Part 77

Their leaders stammered in speech under the pressure of that sarcastic but decisive logic. Then he continued his talk. "As for your claim that he is a murderer who didn't take prisoners or war booty, did you expect him to take ‘Aa'ishah, the Prophet's wife and Mother of the Faithful, a prisoner and her belongings as booty?" At that moment their faces went blank out of shame and they tried to cover them with their hands.

Tbn “Abbaas went on to the third claim. "As for your claim that he agreed to give up the title ‘Commander of the Faithful’ to give arbitration a chance, let me tell you what the Prophet (PBUH) did on the Day of Hudaibiyah. While he was dictating the agreement between him and the Quraish, he said to the scribe, ‘Write, This is what the Messenger of Allah agreed upon.’ The representative of the Quraish said, ‘By Allah, if we believed that you were the Messenger of Allah, we wouldn't have hindered you from entering the Sacred House or fought against you.’ The Prophet (PBUH) then said, "Then write, This is what Muhammad Ibn “Abd Allah has agreed upon. By Allah, I'm the Messenger of Allah even if you deny that. Write whatever you like.'"

The discussion between Ibn ~Abbaas and the Khawaarij went on in such a miraculous, magnificent way. The discussion had hardly ended when some 20,000 of the Khawaarij announced their conviction in what was said and announced the end of their oppositon to ‘Aliy's imamate.

Ibn ‘Abbaas not only possessed a great fortune of knowledge but also a greater fortune of manners of knowledge and the knowledgeable. He was a great figure in his generosity. He spent his wealth abundantly for the people's sake with the same willingness with which he shared his knowledge. His contemporaries said, " We've never seen a house more filled with food, drinks, fruits, and knowledge than Ibn *Abbaas's house.”

He possessed a pure soul that never carried any spite. He never tired of wishing all the good for people, those whom he knew and‘ those whom he did not. He said about himself, "Whenever I recited a verse, I wished that all people had acquired the knowledge I've acquired. Whenever I heard about a just ruler ruling fairly, ] was filled with delight and prayed for him, although I did not need him. Whenever I heard about rain falling on Muslim land, I was filled with delight although I did not own any livestock grazing on that land.”

He was a devoted repenting worshiper, praying at night and often fasting. No one could miss the stream of tears on his cheek. That is because he cried so much whenever he prayed or recited the Qur'aan. Whenever he read a scolding or threatening verse, or the mention of death and resurrection, his wail and laments grew louder and louder.

In addition, he was honest, brave, and eloquent. He had his own viewpoint and opinions about the dispute between Imam “Aliy and Mu*aawiyah, which proved his capacity for stratagem.

He preferred peace to war, kindness to violence, logic to compulsion.

When Al-Hussain (May Allah be pleased with him) intended to go to Iraq to fight Ziyaad and Yaziid, Ibn *Abbaas did everything he could to prevent him. Afterwards, he was informed about his martyrdom. He felt deep grief and kept indoors.

Whenever a dispute between two Muslims arose, he could always be seen carrying the banner of peace, forgiveness, and tenderness.

It is true that he himself was involved in the battle between “Aliy and Mu*aawiyah when he fought on “Aliy's side. But he did that because, at the beginning, the war represented a necessary eradication of a movement which was causing a terrible split within the Islamic community, threatening the unity of the faith and of the believers.

As long as he lived he filled the whole world with knowledge and wisdom, spreading among people his scent of piety.

When he reached the age of 71, he was invited to meet Allah. The city of At-Taa'if witnessed a great scene for a believer who had been promised Paradise. While his body settled safely in its grave, the horizon was shaken by the echo of the truthful divine promise: <”O soul at peace. Return to your Lord, well pleased and well

pleasing. Enter you among My servants. And enter into My

(55) *ABBAAD IBN BISHR With Him Was the Light of Allah!

When Mus‘ab Ibn *Umair went to Al-Madiinah, appointed by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) to teach the Ansaar — who had given their oath of allegiance to the Messenger in Islam — and to lead them in prayer, “Abbaad Ibn Bishr was one of the devoted whose hearts Allah opened to good. So Mus‘ab approached the assembly, and ~Abbaad listened to him and stretched out his right hand to give his oath of allegiance to Islam. From that day on, he took his place among the Ansaar with whom Allah is pleased and they with Him.

The Prophet (PBUH) emigrated to Al-Madiinah after the believers of Makkah had preceded him there. Then began the military campaigns in which the forces of good and light clashed with the forces of darkness and evil. In each of these battles, “Abbaad Ibn Bishr was in the front ranks fighting heroically in the cause of Allah, completely consumedand dedicated with heart and soul in a dazzling, overwhelming way. Perhaps the event which we now narrate will disclose something of the heroism of this great believer.

