dropped on the Quran he was reading. Thus, another miracle of the Prophet about the future turned out to be true. The Prophet said that he was going to be killed unjustly.
“Why did the Companions not discover the troublemakers with the eye of sainthood and not take measures against them?“ The following answer of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi to the question above sets light to the causes of this murder: “Those who were the cause of those events and instigated the trouble did not consist of a few Jews; so, having discovered them could not have prevented the trouble. For with numerous different peoples entering Islam, many currents and ideas which were opposed to and contrary to one another had confused the situation. Particularly since the national pride of some of them had received awesome wounds at the blows of Umar (RA), they were waiting to take their revenge. For both their old religion had been rendered null and void and their old rule and sovereignty, the source of their pride, had been swept away. Knowingly or unknowingly, they were emotionally in favor of taking their revenge on Islamic rule. It was therefore said that certain clever and scheming dissemblers like the Jews took advantage of that state of society. That is to say, it would have been possible to prevent those events through reforming the social life, and various ideas of that time. They could not have been prevented by discovering one or two troublemakers.“ [13]
* * *
Hz. Uthman reported 146 hadiths from the Messenger of Allah. Some of them included in “Musnad“ of Ahmad bin Hanbal are as follows:
“The grave is the first one of the hereafter houses. If a person attains salvation there, the rest will be easier for him. If he cannot attain salvation there, the rest will be more difficult for him.“
“If a Muslim leaves home with the intention of a journey or something else and says, ‘Tawakkaltu alallahi wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah' (I have placed my trust in Allah, there is no might and no power except by Allah ), leaving home like this will be a means of attaining goodness and keeping away from evil.“
“A person who knows the reality of Lailaha illallah and dies believing in it enters Paradise.“
“A person who performs the night (isha) prayer and the morning (fajr) prayer in congregation is regarded to have worshipped throughout the night.“
“If a person makes wudu properly, goes to the mosque and performs the prayer, Allah forgives his sins he commits between that prayer and the next one.“ [14]
____________________________________
The second greatest person of Islam after the Prophet is Hz. Abu Bakr (r.a.). He was an example of self-sacrifice and a symbol of loyalty. His life is full of examples of high ethics, virtues and humanity.
Hz. Abu Bakr (r.a.) was a luminous person in those times of savagery when the sun of prophethood had not illuminated the world yet. He had never worshipped any idols that were lifeless and unconscious and that could not help or harm anybody or themselves. He did not practice the customs of Jahiliyya Era like drinking alcohol and gambling. He was a person that was loved and respected by everybody in Makkah. He was rich and estimable. He was a tradesman. He liked helping the poor.
Hz. Abu Bakr was a cultured and investigative person who went to various countries on business. He knew and felt that the period he lived in was undergoing a decline in terms of humanistic values.
Hz. Abu Bakr was in a period of expectation. He was waiting for a savior who would save the humanity from savagery. In fact, there were some incidents heralding the light of guidance and indicating its approach that could be seen by careful and thoughtful people. Serious people like Hz. Abu Bakr and those who believed in the religion of oneness dating back to Hz. Ibrahim (pbuh) were waiting and longing for this light.
One of those people was Quss b Saida. He was a poet and an orator. He believed in oneness of Allah and life after death. Once, he addressed a group of people including Hz. Abu Bakr and the Prophet as follows:
“I swear that there is a religion in the presence of Allah that is more beloved to Him than the religion that you follow. There is a prophet of Allah who is about to appear and his arrival is very soon. His shadow is right on top of your heads. How happy is the person who puts his faith in him! Shame on the unfortunate person who will oppose and rebel against him!“
The most sincere friend of Hz. Abu Bakr, who would attain this religion, informed by Quss b Saida, was Hz. Muhammad (pbuh). Hz. Abu Bakr felt at peace the most when he was with him; he preferred talking to him and relied on him the most. Whenever he left Makkah for a while for trade, the first person he would visit when he returned was Hz. Muhammad.
Once, Hz. Abu Bakr saw in his dream that the moon had descended to Mecca. It then split into segments and spread to the homes in the city. Afterwards, he saw the reassembling of the pieces and the entering of the moon into its own home. This dream made him very excited. He asked some scholars of the People of the Book living in Makkah about his dream. They told him that the prophet expected to come would emerge from Makkah soon, that he would be one of those who followed him and that he would be his deputy when he was alive.
Hz. Abu Bakr was a few years younger than the Prophet. His father's name was Uthman but he was known as “Abu Quhafa“. His mother's name was Umm al-Khayr, which means “the mother of all good deeds“. His wife's name was Zaynab and she was known as Umm Rumman. Abu Bakr had been married to Qutayla before her. After the death of Umm Rumman, he got married to Asma bint Umays.
Hz. Abu Bakr had six children, three girls and three boys: Their names were Aisha, Abdullah, Asma, Abdurrahman, Umm Kulthum and Muhammad.
* * *
Everybody was talking about the news that Hz. Muhammad was given the duty of prophethood. Even some Christians and Jews who read in their books that a new prophet would come were astounded. The polytheists said, “Is it possible for the prophthood to come to an orphan and helpless person? Would it not have been better if it had come to a notable person from our tribe?“ Thus, they opposed his prophethood.
Especially the polytheists could not stand it when the Prophet criticized and spoke ill of their idols.
Meanwhile, Hz. Abu Bakr was in Yemen on business. He was unaware of this event in Makkah. When he returned, the notables of Quraysh like Abu Jahl and Utba bin Muayt surrounded him because they knew that he was the closest friend of Hz. Muhammad. If it were not for Abu Bakr, they would use force in order to silence the Prophet.
Hz. Abu Bakr said, “What is the matter? Did anything happen while I was away?“
They said, “Yes, there is some very important news. Muhammad, the orphan of Abu Talib, claimed that he was a prophet.“
Abu Bakr said, “Did he tell that himself?“
They said, “Yes he did; and he always speaks ill of our idols.“
Abu Bakr said, “He said it himself. If he said so, he told the truth. Do you know where he is now?“
They said, “Yes, he is in his house now.“
Hazrat Abu Bakr immediately went to the home of the Prophet. He wanted to hear it from the Prophet himself. For, he knew that Hz. Muhammad had never told a lie. Therefore, people called him “Muhammad al-Amin“ (Muhammad the Trustworthy).
Hz. Abu Bakr went to the presence of the Prophet in excitement. When the Prophet opened the door, he was smiling. For, he knew that the only person to believe him would be Abu Bakr.
Abu Bakr asked,“ O Aba’l Qasim! Is it true that you claim to be a prophet?“
The Prophet said, “Yes. O Abu Bakr! I am a messenger who has been sent to you and all humanity by the Lord of the Realms. I invite humanity to believe in the one true God (Allah) and to give up worshipping idols.“
Upon this invitation, Hz. Abu Bakr did not hesitate even for a second. He said,
“I testify that Muhammad is a messenger of Allah, who is one.“ Thus, Hz. Abu Bakr attained the honor of being the first Muslim among men.
As Hazrat Aisha put it, no event in the world made our Prophet happier than Hazrat Abu Bakr, a reliable, respectable and notable person of his tribe, accepting Islam.
Our Master (PBUH) considered Abu Bakr’s not showing any sign of hesitation in the face of this invitation as a huge virtue by saying:
This incident alone is enough to express the honor and virtue of Hz. Abu Bakr. As a matter of fact, the Prophet stated the following later:
“Everyone whom I invited to Islam, with the exception of Abu Bakr, paused, hesitated, or was astonished. However, when I explained Islam to him, he neither paused nor hesitated.“ [1]
Hz. Abu Bakr opened his heart and mind, which were already ready, to Islam. He gave himself wholly to the grace and abundance of the divine truths that he had been seeking and expecting. He never stayed away from the Messenger of Allah and was looking forward to listening to the new divine revelations. As he filled his heart with the pre-eternal and post-eternal truths, he could not stand still; he wanted to declare it to the universe and desired the others to attain this divine grace and salvation.
When Abu Bakr accepted Islam, he had a wealth of 40,000 dirhams with him. He gave it to the Prophet to be spent for the cause of Islam. On the one hand, Hz. Abu Bakr was conveying the message of Islam to people with his ability of persuasion and proving; on the other hand, he was helping the poor Muslims. Most of the notables of Makkah attained the honor of becoming Muslims thanks to him.
Some of those people are as follows:
Hz. Uthman (r.a.), Talha bin Ubaydullah (r.a.), Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (r.a.), Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah (r.a.), Zubayr bin Awwam (r.a.), Abdurrahman bin Awf (r.a.).
These people are six of the 10 people who were promised Paradise when they were alive. Besides, Uthman bin Maz’un (r.a.), Abu Salama (r.a.), Arkam bin Abi Arkam (r.a.) also became Muslims thanks to him.
The cause of Islam started to eliminate the darkness in the horizon of Makkah gradually with the help and efforts of Hz. Abu Bakr. New people started to be fascinated by the divine light day by day. On the other hand, the polytheists were doing their best in order to dissuade those Muslims. As Islam spread, they increased their measures and started to use material force when they saw that trying to persuade them and mocking them failed to dissuade them. They started to beat the Muslims until they fainted and to torture them.
With the efforts of Hz. Abu Bakr the number of the people that followed the lofty cause of the Prophet reached 38. The Muslims started to gather in the house of Arkam secretly in order to strengthen their belief and worship easily.
Once, they gathered in this house, which was secure to enter and exit. Hz. Abu Bakr was also among them. They asked permission from the Messenger of Allah in order to declare the cause of oneness to the polytheists. First, the Messenger of Allah said their number was not enough but he gave permission due to the insistence of Hz. Abu Bakr. They went to the Kaaba altogether. Abu Bakr (r.a.) stood up and started to address the polytheists who were there:
“I praise Allah, who is one. Belief in Allah is endless happiness; denial and worshipping idols are a disaster. Give up this meaningless custom of Jahiliyyah and accept the call of the Messenger of Allah.“
The polytheists were surprised first. Then, they came to themselves and attacked the Muslims. They got Hz. Abu Bakr to the ground and started to hit him with the things they found. Utba bin Rabia, a ferocious polytheist, made his face blood by hitting him with his shoes with nails. The relatives of Abu Bakr hurried and managed to save him.
Hz. Abu Bakr fainted. He lay in an unconscious state until the evening. When he opened his eyes and looked around, he asked, “What happened to the Messenger of Allah?“ He asked about the Messenger of Allah even when he was half-unconscious. His mother asked, “Would you like to eat something?“ He answered in the same way: “Where is the Messenger of Allah? How is he?“ When his mother said she did not know about him, he said, “Mum! Go to Umm Jamil, the daughter of Khattab and ask him how the Messenger of Allah is.“ Despite the news from Umm Jamil that the Messenger of Allah was fine, his heart was restless. He wanted to see the Messenger of Allah himself. He vowed that he would not eat anything before seeing him. They said he could not go out like that. However, he definitely wanted to go and see the Messenger of Allah. He would not feel all right if he did not see the Messenger of Allah. When there were very few people around, they took his arm and took him to Arkam’s house. When he saw the Messenger of Allah, he said, “O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you!“ and started to cry. The Messenger of Allah hugged and kissed him. He also started to cry when he saw his state. [2]
Hz. Abu Bakr was “the most beloved person“ in the eye of the Prophet due to his submission, loyalty and self-sacrifice. The Prophet often visited him in his house and consulted him; he asked his ideas about spreading Islam and conveying the message of Islam. This friendship continued until the Messenger of Allah died. He did not leave the Prophet even for a moment. It continued during wars and the Migration. He married his daughter Aisha off to the Messenger of Allah, strengthening this friendship.
Life started to be unbearable for the new Muslims in Makkah. The pressure of the polytheists increased day by day; their torture continued without stopping. A group of Muslims migrated to Abyssinia with the permission of the Prophet in order to save their religion and lives. When the divine permission was given, the remaining Muslims started to migrate to Madinah in convoys. However, Hz. Abu Bakr had not been given permission to migrate yet. When Hz. Abu Bakr, who was always with him asked the Messenger of Allah about his situation, he said, “O Abu Bakr! Do not hurry! Maybe Allah will give you a friend to migrate together with.“ Abu Bakr understood that he was going to be together with the Messenger of Allah in the Migration, too. There were only Hz. Ali, Hz. Abu Bakr and the Prophet left in Makkah as Muslims.
The polytheists were disturbed by the migration of the Muslims. They did not want to allow the Messenger of Allah to migrate. They gathered immediately. They decided to kill the Messenger of Allah.
However, Allah Almighty informed the Prophet about the situation through Jibril. He appointed Hz. Abu Bakr as the person to accompany him.
The Prophet went Hz. Abu Bakr’s house immediately. They met at the door. Hz. Abu Bakr was excited. He said,
“O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! What is the matter?“ The Messenger of Allah said that Allah allowed him to migrate to Madinah and that he would go with him. Abu Bakr wept for joy because of attaining the honor of migrating with the Messenger of Allah.
The Prophet asked Hz. Ali to sleep in his bed and he set off with Hz. Abu Bakr secretly. They started to walk toward the mount of Thawr. Hz. Abu Bakr was excited. He was worried that the Prophet would be harmed. The polytheists might have noticed them and been following them. Hz. Abu Bakr forgot about himself; he was thinking about the Messenger of Allah only. He sometimes walked in front of him and sometimes behind him. He sometimes walked on the right and sometimes on the left of the Prophet in order to protect him from possible attacks.
They arrived at the Cave of Thawr late at night. The cave was desolate. It was full of insects. First, Hazrat Abu Bakr entered the cave. He checked the cave and blocked the holes in the cave with pieces of fabric he tore off his garment. When the pieces were not enough, he blocked the last hole by putting his foot on it. Then, the Prophet entered the cave and sat next to him. The Messenger of Allah put his head on the knees of Abu Bakr and fell asleep.
