rophet’s Companions
Abdur Rahman bin Auf
His business thrived. His wealth knew no bounds. But so was his generosity.
Hazrath Abdur Rahman bin Auf was one among the earliest of companions of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). He said the shahadah two days after Hazrat Abu Bakr came into the fold of Islam. He was a doughty warrior and remained steadfast with Islam despite heavy odds. He was even among those who migrated to Abyssinia (Habsha) under the command of Jaffer bin Abi Talib.
Prior to conversion to Islam, he was known as Abd Amr. The Holy Prophet named him as Abdur Rahman and later he became known as Abdur Rahman bin Auf.
When he migrated to Madinah, he was offered a garden by Saad bin Rabi who also wanted to divorce one of his two wives in order that Abdur Rahman could marry her. But Abdur Rahman requested him to tell the direction of the market in Madinah in order that he could set up his business. The business thrived and he grew into a wealthy man. One day when he came to the Prophet, the fragrance from his person attracted the Holy Prophet. On enquiry, he informed the Prophet that he had married. The Prophet then asked him if he had paid any mehr (dower) to his bride and asked him to arrange valeema even if he could afford to sacrifice just a goat. He informed the Prophet that he had offered a piece of gold to the bride in mehr. He is quoted to have once said that such is his fortune that he strikes gold even if he lifts a stone.
He was extremely generous in charity. Once the Prophet made a general appeal for Jehad fund. Abdur Rahman went inside his house and brought 2,000 Dinars. He told the Prophet that he had 4,000 Dinars with him, of which he had left half for the family. The Prophet prayed for the acceptance of what was offered for the Jehad and for barakah (increase) for what has been left for the family. The war of Tabuk saw him turning over a lot of money and goods for the war fund in as much as the Prophet had to ask him if he had left anything behind for the family. It was a rare privilege for him to have led a prayer as imam in which the Prophet joined the namaz in the second rakah. This happened at a place where the Muslim armies were stationed during their march to the battlefield of Tabuk. He was a participant in the battles of Badr and Uhud. He was one among the companions who was stationed on a strategic hillock in the battlefield of Uhud. He remained steadfast and fought valiantly against the Makkan army even though several other companions left the battlefield in violation of the Prophet’s strict command. This proved costly. He was severely injured.
Abdur Rahman bin Auf used to take extreme care of the holy wives of the Prophet after the death of the Prophet. He would send them money for household expenses, arrange horses or camels for their journeys and send a green veil for their seats on the animal backs. Once the sale of an estate fetched 40,000 Dinars. He sent a good part of it for Bani Zuhra, the family of the Prophet’s mother. Remainder amount was also distributed among the holy wives of the Prophet.
He prospered through his business. His wealth knew no bounds. Once his merchant caravan comprising 700 camels entered the city of Madinah. It appeared as if the earth beneath their feet was trembling. When Hazrath Ayesha asked about the vibrations, she was told about the arrival of Abdur Rahman’s merchant caravan. She sent him the good tidings of being selected for the paradise (one among those ten who were so informed). She said, the holy Prophet had once told her that Abdur Rahman bin Auf would enter paradise while jumping with joy. On hearing this, Abdur Rahman immediately came to the court of Hazrath Ayesha and sought confirmation. When she confirmed the Prophet’s glad tidings, he offered the entire range of goods which included expensive garments, utensils, perfumes, oils and wheat etc, towards charity in the way of Allah.
Thereafter, he became even more generous. Once he donated 500 trained war horses and at another occasion he bought 1,500 Arabian horses to be distributed among the warriors. He left a will asking his successors to pay 400 Dinars out of his inheritance among the holy companions of the Prophet who participated in the battle of Badr. There were at least 100 such companions who received the payment. Despite this, he left nearly 1,000 camels, 400 horses and 3,000 goats. His death widowed four of his wives. The gold and silver ingots had to be cut into pieces with pickaxes to be distributed among the inheritors.
But his affluence did not alter his state of mind. He was the same humble self as he came from Makkah. He would often remember the early, difficult days of Islam when the companions of the Prophet sacrificed their lives for the sake of Islam. Among them, he would refer to martyr Wahab bin Umair whose body had to be buried with a coffin that barely covered his body.
His funeral prayers were led by Hazrath Usman Ghani and his body was lowered into the grave by Saad bin Abi Waqas. Hazrath Ali commented in the following words: Abdur Rahman, you have bargained for the genuine coins while rejecting the fake coins of worldly opulence.
