Part 30

The night was black and terrifying, and a storm was raging as if it wanted to uproot the solid mountains of the desert. The whole situation — which included a siege, stubbornness and perserverance — - brought about fear and anxiety. In addition, hunger had reached a high level among the Companions of the Prophet. Therefore, who would have the strength to go amidst the dark dangers of the enemy camp and penetrate it to gather intelligence and news?

The Messenger (PBUH) was the one who selected him from among his Companions as the one to perform such a difficult task. Who was that hero? It was Hudhaifah Ibn Al-Yammaan. The Prophet (PBUH) asked him and he obeyed.

He admitted with great candor in relating the incident that he had no choice but to obey, thus implying that he feared the mission

being assigned to him. He was afraid of its consequences. His fear

was due to performing this mission under the pinch of hunger, cold weather, and extreme exhaustion that resulted from the siege by the disbelievers that had lasted a month or more.

What happened to Hudhaifah that night was amazing. He covered the distance between the two armies and penetrated the surrounding enemy camp of the Quraish. A violent wind had put out the camp's fires, so the place was enveloped in darkness. Hudhaifah took his place amidst the lines of the fighters. The leader of the Quraish, Abu Sufyaan, was afraid that darkness might surprise them with scouts from the Muslim camp. He stood to warn his army, and Hudhaifah heard his loud voice saying, "O people of the Quraish, each one of you should know who is sitting next to him and should know his name." Hudhaifah reports, "I hastened to the hand of the man next to me, and said to him, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Such and such a person!" "

He therefore secured his being with the army in peace! Abu Sufyaan resumed his talk to the army, saying, "O people of the Quraish, by Allah, you are not in a place to settle. The horses and the camels are exhausted. The tribe of Bani Quraidah has reneged on us and we learned about them what we hate, and we suffer from the violent wind as you see. No food can be cooked, no fire can blaze for us, and no structure can hold. You have to leave, for I am leaving.” He then mounted his camel and started moving, followed by the fighters.

Hudhaifah said, “But for the promise I gave Allah's Messenger (PBUH), who asked me not to do anything until I returned to him, I would have killed him with an arrow." Hudhaifah then returned to the Messenger (PBUH) and gave him the information and happy news.

Whoever saw Hudhaifah and considered his way of thinking, his philosophy, and his devotion to knowledge could hardly expect

any heroism from him in the battlefield. Nevertheless, Hudhaifah contradicted all expectations.

The man who used to worship Allah in solitude, the contemplative one, no sooner did he carry his sword and meet the ignorant pagan army than he disclosed a genius that caught the eyes. Suffice it to know that he was one of only three or five who had the great privilege of invading all the cities of Iraq. In Hamdaan, Ar-Raiy Ad-Dainawar, the conquest was accomplished through him.

In the great Battle of Nahaawand, in which the Persians gathered about 150,000 fighters, Caliph ‘Umar, the Commander of the Faithful, chose for the leadership of the Muslim armies AnNu*maan Ibn Mugrin, then wrote to Hudhaifah to march to him leading an army from Kufa.

~Umar sent his letter to the fighters, saying, "When the Muslims gather, let every commander lead his army, and let AnNu*maan Ibn Mugrin be the commander-in-chief of all the armies. If An-Nu’maan is martyred, let Hudhaifah be the leader. If he is martyred, let Jarir Ibn “Abd Allah lead them."

In this way, the Commander of the Faithful went on choosing the leaders of the battle till he named seven of them. Then the two armies met.

The Persians were 150,000, while the Muslims were only 30,000. A battle which exceeded all others commenced. It was the fiercest in history, in terms of violence and heroism. The leader of the Muslim army, An-Nu*maan Ibn Mugrin fell in the battle and was martyred, but before the standard of the Muslims fell to the ground, the new leader caught it with his right hand, and with it he led the wind of victory with vigor and great herosim. This leader was none but Hudhaifah Ibn Al-Yammaan.

At once he held the standard and chose not to announce the news of the death of An-Nu‘maan until the battle was over. He

called Na*iim Ibn Muqrin to be in the place of his brother to honor him.

How he achieved all this in no time, in the heart of the great battle, was through his bright intuition. Then he turned like a violent tempest wind towards the Persian lines shouting, "Allahu akbar! Allah is the greatest! His Promise is fulfilled! AHahu akbar! He led His soldiers to victory!" Then he turned the head of his horse towards the fighters of his army and called, "O you followers of Muhammad (PBUH), here are Allah's Gardens ready to receive you, do not let them wait long. Come on, men of the Battle of Badr ! Proceed, O you heroes of the Battle of Al-Khandaq, Uhud, and Tabuuk!"

