MUHAMMAD SAW THE MESSENGER OF ISLAM (515 pages, 24/41)
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cits even the envy of the heavenly angels. But of this matter we shall speak only this much. There is another type of gait which is similar to the one mentioned. When a person relies on his own counterfeit existence and engages in a contest of greatness with the Power of the Divine.
Such haughty ones the Lord Almighty brings down low and leaves destitute, inasmuch as it is written in the Holy Book:
And walk not on the earth exultantly; certainly thou wilt never tear the earth open, nor attain the mountains in height. (The Night Journey, 37)
This is how the fighting began:
There was a renegade from the tribe of the Aws by the name of Abu Amir. Although he had read in the holy books about the coming of a prophet before the Prophet Muhammad’s advent, he apostatized from envy after Muhammad had manifested his Prophethood. Abu Amir took fifty men with him and went to join the Meccans. He became very friendly with the pagans of Mecca, Muhammad’s enemies, boasting of himself, “My people love me very much; if they see me on the battlefield, they will desert Muhammad and come to me.” This man joined Quraysh and went out to battle with them. He stepped forth, and cried out to the troops: “Oh men of the Ansar!” he said, “I am sure you know me, I am Abu Amir.”
The Ansar replied, “Oh yes, we know you very well for the impious, corrupt person that you are, but make sure you know this well: the Lord Almighty Allah will not fulfill your desires.” Abu Amir was very surprised when he heard them speak to him thus and he cried. “What has happened to my people, it is not so very long since I left them.” Not only his people, even his own son would not know him whom the Holy Prophet had formerly called a depraved person. The Aws engaged in battle and were put to flight. Seeing this, the clansmen of the Hawazin were also frightened, and withdrew as well.
There was a man by the name of Quzman who fought fiercely in the Muslim army. In spite of the fact that he fought on the Muslim side we call this man a munafiq, a hypocrite, for in the noble religion of Islam the most important thing is the intention. What separates mere custom from worship is the intention. Though this Quzman displayed a great deal of bravery in the wars of Islam, on account of his intentions he was plunged into the abyss of eternal failure and deprived of reward. This is how it happened: when the Holy Prophet rode out from Madinah with his felicitous army, this hypocrite stayed behind with some excuse. When the women began to make fun of him, he ran after the army, caught up with them and began to fight at the head of them all. But his aim was worldly gain and reputation and fame, what a shame. He was, however, an excellent fighter, a fact that did not escape the attention of the Sahaba. They said
to the Holy Prophet , “Is he not a gallant fighter?” but the Prophet answered, “What use is it to him to be deprived in the world to come, for he will fail to achieve it. And so Allah strengthens His religion through a man of no worth.” Certainly the outcome was as the truthful Messenger foretold.
Meanwhile the battle gained force. The standard-bearer of the unbelievers, Talha, stepped into the fray and challenged the Muslims to a duel, crying, “Let that man step forth who wishes to send me to Hell, or wants to be sent to Paradise by my hand!” This mockery of his religion offended Sayyidina Ali badly, and he stepped forth instantly and said, “I am the man you seek,” and with that the Lion of Islam attacked and struck Talha a fierce blow.
The standard then passed from his hand into the hand of his brother. Against him stepped forth Hamza, the Prophet’s uncle, a lion of Allah on whom the Holy Prophet himself had conferred rank when he said of him, “My right hand is my uncle.” He slew him as well, and the standard then was passed into the hand of Abu Talha. Sa’ad bin Abu Waqqas, the chief archer of the Muslims, hit him with an arrow. In order not to let the flag drop to the ground, it was taken up by Musafi bin Talha, and he was struck down by an arrow from Asim bin Thabit bin Abul-Aqlah. Thereupon, his brother al-Julas ibn Talha picked up the flag, and Talha ibn ‘Ubaydullah slew him. In brief, no less than seven men of the sons of ‘Abd ad-Dar lay slain beneath the standard, fathers and sons together. After this the flag was passed on to Artal ibn Shubayda of the house of Abdullah. Again it was Hamza who paid him his due. Then it was held for a while by Shuray ibn Qarir, but he too was soon killed. Now there was none of the sons of ‘Abd ad- Dar left to hold the flag aloft. One of their slaves stepped forth, a man by the name of Su’ab. He was killed by Quzman. In this way Quzman continued to inflict heavy loss upon the enemy. On one occasion he killed seven of them in one single attack.
When the Holy Prophet was told about this, again he said, “So what, and even so, of what use is it to him? In spite of all his merit, he shall go to Hell.” The Prophet’s blessed companions (Ashab-us-Safa) were greatly surprised at this, “How can this be,” they wondered among themselves, “that he is of the people of Hell-fire?” but they refrained from asking out of respect for the Prophet . Whatever questions they may have had in their mind, the time for their answer was rapidly approaching. For somewhat later Quzman was suddenly heavily wounded in battle, and he fell upon the battlefield, blood gushing from several wounds on his body.
Qatada bin Nu’man seeing him in this condition, immediately ran to his side and
said to him, “I congratulate you, oh Quzman, you are tasting blessed martyrdom, you are drawing nigh to the Divine Presence, relinquishing your soul in His Name.” Quzman however gave this answer, “I have nothing to do with these things you speak of, I don’t understand your Shahada and all that; besides, I did not come here to fight in the name of any religion. As for your aim to proclaim the Word of Allah, that never even crossed my mind. All I wanted was to prevent the Quraysh from appropriating the date palms of Madinah, and to make a great name for myself, that is why I came.”
Having spoken these words, he took his sword and split his gut with his own hand, dying a renegade and falling into the pit of eternal damnation. Only then did the Sahaba understand the wisdom of the enlightened Prophet who by the light of his Prophethood was able to hear and see and know all things, and who had said about Quzman every time his name was mentioned, “He belongs to the dwellers of the fire.”
As the battle was growing ever more pitched, the pagan womenfolk kept beating on their tambourines to embolden their men. The Muslim fighters carried out another assault. First Abu Jabir ibn ‘Amr ibn Haram fell as a martyr, after him his brother-in-law ‘Amr ibn Jamir was thrown onto the field, crying, “My God, I too wish to be martyred in Your cause! Together with my son I came here in Your Name, do not turn us away without granting us the taste of martyrdom!” With these words he threw himself into the fray and struck the enemy. Allah heard their prayer and both he and his son Hal’at bin ‘Amr achieved martyrdom together.
