Prophet's Companions

Prophet's Companions
Zaidul Khail
A companion known for his bravery and gallantry

He was known as Zaidul Khail before he embraced Islam. But Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) made a slight alteration in his name and asked the people to call him Zaidul Khair. He was known for his bravery, sharp-shooting and extreme generosity. Even before we proceed to look at his post-Islam life, it will be instructive to look at a few aspects of his pre-Islam life when he used to roam through the deserts of Arabia. Here is an account by a historian Shaibani Banu Aamir:

Arabia was through one of the most severe famines. An old man from the Banu Aamir clan left his clansmen behind and vowed that he would fetch something and departed for the town of Hairah. He kept on travelling for seven days and came upon a place where hundreds of camels were tied in a fence. A leather tent stood in the middle. There were signs of affluence all around. A lonely old man sat in the middle of the tent. He seemed to be a Sheikh. He too got into the tent and sat behind the frail, old man. A shortwhile later, a tall horse-rider entered the tent. He had dismounted from a magnificent horse flanked by two foot-soldiers on either side.

They were followed by nearly 100 she-camels.The rider pointed at a healthy she-camel and asked the footmen to milk it. The milk almost filled the pot. The footman placed it before the Sheikh. He took a few sips. Zaid took up the pot and emptied it in a jiffy. He did the same even when the pot was presented for a second time with milk filled to the brim. Later a fat goat was slaughtered and the horse-rider himself roasted it over the giant oven prepared by the footmen. The man himself fed the Sheikh. He then himself ate to his fill and was later joined by the footmen. They then went to sleep. Says Zaidul Khail: “I moved out of the tent, untethered the she-camel that had been milked. The entire herd of camels began to follow us.

I went on marching along with the herd till the sun was considerably up in the sky. But then suddenly I noticed the awesome hulk of the horse-rider following me. He pursued us till he came within shooting distance of the arrow. I tied the camel in a corner. The horserider shouted: “Untie the camel”. I said: “It’s not possible. I have left my starving kinsfolk in the town of Hairah. I have vowed not to return without some provision for food. I will rather die than going back empty-handed.” The horse-rider cried: “You should untie the camel or consider yourself dead.” I said: “No way, I am in no mood to release the camel.” Horserider: “You seem to be an arrogant man. You don’t know who I am.? Which of the three knots would you like to be shot by my arrow.” Shoot the middle one if you can.” The arrow pierced the middle knot as if someone had pierced it with the hands.

I was wonderstruck with his precision. I surrendered. He came to me and asked me to mount the horse behind him. I did as he told me to do. I did not expect any good treatment from him. But he told me not to worry as I had shared food with his father Mulalhil. The name of Mulalhil stunned me. I asked him if he was Zaidul Khail. He nodded in affirmation. I begged pardon from him. He said, “Don’t worry. You will be treated well. He told me the camels belonged to his sister and had he owned them, he would have given the entire herd to me. Three days later he ambushed the tribe of Banu Numaira and got a booty of 100 camels. He gave away the entire herd to me.”

Zaidul Khail used to ambush tribes and loot their livestock and other valuables and gifted them away. Then he came to know of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) and headed to Madinah with a large delegation of chieftains of Banu Tai. The Prophet was delivering a sermon inside the mosque. The way the people were hearing the sermon in rapt attention impressed him a lot. When the Prophet looked at him, he told the gathering that he (the Prophet) was better than Uzza, the deity the Arabs were worshipping.

Some of the chieftains embraced Islam while others rejected it out of arrogance. Zaidul Khail was awestruck. When the Prophet ended his speech, he stood up. Zaid announced his conversion to Islam in a loud voice. The Prophet enquired about him. He said, “ I am Zaidul Khail bin Mulalhil.” The Prophet immediately altered his name and said that he would be known as Zaidul Khair from then onwards. The Prophet thanked Allah for guiding Zaidul Khail towards Islam. The Prophet took him home and offered him a pillow to lean upon. But he returned it considering it a disrespect towards Allah’s Prophet. The holy Prophet said: “O Zaid! All those who were praised before me came to me, I found them less than what they were praised for. But I have found you more than what people spoke about you. Your self-esteem and forbearance have impressed me.” Zaid thanked Allah for all his personal attributes. He then turned towards the holy Prophet and requested him to provide him 300 horsemen in order to retaliate the attacks from the Roman empire. He even offered to take them under his command and maintain them. The holy Prophet praised his chivalry. After this, all the companions of Zaidul Khail embraced Islam.

