(Friday Sermon - January 25, 2019 )

Background and Participation in Battles

Hazrat Abul Yasar Ka‘b^(ra) bin Amr’s title was Abul Yasar and he belonged to the Banu Salama tribe. His father was Amr bin Abbad and his mother was Naseeba bint Azhar who was also of the Banu Salama tribe. Abul Yasar participated in the Bai‘at at Aqabah and also in the Battle of Badr. On the day of the Battle of Badr, he captured Hazrat Abbas^(ra). He is the same companion who seized the flag of the disbelievers from the hands of Abu Aziz bin Umair during the Battle of Badr. He participated alongside the Holy Prophet^(sa) in all the other battles. After the demise of the Holy Prophet^(sa) he took part in the Battle of Siffin alongside Hazrat Ali^(ra). (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 6, pp. 326-327, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Help From the Unseen During the Battle of Badr

According to one narration, Hazrat Ubaid^(ra) bin Aus was the one who captured Hazrat Abbas^(ra) during the Battle of Badr. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 528-529, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

However, Hazrat ibn Abbas states that on the day of Badr, Abul Yasar was the one who seized Hazrat Abbas^(ra). During the Battle of Badr, Abul Yasar was slim in stature and was 20 years of age, whereas Hazrat Abbas^(ra) was of heavy build. The Holy Prophet^(sa) enquired of Abul Yasar, “How did you manage to take down and capture Abbas? You are slim in stature whilst Abbas is tall and strongly built.” Abul Yasar replied, “O Messenger of Allah, one other person helped me, whom I had never seen before, nor did I ever see him again.” He then described the man’s appearance to which the Holy Prophet(sa) said لَقَدْ اَعَانَكَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ كَرِيْمٌ that is to say, “Indeed a noble angel assisted you.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 4, p. 8, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Another Incident From the Battle of Badr

Hazrat ibn Abbas^(ra) relates that on the day of the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet^(sa) stated: “Whoever kills the enemy, they shall have such and such reward.” Subsequently, the Muslims killed seventy of the mushrikeen [idolaters] and held another seventy of them as prisoners. Hazrat Abul Yasar^(ra) came before the Holy Prophet^(sa) with two prisoners and said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! You promised us that anyone who killed [an idolater] would be given a specific reward, and similarly, the one who imprisoned any of them would receive a specific reward. Thus, I have brought two prisoners.” (Al-Musannif li Abd al-Razzaq, Vol. 5, p. 239, Kitabul Jihad, Bab Dhikrul Khams…, Hadith 9483, Al-Maktabul Islami, 1983)

According to another narration, Abul Bakhtari was killed during the Battle of Badr by Hazrat Abul Yasar^(ra). (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 6, p. 92, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Freedom of Hazrat Salma Bint Ma’qal

Hazrat Salama bint Ma‘qal relates: “When I was in servitude to Habbab bin Amr, I also bore his child during that period. Upon his demise, his wife told me, ‘In order to pay off Habbab bin Amr’s debts, you will now be sold off; your status is of a slave and thus you shall be sold off.’ I then came before the Holy Prophet^(sa) and related the entire situation. The Holy Prophet^(sa) enquired from the people as to who was going to inherit the wealth of Habbab bin Amr and he was informed that his brother, Abul Yasar, was going to inherit it. The Holy Prophet^(sa) called Abul Yasar^(ra) and said, ‘She is a bondswoman and you must not sell her, in fact you should set her free. When you come to know that I have been given a slave, come to me and I will hand him over to you as substitute for this.’” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 8, p. 726, Hadith 27569, Musnad Salaama bint Ma’qal, Alamul Kutub, Beirut, 1998)

This is precisely what happened. The Holy Prophet^(sa) gave another slave in her place and freed her.

