(Friday Sermon - August 24, 2018 )

He was the son of Sakkhar bin Ummaiya. Hazrat Jabbar^(ra)along with 70 Ansar [inhabitants of Medina] took the Bai‘at at Aqbah Sania. The Holy Prophet^(sa) established a bond of brotherhood between him and Hazrat Miqdad^(ra) bin Amr.

At the time of the Battle of Badr he was 32 years of age. The Holy Prophet^(sa) would appoint him as Haris (one who assess the produce from the date trees) and would send him to Khaybar and other places.

He passed away in Medina during the era of Hazrat Usman’s Khilafat in 30 AH. He was 62 years of age at the time of his demise.

Hazrat Jabbar took part in the Battle of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq and all other battles alongside the Holy Prophet^(sa). (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li Ibn Sa‘d, pt. 3, p. 293, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996) (Al-Mujam Al-Kabir Li Al-Tibrani, Vol. 2, p. 270, Jabbar bin Sakkhar, Second Ediiton, Dar-ul-Hayaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut)

Service to the Holy Prophet^(sa)

Hazrat Jabbar^(ra) bin Sakkhar relates that whilst travelling towards Mecca, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, “Who amongst us will go to Asaya first and prior to us reaching there, will prepare the well by covering its holes with soil and fill it with plentiful water?” Abu Owais who is also among the narrators states that that was the place the Holy Prophet^(sa) sent them to.

Hazrat Jabbar then states, “I stood up and offered to render this service. The Holy Prophet^(sa) permitted me to leave and I arrived at Asaya and mended the well and filled it. I was then overcome with sleep and slept for a while until I was awoken by a person whose camel was fast approaching the well and he was trying to stop it. This person instructed me to get to the well, I then noticed that this person was in fact the Holy Prophet^(sa) and so, I replied in the affirmative.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) then sat his camel down near the edge of the water. He then told me to bring a vessel and come with him. I went along with him with a vessel. The Holy Prophet^(sa) then performed ablution and I also performed ablution. The Holy Prophet^(sa) then stood for prayer and I stood to his left. (The first thing the Holy Prophet^(sa) did upon reaching was perform ablution and offer prayer). When I stood on the left of the Holy Prophet^(sa), he held my hand and stood me to his right side.”

The Holy Prophet^(sa) was offering Nawafil [voluntary] prayer and he decided to also pray alongside the Holy Prophet^(sa), however he stood on the left and the Holy Prophet^(sa) immediately held his hand and placed him on his right side. When prayer is being offered in congregation and there are only two people in the congregation then second person will stand on the right side of the Imam [one who leads the prayer].

He then states, “We offered the prayer and we had just started it that the others also reached.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 5, p. 330, Hadith no. 15550, Alim-ul-Kutub, Beirut, 1998)

Capturing Naufal bin Khwailid

On the day of the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet^(sa) offered the prayer:

اَللّٰهُمَّ اكْفِنِيْ نَوْفَلَ ابْنَ خُوَيْلِد

“O Allah! Become sufficient enough for me against Naufal bin Khwailid.” He was a leader from among the idolaters of Mecca.

Hazrat Jabbar^(ra) bin Sakkhar captured him and Hazrat Ali^(ra) killed him. The Holy Prophet^(sa) later enquired if anyone had any news about Naufal and Hazrat Ali^(ra) replied that he had killed him. Upon this the Holy Prophet^(sa) prayed, “All praise is due to Allah Who accepted my prayer.” He was an extremely bitter opponent, hence the Holy Prophet^(sa) prayed to God Almighty to be sufficient for him against him. God Almighty then made the provisions for his death. (Subul-ul-Huda Wa Al-Rashaad Fi Seerat Khair Al-Abaad, Vol. 4, p. 49, Ghazwa-e-Badr Al-Kubra, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)

Holy Prophet’s^(sa) camel when arriving in Mecca

It is mentioned in another narration that when the Holy Prophet^(sa) migrated to Medina, every person desired for him to stay at their home and there are many narrations in this regard, but the Holy Prophet^(sa) stated “Wherever my she-camel kneels I shall stay at that house”.

