Part 33

A hitting that removes respect from one's eyes, And distracts the lover from his lass,

Or restores the right to its own place.

He meant by this that the former Companions of the Messenger (PBUH) —Ammaar was one of them — had fought Umayyids in the past who were headed by Abu Sufyaan bearing the standard of polytheism and leading its army. They had fought them in the past as the glorious Qur'aan was openly commanding Muslims to fight disbelievers. As for today, even though they were Muslims and were not openly commanded by the Qur'aan to fight them, yet ~Ammaar's search for truth and his comprehension of the aims and goals of the Qur'aan persuaded them to fight so that the usurped right would be restored to its people and the fire of rebellion and sedition would be extinguished once and for all. It also signified that in the past they fought Umayyids for their disbelief in faith and in the Qur'aan. Today they were fighting them for deviating from faith and their turning away from the Qur'aan, their wrong interpretation and explanation, and their attempts to alter its verses and meaning to their aims and greedy wishes.

This man of 93 was involved in the last battle of his noble and brave life. He was giving the last lesson about perseverence in truth, and bequeathing to life the last of his great, honest, and edifying attitudes.

Mu‘aawiyah's men attempted to avoid “Ammaar as much as they could so as not to kill him with their swords and people would say they were the "tyrant party". Yet, “Ammaar was fighting as if he were a whole army and his bravery made them mad, so some of Mu‘aawiyah's soldiers waited for a chance to hit him.

Mu‘aawiyah's army had many regular soldiers from among the new Muslims who had embraced Islam at the beating of the drums in the Islamic conquest in many of the countries liberated by Islam from the power of the Romans and Persians. Most of these soldiers were the fuel of the civil war caused by the rebellion of Mu’aawiyah and his refusal to pledge allegiance to ~Aliy as Caliph and Imam. They were the fuel and the oil of the battle that enflamed it.

The disagreement, in spite of its seriousness, could have terminated peacefully if the affairs had remained with the early Muslims. However, it was no sooner formed than it was taken by many hands that did not care about the fate of Islam, and they kept adding fuel to the disagreement. At noon the news of “Ammaar's death spread, and the Muslims went on repeating to one another the prophecy of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) which had been heard by all

the Companions on the day of the festival while building the mosque: "Alas for Ibn Sumaiyah, killed by the tyrant party."

Now people knew who was the "tyrant party". It was the one that had killed ~Ammaar, no other but Mu‘aawiyah’'s party. ~Aliy's Companions became more and more convinced of this fact. As for Mu‘aawiyah's party, their hearts became suspicious, and some prepared to mutiny and turn to “Aliy.

No sooner did Mu*‘aawiyah hear of what had happened than he came out announcing to the people that the prophecy was right, and the Messenger (PBUH) really prophesied that “Ammaar was going to be killed by the tyrant party. But who killed *Ammaar? Then he shouted to the people of his party, “He was surely killed by those who came with him out of his house and brought him to the battle." Some people who were inclined towards that interpretation were deceived, and the battle continued till the end.

As for ~“Ammaar, Imam ~Aliy carried him on his chest to where he and the other Muslims prayed, and then he was buried in his own clothes. Yes, in his blood-smeared clothes which had a pure and good smell. No silk material in the whole world could have been more suitable for the shroud of a graceful martyr and a great saint like ‘Ammaar.

Muslims stood at his grave wondering. A few hours before, *Ammaar had been singing over the battlefield, filled with the delight

of the tired stranger who was returning happily home. He had been

shouting, "Today I meet the dear ones, Muhammad and his Companions." Did he have a meeting time with them, an exact time to

Some Companions approached each other, inquiring. One of them asked, "Do you remember the twilight of that day in AlMadiinah when we were sitting with Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and suddenly his face brightened and he said, “Paradise is longing for “Ammaar'?" His friend answered, "Yes, on that day he mentioned others, among which were’*Aliy, Salmaan and Bilaal."

Paradise then was longing for “~Ammaar. The longing remained for a long time while he was urging it to wait in order to accomplish all his tasks and complete the last of his achievements. He did them all following his conscience and feeling delight for his achievement. Was it not then time to comply with the call of longing coming from Paradise? Sure, it was: good is rewarded by good. That was how he threw aside his lance and went.

When the dust of his grave was being leveled on his body by his companions, his soul was embracing its happy destiny there in the eternity of Paradise that was longing for ‘Ammaar!

(15) “UBAADAH IBN ASSAAMIT A Representative in Allah's Party !