After a while, Hazrat Abu Bakr felt a great pain in his foot that he had put on the hole. He felt terrible. However, he did not move so as not to wake the Messenger of Allah up. He was in so much pain that tears fell down her face. When a few tears hit the face of the Messenger of Allah, he woke up and asked,
“What is the matter, O Abu Bakr?“
Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! Something bit my foot.“
The Messenger of Allah, who was the cure for all troubles whether material or spiritual, rubbed the place that was bitten with his spit. The pain was eliminated immediately. The Prophet was moved by the self-sacrifice of Hz. Abu Bakr and prayed Allah as follows:
“O Allah! Make Abu Bakr be together with me on the Day of Judgment.“
When the polytheists could not find the Messenger of Allah in his house, they got furious and did not know what to do. They promised great rewards to those who would find and bring the Messenger of Allah. Toward the morning, trackers set off in order to find the Prophet and take him to Makkah. As a matter of fact, they found his trace. They even came to the entrance to the cave. Hz. Abu Bakr got excited when he heard the footstep the polytheists. The Messenger of Allah kept calm. He said to Abu Bakr:
“O Abu Bakr! Do not worry! Allah is with us. If Allah is the third person near two people, nobody can do anything to them.“
Thereupon, Abu Bakr calmed down. As a matter of fact, while the polytheists were talking, they saw a spider web and a pigeon at the entrance of the cave; so they left without entering the cave.
The Quran elevated the fame of Hz. Abu Bakr forever while mentioning this incidence in verse 40 of the chapter of at-Tawba. The following is stated in that verse:
“If ye help not (your Leader) (it is no matter): for Allah did indeed help him; when the unbelievers drove him out: he had no more than one companion: they two were in the cave, and he said to his companion “Have no Fear, for Allah is with us“: then Allah sent down His peace upon him, and strengthened him with forces which ye saw not, and humbled to the depths the word of the Unbelievers. But the word of Allah is exalted to the heights: for Allah is Exalted in might, Wise.“
The Messenger of Allah stayed in the cave for three days with Hz. Abu Bakr, who was a symbol of loyalty and self-sacrifice until he felt secure from the danger of the enemy. During these three days, Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr brought them food and his son, Abdullah, informed them about the news in Makkah. They came at night and left the cave before the sun rose.
Three days later, they left the cave and set off for Madinah for “the Migration“, which started a new era in the history of Islam. After a dangerous journey, they arrived in Madinah. The Muslims who had migrated beforehand and the people of Madinah filled the streets to welcome these unique guests joyfully. [3]
Hz. Abu Bakr continued being close to the Messenger of Allah after migrating to Madinah, too. Nothing else could be expected from a person who devoted all of his property to Islam.
Loyalty means to act like the person one loves and follows, to devote all of his being to him and to virtually disappear in him. That is the secret that elevates Hz. Abu Bakr to an unreachable degree. The quality that enabled him to be called “Sıddiq“ (truthful, loyal) was his unique loyalty and adherence to the Messenger of Allah. He believed in everything that the Messenger of Allah said no matter how unbelievable it was.
This quality of Abu Bakr was proved when he believed in the Messenger of Allah as soon as he heard his prophethood and when he affirmed the miracle of Ascension (Miraj).
One night, the Messenger of Allah went to Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem) from Makkah with Jibril and then to the high realms with the permission of Allah; he returned the same night. The next day, he informed the polytheists about this unique miracle but they did not believe in him. Furthermore, some new Muslims found it hard to believe in it. Those Muslims went to Hz. Abu Bakr immediately. They said,
“Are you aware of the news regarding your friend? He says that last night he went to Masjid al-Aqsa, prayed there, talked to the previous prophets, ascended to the sky and returned.“
Hazrat Abu Bakr wanted to be sure of something. He asked,
“Did you hear this from him?“
They replied, “Yes, we directly heard it from him.“
Hazrat Abu Bakr responded without hesitation:
“If he said so, it is definitely true. I believe in Him and everything he brings from Allah.“
Afterwards, he got up and went straight to the Prophet (PBUH) to listen to the Ascension from him. When the Messenger of Allah told him about this great miracle, Hz. Abu Bakr said,
“I swear by Allah that you tell the truth. For, you are the Messenger of Allah. I testify this again.“
Upon this, the Prophet complimented him by saying,
“O Abu Bakr, you are Siddiq (the Truthful) in any case.“ From that day forward, Hazrat Abu Bakr was referred to as “Siddiq.“ [4]
* * *
During the illness of the Messenger of Allah, the Companions visited him frequently. During one of these visits when Abu Bakr was present, the Prophet (pbuh) said,
“Allah Almighty left His slave free to prefer the world or the hereafter. The slave preferred the hereafter.“
Nobody understood what that statement mean. Only Hz. Abu Bakr understood that he indicated his death. He started to cry and said,
“O Messenger of Allah! May our fathers, mothers, children, property and lives be sacrificed for you!“
The Prophet was moved by this foresight and sensitivity of Hz. Abu Bakr and said,
“O Abu Bakr! Do not cry! If I had a friend except Allah, I would have Abu Bakr. Islamic brotherhood and love are superior to personal friendship. Then, he said, “Close all the doors opened for people except the door of Abu Bakr in the mosque.“ [5]
A few days after this talk, the Prophet (pbuh) became too ill to lead the prayer. He said,
“Tell Hz. Abu Bakr to lead the prayer.“
Thereupon, Hz. Abu Bakr led prayers 17 times. Once, he led the morning prayer when the Prophet was among the congregation.
* * *
When the Messenger of Allah died, Abu Bakr (r.a.) was somewhere else. People had gathered and were crying. When Abu Bakr (r.a.) heard the news and entered the room where the Messenger of Allah was. Then, he spoke as follows in surrender and reliance:
“We are slaves of Allah and will return to Him. O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! You were beautiful when you were alive and you are beautiful when you are dead. Allah Almighty will not give you any other grief apart from the severity of death. You have already passed the test of death predestined for you.“
However, the munafiqs did not give up their acts of hypocrisy and troublemaking even during the death of the Messenger of Allah
They tried to undermine the spirituality of the Muslims by saying, “If Muhammad had been a prophet, he would not have died.“
Hz. Umar could not put up with their talk anymore; he drew his sword and shouted:
“The Messenger of Allah did not die. I will kill anyone who says so with my sword.“
Meanwhile, Hz. Abu Bakr arrived and made the following speech due to the statement Hz. Umar made in sorrow:
“Allah told His Messenger that he would die when he was alive. Yes, the Messenger of Allah died. Only Allah is eternal.“ Then, he read verse 144 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran:
“Muhammad is no more than an Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before Him. If he died or was slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve him) with gratitude.“
He continued as follows:
“Allah’s religion will live. Allah’s cause has been completed. Allah will help those who follow His religion and try to elevate it. We have the book of Allah with us. It is luminous light and cure. It includes the things that Allah rendered halal and haram.“ [6]
Hz. Abu Bakr was chosen the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah unanimously after the talks of the notables of the Companions. For, everybody knew that he was the right hand of the Prophet and appreciated him. One day after Abu Bakr (r.a.) was chosen as the caliph, he made the following historical speech on the pulpit of the mosque:
“O people. I was entrusted as your ruler, although I am not better than any of you. However, we were taught the Quran and the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah. If we have any knowledge, it originates from them. The caliphate is no easy duty. I had to undertake this heavy burden that I have no strength for. I wish a stronger person had been chosen. I advise you to fear Allah.
O people! Obey me and support me if I fulfill my duty properly. Correct me when you see me going astray. Honesty is a trust; Lying is treason. The weak among you are powerful in my eyes until I get them their due. Obey me as I obey Allah and His Messenger. Do not obey me if I disobey Allah and His Messenger. I ask Allah to forgive me and you.“ [7]
After becoming the Caliph, Hz. Abu Bakr started to fulfill meticulously the duties incumbent on him and as a necessity of his loyalty to the Prophet. The first thing he did was to send the army of Usama to Damascus, which the Prophet planned to do but died before sending it. Some notables of the Companions asked Abu Bakr to postpone sending the army due to the problem of false prophets. He answered them as follows:
“I swear by Allah that I will fulfill the order of the Messenger of Allah even if I know that tigers and wolves will come to Madinah and pull me to pieces. For the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Send the army of Usama in any case.“
Hz. Umar found Usama too young and offered him to appoint an older commander. Abu Bakr said,
“O son of Khattab! How can I change Usama considering that the Messenger of Allah appointed him as the commander?“ [8]
The army of Usama set off upon the instruction of Abu Bakr. They did not encounter Byzantines. However, on the way back to Madinah, they defeated a group from Huzaa tribe. Thus, the order of the Messenger of Allah was fulfilled and a big trouble that occurred was eliminated.
Hz. Abu Bakr became the head of the state and the vicegerent of the Messenger of Allah. His daughter Aisha, who was the wife of the Messenger of Allah, stated the following about the caliphate of her father:
“This duty was so hard that it would break mountains into pieces if it fell on them. However, Hz. Abu Bakr fulfilled this hard duty perfectly with the help of Allah and the support of the believers. He consulted the Companions he regarded necessary to talk to related to the issues about which there was no clear evidence in the Quran.“
* * *
Hz. Abu Bakr was a very good administrator. He appointed people with knowledge and ability as administrators. For instance, he appointed Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah, whom the Prophet called “the trustworthy person of the ummah“ as an administrator for financial issues. He appointed Hz. Umar, who was a symbol of justice, as the person in charge of legal issues and Zayd bin Thabit, one of the scribes of revelation, as the person in charge of registration and correspondence.
Hz. Abu Bakr walked around the streets at night in order to check the state of the people he was in charge of and helped the poor and helpless people. Salih al-Ghifari narrates the following reminiscence about the issue:
“Hz. Umar undertook the duty of caring an old blind woman. He took food and drinks to the woman himself. Once, he saw that somebody else had taken care of the woman before him. The next day, he took food and drinks to the woman earlier, hid in a place and started to wait. He saw Abu Bakr, the leader of the believers, coming. He stood up and said,
“Oh! It was you, the leader of the believers!“ [9]
Hz. Abu Bakr gave written and oral advice to governors and army commanders. Once he gave Ikrima the following advice:
“Do what you have said you will do. When you make a promise, keep it. Do not be afraid of warning people but be careful about what to say. Do not punish a criminal more than he deserves. Do not delay the punishment of a person who deserves it.“
After he was chosen as the Caliph, he did not want to get a salary from the Treasury. He wanted to make his living through trade.
Once, he was going to the market for trade after he was chosen as the Caliph. He met Hz. Umar on the way. Hz. Umar offered him to put him on a salary from the Treasury. Hz. Abu Bakr, “I fear that I will not deserve that money.“However, Hz. Umar said his time would be enough only for the affairs of the state and that he would not have enough time for trade. He persuaded Abu Bakr to get a salary enough for his livelihood from the Treasury. Hz. Abu Bakr got salaries from the Treasury for two years for his caliphate of two years. However, when he died he wrote in his will that this money should be returned to the Treasury from his inheritance. [10]
* * *
The services done during the caliphate of Hz. Abu Bakr are as follows in brief:
Before the death of the Prophet (pbuh), some false prophets emerged in Yamama, Yemen and other places. They wanted to dominate their tribes. They took action in order to benefit from the death of the Messenger of Allah. Hz. Abu Bakr sent armies under the command of Khlid bin Walid (r.a.), Ikrima bin Abi Jahl (r.a.), Muhajir bin Abi Umayya (r.a.) and Amr bin As (r.a.) to suppress them. Thus, these troubles were eliminated.
When the Messenger of Allah died, some Arab tribes exited from the religion of Islam. Jews, Christians and munafiqs took action. As Hz. Aish (r.a.) put it, Muslims became like a herd of sheep that scattered due to rain on a winter night. As Abu Hurayra put it, “If it were not for Abu Bakr (r.a.), Muslims would be destroyed after the death of the Messenger of Allah.“ However, with the help of Allah Almighty, Hz. Abu Bakr saved Muslims from these dangerous situations thanks to the skills and abilities Allah Almighty granted him.
Another important service of Hz. Abu Bakr was bringing all of the verses of the Quran together and compiling them in one binding. When a verse was revealed both in the period of Makkah and Madinah, the Prophet summoned one of the revelation scribes and dictated the verse immediately. Thus, the verses that were revealed at various times and places were written on pieces of paper, tanned leather, white, flat stones, scapulas of camels and palm leaves. The Prophet made the revelation scribe read the verse that he wrote in order to check it; if there was anything extra, he would remove it; if there was anything missing, he would add it. Thus, the Quran was written correctly and completely when the Prophet was alive. However, the written copies were not stored in a certain place. The Companions who wanted the copies took them home. The need to bring all of the verses together did not arise because the Prophet was alive and there were a lot of hafizes (the people who memorized the whole Quran). However, when a lot of hafizes were martyred during the Battle of Yamama, this need arose.
The first person to see this need (bringing all of the written verses of the Quran together) was Hz. Umar’. After the Battle of Yamama, he became worried that the number of hafizes would decrease and the copies of the verses would be lost. He talked to Hz. Abu Bakr about it. He offered to bring together all of the copies of the verses of the Quran, which were in different places. At first, Hz. Abu Bakr hesitated because the Prophet had not done so when he was alive. However, he accepted it due to the importance of the issue. They negotiated and decided to bring together all of the copies of the verses of the Quran.
The duty of collecting and compiling the verses of the Quran was given to Zayd bin Thabit, one of the scribes of revelation. Hz. Zayd was in his 20's then. However, he was one of the Companions that had memorized the whole Quran and that could read it very well.
As soon as Hz. Zayd undertook this holy duty, he took action. He made an announcement and asked those who had verses written on anything to bring to him with two witnesses testifying that they had been written in the presence of the Messenger of Allah. All of the Companions did their best to fulfill this duty. They brought the verses to Hz. Zayd with two witnesses testifying that they had been written in the presence of the Messenger of Allah. Hz. Zayd arranged those verses in the form of chapters.
In about a year, all of the written verses of the Quran which had been in different places were brought together and compiled. Abu Bakr (r.a.) ordered Hz. Zayd to establish a committee consisting of the scholars of the Companions. The compiled verses of the Quran were read in their presence. All of them agreed that they were correct and in order.
Hz. Abu Bakr kept the compiled Quran with him until he died. After his death, it was entrusted to Hz. Umar then to Hz. Umar’s daughter, Hz. Hafsa, who was also one of the wives of the Prophet. [11]
Hz. Abu Bakr prepared armies in order to make the needy hearts to meet Islam. He sent an army under the command of Khalid bin Walid to Iraq. This army gained victories after one another and conquered an important part of Iraq. He planted the flag of oneness there.
After the conquest of Iraq, Hz. Abu Bakr sent Hz. Khalid bin Walid to Damascus. However, he died before receiving the news of the conquest of Damascus. When Abu Bakr died, it was the 13th year of the Migration. May Allah be pleased with him!
* * *
Hz. Abu Bakr was a person of taqwa. He always avoided haram and doubtful things.
