Men Around The Messenger
When he was at the peak of his long life he said, " I swore the
oath of allegiance to the Prophet (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam). I never broke my oath, nor have I turned to something else to this
day. I never swore allegiance to those in civil strife, nor did I awake a
sleeping Muslim."
These words are a summary of
the life of that virtuous man who lived past the age of 80. His relationship
with Islam and the Prophet began when he was only 13 years old, when he
accompanied his father to the battle of Badr, hoping to have a place among the
Mujaahiduun, but he was sent back by the Prophet due to his young age. Since
that day - and even before that when he accompanied his ' father on his Hijrah
to Al-Madinah - that young boy who possessed premature manly merits began his
relation with the Prophet of Islam (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam).
From
that day till the day he passed away at the age of 85, we will always find him
persistent, repentant, never deviating from his path, not even by a
hairbreadth, never breaking the oath of allegiance which he had sworn, nor
breaking a pledge he had made. The merits of 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Umar, which dazzle
people's vision, are abundant. Among these are his knowledge, modesty, the
straightness of his conscience and path, his generosity, piety, persistence in
worship, and his sincere adherence to the Prophet's model. By means of all
these merits and qualities did Ibn 'Umar shape his unique personality, his
sincere and truthful life.
He
learned a lot of good manners from his father, 'Umar Ibn Al- Khattaab, and
together with him, they learned from the Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) all
the good manners and all that can be described as noble virtues.
Like
his father, his belief in Allah and His Prophet was perfect; therefore, the way
he pursued the Prophet's steps was admirable. He was always looking at
what the Prophet was doing in every matter and then humbly imitating his deeds
to the finest detail. For example, wherever the Prophet prayed, there also
would Ibn 'Umar pray, and on the same spot. If the Prophet invoked Allah while
standing, then Ibn 'Umar would invoke Allah while standing. If the Prophet invoked
Allah while sitting, so also would Ibn 'Umar invoke Allah while sitting. On the
same particular route where the Prophet once dismounted from his camel and
prayed two rak'ahs, so would Ibn 'Umar do the same while travelling to the same
place.
Moreover, he remembered that
the Prophet's camel turned twice at a certain spot in Makkah before the Prophet
dismounted and before his two rak'ahs of prayer. The camel may have done that
spontaneously to prepare itself a suitable halting place, but Ibn 'Umar would reach
that spot, turn his camel in a circle, then allow it to kneel down. After that
he would pray two rak'ahs in exactly the same manner he had seen the Prophet
(Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) do. Such exaggerated imitation once provoked the
Mother of the Believers 'Aa'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) to say,
"No one followed the Prophet's steps in his coming and going as Ibn 'Umar
did."
He spent his long, blessed
life and his firm loyalty adhering to the Prophet's Sunnah to the extent that a
time came when the virtuous Muslims were asking Allah, "O Allah, save Ibn
'Umar as long as I live so that I can follow him. I don't know anyone still
adhering to the early traditions except him."
Similar to that strong and firm
adherence to each of the Prophet's steps and practice (Sunnah) was Ibn 'Umar's
respect for the Prophetic traditions (Hadeeth). He never related a Hadeeth
unless he remembered it to the letter. His contemporaries said, "None of
the Companions of the Prophet was more cautious not to add or subtract
something from a Hadeeth than 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Umar."
In
the same way he was very cautious when giving a fatwah (legal formal opinion in
Islamic Law). One day somebody came to ask him a fatwah. When he put forward
his question, Ibn 'Umar answered, "I have no knowledge concerning what you
are asking about."
The man went his way. He had hardly left the place when Ibn 'Umar rubbed his
hands happily saying to himself, "Ibn 'Umar has been asked about what he doesn't know, so he said, ' I don't know!'
"
He was very much afraid to
perform ijtihaad (independent judgment in a legal question) in his fatwah,
although he was living according to the instructions of a great religion, a
religion which grants - a reward to the one who makes a mistake and two rewards
to the one who comes out with a correct righteous fatwah. However, Ibn 'Umar's
piety deprived him of the courage to make any fatwahs.
In the same way he refrained
from the post of judge. The position of a judge was one of the highest
positions of state and society, guaranteeing the one engaged in it wealth,
prestige, and glory. But why should the pious Ibn 'Umar need money, prestige,
and glory? The Caliph 'Uthmaan once sent for him and asked him to hold the
position of judge but he apologized. 'Uthmaan asked him, "Do you disobey
me?" Ibn 'Umar answered, "No, but it came to my knowledge that judges
are of three kinds: one who judges ignorantly: he is in hell; one who judges
according to his desire: he is in hell; one who involves himself in making
ijtihaad and is unerring in his judgment. That one will turn empty-handed, no
sin committed and no reward to be granted. I ask you by Allah to exempt
me." 'Uthmaan exempted him after he pledged him never to tell anyone about
that, ' for 'Uthmaan knew Ibn 'Umar's place in people's hearts and he was
afraid that if the pious and virtuous knew his refraining from holding the
position of judge, they would follow him and do the same, and then the Caliph
would not find a pious person to be judge.