After these martyrs, the famous Hanzala stepped out into the battlefield. His father’s name was mentioned here just a short while ago, he was the depraved renegade Abu `Amir. Hanzala had. called out to him on the battleground, “Don’t you dare slander the Holy Prophet ! Anyone who opposes the blessed Prophet cannot be my father! Islam relies on the right of the blood bond (family), but the family tie not founded on right is abolished!” With this he turned on him to attack him, occasioning his flight.
This blessed champion was the brother-in-law of the hypocrite Abdullah bin ‘Ubayy ibn Salul. The night he was to marry Abdullah’s sister, he heard the news that the Holy Prophet was going to war. Instantly he sprang out of the bed of his bride, and ran out to the battlefield, crying, “May my soul be ransom for the Prophet ,” and began to forge ahead into the enemy lines. He came up to the headquarters of the commander of the Quraysh, Abu Sufyan. Just as he was about to bring down his sword upon the head of Abu Sufyan, the aide-de-camp
of Abu Sufyan, Shahada ibn Aws came running from behind and felled this young Muslim fighter in his tracks. Still, this was a blow to the morale of the enemy.
On the other side, Abu Dujanah who had taken the famous sword of the Prophet to battle under the condition of defending the Islamic Law without batting an eyelid in the face of death, had wound his red turban which meant to say, ‘I take my life into my hands’, and was thrashing at the unbelievers who stood in front of him. At one point he broke through the ranks of the unbelievers and reached the place where the women were singing courage to their menfolk with songs and tambourines. There stood Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, the commander of the unbelievers, and he rushed to attack her. Nobody could withstand the fury of his attack, so there was none who could approach in order to defend her.
Just as he was about to bring down his sword upon her head, he suddenly withdrew it, saying, “I will not pollute the sword of Muhammad with the blood of a vile creature such as you.” The Holy Prophet was watching Abu Dujanah and conferred on him by his gaze the rank of marshal in the Divine Government. Above all, the companions intensely admired such bravery. However, the time had come for Abu Dujanah to encounter his appointed position in the Divine Palace beyond time and space. Several of the unbelievers banded together and suddenly sprang out of their concealment and wounded Abu Dujanah so gravely that he fell to the ground. Ali came running up and smote the unbelievers but even so, Abu Dujanah closed his eyes and turned his head towards the place where Rasulullah was standing.
The Holy Prophet commanded, “Bring Abu Dujanah to me, at whatever cost, and if you have to give your life to do it.” All the Sahaba rushed to carry Abu Dujanah to the presence of the Holy Prophet . Abu Dujanah embraced the Prophet’s feet, saying, “Endless thanks to Allah for giving me all I had asked for. Oh Rasulullah , are you satisfied with me?” The Holy Prophet replied with tears in his eyes, “How should I not be pleased with you? I am satisfied, and Allah is well pleased with you. Go now to your Lord and give Him my Salams.” Thus Abu Dujanah entered the world of Divine Beauty while gazing at the beauty of Muhammad . Moreover, when Abu Dujanah was mortally wounded, he had cried in his heart, “Oh my Lord, take me to die by the feet of Thy Beloved.” This supplication was transmitted to the pure and shining heart of Ahmad, the Chosen One (Prophet Muhammad) , and made him promptly give the order, “Quickly bring Abu Dujanah here to me.” This is what is called the ‘Faith of Love’, may Allah vouchsafe us his blessed intercession.
Ali fought in such a way that not a pagan house remained in Mecca that had not been touched by his sword. If Hamza’s two hands were the equivalent of a whole army, the sword of Ali which he held with both hands smote the unbelievers in front of him and stretched them to the ground. The army of the Quraysh began to retreat. First of all the women who were singing exciting tunes to the soldiers began to flee into the hills, even though Hind was at the head of them. The enemy threw off all their baggage and fled. Ali routed the battlefield. When the commander of the regiment of archers, Abdullah ibn ‘Uways saw the state of confusion of the enemy, he said, despite the command of the Holy Prophet , “There is now no more need to guard this pass. Ahead of us all is clear, let us go out onto the battlefield.”
Even though Abdullah bin Jubayr insisted, “But Rasulullah told us not to leave this place under any circumstances, unless he gave the command,” he said, “Don’t listen to him, the foe is defeated, no danger remains, why should we stay here and guard this place?” And so it happened that only seven or eight men remained with Abdullah ibn Jubayr, all the others left. The commander of the right wing of the enemy army, Khalid ibn Walid who was an expert in battle stratagem, realized what was happening. By conducting a turning maneuver on the Muslim lines, he launched a sudden attack.
Abdullah bin Jubayr and his seven or eight archers were hopelessly overpowered, and although they defended their position valiantly to their last breath, they all fell as blessed martyrs. The fortunes of battle that had at first been favorable for the Muslims suddenly reversed and turned against them.
In fact, since the beginning of the battle, Khalid ibn al-Walid had been observing the left wing of the Muhammadan army, but he was prevented from attacking them because of the archers stationed there. Now he found the opportunity. After gaining control of this position, it became an easy task to strike the Muslim army from behind. The Muslim warriors who just a moment ago had been victorious were surprised by this sudden turn of events.
The Martyrdom of Hamza
The time drew nigh for the Prophet’s favorite uncle, Hamza to suffer holy martyrdom. Hamza killed one of the most entrenched enemies of Islam, Sabah Gawshani. This lion of Islam fought so fiercely, it was impossible to come near to him. The pagans considered how they might do away with this tireless warrior, and as no one could come close to him, they pondered on ways of destroying him from a distance. The deed was done by Hind’s Abyssinian slave
Wahshi, who was skilled in the art of spear throwing. This unfortunate miscreant, blinded by desire for worldly gain, hurled his spear from cowardly concealment, and Hamza was seriously wounded. Just as Hamza was about to reciprocate, his soul was taken from him.
Wahshi cut out the liver from the corpse of the Holy Prophet’s most beloved uncle, and he cut off his ears and brought them to Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, the mother of Mu’awiya, the grandmother of Yazid. Hind began to chew on his liver, but she could not swallow it. That is why she was called ‘the eater of the liver’ (akalat-al-kabad). She took the ears of this blessed person, strung them on a string and hung them around her neck, and presented her own necklace to his slayer, Wahshi. She promised to pay him the remainder of his reward upon her return to Mecca and to never be remiss in her feelings of gratitude towards him until the day she died.
