(Friday Sermon - July 19, 2019 )

Background

Hazrat Nu‘man^(ra) bin Abd Amr was a member of the Banu Dinar bin Najjar branch of the Khazraj tribe from among the Ansar. His father’s name was Abd Amr bin Mas‘ud, and mother’s name was Sumairah bint Qais.

Participation in Battles and Martyrdom

Hazrat Nu‘man^(ra) bin Abd Amr participated in the battles of Badr and Uhud. His brother, Hazrat Dhahaak^(ra) bin Abd Amr took part in the Battle of Badr with him. Hazrat Nu‘man^(ra) bin Abd Amr was granted the status of martyrdom during the Battle of Uhud. Hazrat Nu‘man^(ra) and Hazrat Dhahaak^(ra) also had a third brother, whose name was Qutbah who also had the honour of being a companion of the Holy Prophet^(sa). Hazrat Qutbah^(ra) was martyred in the incident of Bir-e-Ma‘unah. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra Li Ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 394, Nu‘man^(ra) bin Abd Amr, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2012) (Usdul Ghaba Fi Marifat Al-Sahaba, Vol. 5, p. 316, Nu‘man^(ra) bin Abd Amr, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2008)

The Companions’ Love for the Holy Prophet^(sa)

Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas relates that the Holy Prophet^(sa) passed by a woman from the Banu Dinar tribe, whose husband, brother and father had all participated in the Battle of Uhud, and all of them were martyred at Uhud. When some people came to her to extend their condolences, she asked them, “How is the Holy Prophet^(sa)?” They replied, “O mother (of so-and-so), he is well and good, and all praise to Allah, he is just as you desire to see him.”

Upon this, the woman replied, “Show me, I wish to see him.” So the people pointed towards the Holy Prophet^(sa). When she saw the Holy Prophet^(sa), she said, “All other calamities pale in comparison.” (Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, p. 545, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

In another narration, it is mentioned that this woman’s son was also martyred during the battle. Hazrat Anas^(ra) bin Malik relates that on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, the inhabitants of Medina became greatly agitated on account of a rumour that the Holy Prophet^(sa) had been martyred.

This agitation was so disturbing that the streets of Medina began to hear screams of agony, so an Ansari woman anxiously left her house. She saw in front of her the dead bodies of her brother, son, and husband. The narrator states that he does not know who she saw first, but when she reached the last of the three, she asked, “Who are these people?” The people informed her that these were the bodies of her brother, son, and her husband. However, she replied “How is the Messenger (sa) of Allah?” The people informed her that he was coming ahead. The woman walked until she came to the Holy Prophet^(sa) and grabbed hold of his mantle, saying, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! When you are well and good, then I have no fear of any loss incurred.” (Al-Mujam Al-Ausat Li Al-Tabrani, Hadith no. 7499, Vol. 5, pp. 329-330, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 1999)

According to one narration, the name of this woman was Sumairah^(ra) bint Qais, the mother of Nu‘man^(ra) bin Abd Amr. (Kitab-ul-Maghazi Li Muhammad bin Al-Waqadi, Vol. 1, pp. 251-252, Baab Ghazwah Uhad, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001).

On one occasion, Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) mentioned this incident. He states:

“Among the noble Companions^(ra) of the Holy Prophet^(sa), such examples of bravery are found aplenty. Among worldly people, one will hardly find one or two examples of such sacrifices from the millions of people spread across hundreds of nations. However, from among the few thousands of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) Companions are found hundreds of such examples of bravery. How lofty and wonderful is the example which relates to a woman!”

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states:

“I have quoted this incident many a time. It is something which is worthy of being mentioned in every gathering, and one which should remain fresh in our memory. Some incidents are so spectacular that despite being recollected time and again, they never grow old. Likewise is the incident of a woman who heard during the Battle of Uhud that the Holy Prophet^(sa) had been martyred. Greatly distressed at hearing this, she left her house along with other women of Medina, and as soon as she saw the first rider returning from Uhud, she asked him, ‘How is the Holy Prophet^(sa)?’ He replied, ‘Your husband has been killed.’ The lady replied, ‘I asked you about the Messenger (sa) of Allah, and you are telling me about my husband.’ He then said, ‘Your father has also been killed.’ The lady replied, ‘I ask you about the Messenger (sa) of Allah and you tell me about my father.’ He then said, ‘Both of your brothers have also been killed.’ Once again, she replied, ‘Just simply answer my question. I do not ask about my relations, but about the Messenger (sa) of Allah.’

