(Friday Sermon - July 6, 2018 )
Background
Hazrat Abu Marsad bin Qannaz bin al-Hussain Ghanwi died in the twelfth year of Hijra [migration to Medina]. According to some people, his title was Abu Hisn. He was a resident of Syria. He accepted Islam in its very early stages and migrated to Medina after seeking permission to do so. The Holy Prophet(sa) formed a bond of brotherhood between him and Hazrat ‘Ibada bin Samit. (Sira al-Sahaba, Shah Muin-ul-din Ahmad Nadwi, Vol. 2, pt. 2, p. 581, Dar-ul-Isha’at, Karachi), (al-Asaba Fi Tameez al-Sahaba, Vol. 7, p. 305, Abu Marsad Ghanwi, Da-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1995, Beirut)
When Abu Marsad, may Allah be pleased with him, and his son, Marsad migrated to Medina, both of them stayed with Hazrat Kulthum bin al-Hadam. According to some, both of them stayed with Hazrat Sa‘d bin Haitham. Hazrat Abu Marsad was with the Holy Prophet(sa) in all the battles. (At-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 35, Abu Marsad, Da-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990, Beirut)
Retrieval of Hatib bin Abi Balta’s Letter
He has a status in history for the following incident:
Hazrat Hatib bin Abi Balta sent a letter to the Meccans to secretly inform them [of the Holy Prophet’s(sa) plan] with the thought of protecting his children there. God Almighty informed the Holy Prophet(sa) about this so he sent three riders after the woman who was taking this letter and they took it from her. Hazrat Abu Marsad was one of the three riders. It is narrated from Hazrat Ali(ra), “The Holy Prophet(sa) sent Abu Marsad Ghanwi, Zubair and I as we were able to ride a horse and the Holy Prophet(sa) said, ‘Go until you reach the place called Raudha-e-Khaakh there you will find a woman from amongst the idol-worshippers who has the letter from Hatib bin Abi Balta intended for the Idol worshippers.’’ This is mentioned in Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghaazi, Baab Fazl Man Shahda Badran, Hadith. 3983)
Regard for Graves
Hazrat Abu Marsad has narrated a hadith [tradition] from the Holy Prophet(sa) which is mentioned in Muslim and Baghwi. He states: “I heard the Holy Prophet(sa) saying: ‘Do not sit on graves and do not pray in their direction.’” (al-Asaba Fi Tameez al-Sahaba, Vol. 7, p. 305, Abu Marsad Ghanwi, Da-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1995, Beirut)
Demise
He died during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(ra) in the 12th Hijri at the age of sixty-six. (Sira al-Sahaba, Shah Muin-ul-din Ahmad Nadwi, Vol. 2, pt. 2, p. 581, Dar-ul-Isha’at, Karachi)