When the Muslims witnessed Hamza being killed, they were totally perplexed. Thus Ibn Qam‘iah killed the Muslim standard-bearer Mus’ab bin Amir, making him a martyr. Mus’ab bore a strong resemblance to the Holy Prophet , and suddenly word went round that the Holy Prophet had fallen. This false rumor completely confounded the Muslim warriors, and even the most steadfast and valiant among them were as if their backbone had been broken.
The valued companion Yaman was thus martyred by Muslim hands, although his son Hudhayfa cried out, “Don’t strike him, he is my father.” In the face of this, Hudhayfa cried out loudly, “Oh Lord, they did it unknowingly, forgive the Muslims for it!” and he carried away his father’s corpse. Both Yaman and Thabit ibn Waq’ash were old men, and the Holy Prophet had not wanted them to go out to battle, but both had insisted, so the Holy Prophet had accepted their pleas and they attained their goal.
In this way, the whole Muslim army was thrown into disarray. Only twelve fighters remained around the Holy Prophet and they formed a protective ring around him. The Prophet himself entered the protection of Faith and was sheltered beneath the shield of Divine Love. From time to time, he prostrated himself in sajda, saying, “Oh my Lord, do You not wish for Your Unity to be made known?”
Umm Ummara Joins the Battle
As already mentioned, the rumor that the Holy Prophet had been slain left even the most determined of men in a witless state of mind. Umm ‘Umarra, hearing
that the Holy Prophet was dead, threw herself into the fray of the battle, yelling, “Ya Rasulullah!” Zayd bin Asim’s wife Nusayba, of the family of Ma’zin bin Najash, the daughter of Ka’b al-Ansar - one of the great mothers of Islam - had taken the oath of allegiance to the Holy Prophet at Aqaba. Together with her husband and son, she had invited the Prophet to come to Madinah. Now she threw herself upon the enemy and attacked them furiously, striking out at whomever she could reach, while at the same time searching tearfully for the Holy Prophet
Meanwhile, the Holy Prophet’s general, Ali, was fighting the pagans with such fury and speed that his striking sword resembled a flash of lightning as it rose and fell on the battlefield. He, too, was looking for the Mirror of Truth, Muhammad’s blessed countenance, which was nowhere to be seen. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab threw his sword aside and remained motionless in a desolate mood. The uncle of Anas bin Malik, Anas Abu Nadir saw ‘Umar sitting there disconsolately as he was passing to the other side while trying to break through the enemy lines. He asked him, “Oh ‘Umar, what is it with you that you are sitting here, your weapons thrown aside?” ‘Umar answered, “Whom should I fight for now that the Prophet is killed?” Abu Nadir then said to him, “Oh ‘Umar, come to your senses and rise from your seat! Know that the presence of Muhammad who is a manifestation of the Divine Unity cannot ever disappear! The time to really fight has now come!”
These words of Abu Nadir infused ‘Umar with new life, he reached for his sword and took up fighting the enemy with renewed vigor. Abu Nadir was wounded in eighty places. He was so disfigured by the many lance thrusts that none could recognize him except his sister. When she heard that there was an unknown martyr, she went to the field and identified him by the tips of his fingers.
Now the Muslims began to stir anew and their battle spirit was rekindled. Everybody was out looking for the Holy Prophet , but the first person to espy him was Ka’b bin Malik. As he was wearing his helmet, all that was seen of him were his blessed eyes. Those blessed eyes which were a window to the Truth, met the eyes of Ka’b bin Malik who cried out, “Oh Muslims, here is the Prophet
, he is here!” In his great joy, he showed them to the place. All the Sahaba came running to where he stood and ringed around him. But the unbelievers had also heard Ka’b’s cry of joy, and they drew near the spot as well. Ali and his comrades scattered the pagans closest to the Prophet .
The unbelievers joined forces and they launched a second attack on the Holy
Prophet . This time they came very close. The Sahaba lay on top of the Holy Prophet protecting him with their bodies as a shield, and taking the rain of arrows upon themselves. Some were wounded and some died as martyrs. Talha’s arm was wounded in defense of the Prophet and he was disabled.
The noble lady warrior Umm Ummara already mentioned passed between Ibn Qami‘ah and the Holy Prophet just as he attacked the Prophet with a fierce blow of his sword. Umm Ummara struck him with her own sword, but the accursed Ibn Qami’ah was wearing double armor and the sword cut through only one layer of armor. Ibn Qami‘ah dealt Umm Ummara a blow that hit her armpit, but the Holy Prophet held out his blessed hands and stroked her shoulder, and she was miraculously healed in an instant. Thereupon this noble lady said, “Oh Rasulullah, I wished to become a martyr from the bottom of my heart, but you have kept me from it.” That noble mother of Islam later struck yet another one of the most vicious enemy warriors who attacked the Holy Prophet , and cut his leg in two so that he fell from his mount.
According to one narration the son and husband of this lady were seriously injured and at the point of martyrdom, when they heard the voice of Umm Ummara, they called out, “Oh mother, let me just see you one more time,” and her husband called, “Come, my sweet wife, sit by my side for a bit,” but Umm Ummara answered, “They are attacking the Holy Prophet , I must rush to defend him from their attack. Tell the Lord Almighty I am waiting to die by the side of the Holy Prophet . May the Lord grant me, too, the rank of martyrdom! Go before me and give my Lord this message.” That was her answer.
However, this great lady had already been promised a tremendously high rank in the life of eternity: One day the Holy Prophet had held up his hands in prayer and prayed, “Oh my Lord, do not separate me from Umm Ummara and her family!” All the Sahaba had wept as she was given her rank. How great a distinction for Umm Ummara to be singled out by him who is honored with perfect favor in the Divine Presence!
The unbelievers attacked with increasing fury. Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas shot the arrows given to him by the Holy Prophet one by one and they each hit their goal without fail. Every time he handed him an arrow, he said to Sa’d: “Oh Sa’d, may my father and mother be your ransom, may Allah accept everything you say!” With these words, he conferred upon him the very highest rank. Therefore Allah Almighty granted every one of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas‘ wishes.
This fact was well known among the Sahaba, wherefore they said, “If we offend
him we will necessarily receive a curse in return.” They paid meticulous attention to be respectful of all his rights and wishes. In his old age, Sa’d lost the outward signs of his high rank, and the Sahaba said to him, “Oh Sa’d, you who are the beloved companion of the Holy Prophet , why do you not pray for your eyesight to be restored, for whatever you wish for comes to pass.” Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas answered them, “I love the Divine Decree more than mine eyes; if I had one thousand eyes and all thousand of them became blind, I would not trade the opening of even one eye for His Decree.”
