(Friday Sermon - April 12, 2019 )
Background
The next companion that will be mentioned is Hazrat Muhriz bin Nazla(ra). His father’s name was Nazla bin Abdullah, but according to another narration, his father’s name was Wahab. His title was Abu Nazla. He had a fair complexion and a beautiful countenance. He was also known by the titles of Fuhaira and Akhram. He was a confederate of the Banu Abd Shams whereas Abdul Al-Ash‘al tribe have claimed to be his confederates as well. Hazrat Muhriz(ra) was known as Muhriz or Akhram and he was from a Meccan tribe called Banu Ghanam bin Dudan which later accepted Islam.
After accepting Islam, the women and men of this tribe were able to migrate to Medina, and Hazrat Muhriz bin Nazla(ra) was amongst these migrants. Waaqdi states: “I heard from Ibrahim bin Ismail that on the Day of Sarh (this is the name of the Battle of Zee Qard also known as the Battle of Al-Ghabah which took place in 6 AH), other than Hazrat Muhriz(ra) bin Nazla, no one from the house of Banu Abd Al-Ash‘al participated in it. He was riding Hazrat Muhammad bin Maslamah’s horse and the name of this horse was Dhul-Lama’.”
Participation in Battles and Martyrdom
The Holy Prophet(sa) had established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Muhriz(ra) bin Nazla and Hazrat Umarah(ra) bin Hazam. According to Waqadi, he participated in the Battle of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. Salih bin Qisaan narrates that Hazrat Muhriz(ra) bin Nazla said, “I saw in a dream that the heavens were made to open up for me and I entered and reached the seventh heaven. Then I arrived at the Sidratul Muntaha [farthest Lot-tree]. It was then revealed to me that this was my destination.” Hazrat Muhriz(ra) further states, “I mentioned this dream to Hazrat Abu Bakr(ra) who was an expert in the interpretation of dreams. Hazrat Abu Bakr(ra) stated, ‘Rejoice at the glad tidings of martyrdom.’” Subsequently, after this dream, he attained martyrdom.
Hazrat Muhriz(ra) set off on the Day of Sarh alongside the Holy Prophet(sa) for the Battle of Al-Ghabah, also known as Ghazwah Zi Qard which took place in 6 AH. Amr bin Uthman Jahshi narrates an incident from his forefathers:
“Hazrat Muhriz bin Nazla(ra) was thirty-one or thirty-two years old when he participated in the Battle of Badr, and at the time of his martyrdom, he was approximately 37 or 38 years of age.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Pt. 3, Vol. 3, p. 52, Muhriz bin Nazla, Dar-ul-Hayaa al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996) (Usdul Ghaba Fi Marifat Al-Sahaba, Vol. 5, p. 68, Muhriz bin Nazla, Dar-ul-Kutub Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2008)
The incident of his martyrdom is narrated as follows:
Hazrat Ayas(ra) bin Salama relates regarding the Battle of Zi Qard, “My father informed me that after the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, we departed for Medina and stopped at one place. There was a mount situated between us and the Banu Lihyaan – an idolatrous tribe. The Holy Prophet(sa) prayed for the person who would spend the night treading the mountain” i.e. the one who would keep an eye out and stand guard for the Holy Prophet(sa) and the other companions overnight, thus he would climb the mountain to ensure that no enemy launched an attack. Hazrat Salama bin Akwa says, “In the evening, I climbed up the mount two or three times. Later on we arrived at Medina.” He further says, “The Holy Prophet(sa) sent his camels with Rabaah, who was a servant of the Holy Prophet(sa). I mounted Hazrat Talha’s horse and went with him to allow the camels to drink water. In the morning, Abdur-Rahman Fazaari attacked the camels of the Holy Prophet(sa). There was an enemy tribe with them and they stole the camels belonging to the Holy Prophet(sa)and killed the shepherd.” The narrator further says: “I told Rabaah, ‘O Rabaah! Take this horse to Talhah bin Ubaidullah and inform the Holy Prophet(sa) that the idolaters had stolen his animals.’ I then stood on a sand-dune facing Medina and repeated three times, Ya Sabaahahu, Ya Sabaahahu!”
The Arabs used to proclaim these words if they saw an enemy return to attack again. They would raise this as a slogan, connoting a cry for nearby forces to assemble immediately and come to the army’s aid to take on the enemy and cause them to flee. Some have said that it was a rule among the warriors that at nightfall they would put down their arms and retire to their encampments – this is another narration about the term Sabaahahu – and the next day it was this call that would be made to let the armies know that it was morning and they should prepare for battle once again. This explanation is found in Lughaat-ul-Hadeeth.
