(Friday Sermon - July 26, 2019 )

Background

Hazrat Umair^(ra) bin Humaam belonged to the Banu Haram bin Ka‘b tribe, which was a sub-branch of the Khazraj tribe of the Ansar called the Banu Salamah. (Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, p. 476, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

Hazrat Umair’s^(ra) father’s name was Humaam bin Jamooh and his mother’s name was Nawaar bint Aamir. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 426, Umair bin Al Hammam, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012)

Participation in Battles and Martyrdom

The Holy Prophet^(sa) established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Umair^(ra) bin Humaam and Hazrat Ubaidah^(ra) bin Harith Muttalibi, upon his migration to Medina. Both of these companions were among those who were martyred during the Battle of Badr. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 278, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008)

During the Battle of Badr, when the idolaters were approaching, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, “Move forward to attain paradise, the breadth of which spans the heavens and the earth.” The narrator says, “Hazrat Umair^(ra) bin Humaam asked, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Did you mention that paradise spans the breadth of the heavens and the earth?’ “The Holy Prophet^(sa) replied, ‘Yes.’ Upon this, he said, ‘Bakhe Bakhe [How wonderful that is indeed].’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) then asked the reason why he said ‘Bakhe Bakhe’. Hazrat Umair^(ra) replied, ‘O Prophet^(sa) of Allah! By God, I merely say this owing to my desire of becoming among the dwellers of paradise.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) replied, ‘Indeed, you are among the dwellers of paradise.’ Hazrat Umair^(ra) bin Humaam then took out some dates from his quiver and began to eat them and said, ‘If I remain alive to finish all of these, I will consider myself to have been granted a long life.’”

The narrator of this tradition further states, “Hazrat Umair^(ra) bin Humaam then threw away those dates and began to fight against the disbelievers till he was ultimately martyred.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitabul Imaarah, Hadith 3506)

On the occasion of the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Umair^(ra) bin Humaam was reciting the following couplets:

رَکْضًا اِلَی اللّٰہِ بِغَیْرِ زَادِ

اِلَّا التُّقٰی وَ عَمَلَ الْمَعَادِ

وَالصَّبْرَ فِی اللّٰہِ عَلَی الْجِھَادِ

اِنَّ التُّقٰی مِنْ اَعْظَمِ السَّدَادِ

وَ خَیْرُ مَا قَادَ اِلَی الرَّشَادِ

وَ کُلُّ حَیٍّ فَاِلٰی نَفَادِ

“I take nothing with me from my provisions apart from Taqwa [righteousness] and the hope of the hereafter. I remain steadfast in my Jihad in the way of God.

Indeed, Taqwa is the most excellent thing and the best source of guidance. And all those living, shall one day taste death.” (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 278, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008)

Hazrat Umair^(ra) bin Humaam was the first person to attain the status of martyrdom in Islam from among the Ansar. He was martyred by Khalid bin A‘lam. However, there are some who claim that Hazrat Haritha^(ra) bin Qais was the first to be martyred amongst the Ansari companions. Thus, there are two narrations and both were martyred during the Battle of Badr. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 426, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 222, Bab Dhikr Maghaziyah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)