Among the archers there was one youth in particular who attracted the Holy Prophet‘s blessed attention. His expert marksmanship and skill pleased him greatly. He went up close to this youth. As he was shooting an arrow at the enemies of Islam, he heard him say, “Take this, my Qurayshi friend” to which the Holy Prophet replied, while patting him on the shoulder, “My son, how much more you would have achieved had you shot your arrow in the name of Islam.”
The Prophet is Wounded
The pagans launched another fierce attack from another quarter, and this time they came very close to where the Holy Prophet was standing. He was wounded in this onslaught and the destiny of Islam seemed to be endangered. There were four accursed persons of Quraysh who had sworn a pact to annihilate the Holy Prophet : `Utba ibn Abi Waqqas, Ibn Qami’ah, Ubbay bin Khalaf and Abdullah bin Shahab. The accursed `Utba ibn Abi Waqqas injured the Holy Prophet’s blessed lips. One of his teeth was broken, thereby martyred. The enemy of Allah Ibn Qami’ah struck the upper half of the Holy Prophet’s blessed countenance, the Mirror of Truth, and two of his helmet rings became embedded in his cheek.
As Abu ‘Ubaydah was attempting to remove these rings from the Prophet’s blessed face, he pulled them out together with two of his own teeth. He was later asked by his companions, “While you were working at removing the rings from the Prophet’s blessed face, did you not feel the pain of your teeth being drawn out?” To this Abu ‘Ubaydah r-plied, “What pain? When I drew near to the face of the Beloved of Allah, such was the flow of mercy that I received that nothing remained in me of myself.” However, none can understand these words who has not reached to the station of ‘ishq (Love), and is yet engrossed in the density of this material world. For those, our words have no meaning. Only this much let us say: generally when a man falls in love with a girl, at the sight of her he feels no desire for food or sleep, nor does he feel any pain. This state may be likened to
that of intoxication with the Divine; it is a spiritual opiate to which Abu ‘Ubaydah had access. May Allah endow our words with beneficence.
The Glory of all the World, the Prophet Muhammad was bleeding heavily from his face, and he wiped his hand over the wound in order to still the flow of blood. He said, “Oh Lord, what good can come to a people who have blooded their Prophet’s face? No good can come of them, but they did it because they do not know, so forgive them.” For the Lord had made plain His Divine Will: “If only one drop of My Beloved’s blood falls to the ground, I will manifest My overwhelming power.” The Holy Prophet interceded with the Lord, pleading, “Oh Lord, my people are ignorant, if only Thou wouldst guide them.” He thereby forestalled the Anger of the Divine.
Ali was trying to staunch the flow of blood. When the Holy Prophet’s daughter Fatima heard in Madinah that her father, the Mercy to the Worlds, had fallen in battle, she ran to the battlefield. Seeing her father’s pure face all covered in blood and her husband Ali soiled from trying to wash it off with water, she cried out in tears, “Oh beloved father of mine, they have cut your face because of your calling them to Allah!?” Having assessed the situation, she instantly began to wash his holy face with her own hands, but the blood would not cease to flow. She said to Ali, “Burn a piece of cloth, so we can staunch the wound with the ashes.” So they burned a piece of cloth, Fatima laid it upon the wound with her own hands, and the flow of blood was stopped.
Then the Holy Prophet said, “Who will sell his life for me?” ‘Umara bin Ziyad bin Saq’an said, “Oh Prophet of Allah , I am ready to do so,” and he and the fourteen fighters he had brought along with him joined forces and threw themselves against the enemy, fighting until they all blissfully fell as martyrs. The Holy Prophet wished for Ziyad to be brought to his side, and they brought him to the Prophet’s side before his soul had quite left his body. For Ziyad had wished to die gazing at the Prophet’s holy face. Ziyad opened his eyes once more to gaze with love upon the pure countenance of Muhammad ; he pronounced the words of the Shahada and was reunited with the Divine Presence. How blessed was he to surrender his soul while resting in the Holy Prophet’s lap! Could there be any station higher than this? Was Ziyad the only holder of this station, to die in the favor of the Prophet’s embrace? Certainly not, for most of the fighters in the cause Islam achieved this lofty station.
Allah Offers Martyrdom
A Muslim was eating some dates when the Holy Prophet announced that the Lord Almighty Himself had offered the cup of martyrdom, and called for those wishing to attain that rank to come forth. The man thought to himself, “Perhaps by the time I finish eating these dates I will be too late to obey my Lord’s command,” and he threw the dates away. On account of one word from the blessed mouth of the Holy Prophet he threw himself into the fray without delay and fought until he was cut down and martyred. Then again, there was Wahab bin Kabus who holds one of the foremost ranks in the Divine Order of things. Of him as great a personality as ‘Umar was to say, “Oh, if only I could be like Kabus, if only I could pass into the afterlife as the son of Kabus did.”
Wahab bin Kabus together with his cousin Qaris bin‘Aqad was on his way from Jabal Muzayana to Madinah to visit the Holy Prophet , ignorant of the battle that was being waged. No sooner had he reached Madinah where he heard the news of the Prophet’s engagement in battle against the unbelievers, then he immediately set out for Uhud to join in the fray. He reached the army of the Prophet at a most critical moment. Because of the archers‘ mistake and disobedience to the Holy Prophet’s advice, the Muslim army was surrounded and forced to withdraw. The enemy made use their momentary strength in attacking the Prophet’s position with full force. Wahab – may Allah be well pleased with him – fought against the unbelievers with such force that he seemed to be a whole army of men, as though he had been granted extraordinary spiritual powers. The enemy was dispersed, but another group launched a second attack. The Holy Prophet asked, “Who will go out against this new wave of attackers?” Wahab bin Kabus was worn out from fighting and had withdrawn into a corner to rest. Despite this, he instantly rose and said, “By your leave, oh Prophet of Allah , I will go out and fight them anew.” This answer of Wahab’s, colored with the colors of Divine Love and Faith pleased the Holy Prophet greatly. “Rise, Wahab,” he said; “I give you the good news of Allah.”
These words promising him the highest of all ranks issuing from the blessed mouth of the Prophet were the strongest weapon Wahab possessed. Again he fought the enemy forces to his utmost power, and again he dispersed them, but now his force was spent, and according to the tidings of the
Prophet he was blissfully admitted into the Presence of the Divine. The Holy Prophet went up to Wahab’s dead body and stroked and kissed him. “Oh Wahab,” he said, “I have come to visit you and I give Salams to your spirit, for I am pleased with you, and may Allah be pleased with you as well.” Thereby he showed him the very highest station.
