THE Guiding Stars
رِضي ا هَّلل عنهم ورضوا عنه َ َ ُ َْ ُ ْ ََ ُ َْ ُ
Allah being pleased with them and they with Him.
COMPILED BY:
YASIN SADULLA VARVANI
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Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure.1
Narrated 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf: said: "Abu Bakr is (ﷺ) that the Messenger of Allah in Paradise, 'Umar is in Paradise, 'Uthman is in Paradise, 'Ali is in Paradise, Talhah is in Paradise, Az-Zubair is in Paradise, 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf is in Paradise, Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas is in Paradise, Sa'eed is in Paradise, and Abu 'Ubaidah bin Al- Jarrah is in Paradise.2
1, Surah Fath 2. Tirmidhi
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PASSING ON THE REWARD TO:
Late Mufti Ubaidullah Adam
Late Abdulkarim Mussa Varvani
&
The Ummah at large
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CONTENTS
1. Foreword I 5 2. Foreword II 6 3. Compiler’s note 9 4. Hadhrat Abu Bakr As-Siddiq 11 5. Hadhrat Umar Al-Farooq 24 6. Hadhrat Uthman bin Affan 33 7. Hadhrat Ali bin Abi Talib 42 8. Hadhrat Talha bin Ubaydullah 52 9. Hadhrat Az-Zubair bin Al-Awwam 59 10. Hadhrat AbduRahman bin Awf 65 11. Hadhrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqaas 71 12. Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid 78 13. Hadhrat Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah 83 14. Concluding Paragraphs 90 15. Reference 91
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FOREWORD I
All praises belong to Allah Ta’ala. Peace and .ﷺ salutations be upon our master Muhammad This book has been compiled regarding the illustrious specifically the Ashara ﷺ Companions of Rasulullah Mubashara, the ten fortunate & priviledged companions who were given glad tidings of Jannah (paradise) in one gathering. Though all the companions have been promised a good abode in the Hereafter, these ten became famous as the ‘Ashara Mubashara’ because all ten were granted this honour by name in one statement. These ten companions indeed led examplary lives. Educating oneself regarding their services and sacrifices for our Noble Deen is a definite way of motivating oneself and gaining encourangement to inculcate their outstanding qualities of sincerity, piety, selflessness & sacrifice. May Allah Ta’ala accept the effort that has been made to achieve this compilation and may Allah Ta’ala grant us the ability to emulate these noble companions in fulfilling the commands of Allah Ta’ala and gaining His pleasure. Aameen.
Senior lecturer of Bukhari Shareef Jamia Islamiyyah, Lusaka.
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FOREWORD II
بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم
Alhamdulillah, the greatest ni’mat (bounty) Allah Ta’ala has endowed upon us is Deen! The question is; what actually is Deen? Is it confined to the Masajid and Madaris? Or to Jumuah and Ramadhan? Or to Ulama and Mashaaikh?
No, Deen is not for a particular time, place or person, rather it is for all of us, at all times and all places. Deen is a complete lifestyle governed by Shariah.
It is extremely unfortunate that today’s secular ideology has been embedded in our minds that Deen is a separate entity which has no relation with our social, political or family life. We have to understand that this is a very evil ideology which was invented to rip Islam from the lives of Muslims. All the above-mentioned aspects are part of our life hence they are also a part of Deen.
life is a Sunnah ﷺ Every single detail of Rasulullah’s and worthy of emulation and all those aspects mentioned in the forgoing paragraph were found in his practical life, so if followed according to Sunnah, our entire life will be Deen. 6 | P a g e
So how will we understand and bring Deen in our lives? One of the ways is to study the Seerah (biography) of and the lives of his ﷺ our beloved Master, Rasulullah beloved Companions who witnessed his Noble Lifestyle, studied and understood Deen directly from him. They were the blessed souls chosen for the most blessed company. So elevated is their rank, that Allah Ta’ala has revealed numerous Aayaat (verses) in their praise. Below-mentioned Hadith (which we hear in almost every Jumuah Khutbah) will suffice regarding their status.
” هَّللاَ هَّللاَ فِي أَ ْص َحابِي الَ تَته ِخذُو ُه ْم َغ َر ًضا بَ ْع ِدي َف َم ْن أَ َحبه ُه ْم َفبِ ُح ِبي أَ َحبه ُه ْم َو َم ْن أَ ْب َغ َض ُه ْم َفبِبُ ْغ ِضي أَ ْب َغ َض ُه ْم َو َم ْن آذَا ُه ْم َف َق ْد آذَانِي َو َم ْن آذَانِي َف َق ْد آذَى هَّللا َ َو َم ْن آذَى هَّللاَ َفيُو ِش ُك أ َ ْن يَأْ ُخذَ ُه “
Translation: Fear Allah, fear Allah regarding my companions. Do not make them targets of criticism after me. Whoever loves them, his love for them is due to his love for me. And whoever hates them, then it is due to his hatred for me that he hates them. And whoever causes grief to them, has grieved me, and whoever grieves me has displeased Allah, and whoever displeases Allah, then soon Allah will get hold of him.1
1. Tirmidhi 7 | P a g e
In front of the readers is a book regarding some of the illustrious personalities known as Asharah Mubasharah, the ten Sahaba who were given glad tidings of Jannah in one sitting. Hafiz Yasin has done a great job enlightening us about the lives of these Sahaba . This book is aimed at the youth of the present, for them to understand and try to emulate these great companions. May Allah Ta’ala accept his effort and the effort of all others who have helped him compile this book and may Allah make it a means of guidance. Aameen.
05/06/1440 – 10/02/2019 Maulana Luqman Hanif Bharadia Madrasah Darul-Quraan Mombasa, Kenya
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COMPILER’S NOTE
All Praises belong to Allah Ta’ala, our Creator, Sustainer, Nourisher, Provider, Protector, in whose Hands lies the control of each and everything. Peace and salutations be upon His the chosen one ﷺ Beloved, Prophet Muhammad and our role model.
:said ﷺ Narrated by ‘Abd Allah : The Prophet “The best of people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow 1 them, and then who will follow the latter.”
When life was craving for someone to rejuvenate its spiritual values, they came with their noble .as heralds and sincere believers ﷺ Messenger When life was craving for someone to remove the shackles of troubled humanity and to liberate its existence and destiny, they came and stood by as revolutionaries and ﷺ their great Messenger liberators. They were the Sahaba (companions) of ! ﷺ Muhammad
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Alhamdulillah, there are many writings about the Sahaba-e-Kiraam . Here, In Sha Allah will be discussing about the ten companions who were given glad tidings of paradise in one sitting, whilst still in this world. In their reflection, we will see the image of all the companions , their faith, their consistency, their heroism and their loyalty We will see .ﷺ to Allah Ta’ala and His Messenger the effort they exerted, the calamities they endured and the victory they achieved by not only conquering but liberating humanity from paganism as well.
The aim of this concise book is to ignite the love of our real super heroes in our hearts. Indeed, they are the reason of our Islam. I would like to thank Ummi Humayrah, Sameer Yusuf Varvani and family for their full support, Hafidh Sajid Khandwalla for an amazing cover page, and all that made this book a success. May Allah Ta’ala accept this work, make it a means of guidance for the humanity, instill the love of the Sahaba and make this a means of our salvation on the Day of Judgement. Aameen
Yasin Sadulla Varvani E-mail Address: [email protected] Contact: +254727571055
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1. HADHRAT
ABU BAKR
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َل ْو ُك ْن ُت ُمته ِخذًا َخ ِليال َغ ْي َر َربِ ي الته َخ ْذ ُت أَبَا بَ ْك ِر
“If I had taken anyone besides Allah Ta’ala as my friend I would have taken Abu Bakr”1 {ﷺ Nabi}
This concise and appropriate statement, confirms had for the ﷺ the deep-rooted love Rasulullah first male citizen of Makkah Mukarammah to accept Islam. Indeed, Hadhrat Abu Bakr’s entire ﷺ pattern of life mirrored that of Rasulullah’s teaching to the minutest detail.
His original name was Abdul Ka’aba2 which ﷺ altered to Abdullah. When Nabi ﷺ Rasulullah declared that Allah Ta’ala had made him His Rasool, he instantly came into presence of and proclaimed his belief in Nabi’s ﷺ Rasulullah Prophethood and stated “O my master, you ﷺ are truthful. Allah Ta’ala has surely made you His Rasool”3, thus was given the title, ‘Siddiq’.
