(Friday Sermon - October 16, 2020 )

Background

Hazrat Muawiz^(ra) belonged to the Khazraj tribe of the Ansar. Hazrat Muawiz’s^(ra) father’s name was Harith bin Rifa‘ah. His mother’s name was Afraa bint Ubaid. Hazrat Muaz^(ra) and Hazrat Auf^(ra) were his brothers. All three of these brothers used to be referred to by the name of their father as well as their mother. Hence, all three were also known as Banu Afraa [the sons of Afraa]. (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 5, Muawiz bin Afra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003] 231) (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Muawiz bin Afra (Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990), 374.)

Ibn Ishaq is the only one to have reported that Hazrat Muawiz^(ra) was among the 70 Ansar who participated in the Second Pledge at Aqabah.

Hazrat Muawiz^(ra) married to Umm Yazid bint Qais. The names of his two daughters from this marriage were Hazrat Rubai‘ bint Muawiz^(ra) and Hazrat Umairah bint Muawiz^(ra). (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Muawiz bin Afra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990] 374)

Participation in Battles

Hazrat Muawiz^(ra) had the opportunity to participate in the Battle of Badr alongside his two brothers; Hazrat Muaz^(ra) and Hazrat Auf^(ra). (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 5, Muawiz bin Afra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003] 231)

During the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Muaz^(ra), Hazrat Auf^(ra) and Hazrat Muawiz^(ra), who were referred to as the Banu Afraa and their freed slave Abul Hamraa, had one camel between them, and they would take turns to ride on it. (Al-Waqidi, Kitab al-Tarikh wa al-Maghazi, Vol. 1, Badr al-Qital [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah (2013)] 38)

I presented the following narration once before in relation with Hazrat Muaz^(ra) but it is also important that it is mentioned here in relation to Hazrat Muawiz^(ra), hence, I will narrate it here as well. Hazrat Anas^(ra) narrates, “On the day of the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘Who will go to see what became of Abu Jahl?’ Hazrat Ibn Mas‘ud^(ra) went and saw that both sons of Afraa had attacked him with their swords to such an extent that he was on the brink of death. Hazrat Ibn Masud^(ra) went to him and asked, ‘Are you Abu Jahl?’”

Hazrat Anas^(ra) further narrates, “Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘ud^(ra) grabbed hold of Abu Jahl by the beard. Abu Jahl said, ‘Have you killed a greater man than this?’ or he said ‘has his tribe had killed a greater man?’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Qatl Abi Jahl, Hadith 3962)

This is a narration from Sahih Bukhari.

In the commentary to this narration, Hazrat Sayyid Zain-ul-Abideen Waliullah Shah Sahib^(ra) states:

“In some narrations, it is mentioned that the two sons of Afraa, Muaz^(ra) and Muawiz^(ra) attacked Abu Jahl to the extent that he was on the brink of death and that Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘ud^(ra) severed his head later on. Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani has expressed the possibility of Muawiz^(ra) bin Afraa having also attacked him [i.e. Abu Jahl] after Muaz^(ra) bin Amr and Muaz^(ra) bin Afraa had already done so.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fard al-Khumus, Bab man lam Yakhmus al-Aslab, Hadith 3141, Vol. 5, p. 491, footnote, Urdu translation, published by Nazarat-e-Ishaat Rabwah)

Whilst relating the incident of Abu Jahl’s killing, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^(ra) states:

“Sometimes, a person celebrates something and deems it to be useful for him. However, that same thing becomes the cause of his destruction and downfall.

“At the occasion of Badr, when the disbelievers of Mecca arrived at the scene, they thought, ‘We will be rid of these Muslims in no time.’ Abu Jahl said, ‘We will mark this as a joyous occasion and drink wine.’ He thought to himself that he would not return until he killed all the Muslims. However, that same Abu Jahl was killed by two young boys from Medina. The disbelievers of Mecca used to look at the people of Medina with contempt. Abu Jahl had to experience such humiliation that even his final wish was left unfulfilled. It was a custom among the Arabs that if a chief was killed in a battle, they would cut his neck in a manner that it would be prominent so that he can be recognised as one of the chiefs. Abdullah bin Mas‘ud^(ra) saw him as he was lying there motionless and injured and said to him, ‘Look what has become of you!’ He replied, ‘I do not regret anything but the fact that the children of farmers from Medina have killed me.’ That is, children of people who plant crops and work as farmers; such work was considered inferior in the eyes of the Meccans and they believed that such people from Medina had no knowledge of war and fighting. However, these very people killed him and shattered his arrogance. As a matter of fact, it was not just these people, rather it was their sons, who were not experienced in the slightest. Abdullah^(ra) asked Abu Jahl if he had any last wish. He replied that he wanted his neck to be cut off slightly longer. However, Abdullah^(ra) said that he would not fulfil this request of his either and severed his neck close to his chin. The day he wanted to be a source of happiness for him became a day to mourn and he was not even able to digest the alcohol he had consumed.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud [Khutbat Eid-ul-Fitr] Vol. 1, p. 11)

On the occasion of the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Muawiz^(ra) was martyred during combat by Abu Musafi‘. (Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 4, Muawiz bin Afra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Jil, 1992] 1442)