Now there was a certain Jew
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cits even the envy of the heavenly angels. But of this matter we shall speak only this much. There is another type of gait which is similar to the one mentioned. When a person relies on his own counterfeit existence and engages in a contest of greatness with the Power of the Divine.
Such haughty ones the Lord Almighty brings down low and leaves destitute, inasmuch as it is written in the Holy Book:
And walk not on the earth exultantly; certainly thou wilt never tear the earth open, nor attain the mountains in height. (The Night Journey, 37)
This is how the fighting began:
There was a renegade from the tribe of the Aws by the name of Abu Amir. Although he had read in the holy books about the coming of a prophet before the Prophet Muhammad’s advent, he apostatized from envy after Muhammad had manifested his Prophethood. Abu Amir took fifty men with him and went to join the Meccans. He became very friendly with the pagans of Mecca, Muhammad’s enemies, boasting of himself, “My people love me very much; if they see me on the battlefield, they will desert Muhammad and come to me.” This man joined Quraysh and went out to battle with them. He stepped forth, and cried out to the troops: “Oh men of the Ansar!” he said, “I am sure you know me, I am Abu Amir.”
The Ansar replied, “Oh yes, we know you very well for the impious, corrupt person that you are, but make sure you know this well: the Lord Almighty Allah will not fulfill your desires.” Abu Amir was very surprised when he heard them speak to him thus and he cried. “What has happened to my people, it is not so very long since I left them.” Not only his people, even his own son would not know him whom the Holy Prophet had formerly called a depraved person. The Aws engaged in battle and were put to flight. Seeing this, the clansmen of the Hawazin were also frightened, and withdrew as well.
There was a man by the name of Quzman who fought fiercely in the Muslim army. In spite of the fact that he fought on the Muslim side we call this man a munafiq, a hypocrite, for in the noble religion of Islam the most important thing is the intention. What separates mere custom from worship is the intention. Though this Quzman displayed a great deal of bravery in the wars of Islam, on account of his intentions he was plunged into the abyss of eternal failure and deprived of reward. This is how it happened: when the Holy Prophet rode out from Madinah with his felicitous army, this hypocrite stayed behind with some excuse. When the women began to make fun of him, he ran after the army, caught up with them and began to fight at the head of them all. But his aim was worldly gain and reputation and fame, what a shame. He was, however, an excellent fighter, a fact that did not escape the attention of the Sahaba. They said
to the Holy Prophet , “Is he not a gallant fighter?” but the Prophet answered, “What use is it to him to be deprived in the world to come, for he will fail to achieve it. And so Allah strengthens His religion through a man of no worth.” Certainly the outcome was as the truthful Messenger foretold.
Meanwhile the battle gained force. The standard-bearer of the unbelievers, Talha, stepped into the fray and challenged the Muslims to a duel, crying, “Let that man step forth who wishes to send me to Hell, or wants to be sent to Paradise by my hand!” This mockery of his religion offended Sayyidina Ali badly, and he stepped forth instantly and said, “I am the man you seek,” and with that the Lion of Islam attacked and struck Talha a fierce blow.
The standard then passed from his hand into the hand of his brother. Against him stepped forth Hamza, the Prophet’s uncle, a lion of Allah on whom the Holy Prophet himself had conferred rank when he said of him, “My right hand is my uncle.” He slew him as well, and the standard then was passed into the hand of Abu Talha. Sa’ad bin Abu Waqqas, the chief archer of the Muslims, hit him with an arrow. In order not to let the flag drop to the ground, it was taken up by Musafi bin Talha, and he was struck down by an arrow from Asim bin Thabit bin Abul-Aqlah. Thereupon, his brother al-Julas ibn Talha picked up the flag, and Talha ibn ‘Ubaydullah slew him. In brief, no less than seven men of the sons of ‘Abd ad-Dar lay slain beneath the standard, fathers and sons together. After this the flag was passed on to Artal ibn Shubayda of the house of Abdullah. Again it was Hamza who paid him his due. Then it was held for a while by Shuray ibn Qarir, but he too was soon killed. Now there was none of the sons of ‘Abd ad- Dar left to hold the flag aloft. One of their slaves stepped forth, a man by the name of Su’ab. He was killed by Quzman. In this way Quzman continued to inflict heavy loss upon the enemy. On one occasion he killed seven of them in one single attack.
When the Holy Prophet was told about this, again he said, “So what, and even so, of what use is it to him? In spite of all his merit, he shall go to Hell.” The Prophet’s blessed companions (Ashab-us-Safa) were greatly surprised at this, “How can this be,” they wondered among themselves, “that he is of the people of Hell-fire?” but they refrained from asking out of respect for the Prophet . Whatever questions they may have had in their mind, the time for their answer was rapidly approaching. For somewhat later Quzman was suddenly heavily wounded in battle, and he fell upon the battlefield, blood gushing from several wounds on his body.
Qatada bin Nu’man seeing him in this condition, immediately ran to his side and
said to him, “I congratulate you, oh Quzman, you are tasting blessed martyrdom, you are drawing nigh to the Divine Presence, relinquishing your soul in His Name.” Quzman however gave this answer, “I have nothing to do with these things you speak of, I don’t understand your Shahada and all that; besides, I did not come here to fight in the name of any religion. As for your aim to proclaim the Word of Allah, that never even crossed my mind. All I wanted was to prevent the Quraysh from appropriating the date palms of Madinah, and to make a great name for myself, that is why I came.”
Having spoken these words, he took his sword and split his gut with his own hand, dying a renegade and falling into the pit of eternal damnation. Only then did the Sahaba understand the wisdom of the enlightened Prophet who by the light of his Prophethood was able to hear and see and know all things, and who had said about Quzman every time his name was mentioned, “He belongs to the dwellers of the fire.”
As the battle was growing ever more pitched, the pagan womenfolk kept beating on their tambourines to embolden their men. The Muslim fighters carried out another assault. First Abu Jabir ibn ‘Amr ibn Haram fell as a martyr, after him his brother-in-law ‘Amr ibn Jamir was thrown onto the field, crying, “My God, I too wish to be martyred in Your cause! Together with my son I came here in Your Name, do not turn us away without granting us the taste of martyrdom!” With these words he threw himself into the fray and struck the enemy. Allah heard their prayer and both he and his son Hal’at bin ‘Amr achieved martyrdom together.