As one of the Ansaar, he was mentioned in the Prophet's words "If the Ansaar chose to move in a certain direction, 1 would follow them. By Allah, if there had been no emigration, I would have chosen to be one of the Ansaar." ‘Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit was not only one of the Ansaar, but also one of their reknown leaders whom the Prophet (PBUH) chose to represent their people and tribes. When the first Ansaar delegation arrived at Makkah to make the oath of allegiance to the Prophet (PBUH), ‘Ubaadah (May Allah be pleased with him) was one of the 12 believers who pledged allegiance to the Prophet (PBUH), embraced Islam, and clasped the Prophet's hand in support and loyalty. In the Second Pledge of Al- *Aqabah, ‘Ubaadah was one of the leaders of the 70 men and two women and also one of the representatives of the Angaar who gave his pledge to the Prophet (PBUH) during the Hajj season.

Ever since, ‘Ubaadah never missed a battle or fell short of a sacrifice, as the arena at that time offered a kaleidoscope of selfsacrifice, valor, courage, and defiance. Since he chose Allah and His Prophet, he exerted himself to fulfil his obligations towards his religion. Therefore, his loyalty and obedience to Allah and his relationship with his relatives, allies, and enemies were all molded in a way so as to be compatible with the faith and conduct that a Muslim should have.

In the past, ‘Ubaadah's family had been tied in alliance with the Jews of Bani Qainuqaa* in Al-Madiinah. Since the Prophet and his Companions emigrated to Al-Madiinah, the Jews pretended to be on good terms with them; but after the Battle of Badr and a little while before the Battle of Uhud, the Jews of AlMadiinah began to show their true colors. Consequently, one of the Jewish tribes, Bani

Qainuqaa’, fabricated reasons for commotion and strife against the Muslims.

As soon as “Ubaadah realized their real intention, he decidedly threw aside their ancient treaty and said, “I take Allah, His Prophet, and those who have believed in Him as my protectors." The Qur'aan descended on the Prophet (PBUH) to support, salute, and praise “Ubaadah's loyal and steadfast attitude saying, < And whosoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who have believed as Protectors, then the party of Allah wil be victorious > (5 : 56).

Thus, the glorious verse announced the establishment of Allah's party, the members of which were the believers who stood firm by the Prophet's side and advocated the banner of right guidance and truth. They were regarded as the blessed blossom of the seed sown by their predecessors, who did their utmost to support their Messenger and invite people to believe in Allah the Ever-Living, the One Who Sustains and Protects all that exists. This newly born party of Allah would not only include the Companions of the Prophet, but also encompass the true believers of all future generations and times until Allah inherits the earth and whatever is with Him.

“Ubaadah, whose loyal and faithful attitude the verse praised, was not only a representative of the Al-Khazraj tribe, but was also one of the leaders of the pious and righteous Muslims who would always be looked upon by future generations throughout the world as a symbol of chivalry and discipline. His immortal history will forever resound throughout the world.

One day “Ubaadah heard the Prophet talking about the responsibilities and obligations of commanders and governors and the punishment that awaited any one of them who abused his

authority and manipulated the money entrusted to him. His words shook him so severely that he swore never to accept command, even over two people. He kept this oath. When the Commander of the

Faithful “Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (May Allah be pleased with him) became the caliph, he could not prevail on ~“Ubaadah to accept any influential position except educating and instructing people in Islamic religion. Indeed, this was the appropriate field for ‘Ubaadah, away from influential positions that might jeopardize his faith with precarious arrogance, power, and wealth.

Therefore, he traveled with Mu‘aadh Ibn Jabal and Abu AdDardaa' to Syria, where they illuminated the country with knowledge, fiqh, and enlightment. Afterward, ~‘Ubaadah traveled to Palestine, where Mu ‘aawiyah held jurisdiction in the name of the caliph.

When “Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit finally settled down in Syria, he always looked to Al-Madiinah as the capital of Islam and as the center of the caliphate where ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, a mastermind and a peerless man, lived. Then he turned around and looked over Palestine, where Mu*aawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyaan, a worldly-minded and a power hungry man, ruled.

‘Ubaadah was, indeed, one of those blessed men who lived the best and the most accomplished days of their lives with the Prophet (PBUH). Those men who gained experience through struggle were cast in the same mold of conflict, struggle, and self-sacrifice. ‘Ubaadah had embraced Islam out of conviction rather than fear. Indeed, he sold himself and his fortune to Allah. He was one of the men who were brought up and disciplined by Muhammad (PBUH), who infused them with his wisdom, enlightenment, and greatness. To ‘Ubaadah, one of the most excellent models of the man in power was “Umar. Naturally, if ‘Ubaadah tried to judge Mu‘aawiyah's conduct and character according to those standards, the result would not be in his favor and conflict would be inevitable. And that is exactly what happened.