1. Bukhari 2. Hadhrat Abu Bakr by Hadhrat Ahmad Suhraawi 3. Hadhrat Abu Bakr by Hadhrat Ahmad Suhraawi
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ﷺ Abu Bakr was born two years after Nabi and both are descendants of one common paternal grandfather. Abu Bakr was highly respected by the Quraish since he was well acquainted with the family lineages and was a distinguished businessman. He initiated into business at the age of 18 and used to travel far and wide. He had humane sentiments and gave generously to the destitute and impoverished. He cared for the needy and poor, and served people thoughtfully and adequately. He was very righteous, affluent and had an extremely chaste character.
The Makkans had utmost trust in him to the extent that no sooner had anyone accumulated some money for himself, than he deposited it with Hadhrat Abu Bakr and whenever the owner required it, he retrieved it. Through his endeavours many distinguished people of Makkah accepted Islam.
AND SACRIFICE FOR DEEN (ﷺ) LOVE FOR NABI
When the number of Muslims reached 39, Abu Bakr suggested that an open preaching of Islam disagreed at first but ﷺ be made. The Prophet .gave his consent ﷺ after Abu Bakr insisted, he
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No sooner did Abu Bakr speak, than the idolaters and disbelievers from amongst the Quraysh, fell upon the Muslims from all sides. Even though he was considered to be the noblest and most respectable of all the people in Mecca, Abu Bakr was beaten so much, to an extent that his nose, ears and his entire face were besmeared with blood. He was kicked, thrashed with shoes, trampled under feet and handled most roughly and savagely. He became half- conscious; none hoped that he would ever survive this brutal onslaught. The people of his clan, Banu Teem came and carried him to his house. They also announced in the Haram, that if Abu Bakr succumbed to the injuries, they would in retaliation take the life of Utba bin Rabee’ah, who had taken the most active part in the attack.
Abu Bakr remained unconscious the whole day. Late in the evening, he opened his eyes and showed signs of consciousness.
As soon as he was able to speak, he enquired: The people were very ”?ﷺ How is the Prophet“ disappointed with him and said, “how is it that despite of all this calamity and after virtually
14 | P a g e remaining in the jaws of death all day long on he has nothing else to , ﷺ account of Rasulullah ”.himself ﷺ talk about, but the Prophet
,ﷺ Much disgusted at his devotion for the Prophet but, satisfied that he was out of danger, they left Abu Bakr . They advised Umme Khair, his mother, to give him something to eat. But least minding his food, Abu Bakr would incessantly and impatiently ask his mother the same question Umme ”?ﷺ again and again; “How is the Prophet Khair showing ignorance about the welfare of the Abu Bakr entreated her to go to ,ﷺ Prophet Umme Jamil (Umar’s sister) and find out .ﷺ from her the latest news about the Prophet The mother could not refuse the request of her son in this pitiable condition and hurried to Umme Jamil’s house to inquire about the .ﷺ welfare of Nabi
Like other Muslims of that time, Umme Jamil was also keeping her faith a secret. She therefore concealed her knowledge about the saying; “Who is Muhammad ? Why , ﷺ Prophet should I know anything about him? I am however sorry to learn about the condition of your son; If you like, I can accompany you to see him.” 15 | P a g e
Umme Khair agreed and they both came to Abu Bakr . On seeing him in that miserable condition, Umme Jamil could not control herself and began to cry, saying, “Woe to the ruffians for what they have done to a man like Abu Bakr , May Allah Ta’ala punish them for their misconduct.” Regardless of what Umme Jamil said, Abu Bakr had the same words ”?ﷺ on his lips i.e. “How is the Prophet
Umme Jamil (pointing towards Umme Khair): “Is it safe to say anything in her presence?
Abu Bakr : Do not worry about her. Tell me .is ﷺ quickly how the Prophet
Umme Jamil : He is quite well.
Abu Bakr : Where is he at the moment?
Umme Jamil : He is at Arqam’s place.
Abu Bakr : By Allah! I will not eat anything until I have seen him.
His mother was very anxious to feed him but she knew that since he had sworn by Allah Ta’ala he would not break his oath and therefore would not eat under any circumstance.
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She therefore agreed to take him to Arqam’s place. She had to wait till the street was least- frequented by the people and was able to take him to that place undetected by Quraish. When they both reached Arqam’s place, Abu Bakr saw and clung to him weeping ﷺ the Prophet reciprocated, and all the ﷺ profusely. The Prophet Muslims who were present there also began to weep bitterly over the condition of Abu Bakr . Abu Bakr then introduced his mother Umme saying. “She is my ﷺ Khair to the Prophet mother, O Prophet of Allah Ta’ala. Pray for her and induce her to accept Islam.” The Prophet first prayed for her then preached to her. She accepted Islam there and then. Abu Bakr was the luckiest one having during Hijrah (Migration ﷺ accompanied Nabi from Makkah to Madina).
The incident is briefly stated in the Holy Qur’an
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not (it does not (ﷺ If you help him (Muhammad“ matter) for Allah Ta’ala did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the ( and Abu Bakr ﷺ two; when they (Muhammad said to his companion ﷺ were in the cave, he (Abu Bakr ): Be not sad, surely Allah is with us. And Allah sent down his tranquility upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah – that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise (Surah Taubah: 40)
SPENDING IN THE PATH OF ALLAH TA’ALA
was ﷺ In the ninth year of Hijrah, Rasulullah informed that the Romans were mustering forces to assail the Muslims. On receiving this instructed that preparations ﷺ news, Rasulullah be made, hence an army of thirty thousand men was made ready.
Despite their contributions, their situation was such that eighteen people had to share one conveyance. There was a shortage of food and water. They survived by chewing the leaves of
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appealed for ﷺ trees. When Rasulullah contributions, Hadhrat Umar thought: “This is an excellent opportunity. Abu Bakr perpetually supersedes me in doing noble works. I will give in sadaqah half of my ”.ﷺ possession to Rasulullah
with ﷺ Hadhrat Umar approached Rasulullah his possession; money, utensils and goods. So, asked, “Umar! What have you left ﷺ Nabi behind at home?” He answered: O Rasul of Allah! Half of my possession is at home, and half before you!”
But when Hadhrat Abu Bakr’s wealth arrived, inquired, “Abu Bakr! What have you ﷺ Rasulullah left behind at home?” He answered: “Allah and His Rasul (I am sacrificing everything in the path of Allah). Hadhrat Umar used to remark, “Even on that opportunity I could not match Abu Bakr
ﷺ ON THE DEMISE OF THE BELOVED OF ALLAH
The news was shocking. Madina Munawwara was in chaos. There was weeping all over the holy city. Hadhrat Umar was walking about with an unsheathed sword saying:
has ﷺ Look out if anyone says that Muhammad“ passed away! He has only gone to Allah Ta’ala. He will return after few days.” But Abu Bakr , that
19 | P a g e figure of firmness and knower of Risaalat secrets, ﷺ who had just gone home before Rasulullah death, came running as soon as he heard the news. He didn’t talk to anybody. He went straight inside, removed the bed sheet from the illuminated face and said weeping,
“May my parents be sacrificed for you, O Rasul of Allah! You were pure during your life and you are pure after death! By Allah’s orders you had come. After this, there is no death (for you).”
He came outside and heard Hadhrat Umar’s voice: has not died! He has gone to his ﷺ Rasulullah“ Rabb as Musa went. He will return. And those who say that he has passed away shall have their hands and feet chopped off.”
Hadhrat Abu Bakr said,
“Umar! Be careful and listen! Whoever should understand ﷺ worshipped Muhammad has passed away and ﷺ that Muhammad whoever worshipped Allah Ta’ala then Allah Ta’ala is Living and He will never die. .was only Allah Ta’ala’s Prophet ﷺ Muhammad
Just as previous Prophets came and went so has He then recited .ﷺ Muhammad
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is but a Prophet, indeed many ﷺ Muhammad Prophets have passed before him. If he passes away or is martyred, would you (Muslims) then turn back on your heels? He who turns back on his heels can never harm Allah in the least. Allah shall soon reward the grateful ones. (Surah Al – Imran: 144)
As soon as Abu Bakr recited this verse all of them became startled. Hadhrat Umar said, “To me it seemed as if this verse was just revealed then.”
During his caliphate, Hadhrat Abu Bakr ensured zakaat was paid, to this extent that army battles took place against those people who refused to pay zakaat.
Musaylama, who claimed to be a Prophet, was joined by some tribes. A severe battle took place against them where many Sahaba were made Shaheed (Martyrs). Among them ninety were Huffadh (Memorizers of the Holy Qur’aan).
When the idea of compiling the Holy Qur’an was presented to Abu Bakr , he was reluctant
21 | P a g e since he never wanted to act or innovate something new in Deen. But after much persuasion, he agreed to the idea.