After these martyrs, the famous Hanzala stepped out into the battlefield. His father’s name was mentioned here just a short while ago, he was the depraved renegade Abu `Amir. Hanzala had. called out to him on the battleground, “Don’t you dare slander the Holy Prophet ! Anyone who opposes the blessed Prophet cannot be my father! Islam relies on the right of the blood bond (family), but the family tie not founded on right is abolished!” With this he turned on him to attack him, occasioning his flight.
This blessed champion was the brother-in-law of the hypocrite Abdullah bin ‘Ubayy ibn Salul. The night he was to marry Abdullah’s sister, he heard the news that the Holy Prophet was going to war. Instantly he sprang out of the bed of his bride, and ran out to the battlefield, crying, “May my soul be ransom for the Prophet ,” and began to forge ahead into the enemy lines. He came up to the headquarters of the commander of the Quraysh, Abu Sufyan. Just as he was about to bring down his sword upon the head of Abu Sufyan, the aide-de-camp
of Abu Sufyan, Shahada ibn Aws came running from behind and felled this young Muslim fighter in his tracks. Still, this was a blow to the morale of the enemy.
On the other side, Abu Dujanah who had taken the famous sword of the Prophet to battle under the condition of defending the Islamic Law without batting an eyelid in the face of death, had wound his red turban which meant to say, ‘I take my life into my hands’, and was thrashing at the unbelievers who stood in front of him. At one point he broke through the ranks of the unbelievers and reached the place where the women were singing courage to their menfolk with songs and tambourines. There stood Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, the commander of the unbelievers, and he rushed to attack her. Nobody could withstand the fury of his attack, so there was none who could approach in order to defend her.
Just as he was about to bring down his sword upon her head, he suddenly withdrew it, saying, “I will not pollute the sword of Muhammad with the blood of a vile creature such as you.” The Holy Prophet was watching Abu Dujanah and conferred on him by his gaze the rank of marshal in the Divine Government. Above all, the companions intensely admired such bravery. However, the time had come for Abu Dujanah to encounter his appointed position in the Divine Palace beyond time and space. Several of the unbelievers banded together and suddenly sprang out of their concealment and wounded Abu Dujanah so gravely that he fell to the ground. Ali came running up and smote the unbelievers but even so, Abu Dujanah closed his eyes and turned his head towards the place where Rasulullah was standing.
The Holy Prophet commanded, “Bring Abu Dujanah to me, at whatever cost, and if you have to give your life to do it.” All the Sahaba rushed to carry Abu Dujanah to the presence of the Holy Prophet . Abu Dujanah embraced the Prophet’s feet, saying, “Endless thanks to Allah for giving me all I had asked for. Oh Rasulullah , are you satisfied with me?” The Holy Prophet replied with tears in his eyes, “How should I not be pleased with you? I am satisfied, and Allah is well pleased with you. Go now to your Lord and give Him my Salams.” Thus Abu Dujanah entered the world of Divine Beauty while gazing at the beauty of Muhammad . Moreover, when Abu Dujanah was mortally wounded, he had cried in his heart, “Oh my Lord, take me to die by the feet of Thy Beloved.” This supplication was transmitted to the pure and shining heart of Ahmad, the Chosen One (Prophet Muhammad) , and made him promptly give the order, “Quickly bring Abu Dujanah here to me.” This is what is called the ‘Faith of Love’, may Allah vouchsafe us his blessed intercession.
Ali fought in such a way that not a pagan house remained in Mecca that had not been touched by his sword. If Hamza’s two hands were the equivalent of a whole army, the sword of Ali which he held with both hands smote the unbelievers in front of him and stretched them to the ground. The army of the Quraysh began to retreat. First of all the women who were singing exciting tunes to the soldiers began to flee into the hills, even though Hind was at the head of them. The enemy threw off all their baggage and fled. Ali routed the battlefield. When the commander of the regiment of archers, Abdullah ibn ‘Uways saw the state of confusion of the enemy, he said, despite the command of the Holy Prophet , “There is now no more need to guard this pass. Ahead of us all is clear, let us go out onto the battlefield.”
Even though Abdullah bin Jubayr insisted, “But Rasulullah told us not to leave this place under any circumstances, unless he gave the command,” he said, “Don’t listen to him, the foe is defeated, no danger remains, why should we stay here and guard this place?” And so it happened that only seven or eight men remained with Abdullah ibn Jubayr, all the others left. The commander of the right wing of the enemy army, Khalid ibn Walid who was an expert in battle stratagem, realized what was happening. By conducting a turning maneuver on the Muslim lines, he launched a sudden attack.
Abdullah bin Jubayr and his seven or eight archers were hopelessly overpowered, and although they defended their position valiantly to their last breath, they all fell as blessed martyrs. The fortunes of battle that had at first been favorable for the Muslims suddenly reversed and turned against them.
In fact, since the beginning of the battle, Khalid ibn al-Walid had been observing the left wing of the Muhammadan army, but he was prevented from attacking them because of the archers stationed there. Now he found the opportunity. After gaining control of this position, it became an easy task to strike the Muslim army from behind. The Muslim warriors who just a moment ago had been victorious were surprised by this sudden turn of events.
The Martyrdom of Hamza
The time drew nigh for the Prophet’s favorite uncle, Hamza to suffer holy martyrdom. Hamza killed one of the most entrenched enemies of Islam, Sabah Gawshani. This lion of Islam fought so fiercely, it was impossible to come near to him. The pagans considered how they might do away with this tireless warrior, and as no one could come close to him, they pondered on ways of destroying him from a distance. The deed was done by Hind’s Abyssinian slave
Wahshi, who was skilled in the art of spear throwing. This unfortunate miscreant, blinded by desire for worldly gain, hurled his spear from cowardly concealment, and Hamza was seriously wounded. Just as Hamza was about to reciprocate, his soul was taken from him.
Wahshi cut out the liver from the corpse of the Holy Prophet’s most beloved uncle, and he cut off his ears and brought them to Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, the mother of Mu’awiya, the grandmother of Yazid. Hind began to chew on his liver, but she could not swallow it. That is why she was called ‘the eater of the liver’ (akalat-al-kabad). She took the ears of this blessed person, strung them on a string and hung them around her neck, and presented her own necklace to his slayer, Wahshi. She promised to pay him the remainder of his reward upon her return to Mecca and to never be remiss in her feelings of gratitude towards him until the day she died.
When the Muslims witnessed Hamza being killed, they were totally perplexed. Thus Ibn Qam‘iah killed the Muslim standard-bearer Mus’ab bin Amir, making him a martyr. Mus’ab bore a strong resemblance to the Holy Prophet , and suddenly word went round that the Holy Prophet had fallen. This false rumor completely confounded the Muslim warriors, and even the most steadfast and valiant among them were as if their backbone had been broken.