When Zaid decided to go back to his native land of Najd, the holy Prophet prayed for his welfare. The Prophet even sought Allah’s protection against flu that was then raging in Madinah. But Zaidul Khail was soon attacked by the flu. Zaid asked his clansmen who were returning to Najd with him to keep him away from the town of the tribes of Qais. He said during the days of Jahilliyah, he used to engage in encounters with the people of Qais. “Now that I am a Muslim, I will not fight against any other Muslim,” he declared.

He kept on travelling towards Najd with the caravan. The fever also soared. It was his heartfelt desire to see his clansmen and invite them to Islam. It was as if there was competition between him and his death. But then death conquered him. He breathed his last while in journey

(Translated and abridged by Maqbool Ahmed Siraj from Suwarum min Hayathus Sahaba
by Egyptian writer Dr. Abdur Rahman Rafat Pasha)
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Adham's Honesty

Ibrahim bin Adham was the king of a state. He renounced the throne and took up a job as the keeper of an orchard. Sometime later, the owner of the orchard came on a visit. He ordered a pomegranate to be brought for him. Ibrahim plucked out a rosy fruit and placed it before him on a platter. But it turned out to be sour. He ordered for a sweet fruit to be bought. Ibrahim plucked a still better looking fruit. But even this turned out to be bitter. The owner flew into a furious rage. He shouted: “You have been keeping the orchard for so long. Yet you are so unaware of the fruits. Cannot you still recognise which trees that bear fruits sweeter than the others?”

Ibrahim replied coolly: “ I am appointed to look after the safety of the orchard. It’s not my duty to taste the fruit. I carry out my duty.” The owner of the orchard was pleased with the reply. He was too impressed with Ibrahim’s honesty and ordered an increase in the salary. But Ibrahim left the job. He said: “I was so far being paid for the work I did. Now on, I will be paid for my honesty. I cannot barter my piety for money.”

Moral: Pious people expect a reward only from Allah. They cannot withstand someone fixing a price for their pious deeds.
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Al-Faribi
Renowned Scholars

Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Muhammad Al Faribi is also known as Alfarabius or Avennasr. He was born at Wasidj in the city of Farab and Bukhara. Later he lived in Baghdad for many years. In 942, he accepted an invitation from Hamdanie ruler Sayf Al-Dawla to join his court and lived in Aleppo with other learned men. He was a great philosopher. He became known as the “The Second Teacher” after Aristotle. According to him, philosophy was a big help in making a per fect state, a perfect nation and a per fect world. He said that rhetoric, (the art of using language so as to persuade or influence others) could be used to convert the majority of men. Al Farabi wrote more than 100 works. He wrote commentaries on Aristotle’s lectures. These were used by Ibn Rushd. The best known of his works is Al Siyasa Al Madaniyya (Political Economy).Al Faribi influenced such writers as Ikhwan al Safa, Al Masudi, Miskawayh and Abu al-Hasan Muhamamad al-Amiri. His political ideas had a lasting influence. He also wrote a book on music-Kitab Musiqa al Kabir. He also invented some musical instruments like rababa and qanun. He died in 950.

Habib Shaikh, Arab News
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Holy QUR'AN IS MY NAME


I am a book in elegant prints,
to know my name, here are some hints.
Rich in cover and nicely bound
in hearts of Muslims I am rarely found
High on a shelf, I am kept
Forgotten there, I am left.
With respect I do get lots of kiss
my main point is what they always miss
In a melodious voice they recite me
Neglecting the message inside me
At times I am used for phony swear,
my true use is very very rare
A miracle I am that can change the world
All one has to do is understand my word.
I have wisdom I have treasure
So much so there is no measure
I’m your savior, I’m your guide
but who’s there to follow the bide
Right from wrong is my fame,
Holy Quran is my name

Murtaza and Zeenat Jivanjee

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Why Bitter Fruits were Sweet to Ayyaz

There was a famous ruler by the name Sultan Mahmud and he had a slave called Ayyaz. Sultan Mahmud loved Ayyaz very much because of his great wisdom. From time to time, Sultan would test Ayyaz with various things to see how much love Ayyaz had for him. One day, Sultan Mahmud gathered the most bitter fruits from his garden and called Ayyaz. Sultan told Ayyaz to eat them. Ayyaz took the fruits in his hands and kissed them and then started eating them without any hesitation. Sultan observed that Ayyaz was eating the fruits with great pleasure and the bitter taste was not affecting him in any way. Now Sultan started thinking that he might have picked the wrong fruits, so, he took one of the fruits from Ayyaz to find out. As soon as Sultan took a bite, he was overwhelmed by the bitterness of the fruit and started screaming for water. When Sultan settled down, he asked Ayyaz why he was unaffected by the fruits. Ayyaz said, "You only see the bitterness of the fruits but you don't see the one who gave them to me? They were given to me by the king himself!"