Near Madina lived a blind, needy old lady. Hadhrat Umar always had this thought in mind: “I wish I get an opportunity to serve the old lady.” When he would reach there, he would learn that somebody had already done her work. “(But) let me see! Who is this who attends to her before me?” With this aim in mind, he went to her home very early one morning. Surprisingly he saw Abu Bakr , SubhanAllah!
Abu Bakr lived for 63 years. On his death, Hadhrat Ali expressed his sorrow in these words. “O Abu Bakr , May Allah Ta’ala shower you with His Mercy.
You were the first among those who truly loved You were sincere in your Imaan .ﷺ Rasulullah (Belief) and feared Allah Ta’ala greatly.
O Abu Bakr , you safeguarded Allah Ta’ala’s Among all the Sahaba , you were .ﷺ Prophet most blessed. Your virtues were finest, and your good deeds were greater than everybody else’s.
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you were ﷺ In the eyes of Allah Ta’ala’s Prophet the most honorable and noble. When people of telling lies, you verified his ﷺ accused Prophet words to be true. You were his friend in the cave and his companion during Hijrat. Miserliness never captured your heart and you bore everybody’s troubles. In matters of truth, strangers and near ones were equal. Your statement was just. Truth and honesty were your qualities.
Your separation has !ﷺO Khaleefah of Rasulullah caused us great sorrow; and this sorrow is such that even those who inhabit the skies, share with us.
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2. HADHRAT UMAR
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The divinely commissioned position of Prophethood denotes faith, accomplishme nt ﷺ and excellence. By virtue of Rasulullah declaring Hadhrat Umar as being deserving of ;mentioned ﷺ the prominent appointment, he
ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ٌّ َ َ َ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ َّ لو َكن بع ِدي ن ِِب لَكن عمر بن اْلطا ِب
"If there was to be a Prophet after me, it would have been 'Umar bin Al-Khattab."1
He was a dynamic soldier, genius commander, most courageous and dauntless. He feared Allah Ta’ala and led a very modest life.
HADHRAT UMAR ACCEPTING ISLAM
One day, the Quraysh held a meeting and called for somebody to volunteer himself for the Hadhrat Umar .ﷺ assassination of Nabi offered himself for this job, at which everybody exclaimed; “Surely you can do it Umar!”
With sword hanging from his neck, he set out straight away on his sinister errand. On his way, he met Nu’aym bin Abdullah
Nu’aym inquired, “Where to Umar?”
1. Tirmidhi
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ﷺ Umar : I am after finishing Muhammad
Nu’aym : But do you not see that Banu Hashim, Banu Zuhra and Banu Abde Manaf are likely to kill you in retaliation?
Umar : It seems that you have also renounced the religion of your forefathers. Let me settle with your first.
So saying, Umar drew out his sword. Nu’aym announcing his Islam, also took out his sword. They were about to start a duel when Nu’aym said, “You had better first set your own house in order. Your sister and brother-in-law have accepted Islam.”
Hearing this, Umar flew into a towering rage and turned his steps towards his sister’s house. The door of the house was bolted from inside and both husband and wife were receiving lessons of the Holy Qur’an from Hadhrat Khabbab .
Hadhrat Umar knocked at the door and shouted for his sister to open it. Hearing his voice, Hadhrat Khabbab hid himself in some inner room forgetting to take the manuscript pages of the Holy Qur’an with him.
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When the sister opened the door, Umar hit her on the head saying; “O enemy of yourself, you too have renounced your religion!”
He then went inside and inquired, “What were you doing? And who was the stranger I just heard from inside?”
His brother-in-law (Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid replied, “we were talking to each other.”
Umar : “Have you also forsaken the creed of your forefathers and gone over to the new religion?”
The brother-in-law replied, “But what if the new religion is better and the true one?”
Umar got beside himself with rage and fell on him, pulling his beard and beating him most savagely. When the sister intervened, he smote her so violently on the face that it bled profusely. She was after all Umar’s sister. So she burst out, “Umar! We are beaten only because we have become Muslims Listen! We are determined to die as Muslims. You are free to do whatever you like.
When Umar cooled down and felt a bit ashamed over his sister’s bleeding, his gaze fell on the pages of the Holy Qur’an left behind by Hadhrat Khabbab .
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He said, “Alright show me, what are these?
“No” said the sister , “you are unclean, and no unclean person can touch this scripture.”
So, Umar purified his body and began to read the leaves. It was Surah Taha. As soon as he reached the fourteenth verse he was a changed man altogether.
”.ﷺ He said “Alright take me to Muhammad
On hearing this Hadhrat Khabbab came out and said, “O Umar! Glad tidings to you. ﷺ Yesterday (On Thursday night), the Prophet prayed to Allah Ta’ala, ‘O Allah strengthen Islam with either Umar or Abu Jahl, whosoever You like.’ It seems like his prayer has been answered in your favour.”
and ﷺ Umar then went to the Prophet embraced Islam on Friday morning.
Umar’s Islam was a terrible blow on the morale of the unbelievers. But still the Muslims were few in number and the whole country was against them.
The disbelievers intensified their efforts to complete annihilation of Muslims and the extinction of Islam. With Umar on their side,
28 | P a g e the Muslims now started praying their salaah in the Haram.
Abdullah Bin Masu’d said:
“Umar’s Islam was a big triumph, his emigration to Madina Munawwara, a tremendous reinforcement, and his accession to the caliphate, a great blessing for the Muslims.”
CONQUEROR OF JERUSALEM
When the peace pact was to be signed in Jaabiya, Hadhrat Umar departed for Jerusalem. He had a slave with him. The slave insisted that, Hadhrat Umar should ride the camel and he should hold the reins and walk, as all slaves do. But, Hadhrat Umar did not approve of this suggestion; instead he decided that they take turns in riding the camel. It so happened, that it was the slave’s turn to ride when they approached the final stage of the journey.
The slave implored that he must not be concerned about whose turn it was at stage and said: “I cede my turn to you.”
But Hadhrat Umar was not pleased with the idea. When they approached the city, where a massive crowd awaited them, the slave was riding and Hadhrat Umar was holding the reigns. When the Christian priests witnessed 29 | P a g e this sight, they exclaimed that surely such a humble person would certainly become the ‘Conqueror of Jerusalem’. Thereafter they cheerfully handed over the keys of Jerusalem to him.’
HADHRAT UMAR’S PATROLLING
Once, Hadhrat Umar went out patrolling. When he was outside Madina Munawwara, he observed a woman cooking while her children were crying. As he approached closer and inquired about their state he learnt that the children had not consumed food for some time. In order to cheer them up, the woman had filled an empty pot with water and was boiling it.
Hadhrat Umar instantly ran to the Baitul Maal, took flour, meat, oil and dates and loaded them on his back.
His slave implored, “Permit me to carry it.”
He retorted: “You will not carry my burden on the Day of Judgement.”
He then walked and placed all these things before the woman.
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Hadhrat Umar fanned the flames of fire himself and prepared the food. When the food was ready, the children ate and were delighted.
The woman then said, “You are deserving of being the Commander of the believers, not Umar.”
Little did she know that the man in front of him was none other than Hadhrat Umar himself!
SOME OF HADHRAT UMAR’S EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
1. He initiated the Islamic calendar using Hijrat, as basis. 2. Courts were put up and judges were appointed. 3. The concept of weight and measurement was introduced. 4. He established the postal system. 5. Cities were inhabited. 6. An army registry was established. 7. Canals were dug and canal irrigation commenced 8. The country was divided into provinces. 9. Salaries of Imams and Mua’zins were
stipulated. 10. Arrangements were made for lighting up the masajid.
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SUMMARY
Hadhrat Umar was thirteen years younger than and their lineage met at the eighth ﷺ Rasulullah ancestry. He accepted Islam at the age of twenty-seven and became the Khaleefa after Hadhrat Abu Bakr governing for ten years, six months and four days (13 A.H - 23 A.H). He lived for 63 years.
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3. HADHRAT
UTHMAN
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“Every Prophet will have a special companion in Jannah, and my companion there will be Uthman.”1 {ﷺ Rasulullah}
Hadhrat Uthman was five to six years younger The families of Hadhrat .ﷺ than Rasulullah link up in lineage, at ﷺ Uthman and Rasulullah the fifth generation.
In comparison to Hadhrat Uthman , no one had more camels in the whole of Makkah Mukarramah. His depot was in Syria where he earned in abundance. He was a high-ranking businessman, charitable, bashful and modest.
