Part 61

Qur'aan in their mosques as if it were a drone of bees. Let them do what they are doing and don't occupy them with traditions. I'm your partner in this." The Qur'aan had been compiled in a warranted way such that nothing had crept into it. But “Umar could not guarantee that some traditions were not slanted, forged, or taken as a way to tell lies about the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and thus harm Islam.

Abu Hurairah appreciated ‘Umar's point of view, but he was also sure of himself and his honesty. He did not want to conceal anything of the traditions or knowledge that he thought would be a sin to conceal. Hence, whenever he found a chance to unload the traditions he had heard or understood from his breast, he did so.

An important reason which played a prominent role in provoking troubles around Abu Hurairah for talking about and narrating many traditions was the fact that there was another narrator in those days who used to narrate and exaggerate about the Messenger (PBUH), and the Muslim Companions were not certain of his traditions. This narrator was Ka*b Al-Ahbaar, who was a Jew who had embraced Islam.

Once Marwaan Ibn Al-Hakam wanted to examine Abu Hurairah's ability to memorize. He invited him to sit with him and asked him to narrate about the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while a scribe sat behind a screen and was told to write whatever Abu Hurairah said. After a year, Marwaan invited him once again and asked him to narrate the same traditions the scribe had written. Abu Hurairah had not forgotten a single word!

He used to say about himself, "No one among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) narrates about him more than I do

except “Abd Allah Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Al-Aag. He used to write, but I didn't."

Imam AshShaafiy (May Allah be pleased with him) said

about him, "No one in his period was more capable of narrating traditions with such amemory than Abu Hurairah."

Al Bukhaariy (May Allah be pleased with him) said, "Almost eight hundred or more Companions, followers (the generation after the Companions) and people of knowledge narrated through Abu Hurairah." Thus, Abu Hurairah was a big, immortal school.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) was an everand oft-returning worshiper who used to take turns with his wife and daughter in praying the whole night. He prayed one third of the night, his wife another third, and his daughter a third. Thus, not one hour of the night passed in Abu Hurairah's house without prayers. In order to be free to accompany the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), he suffered the cruelty of hunger like nobody else. He used to talk about the times when hunger was so cruel that he would put a stone on his stomach, press his liver with his hand, and fall in the mosque while twisting that stone such that some of his friends thought that he was epileptic, but he was not.

When he embraced Islam, he had only one continuously oppressing problem that would not let him sleep. That problem was his mother, for from that day onwards she refused to embrace Islam. Not only that, but she also used to hurt her son by speaking ill of the Messenger of Allah. One day she spoke to Abu Hurairah about the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in a way that he hated. So, he left her crying and sad and went to the Messenger 's mosque.

Let us listen to him narrate the rest of the story: I went to the Messenger of Allah crying and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I used to call Umm Hurairah to Islam, and she used to refuse. Today, I called her, but she spoke to me about you in away that I hated. Invoke

Allah to guide Umm Hurairah to Islam." So the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "O Allah, guide Umm Hurairah.” Then I ran out to give her the good news about the Messenger of Allah's invocation to Allah. When I arrived at the door, I found it closed, and I heard the sound of water. She called, "Stay where you are, Abu Hurairah." Then she put on her shift and veil and she came out saying, "l bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger." So I hurried to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) crying out for joy as I had cried for sadness and I said, "Here is good news, O Messenger of Allah. Allah has answered your invocation. Allah has guided Umm Hurairah to Islam." | added, "O Messenger of Allah, invoke Allah to make all the believers love me and my mother." He said, "O Allah, make every believer love this slave of Yours and his mother."

Abu Hurairah led the life of a worshiper and fighter. He did not miss a battle or a pious deed. During the caliphate of “Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (May Allah be pleased with him), he made him governor of Bahrain. ‘Umar, as we know, used to call his rulers sternly to account. If he made one of them governor when he had two garments, on the day he ceased to govern , he should still own no more than those two garments, and it would be better to leave office with only one ! But if he left office with any display of wealth, he would not escape “Umar's reckoning, even if the source of his fortune was halaal. It was another world that “Umar filled with wonders and miracles.

