Download PDF: [S] How the Blessed Ashaab Lived (Islamic story)

In the next few pages, we will present the story and examples of some of the special servants of Allah Almighty. In history, the special servants of Allah Almighty may have seemed to be poor and destitute, but they were another breed of creation. Their behaviour, character and attributes were something which could be described as being out of this world.

 

One of them is Hadrat Sayyiduna Umair bin Sa’ad bin Ubaid bin Nu’man bin Qais bin Amar bin Auf Ansari – may Allah be pleased with him.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Umair bin Sa’ad’s – may Allah be pleased with him – father had passed away while he was still a baby and his mother married Hadrat Sayyiduna Jalaas bin Suwaid – may Allah be pleased with him. He grew up in this blessed house and received his early training in this house.

 

It is mentioned that at one time, Hadrat Sayyiduna Jalaas bin Suwaid – may Allah be pleased with him – was encouraged by the Munafiqs to bring them on his side, but he made sincere Taubah and joined the ranks of the other sincere Muslims. After his Taubah, he paid special attention to Hadrat Sayyiduna Umair bin Sa’ad – may Allah be pleased with him – and made sure that he developed a very noble character.

 

It is mentioned that Hadrat Sayyiduna Umair bin Sa’ad – may Allah be pleased with him – once saw Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Uthman Ghani – may Allah be pleased with him – had a purse of gold which had about one thousand Dinaars in it and in spite of the fact that he himself was extremely poor and in need of help, he never asked the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – for any portion of this gold. Bear in mind that it was also his right to share in the bounty of war, but he remained silent. He spent his entire life in poverty but never once asked anyone for help.

 

In fact, such was his standing among the blessed Ashaab that they regarded him as a true Zaahid and one of the most learned. Among the three Ansaar who were noted for being among the Zaahideen, he was also included among them. The other two were Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Darda – may Allah be pleased with him – and Hadrat Sayyiduna Shaddaad bin Aus – may Allah be pleased with him.

 

He prohibited speaking ill of anyone.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – had also nominated Hadrat Sayyiduna Umair bin Sa’ad – may Allah be pleased with him – as the Governor of Hums. However, since he had no animal to travel, we walked to Madina Shareef at the invitation of the great leader of the Muslims. When he arrived at the court of Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – he was asked by the great leader, “No Muslim even arranged an animal for you to travel on?” He replied that no one asked and neither did he ask anyone.

 

When Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – heard this, he remarked, “The Muslims have become people without feeling?”

 

However he replied, “Allah Almighty has indeed commanded you to refrain from speaking ill of others.”

 

When Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – asked him to present the bounties of war or jizyah which he should have had with him, he replied, “I have spent all the wealth where it was supposed to have been spent.” In other words, he brought nothing with him and spent everything on the poor and destitute of Hums.

 

Another amazing example of his immense character is when Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – sent someone to give him a hundred Dinaars which was allowed to spend on himself. When he received this money, he called all the children of those who had been martyred and distributed this among these children. He kept nothing in his own house even though he himself was in great need of food and money. (Usdul Ghaabah, Tabqaat ibn Sa’ad, Sayr ‘Alaam Al Nubla)

 

Another eminent companion.

 

Among the blessed companions of this character was also Hadrat Sayyiduna Ammaar bin Yaasir – may Allah be pleased with him. He was among the foremost people to accept Islam. He spent his entire life in poverty and never asked anyone for help or assistance.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Ammaar bin Yaasir – may Allah be pleased with him – never allowed the pleasures and comforts of the world to come near him. Even though he was extremely poor, in the ranks of Islamic law, he enjoyed a most eminent position and status. In fact, such was his immense stature that once the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – clearly mentioned to him that he was indeed a person of Jannah.

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – also informed Hadrat Sayyiduna Ammaar bin Yaasir – may Allah be pleased with him – that the last drink he will have in this world will be milk. During the Battle of Siffin, he asked for some milk and continued to do battle until he passed away. This proved to be his last drink in the world.

 

Many years earlier, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has made this statement to him and unlike the Wahhabi/Deobandi, he did not say to the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – that he did not have Knowledge of the Unseen, therefore, how can you say something like this. He believed this statement and proved this in his last act of drinking a liquid. (Dalaalil Nubuwah, Usdul Ghaabah)

 

A most profitable trade or business transaction.

 

Here is another eminent and blessed companion whose name is Hadrat Sayyiduna Suhaib Rumi – may Allah be pleased with him. He was once a slave of a rich and powerful person in Mecca Shareef whose name was Abdullah bin Jad’aan.

He started to do business and very soon, he was a successful businessman. A few days earlier, he was an ordinary slave but very soon became very wealthy. When he accepted Islam and wanted to migrate to Madina Shareef, the Quraish obviously became his greatest obstacle. They also told him, “Where you arrived in Mecca, you were an ordinary slave. You grew up in Mecca and became young and strong. You also started a business here and also gained much success in your business ventures. Now, you wish to take all of this wealth and go and hand in over to Muhammad. This can never happen. We will never allow you to take any of this wealth.”

 

However, he did not hesitate to take all of his wealth and hand it over to the Quraish. He then decided to travel on foot to Madina Shareef. When he reached there, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – saw him and declared, “You had completed a very successful business transaction, O Aba Yahyah.” (Al Bidaayah wan Nihaayah. Sayr ‘Alaam Al Nublah)

 

In this manner, he sacrificed everything for the sake of Islam and joining the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and hence, because of this, he was a very poor person in terms of wordily wealth and property. He also adopted the path of being a true Zaahid and someone who strove in the path of Allah Almighty.

 

What more can be said about the immense dedication of the blessed Ashaab and their true character. It is no wonder that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – had declared that the best generation was his generation and then those who came after them and then those who came after them. In fact, in Islamic history, no can never be able to find such eminent and dedicated people who spent everything they had for the cause of Islam. Today, there are many who say we have done this for Islam or that for Islam, but even if they passed away a few years ago, people have forgotten these people. Yet, until the present day, books upon books are written about the lives of the blessed companions. In like manner, they will be remembered until the Day of Judgement and beyond.

 

This is Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Darda – may Allah be pleased with him.

 

Prior to the arrival of Islam and prior to the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – publicly announcing his Prophethood, Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Darda – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates, “I was a businessman and trader. When I accepted Islam, I also had the wish to continue doing business and also spent time in Ibadah. However, I could never manage to combine or continue with the both. I then divorced myself from business and busied myself in Ibadah. I do not say that Allah Almighty has made business Haraam, however, I wish to be among those blessed people who it can be said about them, that they did not allow business to make them oblivious of the Dhikr of Allah Almighty.”

 

In fact, when we look at their blessed lives, we cannot even say they were poor. In actuality, they were the richest of Muslims because they were completely satisfied with that they had even though they had no wealth or property. The Muslims after that became poor because even though they had wealth and property, they were still never satisfied with what they had.

 

The same is applicable to the majority of Muslims of today. They have everything – wealth, property and many businesses, but internally, they are still poor and destitute. When we look at the blessed Ashaab just before the Battle of Badr, we will see that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – made special Du’a for them and they were satisfied with what little they had.