Once, his servant brought him some food. Hz. Abu Bakr was very hungry; so he ate it without asking the servant where he brought it from. Then, he asked the servant about the food.
He said, “During the Era of Jahiliyya, I wrote a ruqya (talisman) for a woman and she promised me to pay for it later. That was what I brought you.“ Abu Bakr got very angry. He put his fingers down his throat vomited the morsel out. Those near him said, “You put yourself through a great deal of trouble for one morsel.“ he said,
‘If I had to die trying to get this morsel out I would do so; for, I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘He whose body is nourished by Haram is bound to burn in hellfire.'“ [12]
* * *
Hz. Abu Bakr was a superior person in terms of worshipping. Once, the Companions were around the Prophet (pbuh). He asked the Companions a question:
“Who amongst you is observing fast today?“
Abu Bakr said, “I am. O Messenger of Allah!“
The Prophet asked again, “Who amongst you has joined a funeral today?
Abu Bakr said, “I have. O Messenger of Allah!“
The Prophet asked again, “Who amongst you has served food to the needy today?
Abu Bakr said, “I have. O Messenger of Allah!“
The Prophet asked again, “Who amongst you has visited a sick person today?
Abu Bakr said, “I have.“ The Messenger of Allah smiled and said,
“A person who has these qualities enters Paradise.“ [13]
Hz. Abu Bakr read the Quran beautifully. He read the Quran so movingly that both he himself and listeners cried when he read it. In the first years of Islam, the women, children and slaves of the polytheists gathered around him to listen to the Quran. However, the polytheists prevented them from listening lest they should be Muslims.
He was the most knowledgeable one among the Companions in terms of understanding the Quran and knowing the Sunnah. For, he was together with the Messenger of Allah throughout his life; he aimed to learn Islam and the Quran from the Prophet with all of his feelings and abilities. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah gave him the authority to issue fatwas even when he was alive. Hz. Abu Bakr knew the best what verse was sent down when and upon what incident.
Once Hz. Abu Bakr saw that some Companions misunderstood the following verse: “O ye who believe! Guard your own souls: if ye follow (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who stray…“ (al-Maida, 105) He intervened and said,
“You misunderstand this verse. I heard the Messenger of Allah say the following after reading this verse: ‘If people overlook the oppression of an oppressor and do not prevent him, all of them will be punished.’“ [14]
Hz. Abu Bakr was a very rich person. He was also very generous. He was so generous that he sometimes spent all his wealth in the way of Allah. Hz. Umar narrates the following reminiscence regarding the issue:
“Once, the Messenger of Allah ordered us to donate for the cause of Islam. I was well off then. I thought, 'I can be superior to Abu Bakr this time.' I brought half of my wealth to the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah said,
‘What did you leave to your family?’ Umar said,
‘As much as I have brought here.’
After a while, Abu Bakr brought his wealth. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked him,
‘O Abu Bakr! What did you leave to your family?’ Hz. Abu Bakr said,
‘I left the love of Allah and His Messenger to them.’
Thereupon, I said, ‘I can never be superior to Abu Bakr in charity.'“ [15]
The Prophet (pbuh) praised his generosity and self-sacrifice several times. Once, he said, “The most generous person among people in my eye is Abu Bakr in terms of his property and friendship.“
He also said, “There is nobody we have not been able to pay in return for their charity except Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr is so generous that his reward can only be given by Allah on the Day of Judgment.“ [16]
There are several hadiths of the Prophet about Hz. Abu Bakr expressing his appreciation and praise. Some of them are as follows:
“The most virtuous person apart from prophets is Abu Bakr.“ [17]
Ibn Umar (r.a.) narrates:
“Once, the Prophet (pbuh) left his house and entered the mosque. Hz. Abu Bakr was on his right and Hz. Umar was on his left. He held the hands of both of them and said,
“We will be resurrected like this on the Day of Judgment.“ [18]
The following is stated in another hadith:
“If anyone gives sadaqah for the sake of Allah, he will be invited to enter Paradise with these words: 'O beloved servant of Allah. Come here. There is great goodness and abundance at this door.' Those who perform prayers a lot will be invited to enter by the gate of prayer; those who take part in jihad will be invited to enter by the gate of Jihad; those who give charity a lot will be invited to enter by the gate of charity; and those who observe fast will be invited to enter by the gate ar-Rayyan.“
Hz. Abu Bakr was there. He asked,
“May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! O Messenger of Allah! Can a person be invited by all doors?“ The Prophet (pbuh) said,
“Yes, it is possible. I hope you will be one of them.“ [19]
Hz. Abu Bakr reported 142 hadiths from the Prophet. The reason why he did not report more hadiths is the fact that he lived only two years after the death of the Prophet. Besides, his engagement in state affairs prevented him from reporting more hadiths.
One of the hadiths he reported is as follows:
“I advise you to be honest. Stick to honesty. For, honesty and goodness are together and both of them are in Paradise. Beware of telling lies. For, lying is together with evil; and both of them are in Hell. Ask forgiveness and health from Allah. Nothing better than forgiveness and health except belief has been given to anybody. Do not be jealous of one another. Do not nurture enmity toward one another. O slaves of Allah! Be brothers.“[20]
____________________________________________
Hz. Talha bin Ubaydullah, who was praised and complemented by Allah and His Messenger many times due to his heroism and unmatched virtues and whose heroism during the Battle of Uhud has always been mentioned admiringly, was one of the closest Companions of the Messenger of Allah, one of the prominent people of the period of Four Caliphs and one of the unchanging and distinguished members of the consultation assemblies. He is a distinguished Companion that devoted his life to Allah and His Messenger. The Prophet gave him the glad tidings of endless bliss in this world; thus, he became one of the ten peoplewho were promised Paradise (ashara al-mubashshara) when he was alive.
Hz. Talha became a Muslim after a journey. He was in Basra for trade when he heard from a priest that Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) had declared his prophethood. He searched this news as soon as he returned to Makkah. He talked to Hz. Abu Bakr, who was the first Muslim. He went to the Messenger of Allah together with Hz. Abu Bakr. At this first meeting, the light of guidance entered his heart. He joined the Muslims. [1]
Then, the tortures and pressures of the polytheists started. His brother, who was a polytheist, was one of the leading people who put pressure on him. He was kept hungry and thirsty for days. They made him walk around by tying his hands around his neck. He was insulted. However, he put with those troubles patiently thanks to the strength coming from his belief and did not give up his belief.
After migrating to Madinah, the Prophet made Hz. Talha and Ubayy bin Kab brothers.
Hz. Talha did not join the Battle of Badr because the Prophet had sent him with Said bin Zayd to obtain information about the caravan of the polytheists headed by Abu Sufyan. He did not take part in the war due to this duty but the Prophet gave him his share from the booty obtained at the Battle of Badr.
The heroism of Hz. Talha during the Battle of Uhud became proverbial. When the polytheists started to attack the Messenger of Allah with might and main in order to kill him, he was one of those who formed a wall of flesh around the Prophet. He promised that he would die but would not leave the Prophet. When the polytheists attacked very severely, the Messenger of Allah said,
"Who will resist them?" Hz. Talha said,
"I will."
However, the Prophet did not allow him. A Companion from Ansar stood up and started to fight. He was martyred. Another group of polytheists attacked. The Messenger of Allah asked the same question. Hz. Talha said,
"I will. O Messenger of Allah !"
The Prophet did not allow him. A Companion from Ansar stood up and started to fight. He was martyred. When the third group arrived, the Prophet allowed him to fight. Hz. Talha fought heroically and repulsed the group of the polytheists.
During the most terrifying moment of the battle, the Prophet asked Hz. Talha,
"Will you protect my body with your body and sacrifice yourself for me? Hz. Talha said,
"O Messenger of Allah! May my body be sacrificed for you!" And he kept his promise.
Hz. Talha's body was wounded in several places but he did not leave the Prophet. Once, he fainted due to blood loss. The Messenger of Allah said to Hz. Abu Bakr to take care of him. When Hazrat Abu Bakr sprinkled some water on his face, Hazrat Talha came round. His first question was,
"What is the Messenger of Allah doing?" Hz. Abu Bakr said,
"Thank Allah, he is all right. He sent me to you." Then, Talha said,
"Thank Allah! If the Prophet is alive, no misfortune is important for us!" Then, he went to the Messenger of Allah.
The Prophet prayed for him: "O Allah! Give him cure and strength." Thanks to the abundance of this prayer, Hz. Talha continued to fight as if nothing had happened. Then, Hz. Talha placed the Prophet on his shoulders and carried him to a high place.
Talha had seventy-five wounds in his body at Uhud. The Prophet named him "Talhatu'l-Khayr (Good Talha)" due to his sacrifice and heroism. He also said, "Paradise became wajib for Talha. He did something that will take him to Paradise.[2]
Hz. Talha narrates an incident that makes him very happy as follows:
"Once one of the Companions asked the Messenger of Allah who were the people that still waited in the following verse: ‘Among the Believers are men who have been true to their Covenant with Allah: of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme) and some (still) wait,'
The Prophet did not answer. The Companion repeated the question three times but he did not answer. Meanwhile, I entered the mosque with a green garment on me. When the Messenger of Allah saw me, he asked, 'Where is the person who asked the question?' He said, 'I am here.' The Messenger of Allah pointed to me and said, 'He is one of those who wait.'" [3]
Abu Talha joined the Battle of Khandaq, the Conquest of Makkah, the Battle of Hunayn and Tabuk and all of the expeditions that the Prophet joined.
Hz. Talha was a wealthy person. He was a merchant but after the Migration, he also worked in agriculture. However, he was very modest in eating, drinking and dressing. He made jihad with both his sword and his property. He joined the campaign in order to equip the army before the Expedition of Tabuk enthusiastically. He gave most of his wealth to the Messenger of Allah to use for the army of jihad and said,
"This is a small present to you from Talha."
The Prophet became very happy due to his generosity and complemented him:
"O Talha! You are very munificent and generous."
Once Hz. Talha bought a water-well and endowed it for the believers who went to jihad so that they would not suffer thirst. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) gave him the nickname, "Talhatu'l-Jud [Talha the Generous]" due to his heroism and generosity during the Battle of Hunayn.
Hz. Talha was a very hospitable person. Once he entertained two people who had just become Muslims. One of them was more zealous than the other. After a while, the zealous one died in a battle. The other died one year after him. After a while, Hz. Talha saw them in his dream. Both of them were waiting to enter Paradise. The one that died later was given permission to enter before the other one.
In the morning, Hz. Talha told the Prophet about his dream. The Companions that were present there were astonished. They asked the Messenger of Allah about the wisdom behind it. The Prophet started to speak by asking them a question:
"Did he not live one year longer than the other one did?" The Companions said,
"Yes, he did, O Messenger of Allah!"
The Prophet continued,
"Did he not fast in the month of Ramadan?" They said,
"Yes, he did."
"Did he not worship one year longer than the other one did?"
"Yes, he did."
When the Prophet received the answer "yes" to all of his questions, he said,
"Then, the difference between them is like the distance between the earth and the sky." [4]
Hz. Talha was a genial person. His geniality was felt more at home. He never rejected anybody who wanted something from him. He would thank for the smallest favor.
Hz. Talha, who joined the Farewell Hajj, felt very sorry when the Prophet died. He was so sorry that he retired to a corner and started to weep sadly while the other Companions were negotiating about the caliph after the Prophet.
Paying allegiance to Hz. Abu Bakr for his caliphate, Hz. Talha served as a member of his consultation committee until he died. The Muslims applied to him for various issues.
Two years later, Hz. Abu Bakr became ill. He started to talk to the prominent Companions about the caliph to come after him. When he asked Hz. Talha about his opinion, he said Hz. Umar was fitting for the caliphate as follows:
"The one that really deserves this post is Umar. When Allah Almighty asks you to whom you entrusted the work of Muslims, you can easily say, ‘I entrusted it to Hz. Umar.'"
During the caliphate of Hz. Umar, he continued his duty in the consultation committee. He expressed his sagacious views about the issues presented to the committee.
For instance, when the issue of the distribution of the land that was conquered to the mujahids was being negotiated, Hz. Umar objected to the distribution because the land did not belong only to the mujahids that conquered it; it was the land of the generations to come. Hz. Talha supported the view of Hz. Umar regarding the issue and this view was accepted by the committee.
Hz. Talha was among the candidates of the caliph proposed by Hz.Umar before his death. He waived and voted for Hz. Uthman. He always supported Hz. Uthman against the mischievous activities of the munafiqs. However, the events developed so fast that it was impossible to stop them. The last part of the life of Hz. Talha was full of these incidents. He was killed by the munafiqs. When he reached the rank of martyrdom and attained his Lord after a life full of honor, he was 64 years old.
Hz. Ali felt very sorry when he was killed. He approached his dead body and said,
"O Talha! It is very difficult for me to bury you under the ground under the sky full of stars. I wish I had died 20 years ago and had not lived today."
May Allah be pleased with them!
___________________________
Six years passed after the sun of prophethood started to illuminate the universe. The struggle between shirk (polytheism) and tawhid (oneness) was increasing day by day. The more the number of the believers increased, the more the oppression and cruelty of the polytheists increased. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was looking for solutions to prevent the Muslims from cruelty and torture. Therefore, he allowed a group of Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia.
It was during the days when the polytheists convened in order to kill the Messenger of Allah. The Muslims worshipped Allah secretly. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prayed Allah and asked Him to make one of the two notable Umars a Muslim. He prayed as follows:
“O Allah! Strengthen Islam with Umar bin Hisham (Abu Jahil) or Umar bin Khattab!“ [1]
It is strange that Umar bin Hisham (Abu Jahil), one of those two Umars, promised 100 camels to the person who would kill the Messenger of Allah; on the other hand, the other Umar, Umar bin Khattab, accepted this offer and set off to kill the Messenger of Allah.
Umar bin Khattab was famous for his braveness and courage among the Qurayshis. He could do whatever he wanted and nobody could prevent him. He girded on his sword and set off to kill the Messenger of Allah.
He was walking furiously when he met Nuaym, who had just become a Muslim, on the way. Nuaym asked him,
“O Umar! Where are you going?“ Hz. Umar was furious; he said,
“I am going to kill Muhammad, who caused separation among the Qurayshis by inventing a new religion.“ Nuaym said,
“O Umar! Your sister and your brother-in-law have also become Muslims. Do you know about it? Make them leave that religion first.“
Umar was taken aback and hesitated. Then, he changed his way immediately and hurried on to the house of his brother-in-law.