During the era of Hadhrat Abu Bakr there was a severe drought. People became perturbed as a result of the cost of grain. Just a few days elapsed when a thousand camels of Hadhrat Uthman , loaded with grain, arrived in Madina Munawwarah. He said to the people present,
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“I am making you witness, that I have contributed all this grain to the needy populace of Madina Munawwara.”
Allah Ta’ala says:
‘Whosoever does one good, he profits tenfold the like of that good i.e. he is rewarded tenfold of any good.’ (Surah Anaam 160)
MODESTY OF HADHRAT UTHMAN
was informed that ﷺ Whenever Rasulullah would ﷺ Hadhrat Uthman was approaching he be watchful and comment:
‘Should I not be shy in front of the man from whom even the angels are shy of?’1
The huge quantity that Hadhrat Uthman spent for national defence has been inscribed in gold letters in the history books. In the ninth year of Hijrah, on hearing about the strength of
1. Muslim 35 | P a g e the Roman army, he made arrangements for defence. Hadhrat Uthman presented one thousand camels and fifty horses for the cause, and placed one thousand dinars on the lap of .ﷺ Rasulullah
It was in this very same day that the Rasul of :mentioned ﷺ Allah Ta’ala
“As from today no doing of Uthman shall harm him.”1
Recalling the occasion of Hudaybiyya, Rasulullah selected Hadhrat Uthman for deliberating ﷺ matters related to improving mutual relationship with the Muslims and the Quraish. They revered him above anyone else.
When the rumour was publicized that the Makkans had martyred Hadhrat Uthman took that oath of loyalty for the ﷺ Rasulullah sake of avenging Hadhrat Uthman death. This oath was called Baiyat-ul-Ridhwan.
,placed one hand above the other and said ﷺ He “This is Uthman’s hand and I am personally making an oath on his behalf.”
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Uthman was known by the title Dhun-Nurayn (Possessor of the two lights) since after accepting Islam he was first married to Ruqayyah from who he was blessed with a son named married ﷺ Abdullah. After her death, Rasulullah his other daughter Umme Kulthum to Hadhrat Uthman .
referring to Hadhrat Uthman ﷺ Rasulullah said: “If I had 40 daughters, I would give them all in marriage to Uthman.” 1
He was extremely righteous, very pious and fearful of Allah Ta’ala. He had memorized the He .ﷺ entire Qur’an in the lifetime of Rasulullah once completed its recitation in one rakaat.
:said ﷺ Nabi “The most merciful of my Ummah is Abu Bakr, the strictest in adherence to religion is Umar, the sincerest in modesty is Uthman, the most knowledgeable about Halal (lawful) and Haram (unlawful) is Mu’adh bin Jabal the most knowledgeable about the Book of Allah Ta’ala is Ubayy, the most knowledgeable about inheritance is Zayd bin Thabit. Every nation has a
1. Usdu’l Ghaaba 3:378 37 | P a g e keeper of secrets and the of keeper of secrets of this nation is Abu Ubaydah ibn Al Jarrah.1
THE WELL OF RUMAH
came to Madina ﷺ When the Prophet found that there was very ﷺ Munawarah, he little fresh water. There was no source of water except for the well of Rumah. It belonged to a man of Ghifar who sold it at a very heavy price. requested him to go give ﷺ When the Prophet the well as a gift to the Muslim community, he refused.
said, “Whoever digs ﷺ Allah Ta’ala’s Messenger the well of Rumah, for him shall be Paradise.”2 Thereupon Hadhrat Uthman bought it for three thousand five hundred dinars and made it an endowment for the whole community.
built his Masjid in Madina ﷺ After the Prophet Munawarah, the Muslims would gather there to offer the five daily prayers. They used to collect there to listen to the sermons and speeches of would issue ﷺ in which he ﷺ the Prophet commands and prohibitions.
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They learnt about their religion in the Masjid. They would set out for campaigns from the Masjid and would return to it when they came back. But as the Muslim population increased, the Masjid became too small to accommodate everyone.
asked some of his ﷺ Allah Ta’ala’s Messenger companions to buy the land next to the Masjid so that the Masjid be made big enough to accommodate all the people.
said, “Who will buy the plot of the family ﷺ He of so-and-so and add it to the Masjid in return for a better plot in Paradise?” 1
Hadhrat Uthman bought it with his own money for twenty thousand dirhams. The land was then added to the Masjid, enlarging the Masjid enough to accommodate the Muslims.
1. An-Nasaa’e
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ONE OF THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS
As Islam grew, Qur’an Kareem was read by different pronunciations hence leading to great confusion. So Hadhrat Hudhayfah bin Al- Yamaan warned Hadhrat Uthman who immediately took action.
He sent Hadhrat Hafsa a message stating, “Send us the manuscript of the Qur’an so that we may make perfect copies and then return the manuscript to you.”
Hadhrat Hafsah sent it to Hadhrat Uthman who ordered Hadhrat Zaid bin Thabit , Hadhrat Abdullah bin Zubayr , Hadhrat Sa’d bin Al-As and Hadhrat Abdur Rahman Ibn Al- Harith Ibn Hisham to make duplicate copies. When they had prepared several copies, Hadhrat Uthman sent a copy to every origin, to the extent that he received the title ‘Jaamiul Quran’.
Before his demise, Hadhrat Uthman’s armies had reached as far as the land of Turkey. North Africa was conquered. Spain and Rome were attacked and Cyprus was captured.
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A unique speciality of Hadhrat Uthman is that, he was the first person to have Masjid-e- Nabawi built of baked bricks and its pillars painted.
On his last day, he told people, “I saw the in my dream. Abu Bakr and Umar ﷺ Prophet told me “O ﷺ were with him. The Prophet Uthman! Break your fast with us.”
He was martyred on the eighteenth of DhulHijjah. He was eighty two years old and his Khilafat lasted for approximately twelve years.
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4. HADHRAT
ALI
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,described Hadhrat Ali as ﷺ Nabi
“Spender of nights in prayer, reciter of the Holy Qur’an and a person of absolute modesty and faith.”
Hadhrat Ali who is also called Abul Hasan, Abu Turab, Haider and Lion of Allah Ta’ala, was the thus he was ,ﷺ paternal cousin of Rasulullah near and dear to him. His father’s name was Abu Talib.
He remained under the guardianship of from childhood and observed ﷺ Rasulullah world-adorning beauty displayed ﷺ Rasulullah’s by way of his nightly worshipping and devotions, his considerate treatment of people, method of communicating and etiquette.
and Hadhrat Khadija ﷺ He once saw Raulullah performing salaah. He at first was surprised explained that it was worship ﷺ when Rasulullah by which purity is created in the heart and then said: “Think! Should you bow before idols or before One Allah?”Hadhrat Ali thought about this and enhanced himself with the wealth of Islam on the very next day.
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What are the ages of 10 and 11 meant for?
These are days of play but observe Hadhrat Ali ! In him the inquiry for the truth had commenced. He detached himself from his family and tribe; in reality, from all the customs of the community, and began walking in solitude. He believed in the oneness of Allah There was no .ﷺ Ta’ala and the Risalat of Nabi class of loyalty which he did not exhibit. There is no category of chivalrous action which he did execute.
At the time of Hijrat when the enemies had house and were ﷺ encompassed Rasulullah’s standing intent on killing him, Hadhrat Ali ﷺ covered himself with the sheet of Rasulullah and slept without any anxiety.
said. “Ali! Do not be alarmed! I am ﷺ Rasulullah going. I have some valuables of people in my possession which you must return and then meet me in Madina Munawwara.”
Who can execute this responsibility? Only one life is dearer ﷺ who is loyal, to whom Rasulullah’s than his own.
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Prominent personalities wished to marry daughter, the leader of women in ﷺ Rasulullah’s ﷺ Jannat, Hadhrat Fatima . But Rasulullah preferred Hadhrat Ali .
Hadhrat Ali wasn’t wealthy; he was neither of high society nor a merchant. His life was that of impoverishment and worship.
Once some guests arrived and proceeded to the Masjid. They saw a person in a pauper’s clothing sitting at a corner of the Masjid worshipping Allah Ta’ala. Little did the guests know who the man was! When meal was served, they suggested to Hasan , son to Ali that he should contemplate sending some food to the saintly person sitting in the Masjid. Hadhrat Hasan responded smiling, “That is my father.”
On every dauntless occasion, Hadhrat Ali was .ﷺ an assistant of Rasulullah
together with eighty thousand ,ﷺ Rasulullah fearless fighters left Madina Munawwarah to encounter the Romans whilst Hadhrat Ali stayed behind protecting Madina Munawwarah.