(Translated and abridged by Maqbool Ahmed Siraj from Suwarum min Hayathus Sahaba by Egyptian writer Dr. Abdur Rahman Rafat Pasha)
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Words and Actions Should Be the Same
Sugar PotThere once was a boy who loved eating sweets. He always asked for sweets from his father. His father was a poor man. He could not always afford sweets for his son. But the little boy did not understand this, and demanded sweets all the time. The boy’s father thought hard about how to stop the child asking for so many sweets. There was a very holy man living nearby at that time. The boy’s father had an idea. He decided to take the boy to the great man who might be able to persuade the child to stop asking for sweets all the time. The boy and his father went along to the great man. The father said to him, “O great saint, could you ask my son to stop asking for sweets which I cannot afford?” The great man was in difficulty, because he liked sweets himself. How could he ask the boy to give up asking for sweets? The holy man told the father to bring his son back after one month.
During that month, the holy man gave up eating sweets, and when the boy and his father returned after a month, the holy man said to the boy “My dear child, will you stop asking for sweets which your father cannot afford to give you?”
From then on, the boy stopped asking for sweets.
The boy’s father asked the saint, “Why did you not ask my son to give up asking for sweets when we came to you a month ago?” The saint replied, “How could I ask a boy to give up sweets when I loved sweets myself. In the last month I gave up eating sweets.”
Practice what you preach!
Source: Islam For Younger People, published by A. N. Printers, Lahore, Pakistan
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Tell Tales
Run Run Run
Horse RiderA long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered. Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible. He came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, “Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself.”
The story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health , time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love. One day when we look back , we will realise that we don’t really need that much, but then we cannot turn back time for what we have missed.
Asra Yasmeen
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Children of the Sahabah
Children SahabahThe true spirit of Islam that we find in the children of the Sahabah’s time was the result of the upbringing which they received at the hands of their parents. The Sahabah were very particular about training their children in Islamic practices and they kept a watchful eye on their doings. So if a child has to be a good Muslim when he grows up, the seed of Iman and Islam should be sown in his heart right from his childhood. A bad seed cannot grow into a good plant. Here are some examples from the lives of children devoted to Islam during the Sahabah’s time. During Hazrath Umar’s time, a person was arrested for drinking in Ramadan. When he was brought before Hazrath Umar, he said to him: “ Woe to you! Even our children are keeping fast in this month.”
He was punished with 80 lashes and was banished from Madinah forever.
Shafia Ahmed
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Hazrath Aishah's (Radhiyallaho anha)
Zeal for Knowledge
Hazrath Aishah was given in nikah to the holy Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) when she was six. She started living with the Prophet when she was nine. She was only 18 years when the Prophet passed away. Notwithstanding her age, she is responsible for innumerable hadiths and regulations of Islamic practices. Hazrath Abu Moosa (Radhiyallaho anho) says: “ With the help of Hazrath Aishah, a solution was found to each and every problem we had to face in the field of religious knowledge.”
The books of Hadith contain as many as 2210 Hadiths narrated by Hazrath Aishah. She says: “ I was a child and playing with my playmates in Makkah when the verse: Nay, but the Hour is their appointed tryst and the Hour will be more wretched and more bitter,” was revealed to the Prophet. She emigrated to Madinah when she was only eight. This clearly shows her great zeal and devotion for Islamic knowledge right from her childhood.
Shafia Ahmed
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Care For Your Parents
Caring ParentsSahih Bukhari Volume 8, Narrated Abu Huraira:
A man came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man said. “Who is next?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man further said, “Who is next?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man asked for the fourth time, “Who is next?” The Prophet said, “Your father.”
“Paradise lies at the mother’s feet”
Your mother and father have taken care of you since you were born. It is because of them and the grace of Allah that you are who you are, and that you have what you do. You are a very lucky person! So as they take care of you, they are counting on you to behave, listen to what they say, and be the best son or daughter you can.
When your parents get older and can’t take care of themselves so well, you’ll get your chance to help them as much as you can.
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Little Poets
A Time for Peace
Ramadan, the month of fasting
The arrival of glad tidings
Purify the wealth, thus acquired, by remitting
A share to the needy, as God is oft-forgiving
Fasting is like a shield
Abstains from sin and quarreling
Cheerfulness this month yields
Enables a peaceful life in every being
Makes a perso.im hospitable
By taking away the quality of greed
In Lailathul Qadr, the Night of Power
Sent Qur’an, the glorious, as guide to mankind
Can attain self-control and intellectual power
By knowing the existence of one kind
Let us unite in group
To share the pleasure of fasting
With utmost dignity and hope
To complete peacefully the fasting
K. M. Fouzia
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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 forgotten where I am left
With respect, I do get lots of kisses
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 that there is no measure
I am your saviour, I am your guide
But who’s there to follow the bide
Right from wrong is my fame
Holy Qur’an is my name
Noor Mohammed Merchant
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