Umar bin Khattab stopped at the door when he arrived at his sister's house. He heard his brother-in-law reading the Quran. He rushed in. His brother-in-law and sister hid the pages of the Quran they were reading. Umar said,
“Bring me what you were reading.“ They said,
“There is nothing.“ Umar spoke angrily:
“It means what I have heard is true. You have also followed him.“ Then, he grabbed his brother-in-law by his collar and threw him down on the floor. He also struck his sister, Fatima, who wanted to save her husband and wounded her. His sister was both crying and uttering kalima ash-shahada, declaring that she was a Muslim.
This sad scene soothed Umar's fury. His wrath was replaced by mercy. He said softly,
“Bring me what you were reading.“ Fatima asked him to clean himself first. Then, they started to read the beginning of the chapter of Taha.
As they went on reading, Umar's heart began to fluctuate. The eloquence of the Quran started to flow into his heart. He could not help saying,
“What a sublime speech!“ He asked where the Messenger of Allah was and went straight to Dar al-Arkam.
The Messenger of Allah was talking to the Companions then. Hz. Hamza saw Umar coming. The Companions got worried. The Messenger of Allah did not panic and said,
“Let him in.“
Umar, who was fascinated by the sun of guidance, uttered kalima ash-shahada and declared that he became a Muslim. The Prophet and the Companions who were there uttered takbirs joyfully. The prayer of the Messenger of Allah about one of the two Umars becoming a Muslim was accepted.
Hz. Umar was the 40th Muslim. From then on, he was going to use his courage and heroism for the cause of Islam. He said,
“Come on! Let us go to the Kaaba and worship there.“
The Messenger of Allah proceeded to the Kaaba with Hz. Umar on his right and Hz. Hamza on his left. When the polytheists saw this, they were surprised. Some of them thought Hz. Umar captured them. However, Abu Jahl noticed the situation. He said,
“No, this coming is different. We have lost Umar.“
Indeed, Hz. Umar stopped in front of them and shouted,
“Do not anybody move! Or I will kill you!“
The polytheists were astounded. They could not say anything.
Thus, the Muslims started to perform prayers in the Kaaba openly. Then, the Messenger of Allah gave Hz. Umar the nickname “Faruq“, which means the one that distinguishes the truth from the wrong. [2]
Hz. Umar's becoming a Muslim rejoiced not only the believers but also the angels in the sky. As a matter of fact, Jibril came to the Prophet after a while and said,
“The residents of the sky give one another the glad tidings that Umar became a Muslim. [3]
The abilities of Hz. Umar, who received his light from the talks of the Prophet and the sun of the Quran, increased suddenly. He was mentioned as “the symbol of justice“ in the history of Islam.
* * *
Hz. Umar married several times. He had several children from those marriages. Four of his children are famous.
They are Hz. Hafsa, who married to the Prophet, Abdullah bin Umar, who was a person of great knowledge and a source of hadiths, Ubaydullah, who was famous for his courage, and Asim, who was famous for his virtues and taqwa.
* * *
Hz. Umar was engaged in trade like Hz. Abu Bakr before Islam; he was a knowledgeable and sophisticated person who visited many cities. He was one of the few people who could read and write among the Qurayshis. After becoming a Muslim, he devoted all of his knowledge, abilities and power to the Messenger of Allah and Islam. He always conveyed the message of Islam.
However, the polytheists did not allow Muslims to live in Makkah and exerted all kinds of torture on them. When the tortures became unbearable, the Companions were given permission to migrate to Madinah in order to protect their lives and practice their religion easily. They set off to go to Madinah secretly at night individually, in groups of two or more people.
Hz. Umar did not do so. He showed his courage and braveness. When the Messenger of Allah asked him to migrate, he girded on his sword and went to the yard of the Kaaba.
The polytheists had gathered there and were planning the tortures to exert on the Muslims. When they saw Hz. Umar, they were surprised. Umar circumambulated the Kaaba while they were staring at him with their mouths open. Then, he turned to the polytheists and said,
“I am leaving. Anyone who wants to make his mother cry, his wife a widow and his children fatherless can try to stop me.“ [4]
Nobody dared to say anything against this belief and heroism. Hz. Umar set out for Madinah in the middle of the day with calm and secure steps.
Hz. Umar did not stop even for a moment when he spread Islam in Madinah. He took part in all wars and displayed great heroism.
This great man sometimes remembered his life in the Era of Jahiliyyah after he became a Muslim. He narrates the following:
“I cry when I remember one thing and laugh when I remember another. What I cry for is burying my daughter alive. What I laugh for is making idols out of halva and eating them when we are hungry.“
* * *
Umar al-Faruq was attached to the Messenger of Allah with great love. Once, the Prophet said to the Companions:
“None of you can become a perfect believer unless I am more beloved to him than his own children, property, parents and even his own soul.“
Hz. Umar was there. He said,
“O Messenger of Allah! You are more beloved to me than everything except my own soul.“ The Prophet said,
“More than your soul, too. O Umar!“ Then, Umar said, “Yes, more than my own soul! O Messenger of Allah!“ [5]
Although he was promised Paradise and received many compliments from the Prophet, he was always between the states of fear and hope as a necessity of being a slave; he did not rely on his deeds. The following statement of his is very famous:
“If I knew that everybody would go to Hell except one person, I would hope that I would be that one person. If I knew that everybody would go to Paradise except one person, I would fear that I would be that one person.“
Hz. Umar was one of the Companions who was very close to the Messenger of Allah frequently and who benefitted from his knowledge and blessing. Therefore, the Prophet gave him the authority to issue fatwas. Abdullah bin Mas'ud states the following about his knowledge:
“If they put the knowledge of Hz. Umar on one scale of a balance and the knowledge of all other people on the other, Umar's knowledge would outweigh. He is the one that knows Allah the best among us, that reads and understands the book of Allah the best and that has the most profound understanding in religion.“ [6]
Hz. Umar was at the top level in taqwa, sincerity and worshipping. He liked performing prayers at night and fasting during the day.
He was a hot-tempered person naturally. When he got furious, he would read the Quran to sooth his fury. He always remembered the following hadith of the Prophet: “Bring yourself to account before you are taken to account.“ Therefore, he asked himself the following question every night: “O Umar! What have you done for Allah today?“
He appointed a man to remind him about death every day. When some of his beard started to turn grey, he said to the man, “There is no need for you anymore.“ Then, he sent the man away.
After the death of Hz. Abu Bakr, the Muslims chose Hz. Umar as the Caliph because he was the one that deserved to be the caliph the most. After Umar was chosen as the Caliph, he made the following nice speech by ascending to the pulpit:
“Allah Almighty made me your deputy regarding your affairs. I hope I will be useful to you. I ask Allah to help me and to inspire me in order to protect your rights. For, I am a weak slave. Only Allah's help will give me strength. Inshaallah the duty of caliphate will not change anything in my ethics.
“Greatness belongs to Allah Almighty. His slaves have no right to act conceitedly. Do not anybody say, ‘Umar changed when he became the Caliph.' I prefer your rights to my rights. I will always give you priority. I will always explain you what I do. If any of you is wronged and oppressed, he should inform me about it. For, I am a human like you. I cannot know if you do not tell me.“
After speaking like that, Hz. Umar prayed Allah as follows:
“O Allah! I am a hard and violent person. Give me lenience. I am weak; give me strength. O Lord! Give me strength to guide these people, whose administration I undertook, to the straight path.“ [7]
After that, Hz. Umar could not sleep properly. He started to feel all of the burden of the Muslims on him. He worked during the day and night; he tried to complete all of the affairs of the ummah. He believed that if a sheep got lost near the river Euphrates, Allah would account him for it. [8]
When Hz. Umar prohibited something, he would apply it to himself and his family members first. He would call his family members and address them as follows:
“I prohibited this thing. If I hear any of you do it, I will punish him twice as much.“ [9]
Hz. Umar (r.a.) divided the booty among people after a war. Everybody was given one piece of fabric. However, this fabric was not enough to make a garment. His son, Abdullah, said to him,
“This fabric is not enough for me or for you. I will give my share to you so that you will have a garment sewn for you.“
Hz. Umar accepted the present of his son and had a garment sewn for him out of that fabric.
A few days later, he ascended to the pulpit in order to make a speech wearing that garment. He said,
“O believers! Listen to me and obey me.“ A poor person sitting in one of the back rows stood up and said,
“O leader of the believers! I will not listen to you or obey you because you do not follow the path of Allah and His Messenger.“
The Caliph was astonished when he heard this big claim: He asked,
“Why?“
The man explained the reason why as follows:
“When you distributed the booty, none of us had enough fabric to make a garment. I see that you got more fabric than us and made yourself a garment out of it.“
Hz. Umar was waiting for a more serious accusation. He felt relieved when he heard it. He beckoned to his son, Abdullah, who was among the congregation, to talk. Hz. Abdullah stood up and explained the situation. He said that he had given his share to his father.
The people became glad to hear that. Everybody turned to the man who had objected. He stood up and said,
“O leader of the believers! Speak now. I will listen to you and obey you.“
Thereupon, Umar, the Caliph who was the symbol of justice, opened his hands and prayed his Lord as follows:
“O Lord! I praise you endlessly. You made me the Caliph of an ummah that warns me regarding my mistakes.“
Abdullah bin Abbas (r.a.) states the following about this characteristic of Umar:
“Remember Umar a lot. For, when you remember him, you will remember justice.“
Indeed, his justice has been proverbial for 1400 years.
Another example that shows his justice is as follows:
Once, Umar, the Caliph, went to the presence of the judge due to a disagreement with a Companion. The judge was Zayd bin Thabit, one of the greatest Companions. It was Hz. Umar who had appointed him as the judge.
Zayd felt a bit overwhelmed by Umar for a moment and said, “Please sit here.“ Hz. Umar gor furious. He was a defendant there. The judge showed him a separate place. Umar (r.a.) shook his finger at him and warned him as follows:
“If the Caliph and an ordinary person are not equal in your presence, you cannot deserve this post. The judge must fulfill the order and decree of Allah, not the Caliph, when he works.“
Everybody, whether a Muslim or not, could seek their rights and express their complaints in the presence of Umar. They could even complain about the governors. Hz. Umar did not care about whom the complaint was; he cared whether the complaint was right or not.
He warned people clearly regarding the issue:
“I do not appoint governors so that they will oppress you and grab your things. I appoint them so that they will teach you Islam, judge with justice and fulfill your affairs nicely. If you see them act contrarily, do not hesitate to complain about them to me; I will punish them immediately.“
Thereupon, a Muslim stood up and complained about a governor. He said,
“The governor beat me with a stick 100 times unjustly. Hz. Umar searched about the complaint and found out that the governor was wrong. He summoned the governor and said to the person,
“Now, you beat him.“
Amr bin As, who was the governor of Egypt, was also there. He asked for permission to speak. When he was given permission, he said,
“O leader of the believers! If you do something like that, it will be very hard for governors. The caliphs after you will continue this practice.“
Hz. Umar did not accept this objection. He said,
“I saw the Messenger of Allah did the same thing even for his own soul. How can I avoid practicing it for others?“
Amr bin As (r.a.) spoke again:
“Will you allow us to talk to the man and persuade him to give up beating the governor?“ Hz. Umar accepted him. The governor gave the man some money and the man gave up beating him. [10]
During his caliphate, Hz. Umar often walked around in the streets of Madinah, checked the situation of the people and tried to find the people who were poor and needy.
One night, while he was walking around, he heard children crying in a house. He approached the house and knocked on the door. An old woman opened the door. Hz. Umar asked why the children were crying. The woman said they were crying because they had been hungry for two days. She said she was stirring the empty pot to console them and to put them to sleep.
Hz. Umar shuddered when he heard the answer. He said to the woman,
“Wait here a bit; I will be back soon.“
He rushed out and took some flour and oil. His servant was also with him. He insisted on carrying the sack but Hz. Umar said,
“Will you carry my burden on the Day of Judgment?“
When Hz. Umar arrived at the woman's house, he was out of breath. The children started to laugh and play joyfully.
When Hz. Umar saw them, he was about to leave in a relieved way. The woman said,
“May Allah be pleased with you! You deserve the post of Umar.“ The woman did not notice that the person who came was the Caliph due to darkness. [11]
Once, a Christian came over to Hz. Umar. He said the governor collected tax from him twice a year. Hz. Umar said it was wrong to do so. Then, the Christian left. A few days later, he came again thinking that Hz. Umar forgot. Hz. Umar said to him,
“What do you think I am? I am a Muslim that listens to complaints and settles problems.“
When the Christian searched about the issue, he found out that the governor had been sent the order about the issue.
Umar (r.a.) believed that a state could not be administrated without consultation. Therefore, he established a consultation assembly and made notable Companions members of this assembly. He sometimes convened this assembly, asked their opinions and acted in accordance with the view of the majority.
Once, Hz. Umar saw a person begging money. He approached the man. He was a non-Muslim. He asked the man why he was begging. The man said that he had to pay jizyah but that he did not have enough money to pay jizyah.
Hz. Umar, the sun of justice, took the man to the Treasury and allocated him a salary from the Treasury. He said,
“It is not appropriate to make them work when they are young and to throw them in the street when they get old.“
Conquests increased during the caliphate of Hz. Umar. The conquest of Iraq and Syria that started during the caliphate of Hz. Abu Bakr was completed. Iran and Egypt were conquered. The Islamic armies reached the border of Byzantium in the north and Khorasan in the east. Hz. Umar sent the justice, virtue and beauty of Islam to the conquered places with the governors he sent.
