Abbad bin Bish’r

Abbad bin Bish’r

Abbad bin Bish’r combined multiple attributes within his personality. He was a warrior, a renowned reciter of the Holy Quran and a devout worshipper who would not spare a night without devoting a part of it in standing and remembering Allah. Hazrath Ayesha, the beloved wife of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh), had once described him one among the three sahabis from Ansars who were distinguished by the scholarship and nobility. The other two were Saad bin Muaz and Usaid bin Hazeer.

Abbad bin Bish’r was a debonair youth of Madinah before he joined the growing tribe of Muslims at the urging of Masa’b bin Umair who had been deputed by the Holy Prophet prior to his migration from Madinah. Masa’b bin Umair’s recitation of the Holy Quran cast a spell on the young Abbad. He instantly decided to join the swelling ranks of the new faith. He shared several of his personal traits with Masa’b bin Umair. This became the natural glue between them. He himself learnt the Quran with extreme devotion and his sonorous voice lent it a rare magnetic charm. Once the Prophet recognised his voice at the dead of the night and prayed for his special forgiveness.

Abbad participated in all the battles during the Prophet’s lifetime. Once the Prophet was returning from the battle of Zatur Riqaa. It was night time and he ordered the army to camp at the base of a hill. The Muslim army had taken several prisoners. Among them was a woman whose husband was not a participant in the war from the enemy’s side. When he heard about his wife being taken a prisoner, he vowed to take revenge and to slay a couple of men from the Muslim army.

The Prophet appointed Abbad and Ammar bin Yasir on the night guard of the camp. They, between themselves, agreed to take turns and Abbad began to make rounds. As Ammar slipped into deep slumber, Abbad stood in prayers and began to loudly recite the verses of the Quran. He was through surah Kahaf.

The man who had vowed to avenge for his wife’s imprisonment, was out on the prowl. Abbad was deeply immersed in intonation. Finding Abbad alone, he launched the first arrow. It got pierced into Abbad’s body. Abbad quietly pulled it out and threw it away. The second and third followed. The third pierced deeper into the flesh. A fountain of blood oozed out. Abbad could take it no more and inched close to Ammar and woke him up. But by then the enemy got alarmed with the presence of yet another person on the night watch. He took to his heels.

But the tenacity of Abbad astounded Ammar. He queried as to why he kept silent despite being hit by two arrows. Abbad’s reply was : My only concern was to finish surah Kahaf. By God! I wouldn’t mind sacrificing life, but for the grand responsibility of maintaining vigil entrusted to me by the Holy Prophet.

Abbad participated in the battle against apostates led by Museelamah during the reign of Abu Bakr. The battle went on for several days with fortunes of the Muslim army waxing and waning each day. A stage came when the Ansar and Muhajireen began to shift the responsibility for the stalemate in the war on each other. Meanwhile, Abbad saw in his dream that he had fallen a martyr.

Next day, as the sun rose on the eastern horizon, Abbad went over a hillock and called the Ansar to gather around him. Nearly 400 of them flocked around him. They included veteran companions of the Prophet such as Baraa bin Malik, Abu Dujana and Sabith bin Khais. He then led a powerful assault on the enemy. Penetrating deep into the ranks, he inflicted huge casualties against the enemy. Finally he was cornered near the wall of an orchard and martyred by the enemy. His body bore countless wounds inasmuch as it was unrecognisable. But finally someone recognised him and he was laid to rest there itself. May Allah be pleased with Abbad.

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Hazrath Umar's Journey to Islam

Hazrath Umar's conversion to Islam was a big triumph, his emigration to Madinah a tremendous reinforcement, and his accession to the Caliphate a great blessing for the Muslims.

Few historical Islamic personalities move the hearts of Muslims today like Umar bin al-Khattab, the intimate Companion of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) and the second Caliph of Islam. While the story of his conversion is well-known to many Muslims who have read about it even as children, it nevertheless remains a valuable reminder of the power of the Islamic call to change the hearts of even its most bitter opponents.

