(Friday Sermon - December 13, 2019 )

Background

Hazrat Murarah’s^(ra) father was Rabi‘ bin Adiyy. His father’s name is also recorded as Ribee‘iy and Rabi‘ah as well. Hazrat Murarah^(ra) bin Rabi‘ Amri belonged to the Amr bin Auf branch of the Aus tribe of the Ansar. According to another narration, he was from the Quza‘ah tribe, a confederate of the Banu Amr bin Auf. Quza‘ah was a well-known tribe in Arabia, who lived at a distance of ten miles from Medina, past the Valley of al-Qura. They lived to the west of Madain Saleh. (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 5, p. 129, Murarah bin Rabi‘^(ra), Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Isabah Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahabah, Vol. 6, p. 52, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Farhang Sirat, p. 237, Zawwar Academy Publications, Karachi, 2003)

Participation in Battles

Hazrat Murarah^(ra) had the honour of participating in the Battle of Badr. According to Imam Bukhari^(rh) and other books about the Companions^(ra), it mentions that he took part in the Battle of Badr. Whereas, according to the list compiled by Ibn Hisham, he has not been mentioned in the list of Companions^(ra) who participated in the Battle of Badr. As mentioned previously, he was among the three companions who were unable to participate in the Battle of Tabuk and regarding whom God Almighty revealed the following verse of the Holy Quran:

وَّ عَلَی الثَّلٰثَۃِ الَّذِیۡنَ خُلِّفُوۡا ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا ضَاقَتۡ عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡاَرۡضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتۡ وَ ضَاقَتۡ عَلَیۡہِمۡ اَنۡفُسُہُمۡ وَ ظَنُّوۡۤا اَنۡ لَّا مَلۡجَاَ مِنَ اللّٰہِ اِلَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ ؕ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ لِیَتُوۡبُوۡا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ ہُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِیۡمُ

“And [He has turned with mercy] to the three whose [case] was deferred, until the earth became too strait for them with [all] its vastness, and their souls were [also] straitened for them, and they became convinced that there was no refuge from Allah save unto Himself. Then He turned to them with mercy that they might turn [to Him]. Surely, it is Allah Who is Oft-Returning [with compassion and is] Merciful.” (Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.118)

As it has been mentioned previously, all three of these companions – Hazrat Hilal^(ra) bin Umayyah, Hazrat Murarah^(ra) bin Rabi‘ and Hazrat Ka‘b^(ra) bin Malik –  were from among the Ansar. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Maghazi, Bab Hadith Ka‘b bin Malik, Hadith 4418) (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 5, p. 129, Murarah bin Rabi‘^(ra), Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

In reference to this incident, there is no separate account by Hazrat Murarah^(ra). The only detailed account is by Hazrat Ka‘b bin Malik^(ra), which was mentioned in the previous sermon in relation to Hazrat Hilal^(ra) bin Umayyah, therefore there is no need to mention it again here.