MUS'AB IBN `UMAIR - The First Envoy of Islaam

[BiLaaL]

Background

 

Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair was a very handsome young man. He was the son of ‘Umair who was a wealthy person. He brought up his son in quite a luxurious fashion. Mus‘ab enjoyed the best of food, finest dresses and the best perfumes. Whenever Mus‘ab passed through the streets, dressed in precious clothes and profusely perfumed, the sweet smell scented the atmosphere all around and the people gazed at him with amazement and appreciation. His beauty and charm was the talk of the town. Every person knew that Mus‘ab's parents were bringing up their son with great affection and care.

 

Whenever prophet Muhammed (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) talked of him, he said "There is nobody more handsome in Makkah than Mus‘ab.There is no person in the city better clothed and fed than Mus‘ab. There is no child brought up with more affection and love than him." Due to his charming personality and being a lovely son of wealthy parents, everyone young or old had great regard for him.

 

The youth heard one day about Muhammad the Truthful sent by Allah as bearer of glad tidings and a warner to call them o the worship ofOne God. When Makkah slept and awoke, there were no other talk but the Prophet and his religion and this spoiled boy was one of the most attentive listeners. That was because, although he was young, the outward appearance of wisdom and common sense were among the traits of Mus'ab.

 

He went one night to the house of Al-Arqam Ibn Al-Arqam, yearning and anxious. There, the Prophet was meeting his Companions, reciting the Quran to them and praying with them to Allah the Most Exalted.Mus'ab had hardly taken his seat and contemplated the verses of the Quran recited by the Prophet when his heart became the promised heart that night. The pleasure almost flung him from his seat as he was filled with a wild ecstasy. But the Prophet patted his throbbing heart with his blessed right hand, and the silence of the ocean's depth filled his heart. In the twinkling of an eye, the youth who had just become Muslim appeared to have more wisdom than his age and a determination that would change the course of time.

 

 

Hardships after acceptance of Islam

 

When he embraced Islam he was given a respectable place in the Muslim society. But it was not due to his beauty, charm, good dress, good manners or wealth, but due to his piety and fear of God. When he embraced Islam, he faced severe hardships and torture. The beauty and charm of his person faded. He was also deprived of the affection and care of his parents. But his virtues and piety won the appreciation of Allah and prophet Muhammed (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم). In his pursuit for winning the favour of Allah and prophet Muhammed (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم), Mus‘ab cared neither for good food, nor good dress. He was no longer inclined towards expensive perfumes, instead he devoted himself whole heartedly to serve the cause of Islam.

 

His mother had withheld from him all the luxury he had been overwhelmed by, when she could not return him to her religion. Her last connection with him was when she tried to imprison him for a second time after his return from Abyssinia, and he swore that if she did that, he would kill all those who came to her aid to lock him up. She knew the truth of his determination when he was intent and decided to do something, and so she bade him goodbye weeping. When she said to him, "Go away, I am no longer your mother," Mus'ab went close to her and said, "O Mother, I am advising you and my heart is with you, please bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." She replied to him, angrily raging, "By the stars, I will never enter your religion, to degrade my status and weaken my senses!" So Mus'ab left the great luxury in which he had been living. He became satisfied with a hard life he had never seen before, wearing the roughest clothes, eating one day and going hungry another. This spirit, which was grounded in the strongest faith, adorned with the light of Allah, madehim another man, one who appeals to the eyes of other great souls.

 

When the Muslims were ordered to migrate to Abyssinia, this young-man, brought up like a prince, also migrated along with the other devotees. When he returned from Abyssinia, people saw in him a different person- all the luster and geity was gone. He who would have scoffed at the most precious raiment, was wearing a dress made of coarse, worn-out blanket. The spectacle inspired amazement, and awe among the onlookers. His mother, too, pitied her son’s condition and repented of the harsh treatment, she had shown to him.

 

Mission to Madinah – First Envoy of Islam

 

While he was in this state, the Prophet commissioned him with the greatest mission of his life, which was to be his envoy to Al-Madinah. His mission was to instruct the Ansar who believed in the Prophet and had pledged their allegiance to him at 'Aqabah, to call others to Islam, and to prepare Al-Madinah for the day of the great Hijrah. There were among the Companions of the Prophet at that time who older than Mus'ab and more prominent and nearer to the Prophet by family relations but the Prophet chose Mus'ab the Good.