Moral : we may find some commandments of Allah hard to follow. However, we should rather follow them with great love because they were given to us by the King of all kings, Almighty Allah.

Imrul Parvez
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Islamic Voice Quiz March 2002


1 Who built Humayan's Tomb in Delhi?
2 What is the function of Amnesty International?
3 What is the full form of ICCR and ICHR?
4 What is Nouroze?
5 Which is India's largest salt water lake?
6 What is the total Muslim population in the world?
7 To whom was Prophet Saleh sent?
8 What are the duties of angel Mika-eel?
9 What is Wuqoof ? (It is performed during the Hajj.)
10 Name the book revealed to Prophet Musa (Moses)?
11 Mention the names of the daughters of Prophet Muhammed and Hazrath Khadija?

Write the correct answers on a separate sheet of paper and send it along with the coupon given in this page. Write your name, full address, age and school where you study. Entries without address will not be considered. The first three all-correct entries will be given Rs 300, Rs. 200 and Rs. 100 each. Last date for the entries to reach us is April 10, 2002.

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Don't Exploit People for Your Benefit

Yunus bin Ubaid was one of the companions of the Islamic scholar Hassan Basri. He was a businessman. He once came to know that silk prices had gone up at a far-off place and thought it fit to purchase some silk at Basrah and sell it there. He purchased silk worth 30,000 Dinars. But his heart was not satisfied. He asked the seller if he knew that the silk prices had gone up at the particular place. The seller replied: “Had I known this, I would not have sold the silk to you.” At this, Yunus returned the goods. Strictly speaking, such a deal cannot be described a dishonest deal. After all, business depends upon such vagaries of the market. Yet Yunus bin Ubaid was over-cautious. His pious nature did not tolerate benefiting from a situation where the seller of the goods was unaware of the worth of his merchandise elsewhere.

(Translated from Ibratangez waqiat aur lamhe fikriya,
compiled by Mahmood Hassan Ghazi.
Published by Darul Kitab, Deoband).
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Who is the Maker ?

Isaac Newton, had invited a scientist-friend of his, a man who professed atheism to dine with him. Seeking to corner his friend with his own arguments, Newton placed a model of the solar system on his table and invited his friend to view it. Upon examining it, Newton’s friend exclaimed, “what a marvellous craftsmanship!” Who fashioned this exquisite model?” Newton replied casually, “ This model has no maker, it materialised from nothing.” Disbelief writ large on his face, the friend asked, “What do you mean?” To this, Newton smiled and replied, “How can you my friend, insist that this model has to have a maker, while vehemently denying the existence of a divine Creator?” Science can actually strengthen, rather than weaken our faith in God. In fact, science can even reinforce our faith in a Supreme Being. Physics and Metaphysics are but the two sides of the same coin. Science has the power to ennoble us as much as religion can. While the truly pious person loves God with his heart, a truly dedicated scientist loves God with his mind.

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TIME : A BLESSING FROM ALLAH

“There just is’nt any more time.
Look how time is flying.
If only I had more time.
Look how the months and years are going past
Life is a rat-race- I want to get off.”

Prophet Muhammed (Pbuh) predicted that there will come a stage when time will pass very quickly,, and this is one of the signs signifying the nearness of the Final Day as stated in the following Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said : “The Hour will not be established until the religious knowledge is taken away. earthquakes will increase in number...time will pass quickly.”

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Do You Know
The best water in the world is
The Zamzam

The spring of Zamzam keeps water supplied round the clock to pilgrims who come to Makkah from every part of the world for Umrah and Hajj pilgrimage throughout the year. According to a tradition of the Holy Prophet (Pbuh), it is narrated that the Prophet said to Abu Zarr, who remained in the sanctuary of the Kabah for forty days without food or drink, living only on Zamzam water: “It is a nutritious food.” In Sahih Muslim, it is reported that the Prophet said, “And a cure from ailment”.