The valued companion Yaman was thus martyred by Muslim hands, although his son Hudhayfa cried out, “Don’t strike him, he is my father.” In the face of this, Hudhayfa cried out loudly, “Oh Lord, they did it unknowingly, forgive the Muslims for it!” and he carried away his father’s corpse. Both Yaman and Thabit ibn Waq’ash were old men, and the Holy Prophet had not wanted them to go out to battle, but both had insisted, so the Holy Prophet had accepted their pleas and they attained their goal.
In this way, the whole Muslim army was thrown into disarray. Only twelve fighters remained around the Holy Prophet and they formed a protective ring around him. The Prophet himself entered the protection of Faith and was sheltered beneath the shield of Divine Love. From time to time, he prostrated himself in sajda, saying, “Oh my Lord, do You not wish for Your Unity to be made known?”
Umm Ummara Joins the Battle
As already mentioned, the rumor that the Holy Prophet had been slain left even the most determined of men in a witless state of mind. Umm ‘Umarra, hearing
that the Holy Prophet was dead, threw herself into the fray of the battle, yelling, “Ya Rasulullah!” Zayd bin Asim’s wife Nusayba, of the family of Ma’zin bin Najash, the daughter of Ka’b al-Ansar - one of the great mothers of Islam - had taken the oath of allegiance to the Holy Prophet at Aqaba. Together with her husband and son, she had invited the Prophet to come to Madinah. Now she threw herself upon the enemy and attacked them furiously, striking out at whomever she could reach, while at the same time searching tearfully for the Holy Prophet
Meanwhile, the Holy Prophet’s general, Ali, was fighting the pagans with such fury and speed that his striking sword resembled a flash of lightning as it rose and fell on the battlefield. He, too, was looking for the Mirror of Truth, Muhammad’s blessed countenance, which was nowhere to be seen. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab threw his sword aside and remained motionless in a desolate mood. The uncle of Anas bin Malik, Anas Abu Nadir saw ‘Umar sitting there disconsolately as he was passing to the other side while trying to break through the enemy lines. He asked him, “Oh ‘Umar, what is it with you that you are sitting here, your weapons thrown aside?” ‘Umar answered, “Whom should I fight for now that the Prophet is killed?” Abu Nadir then said to him, “Oh ‘Umar, come to your senses and rise from your seat! Know that the presence of Muhammad who is a manifestation of the Divine Unity cannot ever disappear! The time to really fight has now come!”
These words of Abu Nadir infused ‘Umar with new life, he reached for his sword and took up fighting the enemy with renewed vigor. Abu Nadir was wounded in eighty places. He was so disfigured by the many lance thrusts that none could recognize him except his sister. When she heard that there was an unknown martyr, she went to the field and identified him by the tips of his fingers.
Now the Muslims began to stir anew and their battle spirit was rekindled. Everybody was out looking for the Holy Prophet , but the first person to espy him was Ka’b bin Malik. As he was wearing his helmet, all that was seen of him were his blessed eyes. Those blessed eyes which were a window to the Truth, met the eyes of Ka’b bin Malik who cried out, “Oh Muslims, here is the Prophet
, he is here!” In his great joy, he showed them to the place. All the Sahaba came running to where he stood and ringed around him. But the unbelievers had also heard Ka’b’s cry of joy, and they drew near the spot as well. Ali and his comrades scattered the pagans closest to the Prophet .
The unbelievers joined forces and they launched a second attack on the Holy
Prophet . This time they came very close. The Sahaba lay on top of the Holy Prophet protecting him with their bodies as a shield, and taking the rain of arrows upon themselves. Some were wounded and some died as martyrs. Talha’s arm was wounded in defense of the Prophet and he was disabled.
The noble lady warrior Umm Ummara already mentioned passed between Ibn Qami‘ah and the Holy Prophet just as he attacked the Prophet with a fierce blow of his sword. Umm Ummara struck him with her own sword, but the accursed Ibn Qami’ah was wearing double armor and the sword cut through only one layer of armor. Ibn Qami‘ah dealt Umm Ummara a blow that hit her armpit, but the Holy Prophet held out his blessed hands and stroked her shoulder, and she was miraculously healed in an instant. Thereupon this noble lady said, “Oh Rasulullah, I wished to become a martyr from the bottom of my heart, but you have kept me from it.” That noble mother of Islam later struck yet another one of the most vicious enemy warriors who attacked the Holy Prophet , and cut his leg in two so that he fell from his mount.
According to one narration the son and husband of this lady were seriously injured and at the point of martyrdom, when they heard the voice of Umm Ummara, they called out, “Oh mother, let me just see you one more time,” and her husband called, “Come, my sweet wife, sit by my side for a bit,” but Umm Ummara answered, “They are attacking the Holy Prophet , I must rush to defend him from their attack. Tell the Lord Almighty I am waiting to die by the side of the Holy Prophet . May the Lord grant me, too, the rank of martyrdom! Go before me and give my Lord this message.” That was her answer.
However, this great lady had already been promised a tremendously high rank in the life of eternity: One day the Holy Prophet had held up his hands in prayer and prayed, “Oh my Lord, do not separate me from Umm Ummara and her family!” All the Sahaba had wept as she was given her rank. How great a distinction for Umm Ummara to be singled out by him who is honored with perfect favor in the Divine Presence!
The unbelievers attacked with increasing fury. Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas shot the arrows given to him by the Holy Prophet one by one and they each hit their goal without fail. Every time he handed him an arrow, he said to Sa’d: “Oh Sa’d, may my father and mother be your ransom, may Allah accept everything you say!” With these words, he conferred upon him the very highest rank. Therefore Allah Almighty granted every one of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas‘ wishes.
This fact was well known among the Sahaba, wherefore they said, “If we offend
him we will necessarily receive a curse in return.” They paid meticulous attention to be respectful of all his rights and wishes. In his old age, Sa’d lost the outward signs of his high rank, and the Sahaba said to him, “Oh Sa’d, you who are the beloved companion of the Holy Prophet , why do you not pray for your eyesight to be restored, for whatever you wish for comes to pass.” Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas answered them, “I love the Divine Decree more than mine eyes; if I had one thousand eyes and all thousand of them became blind, I would not trade the opening of even one eye for His Decree.”