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Hadhrat Ali felt very depressed as was unable to participate in the battle, to elevate the Deen of Islam.
consoled him: “Ali! Just as Allah ﷺ Thus Nabi Ta’ala had destined Haroon to assist his brother Musa , so are you today, in the position of Haroon to me.”1 These days, armies generally conceal themselves in underground cellars and launch onslaughts but in those days making a trench was an innovative move. This was during the Battle of Khandaq. The ground was first measured, and then the volunteers dug it. Three thousand Muslims volunteers had come forward to dig where each one was mandated to dig a length of twenty yards.
ﷺ During the process of digging, Rasulullah pitched a tent on a hillock and surveyed the would participate in the digging ﷺ progress. He too. Many nights passed without sleeping. together with his family which ,ﷺ Rasulullah included Hadhrat Ali , prominent Sahaba , toiled day and night for the sake of Islam.
1. Kanz Al-Ummal
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COURAGEOUS FEATS AT THE BATTLE OF KHANDAQ
The enemies had a warrior named Amr. They proclaimed that not even a thousand cavalrymen could overwhelm him. During the battle, Amr advanced and yelled: “Who is to challenge me? I am Amr!”
Sayyidina Ali entreated, “O Rasulullah ! I shall encounter this foe of Allah Ta’ala.
restrained Hadhrat Ali , but after ﷺ Rasulullah Amr had made his outcry thrice and none ﷺ besides Hadhrat Ali emerged, Rasulullah equipped him with a ﷺ gave him permission. He sword and fastened a turban on his head with then wished him ﷺ his blessed hands. He farewell.
Amr then made a famous statement, “if anyone tells me three things, I shall surely accept one.”
Hadhrat Ali : “Amr will you believe in my three requests?”
Amr: Yes.
Hadhrat Ali : First request, become a Muslim.
Amr: Declined.
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Hadhrat Ali : The second offer is that you refrain from fighting.
Amr: This is difficult. Women will humiliate me and say ‘wear bangles and sit at home’
Hadhrat Ali : The third offer is that you fight me.
Amr: I did not know that anybody in the world would make this request, but I don’t wish to fight you!
Hadhrat Ali was on foot while Amr was mounted on a horse. Amr dismounted from the horse and asked, “Who are you?”
Ali : I am the son of Abu Talib.
Amr launched an attack with his sword. It pierced through the shield and injured Hadhrat Ali on his forehead.
Hadhrat Ali sprang and smote Amr’s shoulder with all his might. With the sword given to him by it went through the shoulder right ,ﷺ Rasulullah to the ground and Hadhrat Ali obtained victory.
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The battle of Khaibar is celebrated a lot that many books have been filled with episodes of this battle and stories of Hadhrat Ali’s heroism.
There was a fort in Khaibar named Qamus. Renowned Sahaba were sent to invade Qamus but were unsuccessful.
said: “Tomorrow the flag shall be ﷺ Rasulullah given to the one by whose hands the fort will be and ﷺ conquered. He loves Allah and his Rasul ﷺ he is the one whom Allah Ta’ala and his Rasul love.” 1
The Sahaba waited anxiously for the entire night to see in whose lot this gift would come. ”.said: “Call Ali ﷺ At dawn Rasulullah
Hadhrat Ali’s eye was experiencing difficulty and he could not even fathom that he would be chosen. He was agitated due to tears and irritation but on the directive of . he emerged aided by a Sahabi ﷺ Rasulullah
massaged his blessed saliva from ﷺ Rasulullah his blessed mouth on the eye, prayed to Allah Ta’ala and gave Hadhrat Ali the flag.
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The pain and irritation on the eye was eradicated. Hadhrat Ali narrated that no pain existed ever in his eye.
Hadhrat Ali then asked, “O Rasulullah! Shall I fight the Jews and make them Muslims?”
He was advised, “Present Islam with mildness.”
,said, “O Ali! If someone is guided via you ﷺ He it is superior to all the wealth in the world.”
During the caliphate of Umar ,he decided to place Ali as his deputy, as he travelled to Jerusalem.
Hadhrat Umar used to say that for passing judgement in court cases Hadhrat Ali outclassed all the judges.
Hadhrat Ibn Abbas said that if Hadhrat Ali stated any Shar’i regulation, it was not essential for anyone to subsequently enquire about it.
In the Friday sermon we always hear:
The most merciful of my followers to follow is Abu Bakr . The strictest amongst them in obeying the order of Allah Ta’ala is Umar .The most modest of them all is Uthman and the
50 | P a g e finest judge amongst them is Hadhrat Ali
He was the fourth Khalifah. He passed away on the twentieth of Ramadhan forty A.H and his khilafat lasted for four years and eight months.
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5. HADHRAT
TALHA IBN UBAYDULLAH
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“Anyone who wants to please himself by looking at a man walking on the earth, should look at Talha.” 1 . to his Companions ﷺ Said Nabi
Hadhrat Talha was trading in the land of Basra when he met one of the most virtuous monks there who told him that a Prophet who was going to appear in the sacred land and whose appearance was prophesized by various Prophets, had risen and his era had already begun. Hadhrat Talha was very much afraid to miss the procession of guidance, mercy and salvation.
When Hadhrat Talha returned to his homeland, Makkah Mukarammah, he found a lot of talks taking place here and there. Whenever he met someone or a group of Makkah Mukarammah inhabitants, they would the ,ﷺ talk to him about Muhammad trustworthy, about the angel sent down to him was carrying to the ﷺ and about the mission he Arabs in particular and people in general.
1. Tirmidhi
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ﷺ Hadhrat Talha said to himself “Muhammad and Abu-Bakr both of them would never join each other and agree upon falsehood. has already reached the age of ﷺ Muhammad forty. In all these years we’ve never heard him ﷺ speak one single lie, is it possible that he would lie about Allah Ta’ala?”
He quickened his steps to Hadhrat Abu Bakr and ﷺ who accompanied him to the Prophet , he soon embraced Islam, joining there and then, the blessed ranks.
Despite his honourable rank in his clan, his vast wealth, and his successful trade, he had to taste his own portion of the Quraish persecution. The task of torturing him and Hadhrat Abu Bakr was given to Nawfal Ibn Khuwailid, who was called the lion of the Quraish.
However, their persecution did not last long, as the Quraish soon felt ashamed and began to think about the consequences of their deeds.
He witnessed all the battles together with the except the battle of Badr because ﷺ Prophet had sent him and Sa’eed ibn Zaid ﷺ Rasulullah
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When they had fulfilled their task and were on their way back to Madinah Munawwarah, and his companions were ﷺ Rasulullah returning home after the battle. Hadhrat Talha and his companion felt so sad and tormented for having missed the reward of .in his first battle ﷺ joining Nabi
accorded them peace of mind ﷺ However, Nabi informed them that their reward ﷺ when he was exactly like the warrior’s reward, moreover, gave them a share of the booty exactly like ﷺ he gave to each one who fought in ﷺ the share he the battle.
Concerning the battle of Uhud, Hadhrat Aisha Siddiqa says, “whenever Hadhrat Abu Bakr recalled the day of Uhud he used to say, ‘It was Hadhrat Tahla’s day. I was the first who said to me and to ﷺ He .ﷺ approached Nabi Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah ibn Jarrah , “Watch out for your brother”. We looked at him, and we could see more than seventy stabs!’
Hadhrat Talha was one of the wealthiest Muslims. His whole fortune was put in service of his religion. He spent it without measure and 55 | P a g e so Allah Ta’ala increased it for him without measure.
called him ‘’Talha, the excellent.” “Talha ﷺ Nabi the splendid” and “Talha the Generous” to demonstrate his beautiful generosity. His wife Su’daa Bint Awf reported, “Once I approached Hadhrat Talha I saw him worried and asked him, “What is the matter?”
He said, “The money which I possess is now so abundant that it worries me and makes me feel distressed.” He then set out to distribute it among the people till there wasn’t a single dirham left.
On another occasion, he sold his land for a very high price, and when he looked at the pile of money, his tears rolled down and said,
“A man in whose house all that money is to remain for a night and he doesn’t know for sure what will happen to him is certainly deceived,”
Then he called some of his companions to carry his money with them who walked through
56 | P a g e the streets of Madinah Munawwarah, distributing it until in the last part of the night he was without a single dirham from that money.
Jaabir Ibn Abd Allah described his wealth saying, “I never saw anybody giving out so much money as did Hadhrat Talha ibn Ubaid Allah . He was very kind towards his kith and kin. He supported them all, though they were numerous.” He never left an orphan without supporting him. He provided for the marriages of the unmarried ones, provided services to the disabled ones and paid the debts of the indebted ones.