There are reports of other people across the world drinking Zamzam water for being cured from various illnesses, and by the will of Allah, they have been cured of those illnesses. Again, there are reports of pilgrims living on Zamzam water for fifteen days at a stretch without complaining of hunger.


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Science Facts

How to use the force of explosions? Have you ever travelled on the force of an explosion? The truth is almost every one of us has sometime or the other in our lives travelled on the force of explosions. There are people who travel daily on the force of explosions! Whenever you go for a ride in your car or drive your scooter, you are being moved by the force of explosion. Gasoline or petrol explodes inside the engine of a vehicle to make it move. The force of explosion comes from the energy in the gasoline.

All our vehicles run on gasoline. When the gasoline is put into the tank, it is a liquid. It flows through a pipe to the engine. From there it moves along to another part in the same engine where it is changed into a fine spray. Air is mixed with the spray and the gasoline changes into a gas. Then the gas moves to another part of the engine. Here it meets a tiny electric spark, which explodes the gas.When anything explodes, it suddenly gets much larger. It pushes out in every direction with great force, just as steam does. When gasoline explodes in the engine of a car, the force of the explosion moves parts of the engine. Then the wheel turns and the automobile moves.

Another kind of engine also runs by the force of explosions. It is called as a diesel engine. For fuel, it uses oil instead of gasoline. And no spark is needed to make the oil explode. Many ships and trains use diesel engines.

The force of exploding gas carries us over the roads in high speeds. It would have been a different world today if we did not have the force of explosions working for us!

A. I. Makki
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ENVIRONMENT
Growing Cacti at Home

Species of cacti have emerged to inhabit a wide range of environment. There are more than 2,000 members of the cactus family called Cactaceae. These strange plants have fascinated mankind for centuries. Any species of cacti can be grown in and around homes. Most cacti do not have leaves. Two factors are important in getting the freshly planted seeds to germinate-water and temperature. After having placed seeds in the soil and given them a good drenching, they must be kept moist, not wet. The tender young plant must be strictly protected from the direct rays of the sun. Watering should be done always from over the top of the plant with only a few exceptions when the cactus is in flowering stage. Overhead watering will help to keep the cactus clean and free from pests.

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Would You Believe

Camels in fine ornation turned up for a beauty contest in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, to take away a bounty of 1 lakh dirhams-that is Rs.12 lakh in prizes.The contest named as “ Camel to Cadillac” was organised to portray the progress of the desert State after the discovery of oil a few decades ago and was aimed to highlight the love of the people here for the animal. The first prize of 7000 dirhams for adult camels was won by Mattar bin. The names of the camels indicate the animal’s family tree. The contest was held in four categories-adults, individuals, the young below two years and the camel studs. The best baby camel won a dagger in addition to a cash prize.

Do you know : Finland became the first country in the world where there are more mobile phones than fixed-line phones.

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Nature Watch

How can a bird sleep without falling from its perch? In birds, leg muscles are enlarged and strong and well-suited for life in the air. their shank and feet have few muscles and look slender and delicate. But certain muscles in the upper part of the leg have a special arrangement and long tendons for moving the toes. As a result when a bird sits on a perch - a branch of a tree, wire or rod, its toes are mechanically flexed (bent) and firmly grasp the perch. The muscles involved are known as “perching muscles” or flexor muscles meant for bending and gripping of toes and extensor muscles for opening the toes. This arrangement of muscles is known as perching mechanism which is quite automatic and it enables the bird to sleep even on a twig without the risk of falling down.

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WILD TALK

‘Kids for Tigers’ is a Sanctuary Magazine-Britannia Ltd. environmental education programme in schools across India that aims to bring out the vital connection between the survival of the tiger and our ecological health. Through ‘edutainment’ workshops, tiger fests, nature walks, film shows and tiger information kits, ‘Kids for Tigers’ seeks to increase awareness among children about India’s bio-diversity and sensitise them to the fact that saving tigers and their forests will also secure our water supply and help save ourselves.

The Program Mission is to inform, educate and motivate young students to become an active force to save wild tigers and their homes, to promote caring family values centred around environmentally-friendly attitudes. By saving the tiger, you save the rich and diverse natural wealth of India.

For details email to info@kidsfortigers.org or simply log on to www.kidsfortigers.org.

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