 

Mus'ab was equal to the task and trust which Allah had given him and he was equipped with an excellent mind and noble character. He won the hearts of the Madinites with his piety, uprightness and sincerity. And so they embraced the religion of Allah in flocks. At the time the Prophet sent him there, only 12 Muslims had pledged allegiance to the Prophet. During the next pilgrimage season, a few months after that, the Madinite Muslims sent a delegation of 70 believing men and women to Makkah to meet the Prophet. They came with their teacher and their Prophet's envoy, Mus'ab Ibn 'Umair. Mus'ab had proven, by his good sense and excellence, that the Prophet knew well how to choose his envoys and teachers.

 

 

Battle of Uhud

 

It may be recollected that Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair was not only very handsome, he did not only possess the qualities of submission and sacrifice, and he was not only a master of high intelligence and good eloquence, but he was also a gallant soldier, a fearless warrior and an ableGeneral. It was because of his gallantry that prophet Muhammed (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) had entrusted him with the charge of the highest banner of war, in the battle of Badr.

 

Let us allow a living witness to describe for us the last scene of Mus'ab the Great. Ibn Sa'd said : Ibrahim ibn Muhammad related from his father, who said:

 

Mus'ab Ibn 'Umair carried the standard on the Day of Uhud. When the Muslims were scattered, he stood fast until he met Ibn Quma'ah who was a knight. He struck him on his right hand and cut it off, but Mus'ab said, "And Muhammad is but a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before him" He carried the standard with his left hand and leaned on it. He struck his left hand and cut it off, and so he leaned on the standard and held it with his upper arms to his chest, all the while saying, "And Muhammad is but a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before him". Then a third one struck him with his spear, and the spear went through him.

 

He fell to the ground continuing to recite the following Qur’anic verse: “Wa ma Muhammad-dun illa rasulun qad khalat min qablehil rusul). Meaning: “And Muhammad (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) is only a prophet of Allah. Many other Prophets have passed away before him. This verse was revealed later, after he had spoken it.

 

When the battle came to an end the Holy Prophet (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) stood by the dead body of Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umair and recited the verse: (Minal momeneena rejalun sadqu ma ‘ahadullaha ‘ alaihe) Meaning: “There are some persons among the devoted Muslims (momeneen) who kept the promise made to Allah.”

 

Burial

 

Then Prophet Muhammed(صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) addressed the dead body thus:

 

“When I saw you for the first time in Mecca there was nobody more handsome and well-dressed than you. But, I see that today your hair is uncombed and only a sheet of cloth covers your body!”

 

The dead of Uhud could not get proper shrouds because in those days Muslims were poor and lacked material resources. Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair had only a sheet of cloth over his body; if the head was covered, the feet were bare and when the feet were covered the head was left bare. In the end, his head was covered and his feet were covered with grass. Such was the shroud of Mus ‘ab bin ‘Umair (Allah be pleased with him) - the great martyr and envoy of the Muslim nation.

 

May Allah grant him paradise.

[Saxansaxo]

Ameen. One of those stories one loves to reread. Thanks for sharing walaal.

[BiLaaL]

^ Wa iyyakum.

[nuune]

Thanks BiLaaL for sharing, recently I had the opportunity to see Uhud and the 70 Muslims who were martyred there, qabriga Hamza was in there too.

 

Qisooyinka Asxaabta maba ka dhargo hadii maanta dhan la igu soo celceliyo kun jeer, I still want more.

[Abu-wehliye]

Aamiin...Ilaahey janada fardoosa ha ka waraabiyo anagana hanaga dhigo kuwii jidkuu Saxaabigan weyn marey ku dayda. waxaa si aad ah maanta Muslimiinta ay ugu baahanyihiin inuu ka soo dhexbaxa saxaabigan oo kale---oo diinta ku qanciyey ineey qaataan reer YATHRIB kuwaasoo noqdey laf dhabrka fidista diinteena Islaamka.

 

Ilaahayoow inaga dhig kuwii diinkaaga fidiye ee asxaabtana ku dayda sideey dadka diinka ugu yeeri jireen.....