VIRTUES OF THESE THREE COMMANDERS
Virtues Of These Three Commanders – Zaid, Ja’far And Abdullah
Zaid Ibn Harithah said the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, loved him greatly and he was the first among the freed slaves to accept Islam. A number of Verses of the Qur’an were revealed concerning him among which are: “…nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:4); “Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allah.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:5); “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you.” (Surah AlAhzab 33:40); “And (remember) when you said to him (Zaid Ibn Harithah the freed-slave of the Prophet) on whom Allah has bestowed Grace (by guiding him to Islam) and you (O Muhammad too) have done favor (by manumitting him) “Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah.” But you did hide in yourself (i.e. what Allah has already made known to you that He will give her to you in marriage) that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear the people (i.e., Muhammad married the divorced wife of his manumitted slave) whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him. So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:37) There is a consensus that all these Verses were revealed concerning him. The grace which Allah bestowed on him is Islam and the grace which the Prophet bestowed on him is his manumission.
On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, Allah be pleased with him, who said that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, sent an army unit headed by Usamah Ibn Zaid and the people criticized his leadership. The Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, said (to the people), “If you are criticizing his leadership now, then you used to criticize his father’s leadership before. By Allah, he (Usamah’s father) deserved the leadership and used to be one of the most beloved persons to me, and now his son (Usamah) is one of the most beloved persons to me after him.”
Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib: when he sent him to the Battle of Mu’tah the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, appointed him as the deputy of Zaid Ibn Harithah. When he was killed, about 90 wounds could be counted on his body from stabs, strokes and piercing from spear. He was also shot by arrows all the while facing the enemy valiantly, never turning his back to them. His right hand was amputated and then the left while holding the flag of Islam. When he lost his two hands, he clasped the flag to his bosom with the stumps of his hands till he was killed in that condition. It is said that a Roman struck him with a sword cutting him into two. May Allah be pleased with Ja‘afar, and curse his killer. Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, has attested to his martyrdom and he is among whom Paradise is categorically affirmed for. A number of hadith have been related nicknaming him as “the possessor of two wings.”
Al-Bukhari related on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that whenever he greeted his son (i.e. Ja’far) ‘Abdullah Ibn Ja‘afar he would say to him: Peace be unto you the son of “the possessor of two wings.”
On the authority of Abu Hurairah who narrated (that Allah’s Messenger said): “I saw Ja‘far flying in Paradise among the angels.”
Abu Hurairah intended his preference in nobility based on the evidence inherent in the narration of Bukhari on the authority of Abu Hurairah who said: The people used to say, “Abu Hurairah narrates too many narrations.” In fact I used to keep close to Allah’s Messenger and was satisfied with what filled my stomach. I ate no leavened bread and dressed no decorated striped clothes, and never did a man or a woman serve me, and I often used to press my belly against gravel because of hunger, and I used to ask a man to recite a Qur’anic Verse to me although I knew it, so that he would take me to his home and feed me. And the most generous of all the people to the poor was Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib. He used to take us to his home and offer us what was available therein. He would even offer us an empty folded leather container (of butter) which we would split and lick whatever was in it.” Al-Bukhari related it exclusively.
Ibn Rawahah: He was one of the commanders that were martyred in the Battle of Mu’tah as pointed out earlier. He was the one who emboldened the Muslims to confront the Romans during their deliberation. He also emboldened himself after the death of his two other Companions. Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, has affirmed martyrdom for him and he is from those whom Paradise is affirmed for.
On the authority of ‘Abdur Rahman Ibn Abi Laila who narrated that Abdullah Ibn Rawahah came while Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, was giving sermon and he heard him say: “Sit down” so he sat down where he was, outside the Mosque till the Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, concluded his sermon. When the Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, heard of that he said: “May Allah increase you in obedience to Allah and His Messenger.”
Al-Bukhari said in his Saheeh: Mu‘adh said: “Sit with us for an hour so that we may (increase our) belief.”
Al-Baihaqi related on the authority of Ata’ Ibn Yasar that ‘Abdullah Ibn Rawahah said to his companion: “Come so that we may believe for an hour.” He responded: “Are we not believers?’ He said: ‘True, but we can remember Allah and thus increase our Eeman.”
It is recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Darda’ who said: “We were with Allah’s Messenger on a journey during intense heat and none of us was fasting except Allah’s Messenger and ‘Abdullah Ibn Rawahah, may Allah be pleased with him.
He was also one of the popular poets among the Companions. Some of his poems about the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, as related by Al-Bukhari include: ‘We have Allah’s Messenger with us who recites His Book (the Qur’an) in the early morning time. He gave us guidance and light while we were blind and astray, so our hearts are sure that whatever he says, will certainly happen. He does not touch his bed at night, being busy in worshipping Allah while the pagans are sound asleep in their beds. He came with guidance after our hearts had been blinded. Convinced that what he says shall come to pass’.”
On the authority of Nu‘man Ibn Basheer who narrated: ‘Abdullah Ibn Rawahah fell down unconscious and his sister Amrah started crying and was saying loudly, “O Jabalah! Oh so-and-so! O so-and-so! And went on calling him by his (noble) qualities one after the other). When he came to his senses, he said (to his sister), “Whenever you said something, I was asked, ‘Are you really so (i.e. as she says)’?”
By: Ibn Katheer
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