Among the archers there was one youth in particular who attracted the Holy Prophet‘s blessed attention. His expert marksmanship and skill pleased him greatly. He went up close to this youth. As he was shooting an arrow at the enemies of Islam, he heard him say, “Take this, my Qurayshi friend” to which the Holy Prophet replied, while patting him on the shoulder, “My son, how much more you would have achieved had you shot your arrow in the name of Islam.”
The Prophet is Wounded
The pagans launched another fierce attack from another quarter, and this time they came very close to where the Holy Prophet was standing. He was wounded in this onslaught and the destiny of Islam seemed to be endangered. There were four accursed persons of Quraysh who had sworn a pact to annihilate the Holy Prophet : `Utba ibn Abi Waqqas, Ibn Qami’ah, Ubbay bin Khalaf and Abdullah bin Shahab. The accursed `Utba ibn Abi Waqqas injured the Holy Prophet’s blessed lips. One of his teeth was broken, thereby martyred. The enemy of Allah Ibn Qami’ah struck the upper half of the Holy Prophet’s blessed countenance, the Mirror of Truth, and two of his helmet rings became embedded in his cheek.
As Abu ‘Ubaydah was attempting to remove these rings from the Prophet’s blessed face, he pulled them out together with two of his own teeth. He was later asked by his companions, “While you were working at removing the rings from the Prophet’s blessed face, did you not feel the pain of your teeth being drawn out?” To this Abu ‘Ubaydah r-plied, “What pain? When I drew near to the face of the Beloved of Allah, such was the flow of mercy that I received that nothing remained in me of myself.” However, none can understand these words who has not reached to the station of ‘ishq (Love), and is yet engrossed in the density of this material world. For those, our words have no meaning. Only this much let us say: generally when a man falls in love with a girl, at the sight of her he feels no desire for food or sleep, nor does he feel any pain. This state may be likened to
that of intoxication with the Divine; it is a spiritual opiate to which Abu ‘Ubaydah had access. May Allah endow our words with beneficence.
The Glory of all the World, the Prophet Muhammad was bleeding heavily from his face, and he wiped his hand over the wound in order to still the flow of blood. He said, “Oh Lord, what good can come to a people who have blooded their Prophet’s face? No good can come of them, but they did it because they do not know, so forgive them.” For the Lord had made plain His Divine Will: “If only one drop of My Beloved’s blood falls to the ground, I will manifest My overwhelming power.” The Holy Prophet interceded with the Lord, pleading, “Oh Lord, my people are ignorant, if only Thou wouldst guide them.” He thereby forestalled the Anger of the Divine.
Ali was trying to staunch the flow of blood. When the Holy Prophet’s daughter Fatima heard in Madinah that her father, the Mercy to the Worlds, had fallen in battle, she ran to the battlefield. Seeing her father’s pure face all covered in blood and her husband Ali soiled from trying to wash it off with water, she cried out in tears, “Oh beloved father of mine, they have cut your face because of your calling them to Allah!?” Having assessed the situation, she instantly began to wash his holy face with her own hands, but the blood would not cease to flow. She said to Ali, “Burn a piece of cloth, so we can staunch the wound with the ashes.” So they burned a piece of cloth, Fatima laid it upon the wound with her own hands, and the flow of blood was stopped.
Then the Holy Prophet said, “Who will sell his life for me?” ‘Umara bin Ziyad bin Saq’an said, “Oh Prophet of Allah , I am ready to do so,” and he and the fourteen fighters he had brought along with him joined forces and threw themselves against the enemy, fighting until they all blissfully fell as martyrs. The Holy Prophet wished for Ziyad to be brought to his side, and they brought him to the Prophet’s side before his soul had quite left his body. For Ziyad had wished to die gazing at the Prophet’s holy face. Ziyad opened his eyes once more to gaze with love upon the pure countenance of Muhammad ; he pronounced the words of the Shahada and was reunited with the Divine Presence. How blessed was he to surrender his soul while resting in the Holy Prophet’s lap! Could there be any station higher than this? Was Ziyad the only holder of this station, to die in the favor of the Prophet’s embrace? Certainly not, for most of the fighters in the cause Islam achieved this lofty station.
Allah Offers Martyrdom
A Muslim was eating some dates when the Holy Prophet announced that the Lord Almighty Himself had offered the cup of martyrdom, and called for those wishing to attain that rank to come forth. The man thought to himself, “Perhaps by the time I finish eating these dates I will be too late to obey my Lord’s command,” and he threw the dates away. On account of one word from the blessed mouth of the Holy Prophet he threw himself into the fray without delay and fought until he was cut down and martyred. Then again, there was Wahab bin Kabus who holds one of the foremost ranks in the Divine Order of things. Of him as great a personality as ‘Umar was to say, “Oh, if only I could be like Kabus, if only I could pass into the afterlife as the son of Kabus did.”
Wahab bin Kabus together with his cousin Qaris bin‘Aqad was on his way from Jabal Muzayana to Madinah to visit the Holy Prophet , ignorant of the battle that was being waged. No sooner had he reached Madinah where he heard the news of the Prophet’s engagement in battle against the unbelievers, then he immediately set out for Uhud to join in the fray. He reached the army of the Prophet at a most critical moment. Because of the archers‘ mistake and disobedience to the Holy Prophet’s advice, the Muslim army was surrounded and forced to withdraw. The enemy made use their momentary strength in attacking the Prophet’s position with full force. Wahab – may Allah be well pleased with him – fought against the unbelievers with such force that he seemed to be a whole army of men, as though he had been granted extraordinary spiritual powers. The enemy was dispersed, but another group launched a second attack. The Holy Prophet asked, “Who will go out against this new wave of attackers?” Wahab bin Kabus was worn out from fighting and had withdrawn into a corner to rest. Despite this, he instantly rose and said, “By your leave, oh Prophet of Allah , I will go out and fight them anew.” This answer of Wahab’s, colored with the colors of Divine Love and Faith pleased the Holy Prophet greatly. “Rise, Wahab,” he said; “I give you the good news of Allah.”
These words promising him the highest of all ranks issuing from the blessed mouth of the Prophet were the strongest weapon Wahab possessed. Again he fought the enemy forces to his utmost power, and again he dispersed them, but now his force was spent, and according to the tidings of the
Prophet he was blissfully admitted into the Presence of the Divine. The Holy Prophet went up to Wahab’s dead body and stroked and kissed him. “Oh Wahab,” he said, “I have come to visit you and I give Salams to your spirit, for I am pleased with you, and may Allah be pleased with you as well.” Thereby he showed him the very highest station.
Now there was a certain Jew
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