Hz. Umar was very sensitive about the religious issues. He kept away from anything that could harm the belief of oneness and prevented the wrong beliefs from spreading. It is narrated that he withdrew Khalid bin Walid, the great commander of Islam, from commandership because of this. This incident happened as follows:
When Hz. Umar was chosen the Caliph, the Islamic army was near Syria. The commander of the army was Khalid bin Walid, who was known as “the sword of Allah“. The first action of Umar was to withdraw Khalid bin Walid from commandership with a letter. For, Khalid bin Walid won every battle he joined with the permission of Allah. This caused the Muslims to think as follows: “Khalid will never be defeated in a battle.“ This harmed sincerity because it was Allah who created the results. Hz. Umar withdrew him in order to eliminate this understanding and to show that Allah would make Muslims victorious without Khalid, too. He appointed Ubayda bin Jarrah in place of him. [12]
* * *
Hz. Umar had a fine understanding regarding religious issues. The incident above proves this. The following incident between him and Hz. Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah is also significant since it shows this understanding:
Hz. Umar was on the way to Damascus. Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah met him near Yarmuk. After talking for a while, Abu Ubayda told the Caliph that there was a plague epidemic in Damascus. When Umar (r.a.) heard it, he ordered the army to return to Madinah. Hz. Abu Ubayda did not understand the wisdom behind this order. He said,
“O leader of the believers! Are you escaping from Allah's qadar (destiny)!“ Umar said,
“Yes, I am escaping from Allah's qadar to Allah's qadar. If you had camels and took them to a valley with two sides, and one of those sides had a lot of plants but the other had no plants, and if you wanted to make your camels graze on the side with plants, would you not do it with Allah's qadar?“
Abu Ubayda appreciated this meaningful answer of the Caliph's and kept silent.
Hz. Umar’s greatest wish was to become a martyr. He always uttered the following statement in his prayers: “O Allah! I want to die in your way and in the land of your Prophet.“
He attained what he wished. In the 23rd year of the Migration, he was martyred by a slave called Abu Lu’lu while he was performing the morning prayer.
* * *
There are many exemplary sayings of Hz. Umar that reached today. Some of them are as follows:
“Do not keep saying, 'O Allah! Give me my sustenance!' by sitting where you are. You know that gold and silver do not come down from the sky.“
“A person should be like a child in his family and like a man outside.“
“Try not to be in need of people. Thus, you will protect your religion and be the most generous person among people.“
“May Allah be pleased with the person who shows me my mistakes!“
* * *
Hz. Umar reported 73 hadiths from the Prophet. One of them is as follows:
“If you relied on Allah properly, you would obtain your sustenance easily like the birds that leave their nests with empty craws in the morning and return to their nests full.“ [13]
The Prophet liked Hz. Umar a lot and appreciated him. He mentioned the virtues of Umar in several hadiths. Some of them are as follows:
“The sun has not risen on a person better than Umar.“ [14]
“There is no angel that does not show respect to Umar in the sky and no devil that does not fear Umar on earth.“ [15]
Once, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was in Paradise in his dream. He saw a woman making wudu near a magnificent mansion. He asked to whom who the mansion belonged. He was told it belonged to Umar bin Khattab. [16]
Hz. Umar made a lot of innovations in administration. We will summarize them in items:
·The arrangement of the incomes and expenses of the Treasury.
• Adopting the Migration of the Prophet as the start of the Muslim calendar.
• Establishing courts.
• Dividing the conquered land into provinces.
• Building prisons.
• Establishing the security department.
• Determining the movement system of the army.
• The arrangement of some city centers like Kufa, Basra, Mosul.
• Allowing foreigners to do business in the Islamic land.
• Putting helpless and poor Jews and Christians on salary.
• Building irrigation canals.
• Starting the system of preaching in all mosques.
• Building canals to meet the need of drinking waters for cities.
• Using the title “the Leader of the Believers“.
• Putting imams and muezzins on salary.
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Abdurrahman was one of the first eight people who became Muslims and the fifth person who became a Muslim through Hz. Abu Bakr (r.a.). He was born in the year of the Incident of Elephant and was at the same age as Hz. Prophet (pbuh).
His name was "Abdulkaaba" before Islam but the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) changed it as "Abdurrahman". He was one of the Muslims who received the honor of migrating to both Ethiopia and Madinah.
A very nice and exceptional scene occurred after the Migration:
Makkan Muhajirs and Ansars of Madinah were declared brothers with the suggestion of the Prophet. Ansar made more sacrifices for their Makkan brothers than they would do for their own brothers; they shared their houses, money and property with them. Everybody became brothers and hugged each other with warm and fresh feelings.
Two of the people that the Prophet had declared brothers were Abdurrahman bin Awf of Makkah and Sa’d bin Rabi’ of Madinah. Sa’d said to Abdurrahman,
"My brother! I am the richest person in Madinah. Here is my property; take half of it. I have two wives; I will divorce the one that you like so that you can marry her."
Abdurrahman’s answer was as follows:
"My brother Sa’d! May Allah make your property and family blessed for you! Just show me the way to the market."
They showed Abdurrahman the way to the market. He went straight to the market and returned home after earning a lot of money. Afterwards, Abdurrahman received the Prophet's prayer for the abundance of property. He soon became so rich that once he gave away 700 camels and their loads on the way of Allah. He said, "I saw that even a stone that I held turned to gold and silver." [1]
Hz. Abdurrahman, who took part in the battle of Badr displayed great heroism.
During the Battle of Badr, when the Prophet could not see him, he asked where he was. A Companion said:
"O Messenger of Allah! I saw him on the foot of the mountain. Many polytheists had gathered around him. I wanted to help him but when I saw you, I came here." The Prophet said,
"Do not worry about him because angels are helping him."
Then, the same Companion went to look for Abdurrahman and saw that he had killed seven people.
He asked Abdurrahman, "Did you kill all of them?" Hz. Abdurrahman said:
"I killed these two people but somebody I had never seen before killed the others." Thereupon, the Companion said,
"The Messenger of Allah told the truth."
One of the Companions who protected the Prophet with their bodies in the Battle of Badr was Hz. Abdurrahman. He was wounded 21 times in the battle. The injury he received in his leg disabled him and caused him to limp.
Hz. Abdurrahman did not want the Prophet to be harmed or injured in any way. Therefore, he never left him alone. Once, he saw the Prophet going somewhere alone. He worried that something might happen to him and started to follow him. The Messenger of Allah prostrated and remained like that for a long time. Hz. Abdurrahman feared that he might have died. He approached the Prophet. Just then, the Messenger of Allah sat up. When he saw Abdurrahman, he asked,
"What is the matter?" Hz. Abdurrahman said,
"O Messenger of Allah! You remained in prostration so long that I feared you might have died." The Prophet said,
"Jibril arrived and said, ‘A person who utters salawat for you will receive the forgiveness and salutation of Allah Almighty.’ I prostrated in order to thank Allah for it." [2]
Hz. Abdurrahman spent most of his days fasting and went to hajj every year. He did not hesitate to spend his wealth, which he obtained thanks to the abundance of the prayer of the Prophet. Once, he gave away 40 thousand dinars, 500 horses and 500 camels for jihad. He lived plainly and modestly; he always laid tables for the poor in his house. [3]
According to a narration of Anas, once, some sounds were heard in Madinah. Hz. Aisha asked,
"What is this?" They answered,
"It is Abdurrahman bin Afw's caravan." Thereupon, Hz. Aisha said,
"I heard the Messenger of Allah say,
‘I saw Abdurrahman bin Awf entering Paradise by crawling.’"
When Abdurrahman was told about it, he said:
"If I could, I would like to enter Paradise by walking." Then, he gave away that caravan with all of the goods in it to the poor. [4]
Abdurrahman (r.a.) sometimes received the prayers of the Messenger of Allah. Once, the Prophet prayed as follows: "O Allah! Make, Abdurrahman drink from the fountains of Paradise!" On the other hand, this lucky Companion received the following compliment from the Prophet: "Abdurrahman bin Awf is trustworthy both on the earth and in the sky."
Abdurrahman bin Awf (r.a.) was so generous in spending his wealth in the way of Allah, was so careful and sensitive about his worship, and was so brave and self-sacrificing in jihad but he sometimes remembered the Companions that were more self-sacrificing than him and cried due to his anxiety that he might not make enough preparation for the hereafter.
Once, while he was eating at the table, he could not help saying,
"Mus’ab bin Umayr, who was better than me, was wrapped in a cardigan when he was martyred. When his head was covered by it, his feet were left uncovered and when his feet were covered by it, his head was left uncovered. When Hamza, who was better than me, was martyred, he was in the same state. I fear that I will take the rewards of my good deeds in this world and that nothing will be left to the other world."
Hz. Abdurrahman could not eat after these statements. [5]
In the 6th year of Migration, the Prophet appointed Abdurrahman to go to the tribe of Kalb in Dumatul-Jandal to tell them about Islam. Before Abdurrahman set off, the Prophet wrapped Abdurrahman’s turban with his own hands and gave him the standard of the army. Then he said,
"Go with the name of Allah in the way of Allah. Act in accordance with the orders of Allah. Invite the tribe of Kalb to Islam. If they accept, marry the daughter of the leader of the tribe of Kalb."
Abdurrahman bin Awf conveyed the message of Islam so nicely there that the majority of the Christian tribes accepted Islam and the remaining tribes accepted to pay jizyah. [6]
Once, Hz. Abdurrahman was leading a prayer when the Messenger of Allah came and followed Abdurrahman in the prayer, which increased his virtue. The incident took place during the expedition of Tabuk. The Prophet had left the caravan. The time for the morning prayer was about to end. The Companions asked Hz. Abdurrahman to lead the prayer and followed him in the prayer. The Prophet arrived when they were bowing down at the end of the first rak'ah. He joined the congregation and performed the prayer under the leadership of Abdurrahman. After they ended the prayer, the Prophet stood up and completed his prayer. When he ended his prayer, he said,
"You performed the prayer very well. Well done!" Thus, he complemented Abdurrahman. [7]
Hz. Abdurrahman was one of the people who were aware of the fact that it could be dangerous to be wealthy. He was worried about it. Once he went to Umm Salama, one of the wives of the Prophet, and told her about his worry and said,
"The muchness of wealth causes destruction. Therefore, I am worried." Umm Salama said,
"However, wealth spent in the way of Allah is not like that." Then, Abdurrahman felt relieved because he always spent his wealth in the way of Allah.
Hz. Abdurrahman (r.a.), read ayatul kursiyy whenever he entered his house and prayed as follows:"O Allah! Protect me from the stinginess of my soul." When they asked him, "Is there not anything else that you want to ask from Allah?", he would answer as follows:
"If I am protected from the stinginess of my soul, I will not commit theft, fornication or any other sins."
Hz. Abdurrahman was one of the most important assistants of both Hz. Abu Bakr and Hz. Umar. Both caliphs gave importance to his views and consulted him about important issues.
After Hz. Umar was martyred, people saw the great sacrifice and waiver of Abdurrahman bin Awf. When it became clear that Hz. Umar would not survive the assassination, the notable ones among the Companions asked him to nominate someone for the caliphate. Hz. Umar said he thought one of the following people should be chosen: "Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, Hz. Talha, Hz. Uthman, Hz. Ali, Hz. Zubayr and Abdurrahman bin Awf".
In the first consultation after the death of Hz. Umar, Abdurrahman made the following offer:
"Let three of us waive for the other three."
Thereupon, Hz. Zubayr, Hz. Talha and Hz. Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas waived in favor of Abdurrahman bin Awf. Then, Abdurrahman waived and only two candidates were left: Hz. Ali and Hz. Uthman.
Hz. Abdurrahman said to them:
"Let us give this duty to the one who will waive among you."
However, both of them kept silent. Thereupon, Abdurrahman said:
"Will you allow me to choose one of you? I will search who deserves it more and choose him."
Both Hz. Ali and Hz. Uthman accepted his offer.
Abdurrahman bin Awf consulted the Companions for three days and nights; consequently, he decided that Hz. Uthman should be the Caliph. Then, he called people and told them about his view. Then, he became the first person to pay allegiance to Hz. Uthman. Thereupon, everyone paid allegiance to Hz Uthman. [8]
Abdurrahman was one of the Companions that benefited from the knowledge of the Prophet the most. He reported many hadiths. Two of the hadiths he reported were as follows:
"If you hear that there exists plague in a place, do not go there. If plague breaks out in the place where you live, do not leave your place!" [9]
"If a woman performs five daily prayers, fasts in Ramadan, protects her chastity and obeys her husband, she will be addressed as follows: ‘Enter Paradise through any door you want.’" [10]
Abdurrahman bin Awf (r.a.) bequeathed that 400 dinars be given from his inheritance to each martyr of the Battle of Badr. The number of the martyrs of Badr was 100...
Abdurrahman died in the 21st year of the Migration at the age of 72. His janazah prayer was led by Hz. Uthman or according to another narration by Zubayr bin Awwam. May Allah make us follow their path!
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Hz. Zubayr, whom the Prophet (pbuh) praised by saying, "Every prophet has a disciple; my disciple is Zubayr" [1], is one of the first lucky people that became Muslims. He is the closest friend of the Prophet in his cause. He is also the son of Hz. Safiyya, the Prophet's paternal aunt. His father, Awwam, is the brother of Hz. Khadija, the wife of the Prophet. His lineage goes back to Qusayy, one of the ancestors of the Prophet.
Hz. Zubayr was brought up by his mother since his father died when he was very young. Hz. Safiyya acted very carefully to educate her son. She sometimes beat him to prepare him for life. When some people saw her beating him, they said, "You break the heart of your son. You will destroy him." She answered them as follows:
"I beat Zubayr not because I dislike him but because I want him to become wiser, to be a man and to become a hero that will defeat armies and return with booty in the future." [2]
Indeed, the basic education that Hz. Zubayr received from his mother was seen in his life. He was known for his courage and heroism. After he became a Muslim, he fought very bravely and was ready to sacrifice his life. His paternal uncle forced him to abandon his religion by torturing him but he persevered and said, "O uncle! I will never return to unbelief." [3]
During the period when the polytheists gave no respite to Muslims in Makkah, he heard that the Prophet had been killed. Hz. Zubayr was very young then, only fifteen. He drew his sword and set off to attack the polytheists without searching the news. The Prophet (pbuh) saw him on the way and asked,
"What happened Zubayr? Where are you going?"
Hz. Zubayr was astonished when he saw that the Prophet was alive. He said, "O Messenger of Allah! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! I heard that you had been killed; I was going to attack the polytheists." The Prophet soothed him and prayed for him. [4]
Thus, Hz. Zubayr became the first person to draw his sword against unbelievers.
Hz. Zubayr, who was attached to the holy cause with all his being, underwent various kinds of torture and oppression; however, these assaults stimulated and encouraged him; they increased his determination to struggle.
Hz. Zubayr joined the caravan that migrated to Abyssinia. Then, he migrated to Madinah.
After he rejoined the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in Madinah, he never left him and was always at his service; he was with the Prophet in sunshine and in storm. He was with the Prophet in all battles; he faced up to dangers and sacrificed himself. Hz. Zubayr states the following regarding the issue:
"There is no place in my body that was not wounded in the battles that I joined with the Messenger of Allah."