“Since this companion’s heart was already content in knowing that the Messenger (sa) of Allah was fine, so in his estimation, it was most important to inform the woman about the demise of her relatives. However, in her estimation, the most beloved thing was the person of the Holy Prophet^(sa). This is why the woman sternly asked the man to answer her question, to which he replied, ‘The Holy Prophet^(sa) is safe and well.’ Upon hearing this, the woman exclaimed, ‘When he is alive, then I have nothing to grieve about, no matter who dies.’”

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) further states:

“It is clearly obvious that the example of the other grieved old woman, who the columnist himself described that her heart seemed heavy with sorrow, and who was crying in her heart, pales in comparison to the example of this female companion.”

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) was comparing this to an example of another woman whose heart was grieved and who was crying in her heart but did not express it. Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) further states:

“However, this was not the case with the female companion. It was not that she was suppressing her emotions and was instead crying on the inside while not expressing it outwardly. Rather, in the case of this female companion, she was truly happy from the bottom of her heart after knowing that the Holy Prophet^(sa) was alive and well.”

The heart of this lady had indeed felt great anguish, i.e., the lady Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) was referring to, or whatever the newspapers had written about her in the era that Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra )mentioned this incident. But Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states:

“However, in the case of this female companion, there was no grief in her heart at all. And this is such a grand example that the history of the world cannot bring its parallel to match it. So tell me, if regarding such people, it had not been said:

مِنْھُمْ مَّنْ قَضٰی نَحْبَہٗ

‘And from among them are those who have truly fulfilled their oaths,’ then what other nation was there in the world regarding whom these words could have been said?”

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states:

“Whenever I read the account of this woman, my heart becomes filled with respect and honour for her, and my heart desires to touch the mantle of this pure and holy woman, and then touch my hands upon my eyes in respect for she left behind an unparalleled expression of honour for my beloved Prophet^(sa).” (Khutbaat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 20, pp. 542-543, Friday Sermon, 24 November 1939)

Then, explaining this very same love and adoration [for the Holy Prophet^(sa)], Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states on another occasion:

“Look at how deeply this woman loved the Holy Prophet^(sa). People told her of the news of her husband, brother and father’s demise, one after the other, but in response, each time, she only continued to ask, ‘Tell me about the state of the Holy Prophet^(sa)?’ The point is that this too was just a woman who demonstrated such astonishing love for the Holy Prophet^(sa).” (Quroon-e-Ula Ki Musalmaan Khawateen Ka Namuna, Anwar-ul-Aloom, Vol. 2, pp. 439-440)

Then, on another occasion, Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states:

“Try to envisage this state of affairs where each and every one of you has witnessed one passing away. Everyone loses their loved ones – be it their mother, their father; some witness their brother or sister passing away. Just try to imagine the state of one who is dying. All kinds of pleasant foods are prepared for them by their relatives or cooked at home in order to afford them with the best form of treatment and cure, and great care is taken of them. The atmosphere in the home is as if the world has come to an end. On the other hand, the one dying has no thought other than his own death. However, the Holy Prophet^(sa) instilled such a love in the hearts of the Companions^(ra) that they had no worry for anything other than the Holy Prophet^(sa). This love was only due to the fact that he was the beloved of God Almighty. They had developed a love for the Holy Prophet^(sa) only because he was loved by God Almighty. This love was not because he was Muhammad^(sa), in fact this love was because he was the Messenger (sa) of Allah. These people were in fact the devoted lovers of God Almighty and because God Almighty loved Muhammad^(sa) the Messenger of Allah, the Companions^(ra) too developed a love for him. This is not only the case with the men; observe just how the women also developed a love and affection for him in their hearts.”

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) then related the account of the female companion. Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) then stated:

“This was the love which God Almighty placed in their hearts for the Holy Prophet^(sa), even still, they gave precedence to God Almighty over all else and this was in fact the unity which allowed them to prevail over the whole world. In comparison to God Almighty they neither cared for their parents, nor their siblings or even their spouses. There was only one objective in mind, that their Lord be pleased with them. This is why God Almighty stated regarding them

رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ عَنْہُمْ

‘Allah is well-pleased with them.’

They prioritised God Almighty over everything and in turn, God Almighty gave them precedence. But this was not the case with the Muslims later on. If now they have any connection with God Almighty, it is merely limited to a belief in the mind. They hold belief in God and in the Oneness of God, but this is not the case in their hearts. If the name of the Holy Prophet^(sa) is mentioned before them, they express intense love for him, and the same goes for when a relative of the Holy Prophet^(sa) is mentioned. (Khutbaat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 23, pp. 46-47, Friday Sermon, 30 January 1942)