Part 63

‘Ubadah bin Samit 8 was daring and courageous enough to say what he believed to be true and just. Once in the central mosque of Damascus, the call to Friday prayers was given and the preacher sat on the pulpit to deliver the Friday sermon. Amir Muawiya 4 was present and the preacher after uttering some words in praise of Allah Almighty started praising him. ‘Ubadah bin Samit % did not like his attitude at all and picking up some mud he threw it into the face of the preacher. Amir Mu’awiyah did not approve of this action and rebuked him. Without a moment's hesitation he said to him:

“Do you not remember the time when we were with the Prophet 3 and swore allegiance to Islam? On that gccasion we had sworn that we would propagate the Truth all the times and follow all the precepts of the Prophet 38.”

Amir Mu‘awiyah 4 said that he certainly remembered that occasion. Then ‘Ubadah bin Samit -# said:

“Did not the Prophet 38 said that when we saw someone extolling the virtues of a person to his face we should throw mud on his face?”

Amir Mu’awiyah -% silenced on hearing this Hadith.

One day Amir Muawiya <% was very annoyed with ‘Ubadah bin

Samit -4¢ and ordered him to quit Damascus. He left and went to AlMadinah. When Caliph ‘Umar Farooq see him there, he was surprised and asked him why he had come there.

“Amir Mu’awiyah < cannot stand the fact that I speak the truth and ordered me to leave Damascus. That is why I have come here.”

“Umar Faroog -# was very sorry to hear this and said:

“It is because of people of integrity such as you that the world survives. Allah Almighty destroys the country where people of such virtuous and pure temperaments do not live. Please rest here for a_ while and then return to Damascus. In my view it is very important that you continue to live there. In Hereafter the commands of Amir Mu‘awiyah - will not be applicable to you.”

Then he issued an order from the Government to Amir Mu’awiyah saying that ‘Ubadah bin Saémit # would continue to live in Damascus and be exempt from his official decrees and rulings. In future I do not wish to receive any complaints about him.”

During the Caliphate of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan # Amir Mu’awiyah wrote a letter to the Caliph saying:

“‘Ubadah bin Samit % has created a lot of problems for me in Syria and I am at the end of my tether. My patience has worn thin and things have reached sucha stage that we just cannot stay in the same place together. I request that you recall him to Al-Madinah, otherwise I will have to leave this place as I just cannot tolerate any more from him.”

After examining the circumstances, Caliph ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan 4 asked him to return to Al-Madinah.

In spite of having a very fiery temperament, ‘Ubadah bin Samit <e was an extremely intelligent, sensitive, kind-hearted and loving person. ‘Uthmdn bin Abi Al-’Atikah narrates that one day ‘Ubadah bin Samit was walking along the banks of a deserted city. He told

his servant to get him a Miswak (twig) of a tree. As he was about to obey him and go, he called him back saying:

“Let it be. This tree is green and this green branch is worthless today. Tomorrow when it dries up it will be used as fuel; at that time it will have value and be expensive. So we should not cause any loss.”

‘Ubadah bin Waleed remarks that ‘Ubadah bin Samit 4% was a tall, well-built. and healthy man with a dignified and charismatic personality. He died in the city of Ramlah at the age of seventy-two. Raja’ bin Abi Salamah says that he was buried in Damascus.

‘Allamah Dhahbi in his famous book, Seer A‘lém Al-Nabla’ writes that one hundred and eighty-one Ahédith are narrated by him.

“Come back to your Lord, well-pleased (yourself) and wellpleasing (unto Him)!” (89:28)