It is stated that even his private parts were wounded. [5]
During the Battle of Badr, he knocked down all of his opponents one by one and he destroyed the polytheists at the fiercest moments of the battle. However, he was seriously wounded. When Urwa, his son, was talking about the depth of the wound his father received, he said, "My finger could enter in it."
Hz. Zubayr had wrapped a yellow turban around his head. When the Messenger of Allah saw him attacking the enemy, he praised his courage and heroism as follows:
"I see angels coming down with yellow turbans in the appearance of Zubayr." [6]
One of the two cavalries that gave no respite to the enemy was Hz. Zubayr. In fact, there were only two cavalries in the Battle of Badr.
One of the few warriors that fought next to the Messenger of Allah at the Battle of Uhud was Hz. Zubayr. Before the battle, he paid allegiance to the Prophet vowing to die. After the first defeat, he was one of the brave Companions that acted like shields for the Prophet and preferred the life of the Messenger of Allah to their own lives.
Hz. Zubayr was next to Hz. Ali, who repulsed the attacks of the polytheists and fought very hard during the Battle of Khandaq.
After the Qurayza Jews violated the treaty they signed with the Prophet, the Prophet was looking for a commander to lead the expedition. Whenever he asked who was going to go, Zubayr always said he was. The Prophet became very pleased that Hz. Zubayr volunteered to go and complimented him by saying, "May my mother and father be sacrificed for you, O Zubayr!"
The Prophet (pbuh) mentioned the name of Zubayr when he listed the Companions who would go to Paradise. [7]
Hz. Zubayr, who was always in the first ranks in the battles and who always fought bravely, was fighting Yasir, one of the best warriors of the Jews, in Khaybar. A severe fighting started. His mother, Safiyya, was behind the battlefront. She felt impatient due to the compassion she felt toward her son. She could not help approaching the Prophet and asked him,
"O Messenger of Allah! Was my son martyred?" The Prophet answered,
"No, your son will kill him inshaallah!"
A little while after this answer, Hz. Zubayr killed his opponent.[8]
During the conquest of Makkah, Hz. Zubayr was the standard-bearer of the Prophet. Some of the people of Makkah had come together and were applauding the mujahids of Islam. Meanwhile, Hz. Zubayr and Miqdad bin Aswad arrived on horseback. The Prophet wiped the dust on their faces with his garment, turned to them and said,
"I give two shares for the horse and one share for the cavalry from the booty. May Allah diminish a person who diminishes this amount!" [9]
During the Battle of Hunayn, among the warriors who remained around the Prophet and did not leave him alone was Hz. Zubayr. Hz. Zubayr, who was a tall, strong and well rounded person, beat off the polytheists one by one. He did his best to keep the enemy away from the Prophet.
Hz. Zubayr, who joined the Taif Siege and Tabuk Expedition, was near the Prophet during the Farewell Hajj, too.
Hz. Zubayr joined the army of conquest during the caliphate of Hz. Umar again. Hz. Zubayr, who fought at the front during the battle of Yarmuk, had a big share in the victory.
Hz. Amr bin As, who was appointed to conquer Egypt, asked help from Hz. Umar during the Siege of Fustat. Hz. Umar sent him 4000 soldiers. Hz. Zubayr and three more Companions led the army. Hz. Amr appointed Hz. Zubayr for the siege.
Hz. Zubayr besieged the castle using his military experience and genius. After deploying the cavalrymen and infantry in appropriate places, he set up catapults. When the siege took a long time, he placed rope ladders on the walls of the castle. The warrior climbed up the ladders and opened the gate of the castle. Thus, the castle was conquered. [10]
Distinguished Companions like Hz. Zubayr had a big role in making Syria and Egypt parts of the Islamic land. These countries, which were conquered as a result of jihad, became parts of the Islamic land.
Along with his stoutness, daringness, bravery and heroism in the battle, Hz. Zubayr was a man of taqwa; he was a very merciful, righteous, delicate, decent and distinguished person.
He was so altruistic as to sacrifice all of his property and his life for the sake of his belief; he was very determined and always thought about the truth when he made a decision. He was a merchant and one of the richest Companions. However, he was very generous and munificent. He took care of many poor Muslims. He met all of their needs. He always helped those who asked for a loan; he prepared the mujahids for war and provided equipment for them.
He was very rich but he lived modestly and wore plain clothes. He had a modest life. He accepted the Prophet as his model in his deeds and life.
He was famous for his trustworthiness among Muslims. The Companions entrusted their most valuable possessions to him. Due to this property of his, Hz. Umar praised him by calling him "a pillar of the religion".
Hz. Zubayr, lived calmly during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman and did not take part in administration; after Hz. Ali became the caliph, he applied to him with Hz. Talha and asked the murderers of Hz. Uthman to be punished. Then, they supported Hz. Aisha when the Incident of Camel took place.
Both groups had approached each other without intending to fight. However, due to the provocation of some intriguers and mischief-makers, they drew their swords and Muslim blood was shed.
The next day, Hz. Ali came across Hz. Zubayr. Hz. Ali asked him why he opposed and reminded him a hadith of the Prophet:
"Do you remember? Once I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and came across you. The Messenger of Allah said to you, ‘One day, you will fight Ali unjustly.'"
When Hz. Zubayr heard this warning, he acted righteously and said,
"Yes, I remember it now. If I had remembered it before, I would not have stood up and moved. I swear that I will not fight you." Then, he went to Hz. Aisha and told her that he gave up fighting. [11]
While Hz. Zubayr was leaving, a man called "Amr bin Jurmuz" started to follow him. He approached Hz. Zubayr and wanted to ask him some questions. He had a sword. Hz. Zubayr started to perform a prayer. While he was in prostration, Amr bin Jurmuz drew his sword and martyred this great Companion.
He took Hz. Zubayr's horse, sword and ring and took them to Hz. Ali. When Hz. Ali found out what happened, he said,
"The person who killed Safiyya's son will go to Hell."
Hz. Zubayr, who was martyred in the 36th year of the Migration, was 64 years old.
Zubayr bin Awwam learned about his reward in the hereafter when he was alive. The Prophet gave him the glad tidings by saying, "Talha and Zubayr are my neighbors in Paradise." [12]
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The stars of the Prophet in sky of the guidance were appearing one by one. As each star appeared, the darkness of the ignorance started to disappear and the world got brighter. The luminous horizon that will bring happiness to man was becoming more and more distinct. One of the stars in the horizon was Hz. Said.
Hz. Said was a very active young man aged only 19 or 20. When he heard the divine call of the Prophet, he went to the presence of the Prophet with his wife without any hesitation and they became Muslims. The young couple became happy individuals of the true religion. They were the 12the and 13th Muslims. [1]
His family had a big role in Hz. Said's accepting Islam. His family was away from the customs of ignorance. His father, Zayd, was a very good man and he believed in the existence and oneness of Allah. He had the belief of oneness before the Prophet started to receive revelation. He was not a polytheist. He stated that he followed the religion of Hz. Ibrahim and said, "My deity is Ibrahim's Allah and my religion is Ibrahim's religion.
Zayd, had searched and found the religion called "Hanif", which was the belief of oneness then, and of which Hz. Ibrahim was a member. He went to Damascus for it. He met a Jewish scholar there. He wanted to accept the religion of Judaism but he said, "If you accept our religion, you will draw the wrath of Allah." Then, he said, "Accept the religion of Hanif, which is different from Christianity and Judaism and which is the religion of Ibrahim worshipping only Allah, if you can find it." When he heard the same things from a Christian scholar, Zayd declared that he had accepted the creed of oneness by saying, "O Lord! Witness that I have accepted the religion of Ibrahim (pbuh)." [2] One of those scholars said to Zayd, "The religion you are looking for here will emerge in your country." Zayd returned to Makkah and started to live in accordance with his belief.
Once, Qurayshis organized a feast. The Prophet was invited to the feast but he did not eat the food served there. Zayd did not eat, either. He said,
"I do not eat the meat of the animals you slaughter by the name of your idols. I will only eat those slaughtered by the name of Allah. Allah created sheep. He sent rain from the sky. He produced grass out of the ground. And you slaughter this animal by the name of other deities."
These words made the polytheists very angry. The polytheists who could not put up with the insults to their idols and who regarded it as the most unforgivable sin started to torture Zayd. The leader of those who tortured him was his uncle Khattab. He provoked young people and sent them to Zayd to beat him. He did not allow Zayd to enter Makkah. He would enter Makkah secretly at night. Zayd, who struggled for his belief on his own, died a short time before Hz. Muhammad started to receive revelation.
When the Prophet was asked about the state of Zayd, he said,
"He will be resurrected as a single ummah on the Day of Judgment. He worshipped in the Era of Ignorance. He followed the religion of Hz. Ibrahim and he accepted Allah as one."
Upon the question of Hz. Umar and Said bin Zayd, the Prophet said they could pray for him. [3]
Hz. Said bin Zayd was the son of such a father. Hz. Said continued the struggle that he carried out alone together with the Prophet. He was a relative of the Prophet. Ka'b was an ancestor of both the Prophet and Hz. Said bin Zayd. He was also a cousin of Hz. Umar and his brother-in-law.
Hz. Said and his wife became Muslims before Hz. Umar. They had a big effect on Hz. Umar's being a Muslim. Acting upon the decision made by the polytheists, Umar set off in order to kill the Prophet. On the way, he found out that his sister and brother-in-law had accepted the religion of Hz. Muhammad (pbuh). Umar got furious and wanted to kill them first. He knocked on their door. Meanwhile, he heard a spiritual voice that he had never heard before. When the door opened, he shouted,
"What were you reading?"
Hz. Said, who was very excited, said,
"Nothing. We were just talking to each other loudly." However, Umar realized what was happening and knocked him down. He started to hit and kick him. He also slapped his sister Fatima, who ran to save her husband. She was in blood. Hz. Fatima could not bear it any longer, stood up and shouted:
"O Umar! Do whatever you can. My husband and I have become Muslims. We believe in Allah and His Messenger. We are not going to quit our religion."
When Umar saw the brave reaction of his sister, he showed mercy and asked them to give him what they were reading. Hz. Khabbab, who was hiding behind the curtain, came out and gave him the pages of the Quran they were reading.
Hz. Umar could read and write. When he read the first verses of the chapter of Taha, he felt that his heart was softening. Then, he went to the Prophet and became a Muslim. [4]
Hz. Said was an unmatched believer who did not leave the Prophet even for a moment. He worked for Islam during its most troubled and hard period fearlessly and without feeling tired. He was one of the first Companions who migrated to Madinah with his wife after the migration of the Prophet. The Prophet made him brothers with Hz. Ubayy bin Ka'b from Ansar.
Hz. Said was near the Prophet in all battles except the Battle of Badr. Before the Battle of Badr, the Prophet had appointed him and Hz. Talha for reconnaissance. They were given the duty of checking the movements of the polytheists. When they returned to Madinah, they found out that the Muslims had won the Battle of Badr. They felt sorry that they could not take part in the battle but the Prophet accepted as if they had fought in the battle and gave their shares from the booty fully. [5]
In the battles that followed, they fought heroically together with the Prophet.
Hz. Said, who heard the glad tiding of eternal bliss from the tongue of the Prophet, spent his luminous and long life in the struggle for belief. He was so close to the Prophet that he was always around him like a moth. Said bin Jubayr expresses this closeness as follows:
"Abu Bakir, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, Zubayr, Sa'd, Abdurrahman bin Awf and Said bin Zayd used to fight in front of the Messenger of Allah during the battle and pray behind him during the prayers." [6]
They always showed that they were loyal friends of the Prophet in all phases of their lives.
After the death of the Messenger of Allah, Hz. Said, formed the most important link of the caravan of the Islamic service. He showed great effort in the selection of the caliphs. He exerted great efforts in order to prevent disagreement and conflicts. When he placed Hz Umar, who was the symbol of justice, in the grave next to the Prophet, he was shedding tears.
When somebody asked, "O Aba Awar! Why are you crying?", Hz. Said he was crying for his cause:
"I am crying for Islam. The martyrdom of Hz. Umar is a gap opened in Islam. This gap is not going to be closed until the Day of Judgment." [7] Thus, he expressed the unique place of Hz. Umar in the history of Islam.
Hz. Said had a great role in the Victory of Yarmuk and the Conquest of Damascus during the caliphate of Hz. Umar. Hz. Said was the commander of a military unit when they encountered the Byzantine army in the Valley of Yarmuk. The Byzantine army suddenly attacked the left wing of the Islamic army. It looked as if the Byzantine army would defeat them. Hz. Said was among the commanders that preserved their places and persevered. He jumped off his horse and said,
"Solemnity and recklessness make man attain honor in the world and mercy in the hereafter. We should try to attain both."
The mujahids were excited by his speech and played an important role in the Victory of Yarmuk. Their commander fought at the front and kneeled down when he was tired. The enemy panicked when Hz. Said killed the Byzantine commander. Making use of this panic, Hz. Said, attacked the center. Soon, the river behind them was full of the dead bodies of the enemy soldiers.[8]
After the Conquest of Damascus, Hz. Abu Ubayda, the commander of the army offered Hz. Said to become the governor of Damascus. Preferring serving to holding a post, Hz. Said wanted to make jihad; he said,
"O Abu Ubayda! I want to make jihad in the way of Allah. Give the post of governorship to another brother that you find appropriate."
Hz. Said served in the Islamic army of conquest for a long time. He played an important role in making the region of Iraq and Syria become parts of the Islamic land. Then, he travelled around these regions, and taught and trained people. He tried to prevent the gossips against Hz. Uthman and Hz. Ali. Mughira bin Shuba was the governor of Kufa. Once, Mughira was sitting in the biggest mosque of Kufa and people had gathered around him.
Meanwhile, Hz. Said entered the mosque. The governor welcomed him with respect and made him sit next to him. Then, a man from Kufa entered the mosque and started to utter ugly words. Hz. Said could not realize what was happening and asked the governor,
"O Mughira! Against whom is this man talking?" Mughira said,
"Against Hz. Ali." When Hz. Said heard it, he became very sad and said to the governor,
"O Mughira! The Companion of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is insulted and condemned in your presence but you do not prevent him; you keep silent!" Hz. Said kept on speaking:
"I will report you a hadith that I heard from the Messenger of Allah with my own ears. The Messenger of Allah said, "Abu Bakr is in Paradise; Umar is in Paradise; Uthman is in Paradise; Ali is in Paradise; Talha is in Paradise; Zubayr is in Paradise; Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas is in Paradise." If it was necessary to mention the ninth one, I would mention him, too."