Nonetheless, the narrator further states, “I followed in search of them, casting arrows at them and repeating the couplet:
اَنَا ابْنُ الْاَکْوَع
وَالْیَوْمُ یَوْمُ الرُّضَّعِ
(Meaning, “I am the son of Al-Akwa; today is the day where all the wretched shall perish!”)
“And so, each person I encountered from among the thieves, I would cast an arrow into the camel carriage until the tip of the arrow reached the rider’s shoulder. I would then say, ‘Take that! I am the son of Al-Akwa; today is the day where all the wretched shall perish.’”
He goes on, “I swear by God, I kept hitting them with arrows and injuring them, and if any of the cavaliers rode towards me, I would head towards a tree and sit under it, i.e. I would hide behind the tree and keep shooting arrows at the person until he was injured. This continued until they reached a narrow passage in a mount and entered it. I climbed on top of the mount and began throwing rocks at them.”
The people fleeing were the ones who looted the animals belonging to the Holy Prophet(sa) all the while Hazrat Salama(ra) was alone. Initially, he pursued them with arrows, after which he says, “When I reached the valley, I began throwing rocks, and I continued to pursue them like this until there was no camel belonging to the Holy Prophet(sa) which had not been saved…” meaning that because of the narrow valley, they had to leave the animals behind. “…The thieves ran ahead, leaving the camels between them and myself. I then continued to pursue them with arrows until they dropped more than 30 blankets and over 30 spears to lighten their load. Meaning that the people who were fleeing had already abandoned their camels, but were now also leaving behind their belongings so that they could run with more ease.”
He further says:
“Whatever items they left behind, I kept placing a rock upon it as a sign so that the Holy Prophet(sa) and his companions would recognise it. They kept running until they reached a narrow valley in which they encountered one of the sons of Badar Fazaari. They sat down and began eating, and I sat on a nearby mount. Fazaari asked them, ‘Who was that man?’ They explained, ‘By God! This man has troubled us a great deal. He has been continuously pursuing us since morning, to the extent that he has taken everything from us.’” Badar Fazaari’s son then advised that four of the thieves should go towards him. Hazrat Salmah(ra) recounts, “Four men from among them climbed the mount in my direction. When they reached close enough to me that I could speak to them, I asked them, ‘Do you know who I am?’ They answered, ‘No. who are you?’ I replied, ‘I am Salama, the son of Akwa. I swear by Him Who has honoured the Holy Prophet(sa) that I can overpower anyone from among you who I wish to. However, if any one of you wishes to overpower me, he cannot do so.’ One of the four men who had approached him became particularly frightened and said, ‘I think he is right.’ The four returned to their place and I remained sitting where I was until I saw the horses of the Holy Prophet(sa) approaching from between the trees. The first person I saw was Akhram Asadi, and behind him was Abu Qatadah Ansari, and behind him was Miqdaad bin Aswad Kindi. I grabbed hold of the saddle of Akhram, i.e. Hazrat Muhriz’s horse, and the enemies turned their backs and dispersed in different directions.”
There is some confusion here. It may seem as if the companions ran whereas it was actually the thieves who had sat down to eat food, and when they saw that the Muslims had drawn even closer to them, they turned their backs and ran away. Hazrat Salama(ra) further narrates, “I said, ‘O Akhram [meaning Hazrat Muhriz], save yourself from them so they do not kill you, especially until the Holy Prophet(sa) and his companions arrive for support.’
“He replied, ‘O Salama! If you believe in Allah and the Day of Judgement, and you know paradise is true and that the hellfire is a reality, then do not stand between me and martyrdom.’ I left him, until Akhram and Abdur-Rahman engaged in battle against each other. He injured Abdur-Rahman along with his horse, and Abdur-Rahman threw a spear at Akhram, i.e. Hazrat Muhriz, and martyred him. He then mounted his horse and turned to go back and join his own people. From among those who were coming with the Holy Prophet(sa), Abu Qatadah pursued Abdur-Rahman. Abu Qatadah caught him and killed him with his spear, for the reason that he had martyred Hazrat Muhriz(ra).”
Hazrat Salama(ra) bin Akwa’s Bravery
Hazrat Salama(ra) further narrates, “I swear by Him Who has granted honour to the Holy Prophet(sa) that I continued to follow them on foot, but I kept going until I could not see any of the Holy Prophet’s(sa) companions, not even the dust from their movement (he had travelled some distance ahead). This continued until they reached a narrow passage where there was water, which they called Zee Qard. The perpetrators of the theft wanted to stop for water, as they were thirsty. However, they saw me pursuing them, and this caused them to flee from there as well, and they were unable to drink even a drop from it. They rushed towards another narrow passage and I also pursued them closely. Whoever from among them I was able to find alone from his accomplices, I would shoot an arrow into his shoulder-bone, saying, ‘Take that! I am the son of Al-Akwa; today is the day where all the wretched ones shall perish!’”