When Abu Hurairah was made governor of Bahrain, he saved some money from halaal sources. However, ‘Umar knew and invited him to Al-Madiinah.

Let Abu Hurairah narrate the quick conversation that took place between them: ‘Umar said to me, "O the enemy of Allah and

His Book, did you steal the money of Allah?” I said, "[am not the

enemy of Allah or His Book. I am the enemy of their enemy. Besides, Iam not the one who steals the money of Allah!" He said, "Then how did you gather 10,000?" I said, "I had a horse that had foaled repeatedly." ‘Umar said, "Put it (the money) in the Bait Al-Maal (the

Abu Hurairah gave the money to “Umar and raised his hands towards the sky saying, "O Allah, forgive the Commander of the Faithful." After a while “Umar called Abu Hurairah and offered him the governorship again. However, he refused and apologized. ‘Umar asked why. Abu Hurairah said, "So that my honor would not be at stake, my money would not be taken, and my back would not be beaten." He added, "I'm afraid I would judge without knowledge or speak without patience."

One day, his yearning to meet Allah intensified. While his visitors were invoking Allah to cure him of his disease, he was imploring Allah saying, "O Allah, I love to meet You, so love to meet me." In A.H. 59, he died at the age of 78. His calm body was buried in a blessed place among the reverent inhabitants of Al-Baqii*.

Returning from his funeral, the people kept reciting many of the traditions that he had taught them about the noble Messenger. One of the recent Muslims asked his friends, “Why was our deceased sheikh called Abu Hurairah?" His knowing friend answered, "In the preIslamic time his name was ~Abd Shams. When he embraced Islam, the Messenger called him ‘Abd Ar-Rahman. He used to be sympathetic towards animals. He had a cat that he used to feed, carry, clean, and shelter, and it used to accompany him as if it were his shadow. Thus, he was called Abu Hurairah, which means father of the small cat. May Allah be pleased with him."

(36) AL-BARAA' IBN MAALIK Allah and Paradise !

He was one of two brothers who lived for the cause of Allah and who pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and kept their pledge in the course of time.

The first brother was Anas Ibn Maalik, the servant of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). His mother, Umm Sulaim, took him to the Messenger at the age of ten and said, "O Messenger of Allah, this is Anas, your lad. He will serve you; invoke Allah for him." The Messenger kissed him between his eyes and invoked a blessing upon him that led his long life towards good and blessing. He said, "O Allah, let him have plenty of money and sons. Bless him and let him enter Paradise." So, he lived for 99 years, and Allah bestowed upon him plenty of sons and grandsons and provided him with a spacious garden that gave fruits twice a year!

The second of these brothers was Al-Baraa' Tbn Maalik, who led a great brave life. His motto was "Allah and Paradise!" Whoever would see him fighting in the cause of Allah would be totally amazed, for when Al-Baraa’ was fighting polytheists with his sword, he was not one of those who was looking for victory — although victory then was the greatest end -- but he was looking for martyrdom. His utmost hope was to be a martyr and to die on the field of a glorious battle for the sake of the truth and Islam. For this reason, he missed neither a battle nor an expedition.

One day his brothers went to visit him. He read their faces and said, "I guess you're afraid | will die in bed. No, by Allah, He will not deprive me of martyrdom.” Allah made his thoughts come true, as

Al-Baraa’ did not die in bed, but was martyred in one of the most glorious battles of Islam.

Al-Baraa' 's bravery on the Day of Al-Yamaamah revealed the personality of this hero whom “Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab forbade to ever be a leader because his boldness, courage, and search for death made it a great risk for him to lead other fighters.

On the Day of Al-Yamaamah, the Islamic armies were preparing to fight under the leadership of Khaalid. Al-Baraa' stood licking his lips while the seconds were passing away as if they were years until the leader gave his order to advance. His sharp eyes were moving quickly all over the battlefield as if searching for the most suitable place for the hero to be martyred. Yes, nothing preoccupied him in the world but this aim. With the edge of his striking sword, a great harvest of the polytheists who called for darkness and falsehood were cut down. Then at the end of the battle, the hand of a polytheist gave him a stroke that made his body fall on the ground while his soul found its way to the angels among the group of martyrs and the blessed.