The next day, people gathered around Hz. Said and insisted on learning the name of the person he did not mention by vowing. Hz. Said could not put up with their insistence and said,
"Since you have vowed by the name of Allah, I will tell you: I am the ninth one."
Then, he said,
"It would be better for any of you to live with the Messenger of Allah and make his face dusty in jihad than all of the good deeds he would do if he lived as long as Noah." [9]
Hz. Said bin Zayd spent the last years of his long life in Aqiq near Madinah. He was engaged in agriculture there.
Once, a woman called "Awra binti Uways", whose land was next to his land, went to Marwan bin Hakam, the governor of Madinah and complained about him. She said,
"Said bin Zayd occupied some of my land. Take it from him and give it to me."
The governor sent a few people to investigate the issue. Hz. Said was in his land in Aqiq. The delegation mentioned him about the complaint. Said, whose place in Paradise was definite when he was alive, realized that he was wronged. He said to them,
"Let me report you something that I heard from the Prophet: The Messenger of Allah said, 'If a person seizes a land that does not belong to him, that land will be wrapped around his neck on the Day of Judgment even if he is under the seventh floor of the earth. A person who dies for his property is regarded as a martyr.'"
Then, Hz. Said vowed that he did not violate the land of the woman. Then, he raised his hands and prayed as follows:
"O Allah! If this woman is lying, blind her eyes before she dies and make her well a grave for her!"
Allah Almighty heard the cry of the oppressed and accepted his prayer. The woman who slandered him became blind after a while. Then, she fell into the well in her garden while she was wandering around her house. The well became her grave. [10]
Hz. Said, who was mentioned by respect and mercy by the believers due to his exemplary life and his unbreakable connection with the Sunnah of the Prophet and who was a man of Paradise, died in the 51st year of the Migration at the age of 80. His dead body was washed by Hz. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas. His janazah prayer was led by Hz. Abdullah bin Umar. [11]
May Allah be pleased with him!
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Hz. Ali was the son of Abu Talib, the paternal uncle of the Prophet. Abu Talib brought up the Prophet and took care of him for a long time though he was poor. He would not let anyone from his family start eating before Hz. Muhammad came to the table. He knew through experience that Hz. Muhammad was a source of abundance.
After marrying Hz. Khadijah, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) brought Hz. Ali to his house and took care of him in order to pay his debt of gratitude and to relieve him of his burden. Hz. Ali was only 4 or 5 years old then. Thus, he spent his childhood under the supervision of the Prophet.
When the Prophet was assigned the duty of prophethood, Hz. Ali was 10 years old. The honor of believing him first was attained by Hz. Khadijah among women and Hz. Ali among children.
Once, Hz. Ali saw Hz. Prophet and Hz. Khadijah performing a prayer and started to watch them admiringly. When the prayer ended, he did not hide his admiration and asked the Prophet in a childish manner:
"What were you doing?" The Prophet said:
"O Ali! This is the religion that Allah likes. I invite you to believe in Allah, who is one. I ask you to avoid worshipping idols which bring no benefits or harms."
Upon this offer, Hz. Ali said:
"I need to consult my father, Abu Talib."
However, the Prophet had not been ordered to declare his cause yet. He did not want it to be heard. He said,
"O Ali! Either accept what I offer you, or do not tell anybody about it if you do not accept it."
Hz. Ali spent that night thinking about it. In the morning, he went to the Messenger of Allah and said to him in a manner that could not be expected from a child:
"Allah did not ask Abu Talib when He created me; so, why should I consult my father to worship Allah?"
With these words, Hz. Ali got the honor of becoming a believer by showing the maturity of a person brought up by the Messenger of Allah.
After that, Hz. Ali followed the Messenger of Allah like a shadow. However, his parents were worried about him lest something bad should happen to him. However, when Abu Talib listened to the Messenger of Allah, he acknowledged him to be right. Abu Talib was not a Muslim but he did not object to his son being a Muslim. As a matter of fact, when his wife became worried that the polytheists could torture him, he said to her:
"If my soul allowed me to leave the religion of Abdulmuttalib, I would accept the religion of Muhammad. For, he is lenient, trustable and pure." [1]
Hz. Ali had never worshipped idols. He always hated them. He never left the Prophet during the period of Makka. During the Migration, he fulfilled a very important duty by lying in the bed of the Prophet.
Before the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) left Makkah with Hz. Abu Bakr, he asked Hz. Ali to lie in his bed that night. The Prophet gave the things had been entrusted to him to Hz. Ali. He told Hz. Ali to migrate to Madinah after delivering them to their owners.
The polytheists surrounded the house of the Messenger of Allah. They started to wait for the Prophet to come out of the house from the places where they were hiding when it started to get light. For, according to the traditions of that time, it was regarded as cowardice to kill a person in his house.
The Messenger of Allah made Hz. Ali lie in his bed and left the house. He picked up a handful of soil and threw it at the polytheists and he passed before them by reading the first eight verses of the chapter of Yasin. None of the polytheists saw him.
The polytheists were still waiting. After a while, they thought that the Prophet might have left. They looked through the window of the Prophet's house. They thought the person in the bed (Hz. Ali) was the Prophet. They said, "Muhammad is there, sleeping" and kept waiting.
When it became the morning, they could not wait any longer and entered the house. They were astonished when they saw Hz. Ali in the bed. They asked him where the Prophet was but he did not answer. They did not insist on asking him very much; they did not want to lose time so they sent men around to look for him.
Hz. Ali left the house and delivered the things that had been entrusted to the Prophet to their owners. Three days later, he also set off for Madinah. After a long and tiring journey, he arrived in Madinah. The soles of his feet were torn and swollen. When the Prophet saw the sorrowful state of Hz. Ali, he could not help crying. Then, he wiped under the feet of Hz. Ali and prayed Allah for his recovery. At that moment, his feet got well and his pains ended. [2]
The most distinguished quality of Hz. Ali was his courage. He displayed examples of his courage in all of the battles he took part.
For instance, when the polytheists attacked with the intention of killing the Prophet during the Battle of Uhud, Hz. Ali was one of those who tried to protect him by forming a wall of flesh. At one moment, a group of polytheists started move toward the Prophet. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) ordered Hz. Ali to confront them. Hz. Ali attacked them and scattered them. He killed one of them. Soon, another group attacked. The Prophet ordered Hz. Ali to confront them again. Hz. Ali killed Shayba bin Malik among them.
Thereupon, Jibril came to the Prophet and said:
"O Messenger of Allah! What Hz. Ali did is great heroism and bravery." The Prophet said,
"He is of me and I am of him", appreciating Hz. Ali. Jibril said,
"I am of both of you." Meanwhile, the following was heard from the sky:
"There is no hero like Ali and there is no sword like Dhul-Fiqar."
Hz. Ali was knocked down a few times by the polytheists during the Battle of Uhud but he was helped by Jibril to stand up each time. [3]
The conquest of Khaybar turned out to be very difficult because Khaybar was a town consisting of strong castles built on volcanic land. Most of the Jews exiled from Madinah lived there. While the siege was going on, the Messenger of Allah once said:
"I am going to give the standard to such a person tomorrow that Allah and His Messenger love him and he loves Allah and His Messenger. Allah is going to realize the conquest through him."
Upon this statement, the mujahids started to wonder about that person. Who was going to have this honor? Most of the Companions wanted to attain this honor. One of them was Hz. Umar. He said, "I had never wanted to be the commander so much before. I waited hoping that I would be called."
Everybody was looking forward to the morning. Finally, it was the expected moment. The Prophet said,
"Bring me the standard." They brought the standard. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked,
"Where is Ali?" Hz. Ali came but his eyes were in pain, The Messenger of Allah wiped Hz. Ali's eyes with his blessed hand. Then, he prayed Allah as follows:
"O Allah! Eliminate the troubles of the heat and cold from Ali. Then, he said:
"Walk until Allah makes the conquest easy for you." Hz. Ali, whose pains were relieved, proceeded to his target. [4]
Hz. Ali planted the white standard of the Messenger of Allah in front of the Castle of Khaybar. Meanwhile, Marhab, who was accepted as a strong and brave person, came out of the castle with his men. He was wearing double armors and had two swords. He shouted,
"I can kill even lions with my sword and spear." Hz. Ali said:
"My mother gave me the name 'Khaydar'. I am as brave as the most majestic lions in the jungle. I will not let you live; I will knock you down."
In the one on one struggle, Hz. Ali split Marhab, the strongest man of the Jews, into two with his sword. When the Messenger of Allah saw this incident, he said,
"Rejoice! The conquest of Khaybar got easier."
Thereupon, all mujahids attacked the castle and conquered it. Hz. Ali removed the gate of the castle, which was very heavy, and used it as a shield. When the battle ended, he put the gate on the ground. Eight people could not lift it. [5]
Hz. Ali took part in all battles with the Prophet except Tabuk. The reason why he did not take part in that battle was that the Prophet left him as his deputy in Madinah.
It was very difficult for Hz. Ali, who was a hero, to be away from the army of jihad. He said,
"O Messenger of Allah! Are you leaving me among women and children?"
Thereupon, the Prophet said,
"Do you not want to act as my deputy just like Aaron, who acted as the deputy of Moses? There is only one difference: there are no prophets after me."
After this statement of the Prophet's, Hz. Ali felt relieved and remained in Madinah as his deputy. [6]
One of the most outstanding qualities of Hz. Ali was his sincerity. His aim in everything was the consent of Allah. When his soul and feelings became involved in something, he would abandon it at once
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi narrates an incident regarding the issue as follows:
Imam Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) once threw an unbeliever to the ground. As he drew his sword to kill him, the unbeliever spat in his face. He released him without killing him. The unbeliever said: "Why did you not kill me'?"
He replied: "I was going to kill you for the sake of Allah. However, when you spat at me, I became angered, and the purity of my intention was clouded by the inclinations of my soul. It is for this reason that I did not kill you."
The unbeliever replied: "If your religion is so pure and disinterested, it must be the truth." [7]
Hz. Ali based all of his deeds on taqwa. He advised other people taqwa, too. He stated the following regarding the issue:
"Pay attention to taqwa and use it as a means of acceptance for your deeds in the eye of Allah. Worship performed with taqwa is never regarded as little. Can accepted deeds be little?"
Hz. Ali believed that tawakkul and showing consent to qadar was the source of happiness and said:
"A person who does not show consent to qadar cannot feel the flavor of belief. Whether a person shows consent to his qadar or not, that thing will happen to him. If he shows consent to what Allah predestined for him, he will gain rewards; if he does not, he will be a sinner."
Hz. Ali was one of the Companions who benefited from the Prophet the most regarding every issue. The Prophet stated the following in order to express the greatness of his knowledge:
"I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the door of the city of knowledge. Those who want to learn knowledge should enter through that door." [8]
Hz. Ali knew the science of the Quran very well. He knew very well where, why and for whom each verse was sent down. Once he addressed a large group of people as follows:
"Ask me. I will answer each question you ask me. Ask me about the Book of Allah. I swear by Allah that there is no verse that I do not when (at night or during the day) and where (on the mountain or plain) it was sent down." [9]
Along with these virtues, Hz. Ali had the great honor of marrying the youngest and most beloved daughter of the Prophet. Five months after the arrival of the Prophet in Madinah, he got engaged with Hz. Fatima. They got married in the second year of migration after the Battle of Badr.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) ordered Hz. Bilal al-Habashi to make bread from four or five handfuls of flour. He also wanted a young camel to be slaughtered." Bilal al-Habashi said:
"I bought the food. He put his blessed hand on it. Then, the Companions arrived in groups. They ate and left. He prayed for the remaining part of the food. He sent a bowl of food to each one of his wives. He said, ‘Let them eat and make those near them eat, too.’ Yes, such abundance is necessary for such a blessed marriage and it is certain that it happened." [10]
Hz. Hasan and a year later Hz. Husayn was born out of this blessed marriage. This made the Prophet very happy. Hz Prophet loved his grandsons very much. He carried them on his shoulders. He said the following about them:
"They are my two basils that I kiss and smell in this world." [11]
* * *
Once Hz. Hasan and Husayn became ill. Hz. Ali and Hz. Fatima vowed to fast for three days if their beloved children got well. When Allah Almighty restored them to health, they started to perform fasting. In the evening, when it was time for iftar, they had only one piece of bread to eat. Just then, an orphan arrived. They gave the bread to the orphan and they broke their fast with only water. On the second and third days, a poor man and a slave arrived. They gave their food to them. They became very weak because of not eating anything three days on end. In the morning, they went to the presence of the Messenger of Allah with their children. Their pale faces attracted the attention of the Prophet. He said,
"O Ali! What is the matter with you?"
Hz. Ali told him what had happened. Meanwhile, Jibril arrived and revealed verses 5 to 10 of the chapter of al-Insan:
"As to the Righteous, they shall drink of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Kafur― A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance. They perform (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide. And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan and the captive― (Saying) "We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord,"
When the Prophet informed them about the revelation, they became so happy that they forgot the fatigue of the three-day hunger. [12]
* * *
After the martyrdom of Hz. Uthman, there was a lot of disorder going around. The rebels offered a lot of people to become the caliph but nobody accepted. Nobody wanted to be the caliph at such a time. Eventually, in order to prevent the disorder from spreading, the people of Madinah agreed to offer Hz. Ali to become the caliph. Hz. Ali did not want to accept it but he had to accept this heavy responsibility in order to stop the disorder and mischief.
The problems that Hz. Ali would face were abundant. First, he sent the governors that he appointed to all of the cities. All of the governors that he appointed were able people in terms of administration. He trusted his governors. He gave them some advice before he sent them. His advice always had the same liveliness. For instance, the advice he gave to Malik, the governor of Egypt, was very instructive:
"O Malik! I am sending you to such countries that many governments ruled there justly and unjustly. You checked the activities of the governors before you; likewise, people will check your activities. People will say the same things you said for their activities for your activities. Who is good and right can be understood only through the words that Allah makes a person utter. Therefore, your most valuable property should be your right and fair deeds. Keep your feelings under control.