As the she-camel passed through the streets, everyone was pleading with the Holy Prophet^(sa) to remain with them, but he replied by instructing them to clear the way for the she-camel, i.e. it will sit itself wherever God Almighty pleases. Hence, it carried on walking till it reached the area where there is now the door to Masjid Nabwi and knelt. When the she-camel sat down the Holy Prophet^(sa) received a revelation. He was still mounted on the she-camel when it stood up and walked ahead slightly. The Holy Prophet^(sa) had let go of the reins and the she-camel then returned to the original spot it was at previously and lowered its neck to the ground.

It was then that Hazrat Jabbar^(ra) bin Sakkhar tried to raise its neck in hope that it would kneel in the quarters of Banu Salma, but it did not get up and the Holy Prophet^(sa) descended saying “God willing, I shall remain here” and then recited the verse:

وَقُلْ رَّبِّ اَنْزِلْنِیْ مُنْزَلًا مُّبٰرَکًا وَّاَنْتَ خَیْرُ الْمُنْزِلِیْنَ

“ ‘And say, “My Lord, cause me to land a blessed landing, for Thou art the Best of those who bring men to land.”’” (Al-Mominun: V.30).

The Holy Prophet^(sa) then asked, “Whose house is the closest?” Abu Ayub Ansari^(ra) replied “This is my house, and this is the door and we have placed the saddle of your camel inside”. The Holy Prophet^(sa) said “Let us go ahead and prepare the place of rest”. Hence, he went and prepared his place to rest. (Subul-ul-Huda Wa Al-Rashaad Fi Seerat Khair Al-Abaad, Vol. 3, pp. 272-273, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)

A ploy of the enemy to cause unrest amongst Muslims

Shaath bin Qais was an elderly man who was a staunch disbeliever and held a lot of malice and hatred in his heart for the Muslims. He once passed by a group of Muslims who were sat speaking to one another. When he witnessed their mutual bond of love and unity and the peacefulness between them through the way they were sat and speaking to one another in a loving and joyful manner he became infuriated.

Although eventually, he too attained this through his acceptance of Islam after once having had enmity in the time of Jahiliyya (days of ignorance), in other words he previously held enmity for the people, but through Islam, he too achieved this mutual understanding, love and affection. This is because when they accepted Islam, God Almighty united their hearts.

Shaath bin Qais says that the leaders of Banu Qayla were sat in one place and he could not bear to see them together and he could not be at peace seeing them united. How was it possible that this enmity had transformed into friendship, rather love and affection? He instructed a Jew accompanying him to go and sit with them, to remind them of the Battle of Bu‘as and their state prior to it. Also, that he should recite to them those chants which they used to sing against one another when they were two separate tribes.

This person did exactly this and one tribe read out some of the couplets they used against the other. Hearing these couplets rekindled a fire in their hearts bringing back the days of ignorance to them. Thereafter, the other tribe replied saying that this is what their poet used to recite on such and such day, as he too recited some poetry in the days of ignorance. Hence, just as they were all sitting and speaking to one another with love and affection, this mischief caused them to start speaking unpleasantly to one another and an argument ensued as they began boasting.

It reached the point where two of them, Hazrat Aus^(ra) bin Qaizi and Hazrat Jabbar^(ra) bin Sakkhar became irritated and one of them even said to the other that if they wanted, they could even fight. It got to the stage where out of anger, both parties designated the place of battle and started making claims as they did in the days of ignorance.

This news reached the Holy Prophet^(sa) so he went to the Aus and Khazraj tribes, accompanied by the Muhajireen Companions. The Holy Prophet^(sa) stated “O Muslim, fear Allah! Fear Allah! Do you all make claims like you did in the days of ignorance while I am amongst you, whilst God Almighty has guided you to Islam, honoured you through it, put an end to your days of ignorance, saved you from disbelief and established love between you? Do you then turn to disbelief once again like the past?”

The Companions came to the realisation that this was the wicked work of Satan and an evil plot to turn them against one another. Therefore, they put down their weapons, began weeping and the people of the Aus and Khazraj tribes began embracing one another.