Hudhaifah kept all the enthusiasm and interest of the battle, if not more. The fighting ended in overwhelming defeat for the Persians, an unmatched defeat!

That was his genius in wisdom when he remained in his rooms and genius in fighting when he stood on the battlefield. He was also a genius in each mission assigned to him and each advice asked of him.

When Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqaas and the Muslims with him moved from Madaa’'in to Kufa and settled there after the great harm that had afflicted the Muslim Arabs due to Madaa’in's climate, “Umar wrote to Sad to leave at once after the most suitable sites for Muslims to resettle were found. Who was deputed, to choose the site and the place? It was Hudhaifah Ibn Al Yammaan, accompanied by Salmaan Ibn Ziyaad who sought a suitable place for Muslims.

When they reached the land of Kufa, it was a barren, sandy land, full of pebbles, but Hudhaifah smelled the breezes of healing and health. He said to his companion, "This place, Allah willing.” That was how Kufa was planned, and the hands of construction

turned it into an inhabited city. As soon as the Muslims emigrated there, their sick were cured, their weak became strong, and their veins were filled with the pulse of health.

Hudhaifah was very intelligent and had various experiences. He always used to say to the Muslims, "Your best are not those who neglect this world for the last, nor those who neglect the last for this world. The best are those who take from this and that."

One day in the year A.H. 36, he was called to meet his Lord. While he was getting ready for the last journey, some of his companions came to see him. He asked them, "Have you brought a shroud with you?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Show it to me." When he saw it, he found it was new and too long. One last sarcastic grin was drawn on his lips, and he said, "This is not a shroud for me. Two white wraps without a shirt are sufficient for me. I will not be left in the grave for a long time, but will be offered a better place or a worse one!”

He then murmured a few words which, when they listened to them, they discerned the following: "Welcome O death! A dear thing coming after longing. The one who repents now prospers not."

One of the best human souls was raised to Allah, one the most pious, illuminating, and humble spirits.

(14) “AMMAAR IBN YAASIR A Man of Paradise !

If there were people born in Paradise, reared and brought to maturity there, and then brought to earth to adorn and enlighten it, then “Ammaar, his mother Sumaiyah and his father Yaasir would be of them!

But why do we say “if" and why do we make that condition when Yaasir's family were really of Paradise? Allah's Messenger (PBUH) was not merely pacifying them when he said, "Patience, O Yaasir's family. Verily, your meeting place will be in Paradise." He was declaring a fact which he knew and reiterating an actuality perceived by him.

*‘Ammaar's father, Yaasir Ibn “Aamir, left his native place in Yemen seeking a brother of his. In Makkah he found an appealing place, so he settled there and was in alliance with Abu Hudhaifah Ibn Al-Mughirah, who married him to one of his slave women, Sumaiyah Bint Khaiyaat. Out of this blessed marriage Allah granted the parents a son, “Ammaar. Their embracing of Islam was early, like that of the righteous ones guided by Allah. And like the early righteous Muslims as well, they had their good share of the Quraish's persecution and terror.

The Quraish used to waylay the believers to attack them. If the believers were among the honorable and noble people in their community, the Quraish would pursue them with threats and menace. Abu Jahl would meet one of the believers and tell him, " You abandoned your forefathers’ religion and they were better than you. We will spoil your character, degrade your honor, reduce your trade, and exhaust your money.” They would then launch a heated war of nerves upon him.

If the believers were among the weak, poor, or slaves of Makkah, then the Quraish would burn them with the fire of

Yaasir's family belonged to that class. The order for their persecution was handed to Bani Makhzuum. They used to take them all — Yaasir, Sumaiyah and ~Ammaar — to the burning desert of Makkah, where they would pour upon them different kinds of the hell of torture.

Sumaiyah's share of that torment was colossal and terrible. We shall not elaborate about her now, since we shall have — Allah willing — another encounter with her and her likes during those immortal days to talk about the grace of sacrifice and the glory of her firmness. Suffice it to mention now, without any exaggeration, that Sumaiyah, the martyred one, maintained a firm stance that day which gives the whole of humanity an everlasting honor and an ever glorious dignity. Her stance made of her a great mother to believers in all ages, and to the honorable people of all times.