As-Saaib Ibn Zaid once said. “I accompanied Hadhrat Talha during travels and during times of settlement. I never saw anybody more generous in terms of money, clothes and food than Hadhrat Talha .”
He was martyred during the battle of Camel. After the battle, Hadhrat Ali inspected the martyrs of the battle and set out to pray the funeral prayer. When he finished burying 57 | P a g e
Hadhrat Talha and Hadhrat Az-Zubair , he stood saluting them. He finished his words saying, ‘I wish to be with Hadhrat Talha and Hadhrat Az-Zubair and Hadhrat Uthman among those whom Allah Ta’ala described,
We removed from their hearts any malice therein, as brothers they shall rest upon couches facing each other (Qura’an 15:47).
Then he gazed at their graves with kind gentle, pure and sad eyes saying, I’ve heard with saying, “Talha and ﷺ my two ears the Prophet Az-Zubair are my neighbours in Paradise.”
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6. HADHRAT
AZ-ZUBAIR IBN
AL-‘AWAAM
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It is almost impossible to mention Hadhrat Talha without mentioning Hadhrat Az-Zubair .
through ﷺ Both of them were linked to Nabi relationship and descent. As for Hadhrat Talha through Murah ibn Ka’b ﷺ he is linked to Nabi , while Hadhrat Az-zubair’s lineage is linked to through Ibn Kilab. He was also ﷺ the Prophet cousin and the husband of Asma ﷺ the Prophet’s Bint Abu Bakr (The lady of the Two Belts).
Hadhrat Talha and Hadhrat Az-zubair resembled each other tremendously. The similarity between them was enormous in terms of their upbringing, their wealth, their generosity, their religious solidarity and their magnificent bravery. Both of them were early converts to Islam. Both of them were among the ﷺ ten to whom Jannah was promised by Nabi and among the six whom Hadhrat Umar entrusted with the duty of choosing the next caliph after him.
He was endowed with guidance and all kind of goodness while still a youth, as he embraced Islam whilst being fifteen years old. He was a horseman and a bold warrior since childhood.
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In the very early days of Islam while the Muslims were still few in number, hiding in Daar ﷺ Al –Arqam, a rumour spread that the Prophet- had been killed. Hadhrat Az-Zubair had hardly heard that, than he unsheathed his sword and hurried through the street of Makkah Munawwarah although still young.
First, he went to learn the truth of what had been said, determined that if it was true, he would cut the whole of Quraish into pieces. On the high hills of Makkah Mukarramah the met him and asked, “What’s the ﷺ Prophet matter?”
ﷺ Hadhrat Az-Zubair told him the news. Nabi prayed for him and asked Allah Ta’ala to bestow mercy upon him and victory upon his sword.
Despite Hadhrat Az-Zubair’s nobility in his clan, he had to carry the burden of the Quraish persecution and torment. It was his uncle who was in charge of the torture. He wrapped him in a mat, set it on fire to let him suffocate. He used to tell him while he was under pressure of severe torture, “Disbelieve in Lord and I will ward off this ﷺ Muhammad’s torture.”
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Hadhrat Az-Zubair who was at that time no more than a growing youth, replied in a defying and a challenging way, “No! By Allah, I won’t return to polytheism ever again.”
Hadhrat Az-Zubair emigrated to Abyssinia twice i.e. in the first and second migrations. He then returned to take part in the battles with No raid or battle ever missed .ﷺ the Prophet him.
On the day of Yarmuk, When Hadhrat Az-Zubair saw most of the warriors under his command moving backwards because of the huge advancing Roman “mountains”, he cried, “Allah Akbar! Allah is the greatest!” With a sharp striking sword, he burst alone into those advancing “mountains”, and then he retreated, and then penetrated the same horrible rows with his sword in his right hand, never tripping nor slipping.
May Allah Ta’ala be pleased with him who was so much in love with martyrdom, full of enthusiasm for dying in the path of Allah Ta’ala.
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He said, “Talha gives his sons names of the Prophets and he knows there is no Prophet But I gave my sons the .ﷺ after Muhammad names of martyrs and may they die as martyrs!”
In this way he named one son Abd Allah as a good omen, after the martyr companion ‘Abd Allah Ibn Jahsh ; another he named ‘Urwah after the companion ‘Urwah Ibn ‘Amr ; another he called Hamzah after the martyr companion Hamzah Ibn Abi Talib ; another he called Mus’ab, after the famous Mus’ab Ibn Umair and another he named Khalid after the martyr Khalid bin Sa’id
It is mentioned in his biography that he never held a governorship, nor the task of collecting taxes or tribute, but only held the task of fighting in the cause of Allah Ta’ala.
love and ﷺ His share of the Prophet’s was so ﷺ appreciation was great. The Prophet said, “Every Prophet has ﷺ proud of him that he a disciple and my disciple is Hadhrat Az-Zubair bin Al Awaam .
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He was powerful, loyal, brave, bold, generous and bountiful, who gave away and devoted his life for Allah Ta’ala.
On the day of Jamal (Battle of camel),as previously mentioned about Hadhrat Talha , was Hadhrat Az-Zubair’s end. A treacherous murderer stabbed him while he was praying. May peace be upon Hadhrat Az-Zubair , the ﷺ disciple of the Prophet
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7. HADHRAT
ABD AR-RAHMAN
IBN AWF
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Hadhrat Abd Ar-Rahman Ibn Awf embraced had entered ﷺ Islam even before Rasulullah Daar-Al-Arqam. He was one of the eight who were first to embrace Islam. From the time he accepted till he died at seventy five, he was ﷺ a splendid believer, which made Rasulullah gave ﷺ count him among the ten to whom he glad tidings of entering Paradise.
This also made Hadhrat Umar count him among the six advisers whom he assigned for succession after himself. He said:
.’died while pleased with them ﷺ Rasulullah‘
After Abd Ar-Rahman embraced Islam, he faced his own portion of the persecution and ﷺ challenges from the Quraish. When Rasulullah ordered his companions to migrate to Abyssinia, Ibn Awf emigrated but returned back to Makkah Mukarammah. He then emigrated to Abyssinia in the second migration, and from there to Madina Munawwarah, where he witnessed Badr, Uhud and other battles.
Trade for Hadhrat Abd Ar-Rahman Ibn Awf was not for greed or monopoly. It was work and duty whose success made him enjoy the trade
66 | P a g e and urged him to exert more effort. He used to have an enthusiastic nature finding comfort in any honourable work, wherever he was. If he was not praying in the Masjid or fighting in a battle, he was trading. His trade was thriving so much that his caravans used to arrive at Madina Munawarah from Egypt and Syria, carrying everything that the Arabian Peninsula needed i.e. garments and food.
In those days, after the Muhajirin had come to associated every two ﷺ Madina Munawarah, Nabi of his companions as brothers, i.e. Muhaajir (Emigrant) from Makkah Mukarammah with an Answaar (Helper) from Madina Munawwarah.
associated ‘Abd Ar-Rahman Ibn ‘Awf ﷺ Nabi and Saeed Ibn Rabiia as brothers.
One day Saeed said to Abd Ar-Rahman , “O brother, I am the richest person in Madina Munawarah. Take half of my fortune. I have two wives. Choose the one you like better, and I’ll divorce her for you to marry.”
Abd Ar-Rahman : Allah Ta’ala bless your money and family. Please show me the way to the market.
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He went to the market, bought and sold and gained profit. What made his trade blessed and successful was his pursuing the halaal and strictly moving away from haraam or even doubtful.
He was a very charitable person. One day, he sold some land for forty thousand dinars and distributed it all to the people of Zuhra tribe, the Mothers of the Faithful, and the poor Muslims. The following day, he provided the Islamic armies with five hundred horses and on the third day with one thousand five hundred camels. When he was about to die, he bequeathed five thousand dinars in the cause of Allah Ta’ala, and four hundred dinars for each one, who was alive from those who had witnessed the battle of Badr. Even Uthman Ibn ‘Affan took his share of bequeathed wealth in spite of his riches and said; “Abd Ar-Rahman’s money is halaal and pure. Its food gives health and blessing. ’’
In addition, his large fortune never brought pride in him, so much so that it’s said of him; if a stranger was to see Abd Ar-Rahman sitting among his servants, he wouldn’t be able to distinguish Abd Ar-Rahman from the others. ’’
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The rich always like to have influence that protects their fortune, multiplies it and satisfies the lust of pride and selfishness. However, Abd Ar-Rahman Ibn ‘Awf with his large riches, was a marvellous man who conquered human nature in this field.