Umar bin al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him), of whom all the Muslims are justly proud, was most adamant in opposing the Prophet (Pbuh) and very prominent in persecuting the Muslims before he embraced Islam. One day, the Quraysh in a meeting called for somebody to volunteer himself for the assassination of the Prophet. Umar offered himself for this job, at which everybody exclaimed, "Surely, you can do it, 'Umar!"

With sword hanging from his neck, he set out straight away on his sinister errand. On his way, he met Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas of the Zuhrah clan. Sa'ad inquired, "Whither! `Umar?" Umar replied, "I am after finishing Muhammad."

Sa'ad said, "But do not you see that the tribes of Hashim, Zuhrah and Abde Munaf are likely to kill you in retaliation?" `Umar, upset at the warning, said, "It seems that you also have renounced the religion of your forefathers. Let me settle with you first."

So saying, Umar drew out his sword. Sa'ad announcing his Islam, also took out his sword. They were about to start a duel when Sa'ad said, "You had better first set your own house in order. Your sister and brother-in-law both have accepted Islam."

Hearing this, Umar flew into a towering rage and turned his steps towards his sister's house. The door of the house was bolted from inside and both husband and wife were receiving lessons in the Qur'an from the Companion Khabbab (May Allah be pleased with him). Umar knocked at the door and shouted for his sister to open it. Khabbab hearing the voice of Umar, hid himself in an inner room, forgetting to take the manuscript pages of the Holy Quran with him. When the sister opened the door, Umar hit her on the head, saying, "0, enemy of yourself! You too have renounced your religion."

Her head began to bleed. Umar went inside and inquired, "What were you doing? And who was the stranger I heard from outside?"

His brother-in-law replied, "We were talking to each other."

Umar said to him, "Have you also forsaken the creed of your forefathers and gone over to the new religion?"

"`Umar! We are beaten only because we have become Muslims. Listen! We are determined to die as Muslims. You are free to do whatever you like."

When Umar had cooled down and felt a bit ashamed over his sister's bleeding, his eyes fell on the pages of the Quran left behind by Khabbab. He said, "Alright show me, what are these?" "No," said the sister, "you are unclean and no unclean person can touch the Scripture." He insisted, but the sister was not prepared to allow him to touch the leaves unless he washed his body. `Umar at last gave in. He washed his body and then began to read the leaves. It was Surah "Taha". He started from the beginning of the Surah, and he was a changed man altogether when he came to the verse:

"Lo! I, indeed I am Allah. There is none worthy of worship save Me. So serve me and establish the Prayer for My remembrance." He said, "Alright, take me to Muhammad."

On hearing this, Khabbab came out from inside and said, "0, `Umar! Glad tidings to you. Yesterday (on Thursday night) the Prophet (Pbuh) prayed to Allah, '0, Allah strengthen Islam with either Umar or Abu Jahl, whomsoever Thou likest'. It seems that his prayer has been answered in your favour."

`Umar then went to the Prophet nd embraced Islam on Friday morning. `Umar's Islam was a terrible blow to the morale of the unbelievers, but still the Muslims were few in number and the whole country was against them. The disbelievers intensified their efforts for the complete annihilation of Muslims and the extinction of Islam. With Umar on their side, the Muslims now started saying their group prayers in the Haram (Holy Sanctuary).

Abdullah bin Mas'ood says, "`Umar's Islam was a big triumph, his emigration to Madinah a tremendous reinforcement, and his accession to the Caliphate a great blessing for the Muslims."

(The wording of this narrative was taken from Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya's Fazail-e-Amaal)

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Unique Justice

Nausherwan Aadil was the king of Persia. He was known for his justice. But a unique case that came to him plunged him into a dilemma. It involved two persons- Jamshed and Khusro. Jamshed had bought a house from Khusro. He found a treasure trove while digging into the floor of the house to build some extra room. He took the pitcher full of guineas to the old owner Khusro and asked him to accept the same as it belonged to him. Khusro said he never knew there was a treasure under the earth when he sold the house to him and asked Jamshed to keep it as it rightly belonged to him. So they took the dispute to the King’s court. Nausherwan asked them if they had marriageable sons and daughters. Jamshed said he had a daughter Arjumand Bano and Khusro said he had a son, Feroze. Nausherwan asked them to arrange a marriage between Feroze and Arjumand. He then gave away the guineas to the new couple.