He further narrates, “One of the idolaters being chased exclaimed, ‘Woe be to Akwa! Is this the same Akwa that attacked us in the morning?’ (his constant attacks which were injuring them caused one of them to enquire whether this was the same Akwa who had been chasing them since the morning?). Akwa proclaimed, ‘O enemies of your own selves! It is the very same Akwa from the morning!’ They consequently left two of their horses behind in the narrow passage. I brought the two horses back to the Holy Prophet(sa). I encountered Aamir, who gave me a bowl filled with milk mixed with water and another filled with only water. I performed the ablution and also quenched my thirst. I then arrived in the presence of the Holy Prophet(sa) who was standing at the source of water wherefrom I had chased the thieves away that morning (the Holy Prophet(sa) had already reached that location by then).
“I saw that the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) took the camels and everything else which I had retrieved from the idolaters, and Hazrat Bilal slaughtered a camel from among the camels that I had taken back from the thieves. He was cooking liver and the hump-meat of the camel for the Holy Prophet(sa).
“I said, ‘O Messenger(sa) of Allah! Grant me permission to select 100 men from the army of people who have come with you so that I can pursue the thieves and kill them all. Not a single person from among them shall remain to tell their tribe what transpired.’ (He said this about those who had come and stolen the property of the Muslims and were going to run away with it). The Holy Prophet(sa) laughed so much that his blessed teeth became visible in the light of the fire. The Holy Prophet(sa) said, ‘O Salama! Do you really think you can do this; that you can really kill them even before they arrive back home?’
“I replied, ‘I swear by the One Who has granted you honour!’ The Holy Prophet(sa) replied, ‘By now they would have reached the outskirts of Ghatfan.’”
In another narration, it is said that when Hazrat Salama(ra) bin Akwa sought permission from the Holy Prophet(sa) to go in pursuit of the idolaters, the Holy Prophet(sa) replied,
يَا ابْنَ الْأَكْوَعِ مَلَكْتَ فَأَسْجِحْ
“O ibn Akwa! You have overcome them, now let them be.” i.e. there was no point in going after them and killing them, and instead he should forgive them.
Thus, Hazrat Salama(ra) bin Akwa continuously battled with them on his own. Later, when Hazrat Muhriz(ra) came, the thieves launched an attack, either secretly or through other means, and martyred him. Initially, Hazrat Salma(ra) bin Akwa took hold of Hazrat Muhriz’s horse and caused the enemy to disperse, however they again launched an attack and martyred Hazrat Muhriz(ra). Therefore, from this incident we learn of the account of Hazrat Muhriz’s(ra) martyrdom and secondly the bravery of Hazrat Salama(ra) bin Akwa and his knowledge of warfare and combat as a result of which he was able to retrieve all of the possessions from the thieves. However, most importantly, from this we can observe the excellent example of the Holy Prophet(sa) in that when Hazrat Salama(ra) bin Akwa sought permission to go in pursuit of the thieves even after he had recovered all the stolen items and possessions, the Holy Prophet(sa) however did not grant him permission because they had recovered all their possessions and thus there was no need. The reason for this was because the Holy Prophet(sa) did not wish to engage in any battle or bloodshed. Thus, since all the stolen items had been recovered and the culprits ran away with some of their men having sustained injuries as well, the Holy Prophet(sa) therefore did not further pursue the matter and avoided any further conflict or fighting.
Nonetheless, he further relates:
“During the course of this conversation in which the Holy Prophet(sa) was saying to not pursue them and to let them go, an individual from among the Bani Ghatfan tribe came and said that so and so individual had slaughtered a camel for them, however while he was preparing it and taking off its skin, they noticed a cloud of dust and thus they fled from there as well thinking that Muslims had arrived in pursuit of them. The next morning, the Holy Prophet(sa) stated: ‘Amongst us today, our most skilled rider is Abu Qatadah(ra) and the most excellent foot soldier is Salama(ra).’” (this was because Salama had caused the enemy great difficulty whilst pursuing them on foot).
He further relates:
“The Holy Prophet(sa) granted me with a double share from the spoils of the war; one for a rider and the other for a foot soldier. Also, upon returning to Medina, the Holy Prophet(sa) placed me behind him on his camel called Adhbaa. Whilst travelling back to Medina, one of the Ansar whom no one could outrun in a race, offered a challenge to compete with him in a race back to Medina.”