This showed itself when Hadhrat Umar bin Al- Khattab was leaving this world. He chose six ,ﷺ companions of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala to select from amongst themselves the new successor. The fingers were pointing at Ibn ‘Awf . Some companions even conversed with him about his right to win succession, but he said, “By Allah, it is better for me to put a knife in my throat and penetrate it to the other side.”
The six chosen companions had hardly held a meeting to select one of them to succeed Hadhrat Umar , than Ibn Awf informed his five brothers that he was renouncing the right given to him by Hadhrat Umar , and that the successor would be selected from the other five. They agreed that he would select the successor amongst them.
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ﷺ Hadhrat Ali said, “I heard Rasulullah describing you as honest amongst the people of the heaven and earth.’’
Finally, ‘Ibn Awf selected Hadhrat Uthman ibn Affan as the successor, and all the rest agreed with him.
In 32 A.H his soul ascended to its Creator. Hadhrat Aisha wanted then to bestow on him a special honour, proposing as he was dying, .ﷺ to bury him in her room near the Messenger Hadhrat Abu Bakr , and Hadhrat Umar . But he was too modest to put himself in this rank.
Besides, he had made a previous promise.
He and Hadhrat Uthman ibn Mad’uun had promised each other that whoever died second, would be buried near his friend.
While his soul was preparing for its new journey, his eyes were dripping tears and his tongue was stammering. “I am afraid of being held up (on the Day of Judgement) because of what I had of abundant money”. But soon, Allah Ta’ala’s calmness overwhelmed him, and tender happiness covered his peaceful face.
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8. HADHRAT
SA’D IBN ABI WAQQAAS
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He was known as the Lion’s claws. It was he was greeted ,ﷺ whom, whenever turned to Nabi cheerfully by, “He is my maternal uncle.”
He accepted Islam when he was seventeen chose Daar ﷺ years old even before Rasulullah Al-Arqam as a refuge for himself and his companions.
He had many noble qualities which he could be proud of. However, he never arrogantly mentioned any of these merits except for two. First, he was the first to throw an arrow in the cause of Allah Ta’ala and the first to be struck by one. Second, he was the only one for whom hoped his parents be Hadhrat Sa’d’s ﷺ Nabi said to ﷺ ransom. That happened when Nabi him on the day of Uhud, “Shoot Sa’d, may my father and mother be your ransom.”
Sa’d was considered to be one of the most courageous Arab and Muslim horsemen. He possessed two weapons; his lance and his prayer.
Whenever he pierced an enemy with his lance, he hurt him; whenever he invoked Allah Ta’ala, his supplication was answered, ,made the following plea, “O Allah ﷺ since Nabi
72 | P a g e make his spear hit unerringly and answer his prayer. Hadhrat Sa’d became ill during the farewell ﷺ O Rasulullah“ ﷺ pilgrimage, so he asked Nabi I own a lot of money and there is nobody to inherit from me except one daughter. May I contribute two thirds of my money as alms? said,” No” Then he said, “Then half of ﷺ Nabi said ﷺ said, “No” “Then a third?” Nabi ﷺ it?” Nabi “Yes, and the third is too much. To leave your heirs wealthy is better than to leave them having to be dependent on someone else. If you spend any money in the cause of Allah Ta’ala you’ll be rewarded for it, even the morsel you put in your wife’s mouth.
Hadhrat Sa’d used to cry a lot out of piety. ﷺ Whenever he listened to the Prophet preaching or advising, his tears rolled down abundantly, nearly filling his lap.
He was the one chosen by Hadhrat Umar for the great day of the battle of Al-Qadisiyyah.
The Persians, who were more than a hundred thousand trained warriors and equipped with the most dangerous weapons the earth had ever witnessed, were led on that day by the most intelligent and cunning warlords.
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On the other hand, Hadhrat Sa’d had with him thirty thousand warriors equipped only with spears, nothing more. However, their hearts were filled with belief, vigour and a longing aspiration for martyrdom.
Finally, after the arrival of the advice from Hadhrat Umar , he proceeded towards Al- Qadisiyyah, the gate to Persia.
Hadhrat Umar’s words represented light and guidance: O Sa’d, do not be deluded, if it is said, you are uncle and his companion. Know ﷺ the Prophet’s that there is no relationship between Allah Ta’ala and anyone except through obedience to Him. All people, the noble ones as well as the lowly, all are equal in front of Allah Ta’ala.
So Hadhrat Sa’d sent to Rustum, a leader amongst the famous and dangerous Persian leaders, a number of his companions to call him towards Islam.
The conversation lasted for long. Finally, they ended this talk by telling him “Allah Ta’ala has chosen us to turn whom He chooses of His creatures from Paganism to Monotheism, from
74 | P a g e the narrowness of life to its freedom, from ruler’s injustice to Islam’s fairness. Whoever accepts our offer; we will leave him alone and refrain from hurting him. Whoever fights us, we will fight him until we fulfil Allah Ta’ala’s promise.
Rustum asked, “What is Allah Ta’ala’s promise which He has made to you?”
The companion replied, “Paradise for our martyrs and victory for the living ones.”
The delegation returned to Sa’d leader of the Muslims, to tell him that it was war. Hadhrat Sa’d eyes were hereby filled with tears. He had wished so much that the war would be delayed for some time since on that day, his illness became more severe and he had to suffer its heavy burden as the abscesses spread all over his body to the extent that he could not sit, let alone ride his horse to take part in an extremely fierce and violent battle.
If the war had just been waged before his illness or had it been delayed till he was cured and healthy again, then he would have proved himself brave.
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had taught them ﷺ But now....no, the Prophet never to say “If” because “If” meant weakness. A strong believer is neither helpless nor weak. Thereupon the Lion’s claws stood up to preach to his soldiers.
Having finished his speech, Hadhrat Sa’d led his troops in the Dhuhr prayer then turned towards his soldiers and proclaimed four times Allah Akbar (Allah Ta’ala is the greatest)!
With pains hard to bear, he ascended to the balcony of his residence. His abscesses were bleeding and hurting him severely, but he had something else to think about. At his balcony, he was shouting and commanding.
His determined and hopeful sound turned each individual soldier into an army of its own. The Persian soldiers fell and with them, fell the worship of fire. After seeing the death of their commander, the defeated, scattered remnants rapidly escaped. The Muslim army pursued them until they reached Nawahind then Al- Madain. There, they fought to carry with them, the emperor’s crown and throne as war booty.
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He lived until he was almost eighty years of age. He was blessed with much influence and wealth but as the time of death approached in the year 54 AH, he asked his son to open a box in which he had kept a coarse woollen jubbah and said: "Shroud me in this, for in this (jubbah) I met the Mushrikin on the day of Badr and in it I desire to meet Allah Ta’ala."
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9. HADHRAT
SA’EED BIN ZAID
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His father, Zaid bin Amr was one of the few Quraish who neither believed nor practiced Idolatry. Before Islam, Arabs often buried their girls alive. Zaid bin Amr was one of the first people to oppose that barbaric tradition. He saved and raised many girls, who were about to be buried alive by their families.
Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid was born in Makkah in the year 22 B.H (Before Hijrah). He had inherited his father’s beliefs and accepted Islam at a very young age. Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid along with his wife became Muslims when only a handful of people had accepted it. They went through all bursts of abuse, ridicule and torture because of their decision.
He was married to Hadhrat Fatma Bint Khattab , sister to Hadhrat Umar
Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid and his wife Hadhrat Fatima migrated to Madina Munawwarah with other Muslims. They stayed with Rafa’ah bin Abul Mandar , brother to Abu Lubaba . granted him a ﷺ Sometime later, Rasulullah piece of land for building a house.
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In his early career, he served as the secretary and recorded the verses of the ﷺ of Rasulullah .ﷺ Holy Qur’an which were revealed to Nabi History records that Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid was a pious man and he never did anything throughout his life against the teachings of He participated in all the battles .ﷺ Rasulullah ﷺ except the Battle of Badr because Rasulullah had sent him and Hadhrat Talha bin Ubaydullah on a reconnaissance mission a few days before the battle. The Muslim army had just returned to Madina Munawwarah after achieving victory, when these two companions also returned from their mission.
Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid who heard the glad tiding of Paradise from the blessed tongue of spent his luminous and long life in ,ﷺ Rasulullah the struggle for Imaan. Hadhrat Sa’d bin Jubair expresses Hadhrat Sa’eed’s closeness to ,as follows; “Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman ﷺ Nabi Ali, Talha, Zubair, Sa’d, Abdulrahman bin Awf and Sa’eed bin Zaid used to fight in front of during the ﷺ the Messenger of Allah Taa’la battles and pray behind him during the prayers.”