Adherence to Instructions of the Holy Prophet^(sa)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra) relates the following incident in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin [The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophet]:

“Ubadah bin Waleed^(ra) narrates that on one occasion we met a companion of the Holy Prophet^(sa) named Abul Yasar^(ra). At the time, one of his slaves also accompanied him and we noticed that he was wearing a streaked Yemeni cloth. Similarly, his slave was also wearing a streaked Yemeni cloth. I said, ‘O Uncle! Why did you not take his streaked cloth and give him your Yemeni cloth, or take his Yemeni cloth and give him your streaked one, so that both of you could wear a matching pair of clothes?’ Abul Yasar^(ra) stroked my head, supplicated in my favour and said, ‘O nephew! My eyes have seen, my ears have heard and my heart has given place to the statement of the Holy Prophet^(sa), ‘Feed your slaves what you eat and clothe them with what you wear yourselves.’ Hence, I prefer greatly to give my slave an equal share of the wealth of this world, as opposed to losing my spiritual reward on the day of resurrection.’” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad(ra), p. 383)

These were the individuals for whom God Almighty expressed His pleasure. They would adhere to the minutest detail of every instruction of the Holy Prophet(sa) and they would always remain anxious with the desire to attain the pleasure of God Almighty, in fact they would crave for it.

Hazrat Abul Yasar^(ra) relates:

“A certain individual from the Banu Haram tribe owed me some money for I had lent him a loan, and so I went to see him in this regard. I offered my Salam [greeting of peace] and enquired whether he was at home? I received a reply from inside that he was not in. His son, who was a prepubescent child at the time, came to me and I also asked him where his father was. He told me that upon hearing my voice, he hid behind his mother’s bedstead. Therefore, I again called for him to come outside and told him that I knew where he was now (i.e. the person who had to repay the debt).”

Abul Yasar^(ra) further relates:

“He came outside and I asked him why he was hiding from me. He replied, ‘By God, I shall tell you the truth and will not utter a lie. By God! I was afraid to inform you and then lie to you, and also to make a promise with you, then break it. I would have falsely said that on such and such day or time I will return your money, because I know that I could not return.’ He then said: ‘You are a companion of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and by God, I am in dire need.’”

Abul Yasar says: “I asked him, ‘By God?’” In other words, he asked a question: does he truthfully swear an oath in God’s name? “He replied: ‘Yes, I swear by God’ I then asked him again, ‘Do you swear an oath in God’s name that you are in need?’ He said, ‘Yes, by God.’ I then asked him a third time, ‘Do you swear an oath in God’s name?’ Again, he replied, ‘Yes, by God.’”

Hazrat Abul Yasar took the document on which the terms of the loan repayment were written and destroyed it. He then said that in the future, if he is able to repay the loan, he could do so, otherwise there would be no burden on him. He further said:

“My eyes have witnessed (i.e. placing two fingers over his eyes) my ears have heard, my heart has remembered (pointing towards his heart) that I could see the Holy Prophet^(sa).” He said at the time he destroyed the parchment, he bore witness with his eyes, ears and heart that he could see the Holy Prophet^(sa) saying that whosoever granted respite to the needy or eased the financial burden of the impoverished, then God Almighty would grant that individual His shade. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab- al-Zuhd wa al-Riqaq, Bab Hadith Jabir al-Taweel wa Qissatu Abi Yasar, Hadith 7512)

“Therefore, I have removed your burden because I wish to seek the shade of God Almighty.” This is another example of the fear of Allah the Almighty. If he had any desire, it was only to attain the pleasure of God, as opposed to any worldly gain.

Hazrat Abul Yasar Ka‘b bin Amr took great precaution when narrating Ahadith. On one occasion he narrated two Ahadith from Abadah bin Waleed, but he did so in a manner that he placed his fingers on his eyes and ears and said that his eyes had witnessed this and his ears heard the Holy Prophet^(sa) narrate this incident. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab- al-Zuhd wa al-Riqaq, Bab Hadith Jabir al-Taweel wa Qissatu Abi Yasar, Hadith 7512, 7513)

Progeny and Demise

One of the sons of Hazrat Abul Yasar was Umair, who was born from Umme Amr. She was the paternal aunt of Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah. His other son was Yazid bin Abi Yasar, who was born from Lababah bint Harith and a third son named Habeeb, whose mother’s name was Umme Walad. He had one daughter named Aisha and her mother’s name was Umme Ruaa. Hazrat Abul Yasar was 20 years old when he took part in the Battle of Badr. He died in 55 Hijri, during the reign of Amir Muawiyyah. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 436, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)