Despite undergoing great hardship from the enemy and engaging in battles, the Companions(ra) also took part in light-hearted moments by offering one another to simple challenges. This allowed them to pass time and also alleviate the constant mental strain they had to endure from the enemy. In any case, he offered a challenge to compete with him in a race. He further relates:
“He repeated this challenge several times and when I heard this, I said in a light-hearted manner: ‘Do you not have any respect for your elders? Do you not have any fear of them?’ To which he replied: ‘No, except for the Holy Prophet(sa).’ I said to the Holy Prophet(sa): ‘O Prophet(sa) of Allah! May my parents be sacrificed for your sake, allow me to compete with him.’ The Holy Prophet(sa)replied, ‘Go ahead if you wish to.’ I therefore accepted his challenge and took my feet out of the saddle and jumped off and started to run. I ran after him for some distance, but then in order to conserve my energy, I slowed down whilst chasing after him. I again began to sprint and caught up with this individual who was the fastest runner in Medina. Upon catching up with him, I punched him between his shoulders and said, ‘By God, you have been left behind.’”
Another narrator says, “I believe he said that he remained ahead of him till Medina and then they stayed three nights there and then set off to Khaybar in the company of the Holy Prophet(sa).” (Sahih Muslim, Vol. 9, pp. 228-238, Kitab-ul-Jihad Wa Al-Sair, Baab Ghazwah Dhi Qard Wa Gharuha, Hadith no. 3358, Noor Foundation, 2008) (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Baab Ghazwah Zaat-ul-Qard, Hadith no. 4194)
Tabari has recorded some details in relation to this expedition. Hazrat Asim bin Umar bin Qatadah(ra) relates:
“The very first horse which reached the enemy belonged to Hazrat Muhriz(ra) bin Nazla who was from the Banu Asad bin Khuzaima tribe. Hazrat Muhriz(ra) bin Nazla was also known by the names of Akhram and Qumair. When a call was made to gather people together in fear of the enemy’s attack, Hazrat Mahmood bin Maslmah’s horse, which was tied in his garden at the time, jumped up and began to run upon hearing the neighing sounds of the other horses. This was an excellent and well-trained horse. When the women of the Banu Abdil Ash’al tribe saw this tied up horse jump and leap in this manner, they said to Hazrat Muhriz bin Nazla(ra): ‘O Qumair! Do you possess the strength to ride on this horse despite seeing the condition that it is in and reach the Holy Prophet(sa) and his companions?’ Hazrat Muhriz(ra) replied in the affirmative and said he was ready. The women then handed the horse over to him and he rode off on it. Hazrat Muhriz(ra)loosened the reins of the horse to the point that he caught up with the companions who were travelling in the company of the Holy Prophet(sa). Hazrat Muhriz(ra) went ahead of them and then whilst standing before them, he said, ‘O party of men! Wait here so that the other Muhajireen and Ansar who are still behind can join you.’”
The narrator states that one of the enemies then launched an attack and martyred Hazrat Muhriz(ra). The horse he was riding on then began to run uncontrollably and no one was able to overpower it, to the point that it returned to the houses of Abdil Ash‘al and stood calmly by the rope it was originally tied to. Apart from Hazrat Muhriz(ra), no one else was martyred on that day from among the Muslims. According to Tabqaat ibn Sa‘d, the horse belonged to Hazrat Muhammad bin Maslamah(ra). The name of Hazrat Mahmood’s horse was Dhul Lamah. However, according to another narration, Hazrat Muhriz bin Nazla(ra) was martyred while riding on the horse of Hazrat Okasha bin Mihsan. The horse was known as Jannah and other animals were also freed from the thieves. The Holy Prophet(sa) travelled to the mountain of Ghazwah Dhi Qurd and stopped there for one day and one night. It was here that other companions were able to join him. Salama bin Akwa submitted to the Holy Prophet(sa), “O Messenger(sa) of Allah! If you send a hundred men with me, we will be able to free the remaining animals from them as well and will finish the enemy.” The Holy Prophet(sa) replied, “Where will you go because by now they are probably drinking the wine of Ghatfan.” Thereafter, the Holy Prophet(sa) divided them into groups of a hundred each and distributed camels amongst them to eat. The Holy Prophet(sa) then returned to Medina. (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 3, Ghazwah Dhi Qard, pp. 115-116, Maktaba Dar-ul-Fikr, 3rd Edition, 2002) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 70, Muhriz bin Nazla, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut, 1990)
The Holy Prophet(sa) did not go in pursuit of the enemy and left them and Hazrat Muhriz(ra) was the only person who was martyred. According to another narration, Hazrat Muhriz(ra) was the first martyr among the horse riders. This is also mentioned in the narration that was quoted initially.