After the Messenger of Allah and the believers had finished the military campaign of Dhaat-Ar-Riqaa’, they stopped over at a place to spend the night and the Messenger chose guards from the Companions to take turns. Among them were ~“Ammaar Ibn Yaasir and *Abbaad Ibn Bishr on one watch.

*Abbaad saw that his companion ~Ammaar was exhausted, so he demanded that he sleep the first part of the night and he would stand guard so his companion could take some rest. He could resume guard after he awoke.

*Abbaad saw that the place around him was safe, so he thought, why not fill up his time with prayer, so that he would be rewarded both for praying and standing guard. So he stood praying.

While he was standing reciting a surah from the Qur'aan after Al-Faatihah, an arrow passed through his shoulder, so he pulled it out and continued his prayer. Then the attacker shot a second arrow in the darkness of the night, so he pulled it out, also, and completed his recitation. Then he bowed and prostrated. Weakness and pain had dissipated his strength, so he extended his right hand, while prostrating, to his companion sleeping near him and continued to shake him until he woke up. Then he sat up from his prostration and recited the Tashahhud (ie. the last part of his prayer) and completed his prayer.

“Ammaar awoke at the weary, trembling voice of his words, "Stand guard in my place. I am wounded!" *Ammaar jumped up yelling noisily and quickly frightened away the attackers, so they ran away. Then he turned to ‘Abbaad and said to him, “Glory be to Allah! Why didn’t you awaken me when you were first hit?”

“Abbaad replied, "In my prayer I was reciting verses from the Qur'aan that filled my soul with such awe that I didn't want to interrupt it nor cut it short. By Allah, I swear, because I did not want to lose a single word which the Messenger of Allah ordered me to preserve, I would have preferred death more than interrupting those verses which I was reciting.”

“Abbaad was extremely devoted and strong in his love of Allah, His Messenger, and His religion, and this devotion lasted throughout his life.

Since he heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying to the Ansaar, "You are my people. You are the people who protect. There is no nation which has come like you before." ... We say, since “Abbaad heard these words from his Prophet (PBUH), teacher, and guide to Allah, he spent generously of his wealth and gave his spirit and life in the way of Allah and His Messenger. In the areas of sacrifice and even death, he constantly put them first, and even in a seizure of booty and spoils of war. In places of hardship and struggle, his companions searched for him until they found him.

He was always a worshiper — worship completely absorbed him; brave — bravery and heroism engrossed him; generous —

He was a strong believer. He pledged his life to the cause of faith. All of this was known of him by the Companions of the Messenger. The Mother of the Faithful *Aa'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: "There are three from among the Ansaar who are not surpassed in virtue by anyone: S’ad Ibn Mu‘aadh, Usaid Ibn Hudair and *Abbaad Ibn Bishr."

The first Muslims knew ‘Abbaad as a man in whom was light from Allah. His radiant, clear vision guided to areas of goodness and

certainty without searching or difficulty.

His brothers believed in his light to the extent that they attributed to him the picture of perception and discipline. They agreed that once ~Abbaad was walking in the darkness and there emanated from hima light that lit the way for him.

In the apostasy wars after the death of the Messenger (PBUH), *Abbaad carried his responsibility with incomparable death-defying courage.

On the battlefield of Al-Yamaamah, where the Muslims faced the most cruel and skillful army under the leadership of Musailamah, the Liar, ~Abbaad perceived a danger threatening to Islam. His willingness to sacrifice and his vigor constituted sufficient importance, such that it gave him his faith and raised him to the level of his aspiration and ability to perceive danger, making him one willing to sacrifice and give up everything for his faith, not desiring anything other than death and martyrdom.

A day before the beginning of the Battle of Al-Yamaamah he saw in his sleep a vision that did not remain long enough to be clear:

above the land of the great destructive battle which the Muslims went

So let an honorable companion, Abu Sa*iid Al-Khudriy, tell us the story of the vision which “Abbaad saw, his explanation of it, and his amazing attitude in fighting which ended in martyrdom.

Abu Sa‘iid reported: *Abbaad Ibn Bishr said to me, "O Abu Sa‘iid, I saw last night as if the sky had opened up for me. Then it closed and covered over me. Indeed, I see it, if Allah wills, to mean martyrdom." I said to him, Good. I swear by Allah, you did indeed see it." On the Day of Al-Yamaamah, I looked at him and indeed saw him shouting to the Angaar, "Use your swords forcefully and be distinguished among the people!" So 400 men came quickly to him, all of them from among the Angaar people, until they stopped at the gate of the garden. They fought violently, and *Abbaad Ibn Bishr was martyred. I saw on his face much beating and I did not know him