Nurture feelings of love and mercy, and inclinations of grace for people in your heart. Never become a monster waiting to swallow the poor and weak people; the people are divided into two: they are either your brothers in your religion or your fellow creatures. Yes, they may make mistakes; they may be faulty. Do not say, 'I have absolute power; I will order and they will obey me.‘ For, doing so means to cause mischief in the heart, to weaken the religion and to approach disasters. If the power you have makes you feel conceited, look at the majesty of realms and think that Allah is omnipotent related to the things that you cannot have control over. This thought will make your view that is high in the sky come down, eliminate its severity and make you come to your senses again.
Do not abandon justice related to Allah and people. Otherwise, you will oppress people. If you oppress people, Allah will be the prosecutor. If Allah becomes the enemy of a person, all of the things that this person can clutch will be of no good. In the world, there is nothing that will change the grace of Allah and quicken His wrath more than oppression. Allah hears the groaning of those who are oppressed and sees the oppressors.
Untie all of the knots of hatred. Cut all of the ropes that could drag you to revenge. Do not readily believe the words of the people who backbite and criticize others. For, no matter how innocent a backbiter seems, he is a mischief-maker. Do not allow those who are stingy, cowardly and ambitious to enter your presence.
Among your consultants, you should like most the one that tells you the sad truth the most. Make truthful people and those who fear Allah your confidants. Do not allow them to applaud you and to make you pleased by attributing to you things that you have not done. For, extreme applause leads man to conceitedness. Do not regard good people and bad people as the same. For, such equality will drive good people away from good deeds and encourage bad people to do bad deeds.
When you choose officials to appoint, do not find it sufficient to look at their faces and to have good views about them. For, people can win the favor of the governors who decide based on what they see. However, they have no sincerity. Therefore, choose the ones that are known by their good deeds among people before you.
Fear Allah a lot about the poor, victims and disabled people. Among them are those who tell people about their needs and those who do not. It is your duty to take care of them and to protect their rights. Do not allow your conceitedness to avoid taking care of them. Do your best and work so hard so that you will be able to say, 'I did my best' in the divine presence.’
I heard the following from the Prophet: ‘A nation in which the right of the weak cannot be taken from the strong cannot get strong.’
Do the work of a day on that day because every day has its own work.
A governor has some men who are close to him. They may be involved in nepotism, oppression and injustice in their deeds. Prevent their harm by eliminating the causes of them. Never give any land to the people around you, your relatives and friends. Do not allow any of them to collect store property in a way that will cause trouble to you. Their profits will not belong to you but their harm will belong to you in both the world and the hereafter.
Never like yourself. Never rely on the aspects of your soul that seem pleasant to you. Never want to be praised in your presence. This is the strongest tool that Satan has in order to destroy the good deeds of people. Never rub in the favors you did to your people; do not exaggerate when you mention what you have done and do not break your promises you have made to them. For, rubbing in the favors you have made eliminates the favors; exaggeration hides the truth and breaking your promises causes Allah and people to hate you.
Never start to do something before it is appropriate time for it. When it is time to do it, do not procrastinate. Do not insist on the things that have not become clear; when they become clear, do not procrastinate. Do everything properly. Do not privilege yourself related to the things about which everybody is equal. Do not act as if you are unaware of the bad deeds that your men have done.
Control your fury, wrath, hands and tongue. In order to be saved from the evil of them, delay the severity of your fury so that it will fade away and you will control your will." [13]
Hz. Ali worked very hard in order to realize justice. He proved through his own life that everybody was equal before law no matter what their posts and positions were. Although he was the Caliph of the believers, he did not mind being tried in the court with a Jew:
Hz. Ali lost his armor on the way to Siffin Expedition. When the war ended and he returned to Kufa, he saw his armor in the hands of a Jew. He said to the Jew,
"This is my armor. I did not sell it to anyone nor did I give it to anyone as a present." The Jew said,
"This is my armor and I have it now."
If Hz. Ali had wanted, he would have grabbed his armor. He was definitely right but he offered to settle the issue in the court:
"Let us go to the judge." They went to the judge together.
The judge was Qadi Shurayh, who was famous for his justice. When Hz. Ali entered the room, he sat next to the judge and explained the reason why he sat there as follows:
"If my opponent were not a Jew, I would sit next to him. I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘In the place where Allah disdains them, you disdain them, too.’"
Qadi Shurayh said to Hz. Ali:
"O leader of the believers! What is the problem between you?" Hz. Ali said:
"The armor the Jew has is mine. I did not sell it to anyone nor did I give it to anyone as a present."
When the judge understood the issue, he asked Hz. Ali:
"Do you have any evidence to prove your claim?" Hz. Ali said:
"Yes, I do. My servant Qambar and my son Hasan are witnesses that it belongs to me." Qadi Shurayh said,
"It is not permissible for the son to be a witness for his father." Hz. Ali said,
"How come the witnessing of a person of Paradise is not accepted? I heard the Messenger of Allah say, 'Hasan and Husayn are the lords of the youth of Paradise."
Eventually, Qadi Shurayh decreed in favor of the Jew owing to lack of evidence. When the Jew saw this magnificent justice, he could not help saying,
"The leader of the believers sued against me and the judge he appointed decreed against him. I witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. This armor belongs to you. It fell off your camel and I took it."
Hz. Ali was pleased with what he said,
"Since you have become a Muslim, I will give this armor to you as a present." [14]
Hz. Ali did his best to support the three caliphs before him. All of the three caliphs appreciated his values by consulting him regarding important issues.
On the other hand, Hz. Ali did his best in order to prevent the mischievous movements during the time of Hz. Uthman. Unfortunately, he could not prevent the incidents that led to the martyrdom of Hz. Uthman.
There were complete tumults during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman. Some Muslims recognized Hz. Ali as the caliph while others recognized Muawiya. Muawiya was a relative of Hz. Uthman; therefore, he wanted his killers to be caught and punished.
However, it was not known who killed Hz. Uthman. There were a few suspects. Hz. Ali asked for some time. He said he could not execute anybody owing to uncertainty. He promised that the killer would be punished as soon as he was determined. However, Muawiya hurried. Eventually, bloody wars took place due to ijtihad difference between the two Companions. Many Muslims were martyred. It became impossible to establish peace and unity among Muslims.
In the end, Hz. Ali was martyred in Kufa in the 40th year of the Migration. All of the Muslims paid allegiance to Muawiya.
Hz. Ali had a different place in the eye of the Prophet. That the Prophet married his beloved daughter off to Hz. Ali is an indication of it. The following hadiths also indicate it:
"Ali loves Allah and His Messenger; Allah and His Messenger love Ali." [15]
"He who loves Ali is regarded to love me; he who loves me is regarded to love Allah. He who gets angry with Ali is regarded to get angry with me; he who gets angry with me is regarded to get angry with Allah." [16]
"I am of Ali; Ali is of me." [17]
"He who is a munafiq does not love Ali; he who is a believer does not hate Ali." [18]
"O Ali! You are my brother in both the world and the hereafter." [19]
"He who curses Ali is regarded to curse me." [20]
586 hadiths were reported from Hz. Ali. Some of them are as follows:
"The Messenger of Allah said, 'There are such rooms in Paradise that inside of them are seen from outside and the outside of them are seen from inside.’ Thereupon, somebody asked ‘O the Messenger of Allah! Who are these rooms for?’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘They belong to those who speak leniently, feed others, perform fasting regularly and perform prayers when people are asleep at night." [21]
"Allah will send to Paradise a person who reads the Quran, memorizes it and accepts as legitimate whatever it renders legitimate and accepts as forbidden whatever it renders forbidden; He also gives him the right to intercede for ten people." [22]
"O Ali! Do not delay three things: the prayer whose time is due, the dead body which is ready for the funeral and the girl or widow whose hand is asked in marriage by a suitable person…" [23]
There are many sayings of Hz. Ali that have reached us. Some of them are as follows:
"He who wants Paradise should keep away from the things that his soul desires in the world."
Hz. Ali said,
"I am astonished by the person who has the opportunity for salvation but suffers destruction." Those who were listening to him asked,
"O Ali! What is the opportunity for salvation?" Hz. Ali said,
"To ask forgiveness from Allah."
"Speak little so that you will be secure. Keeping silent is a means of going to Paradise. Do not tell your secret to your friend; your friend also has a friend and he will tell your secret to him."
May Allah Almighty be pleased with him and may He enable us to attain his intercession!
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Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah, who was one of the 10 luckiest people who were given the glad tidings of Paradise when they were alive, was one of the first people who accepted Islam. His names was "Amir,"; his nickname was "Abu Ubayda". He was known as "Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah" based on his grandfather. His ancestors and the ancestors of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) unite in the seventh generation.
Hz. Prophet praised him as follows: "Every ummah has a trustworthy person. The most trustworthy person of this ummah is Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah." [1]. As it is known, one of the nicknames of the Prophet is "al-Amin (the Trustworthy)". With this hadith, the Prophet gave an attribute that belonged to him to Abu Ubayda.
When the people of Yemen asked the Prophet to send them a person to teach them Islam and the Sunnah, the Messenger of Allah sent Abu Ubayda to them.
When he became a Muslim, he had to leave his family at a very young age. His father, who was a polytheist, did not allow him to stay in his house. He tried to practice his religion under very hard circumstances in his house. When migration to Abyssinia became possible, he migrated to Abyssinia in order to get rid of the oppression and torture of the polytheists. Then, he migrated to Madinah and rejoined the Messenger of Allah there. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) established the bonds of brotherhood between Ansar and Muhajirs, he made Abu Ubayda brothers with Sa’d bin Muadh of Madinah.
Hz. Abu Ubayda, who was a brave Companion and a heroic mujahid, was together with the Prophet in all battles. He exerted great efforts during the Battle of Badr, which was the most important battle of Islam. He was among the believers and his father was among the polytheists. He was against his father. His father was looking for him and looking for an occasion to kill him. Abu Ubayda moved from place so as not to shed the blood of his father, who was a polytheist. However, it was very difficult and he had to sacrifice his father for his religion. Thereupon, the following verse was sent down: "Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred." [2]
During the Battle of Uhud, the polytheists attacked the Prophet, wounded his face and broke one of his teeth. Two links that broke off his helmet pricked his face. When Hz. Abu Ubayda saw the Messenger of Allah like that, he could not bear and removed the links from the Prophet's face through his teeth. Meanwhile, two of his front teeth were broken. [3]
He joined all of the battles with the Prophet after that. He displayed great sacrifices in all battles.
Abu Ubayda was a person with a very clean heart. When, the Messenger of Allah gave him an order, he would sacrifice his life to fulfill that order. During the Expedition of Salasil, Abu Ubayda did not object to Amr when he asked him to join him with his men and be under his command. He reminded him the following statement of the Messenger of Allah, "Do not conflict with Amr Ibn As." He said to Amr, "Even if you do not obey me, I will obey you."
When Hz. Prophet sent him to Khabat Expedition, he set off with 300 Companions. When their food finished, they had to do with 200 dates for a few days. When they ran out of all food and reached the coast they saw that a big fish had washed up on the shore. They ate it for several days. He returned from the expedition with all of his men safe and sound after fulfilling their duty.
After the death of the Messenger of Allah, the believers regarded Hz. Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu Ubayda appropriate for the caliphate. Hz. Prophet stated the following for Abu Ubayda after Hz. Abu Bakr and Umar: "He is such a good man. …" [4] Hz. Abu Bakr held Hz. Umar and Abu Ubayda with his hands and offered one of them to be chosen as the caliph. However, they waived their rights and decided to nominate Hz. Abu Bakr as the caliph.
Hz. Abu Ubayda came to the fore among the ummah with his administration, sagacity, wisdom and intelligence. Hz. Umar regarded him as the person that deserved to be the caliph.
When Hz. Abu Bakr became the caliph, he appointed Abu Ubayda to conquer Damascus and the land around. The Islamic Mujahids under the command of Abu Ubayda conquered Homs and Damascus up to Antioch. Besieging Jerusalem after that, Abu Ubayda made the people of Jerusalem accept to sign a contract and to surrender. However, the people of Jerusalem said they would sign the peace contract only if Umar came. Abu Ubayda sent a person to Madinah and invited Umar to Jerusalem. Hz. Umar left Hz. Ali as his deputy and set off. After a long tiring journey that lasted for days, he arrived in Jerusalem. He received the key to Jerusalem.[5]
During the caliphate of Hz.Umar, there was a drought once. Hz. Umar asked help from the governors. The first one to help him was Hz.Abu Ubayda. Hz. Abu Ubayda, who was the governor of Damascus, took 4000 loads of grains to Madinah and distributed them among the Muslims around Madinah.
Hz. Abu Ubayda led a very plain and modest life. His criterion regarding the issue was the following hadith of the Prophet: "The ones that I love among you the best and are closest to me are those who will reach me as I left them." [6]
During his caliphate, Hz. Umar went to Damascus and the places around it in order to inspect the epidemic of plague. He asked the notables of Damascus who gathered around him, "Where is my brother Abu Ubayda?" they said, "He will arrive soon." After a while, Hz. Abu Ubayda arrived on camelback.
Hz. Umar asked Abu UUbayda to invite him to his house. He wanted to see how his governor lived with his own eyes. they arrived his home. When the Caliph entered his house, he saw a piece of armor and a few things. Thereupon, Hz. Umar asked him, "Do you not have anything else?" He said, "They are enough for my needs." Hz. Umar started to cry and said, "O Abu Ubayda, The world has changed everybody but not you." [7]
Abu Ubayda (r.a.) was a Companion who was a symbol of virtue in all aspects. He feared Allah a lot and always acted in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah. Fear of Allah was dominant in all of his deeds. He was very modest. He spoke as follows when he was the governor of Damascus:
"I am from Quraysh. However, when I see a person that is superior to me in terms of taqwa whether he has a red or black skin, I say, 'I wish I were in his body'."
Hz. Abu Ubayda was very generous. He would give away whatever he had to the poor. Once Hz. Umar sent him 4000 dirhams through an envoy and said to him, "Pay attention and find out how he will spend the money." When the envoy gave the money to Abu Ubayda, he distributed all of the money to the poor.
Abu Ubayda (r.a.), who was adherent to his duty wholeheartedly and who was very enthusiastic with the love of the Messenger of Allah, looked after the people who were under his command as if they were his own children. His mercy and compassion encompassed not only Muslims but also Christians. Therefore, Christians served him and gave him information about the movements of the enemy by watching them.
Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah, died of plague at the age of 58 in the 18th year of the Migration.
May Allah be pleased with him!
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