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When he placed Hadhrat Umar , who was the symbol of justice, in the grave next to .he was shedding tears ,ﷺ Rasulullah
When somebody asked, “Why are you crying?” Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid replied, “I am crying for Islam. The martyrdom of Sayyidina Umar is a gap opened in Islam. This gap is not going to be closed until the day of Judgement.”
Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid served in the Islamic army for a long time. He played an important role in making the region of Iraq and Syria, parts of the Islamic land.
On his death-bed, the second Caliph of Muslims nominated a panel of Sahaba to choose his successor. Because of their close relationship he did not nominate Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid for it, although he was qualified to be included in that panel.
He passed the rest of his life in perfect peace and did not ever incline towards the mundane pleasures of life.
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Hadhrat Sa’eed bin Zaid passed away in Madina Munawwarah in the year 51 A.H at the age of seventy nine during the reign of Muawiya . Hadhrat Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas gave him the final bath and Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar led his Janazah salah.
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10. HADHRAT
ABU ‘UBAIDAH IBN
AL-JARRAH
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He was the Sahabi whose right hand Rasulullah held and said: “In every nation there exists a ﷺ man worthy of all trust, and the trustworthy of 1 this nation is Abu Ubaydah ibn Al- Jarrah .”
His full name name was Aamir bin Abdullah Al- Jarrah . He was the Sahabi whom the Prophet sent with reinforcements to ‘Amr Ibn Al-Aas’ in theﷺ Dhaat As- Salaasil Expedition and made commander of the army, that included Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Hadhrat Umar
He was that strong, trustworthy Sahabi about whom Hadhrat Umar ibn Al-Khattab said on his death bed, “If Abu Ubaydah ibn Al- Jarrah were alive, I would have entrusted him with the caliphate and if Allah Ta’ala were to ask me about him, I would say, I assigned the caliphate to the trustworthy of Allah Ta’ala and His Prophet, Abu Ubaydah Ibn Al- Jarrah .”
He embraced Islam at the hands of Hadhrat Abu Bakr As-Siddiq , at the dawn of Islam, even .walked into Dar-Al- Arqam ﷺ before Rasulullah He migrated to Abyssinia during the second migration, then returned to stand by the Prophet .at Badr, Uhud and the rest of the great battles ﷺ
1. Ibn Majjah
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death, he ﷺ Even after the Prophet’s continued to be strong in his striving during the caliphate of Hadhrat Abu Bark and Hadhrat Umar . He renounced the world and endured its hardships. He pursued his Islam with an admirable asceticism, piety, firmness and trustworthiness.
In the Battle of Uhud, he realized from the way the battle was conducted, that the disbelievers’ To them achieving .ﷺ first priority was to kill Nabi victory was of secondary importance compared to Therefore, he decided to .ﷺ killing the Prophet was. Whenever the ﷺ stay very close to where he ,ﷺ fierce fight led him far away from the Prophet he fought while his eyes were fixed on where .stood, watching him with great concern ﷺ Nabi Whenever Abu Ubaidah ibn Al- Jarrah saw a potential danger approaching the Nabi of Allah he jumped swiftly to send the enemies ,ﷺ Ta’ala of Allah Ta’ala on their heels before they could .ﷺ injure the Prophet
Abu Ubaidah lost his self-control when he yet he ,ﷺ saw an arrow hit the Prophet recollected himself and thrust his sword into those whose who closed in upon him.
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Finally, he managed to dispose them, darted who was wiping the noble ,ﷺ towards Rasulullah blood that ran down his face with his blessed right hand then exclaimed, ‘how can they succeed after they tinged with blood the face of their Prophet who invites them to the way of Allah Ta’ala?”
Hadhrat Abu Bakr says, ‘When the battle of Uhud reached the apex of fierceness and was wounded, and two ﷺ ferocity, the Prophet armour’s helmet ﷺ of the rings of the Prophet’s penetrated his blessed cheeks. As soon as I realized that had happened, I rushed to him. Abu Ubaidah was there before me, so he pleaded with me, “Please, by Allah Ta’ala, Abu ﷺ Bakr , let me pull them out of the Prophet’s cheeks.” So, I let him.
Abu Ubaidah pulled out the rings with his teeth, losing two of them in the process. After they had embraced Islam, the Najran delegation arrived from Yemen. They asked to let someone teach them the ﷺ Rasulullah told ﷺ Qur’an and the Sunnah. The Prophet them, “I will send you a very trustworthy man.”
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Therefore, I went in intense heat to perform my finished ﷺ Dhuhr prayer. When the Prophet leading the prayer he looked to his right, then to his left.
I stood on my toes to draw his attention to me, yet he kept on looking around until he saw Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah and ordered him, “Go with them and judge in truth between them in the matters in which they dispute.”
This incident does not mean that Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah was the only one whom the Prophet trusted or appreciated. He was ﷺ of Allah Ta’ala one of the companions who equally invaluable trust and ﷺ shared the Prophet’s generous appreciation. But he was the only one or one of the few who was qualified to be absent from Madina Munawarah for this mission of calling people to accept Islamic monotheism, for he was the perfect man for this assignment.
When Hadhrat Khalid ibn Al-Walid was the commander of the Muslim armies in one of the great decisive battles, Hadhrat Umar , the Khalifah at that time dismissed Hadhrat Khalid bin Walid and assigned Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah in his palace. When Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah received the message from Hadhrat Umar , he decided to conceal it from Hadhrat Khalid .
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He pleaded with the messenger to keep it a secret with great admirable ascetism, intelligence and fidelity. Only after Hadhrat Khalid achieved his great victory, then did Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah relay to him the message with extraordinary politeness.
On reading the message Hadhrat Khalid asked him, “May Allah Ta’ala bestow His mercy on you, Abu Ubaidah . What made you keep that message from me?” The trustworthy of the nation answered, “I was afraid lest it would cause any confusion that might affect the army’s morale. We do not crave life or its splendor. We are brothers before Allah Ta’ala.
One day the Commander of the Faithful, Hadhrat Umar visited Syria and asked those who were at his reception “Where is my brother?” They asked, “What do you mean?” He answered, “Abu Ubaidah ibn Al – Jarrah .” Soon Abu Ubaidah arrived and hugged Hadhrat Umar , then he invited him over to his house, where he had no furniture; in fact, he had nothing but a sword, a shield and a saddlebag. Hadhrat Umar asked him smiling, “Why don’t you furnish your house like people do?” Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah answered, “O Commander of the Faithful, as you see, I have a room to sleep in and that is enough for me.” 88 | P a g e
One day as Hadhrat Umar was conducting the affairs of the vast Muslim world, he received the sad news of Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah death. He tried to control himself, but his sadness got better of him and tears flowed. He asked Allah Ta’ala to bestow His mercy on his brother. He recalled his memories with Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah bin AL-Jarrah with patience and tenderness and exclaimed, “If I were to make a wish, I would have wished a house, full of men like Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah .
Before he passed away he said to those around him: "Pass my greetings to the Commander of the Faithful and tell him that I have fulfilled all my obligations.”
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CONCLUDING PARAGRAPHS
In a hadeeth Ibn Abbas has narrated that the said: “Verily, my companions are like ﷺ Nabi stars, whichever of them you use as a guide, you will be rightly guided.”
presented these ten very ﷺ Our Beloved Nabi special individuals with glad tidings of Jannah, during his lifetime. We can say that these were the leading stars followed by other Sahabahs, whom we can emulate.
Dear readers, study very carefully the life story of each of these Blessed and Illustrious individuals and ponder very wisely on how we can emulate them so that we can have at least a part of the radiance and the fragrance that they possessed in our life in this world and secure a place in Jannah in the Aakhirat (Hereafter).
Also, share all that you have read in this book with your close ones and friends and encourage them to read it. If they also bring some changes in their lives with your efforts then In sha Allah you will benefit greatly.
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REFERENCE
1. Hadhrat Abu Bakr by Maulana Ahmad Suhraawi 2. Hadhrat Umar by Mulana Ahmad Suhraawi 3. Hadhrat Uthman by Maulana Ahmad Suhraawi 4. Hadhrat Ali by Maulana Ahmad Suhraawi
by ﷺ Men and Women around the Messenger .5 Khaalid Muhammad Khaalid 6. Stories of the Sahaba by Maulana Zakariyya
And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment. [Surah Taubah 100]
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NOTES ………………………………………… ………………………………………… ………………………………………… ………………………………………… ………………………………………… ………………………………………… ………………………………………… ………………………………………… ………………………………………......
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