(Friday Sermon - June 7, 2019 )

Background and Participation in Battles

Hazrat Aaqil^(ra) bin Bukair belonged to the tribe of Banu Sa‘d bin Laith. (Sirat ibn Hisham, pp. 462-463, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

Hazrat Aaqil^(ra) was previously named Ghafil. However, when he accepted Islam, the Holy Prophet^(sa) changed it to Aaqil. The name of his father has predominantly been mentioned as Bukair in most books of history. However, it has also been mentioned as Abu Bukair. During the era of ignorance (i.e., prior to the advent of Islam), his father, Bukair, was a confederate of Nufail bin Abd-il-Uzza, who was one of the elders of Hazrat Umar^(ra). Similarly, Bukair and all of his sons were confederates of Banu Nufail. Hazrat Aaqil^(ra), Hazrat Aamir^(ra), Hazrat Iyaas^(ra) and Hazrat Khalid^(ra), all four brothers were the sons of Bukair, all of them accepted Islam in Dar-e-Arqam together and all of them were the first ones to have accepted Islam in Dar-e-Arqam. When Hazrat Aaqil^(ra), Hazrat Khalid^(ra), Hazrat Aamir^(ra) and Hazrat Iyaas^(ra) migrated from Mecca to Medina, they gathered all of their men and women and migrated together. In this manner, no one from their households remained behind in Mecca, and their houses were completely sealed. In Medina, all of them stayed with Hazrat Rafa‘ah^(ra) bin Abdul Munzir. The Holy Prophet^(sa) formed a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Aaqil^(ra) and Hazrat Mubashir^(ra) bin Abdul Munzir and made them brothers. Both of them were martyred during the Battle of Badr.

Martyrdom

According to one tradition, the Holy Prophet^(sa) formed a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Aaqil^(ra) and Hazrat Mujazzir^(ra) bin Ziad. Hazrat Aaqil^(ra) was martyred on the day of the Battle of Badr at the age of 34 and was martyred by Malik bin Zuhair Joshami. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 208, Aaqil bin Abi al-Bukair^(ra), Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 113, Aaqil bin al-Bukair^(ra), Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008) (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 4, p. 466, Aaqil bin al-Bukair^(ra) Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)

Ibn Ishaq says that apart from these four brothers, i.e., Hazrat Iyaas^(ra), Hazrat Aaqil^(ra), Hazrat Khalid^(ra) and Hazrat Aamir^(ra), all of whom who participated in the Battle of Badr, it is not known whether there is any other example of where four brothers participated in the Battle of Badr. (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 1, p. 310, Iyaas bin al-Bukair^(ra) Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)

Sister’s Marriage With Hazrat Bilal^(ra)

Zaid bin Aslam narrates that the sons of Abu Bukair presented themselves before the Holy Prophet^(sa) and said, “O Prophet^(sa) of Allah! Please marry our sister to such and such person.” The Holy Prophet^(sa) replied, “What is your opinion about Bilal?” In other words, either all four brothers or perhaps some of them presented themselves before the Holy Prophet^(sa) with regard to the marriage of their sister. The Holy Prophet^(sa) then asked about their opinion regarding Hazrat Bilal^(ra). Since they were not content with this, they left and presented themselves before the Holy Prophet^(sa) a second time and said, “O Prophet^(sa) of Allah! Please marry our sister to such and such person.” The Holy Prophet^(sa) once again asked them, “What is your opinion about Bilal?” Hearing this, they left again. They presented themselves before the Holy Prophet^(sa) a third time and said, “Please marry our sister to such and such person”. The Holy Prophet^(sa) asked, “What is your opinion about Bilal?” The Holy Prophet^(sa) further stated, “What is your opinion about a person, who is among the dwellers of paradise?” Upon this, they agreed to marry their sister to Hazrat Bilal^(ra). (Al-Tabaqat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 126, Bilal bin Rabah(ra), Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996)