Then they submitted to the Holy Prophet^(sa) pledging their obedience to him once again. God Almighty turned out the fire kindled by their enemy Shaath bin Qais. The verse was then revealed:

قُلْ یٰٓاَہْلَ الْکِتٰبِ لِمَ تَکْفُرُوْنَ بِاٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ وَاللّٰہُ شَہِیْدٌ عَلٰی مَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ۔ قُلْ یٰٓاَہْلَ الْکِتٰبِ لِمَ تَصُدُّوْنَعَنْ سَبِیْلِ اللّٰہِ مَنْ اٰمَنَ تَبْغُوْنَہَا عِوَجًا وَّاَنْتُمْ شُہَدَآئُ۔ وَمَا اللّٰہُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُوْنَ

“Say, ‘O People of the Book! Why deny ye the Signs of Allah, while Allah is Watchful of what you do?’ (3:99)

“Say, ‘O People of the Book! Why hinder ye the believers from the path of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, while you are witnesses thereof? And Allah is not unmindful of what you do.’” (3:100)

Hazrat Aus bin Qaizi and Hazrat Jabbar^(ra) bin Sakkhar and their companions who behaved as they would during the days of ignorance because they were under the influence of Shaath’s deception, for such people, the following commandment was revealed:

یٰٓاَیُّہَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِنْ تُطِیْعُوْا فَرِیْقًا مِّنَ الَّذِیْنَ اُوْتُوا الْکِتٰبَ یَرُدُّوْکُمْ بَعْدَ اِیْمَانِکُمْ کٰفِرِیْنَ۔ وَکَیْفَتَکْفُرُوْنَ وَاَنْتُمْ تُتْلٰی عَلَیْکُمْ اٰیٰتُ اللّٰہِ وَفِیْکُمْ رَسُوْلُہٗ وَمَنْ یَّعْتَصِمْ بِاللّٰہِ فَقَدْ ہُدِیَ اِلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِیْمٍ

“O ye who believe! If you obey any party of those who have been given the Book, they will turn you again into disbelievers after you have believed. How would you disbelieve, while to you are rehearsed the Signs of Allah, and His Messenger is present among you? And he who holds fast to Allah is indeed guided to the right path.” (3:101-102) (Subul-ul-Huda Wa Al-Rashaad Fi Sirat Khair Al-Abaad, Vol. 3, pp. 398-399, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)

This was the condition of the Companions. There was a time when they were deceived by Satanic influences, however, they became regretful immediately after the Holy Prophet^(sa) made them realise that they were behaving in the same manners as they would in their days of ignorance, so they moved forth towards reconciliation.

In fact, they displayed their feelings of love and brotherhood for each other. Such were their examples that serve as a model for people who get entangled in this day and age due to a false sense of honour and ego over petty issues. If those who were thirsty for each other’s blood and those who were at war with each other became brothers, then how is it that those who recite the same Kalimah [declaration of faith also known as the Islamic creed] now and those who were born into one Jamaat cannot efface their egos?

There are many issues that come to light which are caused by false egos, and relationships deteriorate because of this. Sometimes, such issues last months or even years. Some youngsters write that their familial relations have been strained but the new generation has the desire to re-establish these relations, but because of their adults, this does not happen. Such people should take heed that the teaching of God Almighty is that of love, affection, unity and He has made us one community.

We should live together as one and should not become engrossed in our false egos. May Allah Almighty guide everyone.

Hazrat Umar^(ra) and Hazrat Jabbar^(ra)

It is also narrated: “After Hazrat Umar^(ra) expelled the Jews from Khaybar, he took the Ansar and Muhajireen with him. Hazrat Jabbar^(ra) bin Sakkhar and Hazrat Yazid^(ra) bin Thabit were also with him. Both used to visit Khaybar in order to evaluate the profits from its land and they had fixed everyone’s share in accordance with the distribution.”

During the distribution of the Valley of Qura where Hazrat Umar^(ra) granted various Companions their shares, there he also granted one share to Hazrat Jabbar^(ra) bin Sakkhar.

May Allah the Almighty exalt their status continuously.