It may seem as if Ibn
'Umar's stance was a passive one. However, it was not so. Ibn 'Umar did not
abstain from accepting the post when there was no one more suitable to hold it
than himself. In fact a lot of the Prophet's pious and virtuous Companions
were; actually occupied with fatwah and judgment.
His
restraint and abstention would not paralyze the function of, jurisdiction, nor
would it cause it to be held by unqualified ones, so 1bn'Umar preferred to
devote his time to purifying his soul with more worship and more obedience.
Furthermore, in that stage of Islamic history, life became more comfortable and
luxurious money more abundant, positions and authoritative ranks more
available. The temptation of money and authoritative ranks began to enter the
hearts of the pious and faithful, which made some of the Prophet's Companions -
Ibn 'Umar among them - to lift the banner of resistance to that temptation by
means of making themselves models and examples of worship, piety, and
abstention, refraining from high ranks in order to defeat their temptation.
* * *
Ibn 'Umar made himself a
"Friend of the night", praying at night, crying, and asking
forgiveness during its latter hours before daybreak. He had once, during his
youth, seen a dream. The Prophet interpreted it in a way which made the night
prayer 'Abd Allah's utmost hope and a means of his delight and joy.
Let us listen to him, while
he narrates the story of his dream: During the Prophetic era, I saw a dream in
which I was riding a piece of brocade which let me fly to any place in Paradise
I wished. Then I saw two approaching me, intending to take me to hell, but an
angel met them saying, "Don't be afraid," so they left me. My sister
Hafsah narrated the dream to the Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), who said,
"What an excellent man 'Abd Allah is. If he is praying at night, then let
him pray more.
From that day until he met
with Allah, he never stopped performing his night prayer, neither while staying
in one place nor while traveling. He was frequently praying, reciting the
Qur'aan, and praising Allah. Like his father, his tears rolled down abundantly
whenever he heard a warning verse in the Qur'aan.
'Ubaid
Ibn 'Umar said: I was once reading to 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Umar this verse: <How
will it be for them when We bring from every nation a witness; and bring you to
witness over them all? On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the
Messenger will wish the earth to be split open and swallow them, but they will never
conceal from GOD any of their saying > (4:41-42) Ibn 'Umar began to cry till
his beard was wet from his tears. One day he was sitting among his brothers
reading < Woe to those who give insufficient ' measure, who when others measure for them they make full measure, but
when they measure out, or weigh out for others, they give less than due. Do
such not think that they shall be raised up on a Mighty Day? The Day when all
mankind shall stand before the Lord of the Worlds > (83:1-6). Then he
repeated again and again < The Day when al1 mankind shall stand before the
Lord of the Worlds > while his tears were rolling down like heavy rain falls
from the sky until he fell down because of his tremendous sorrow and crying.
His
generosity, asceticism and piety all worked together in complete harmony to
shape the most magnificent merits of that great man. He gave out abundantly
because he was generous. He granted the fine halaal things because he was
pious, never caring if his generosity left him poor because he was ascetic.
Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be
pleased with him) was one of those who had high incomes. He was a successful,
honest merchant for a greater part of his life, and his income from the
treasury (Bait AlMaal) was abundant. However, he never saved that money for
himself, but always spent it copiously on the poor, the needy, and beggars.
Ayub Ibn Waa'il Ar-Rassiby
tells us about one of his generous acts: One day Ibn 'Umar was granted 4,000
dirhams and a piece of velvet. The next day Ayub Ibn Waa'il saw him in the
market buying his camel some fodder on credit. Ibn Waa'il went to his house
asking his close relatives, "Wasn't Abu 'Abd Ar-Rahman (i.e. 'Abd Allah
Ibn Umar granted 4,000 dirhams and a piece of velvet yesterday?" They
said, "Yes." He then told them that he had seen him in the market
buying fodder for his camel and could not find money for it. They told him,
"He didn't go to sleep before distributing all of it, then he carried the
velvet on his back and went out. When he returned it: wasn't with him. We asked
him about it, and he said, 'I gave it to a poor person.' "
lbn Waa'il went out: shaking his head until he entered the market. He
climbed to a higher ground and shouted to the people, "O merchants, what
do you do with your life? Here is Ibn 'Umar who's been granted 4,000 dirhams,
so he distributes them, then the next morning he buys fodder for his camel on
credit!"
The one to whom Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) was tutor and 'Umar his must be a great man, deserving all that is
great.
Ibn 'Umar's generosity,
asceticism, and piety, these three qualities demonstrate how sincere his
imitation of the Prophetic model and how sincere his worship.
He imitated the Prophet
(Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) to the extent that he stood h his camel, where the
Prophet had once stood saying, "A camel foot may stand over a camel
foot." His respect, good behavior, and admiration towards his father
reached also to a far extent: 'Umar's personality forced his foes, his
relatives, and, above all, his sons to pay him respect. I say, the one who
belongs, to that Prophet and that kind of father should never be a slave of
money. Large amounts of money came to him but soon passed, just crossing his
house at that moment.
His generosity was never a
means of arrogance. He always dedicated himself to the poor and needy, rarely
eating his meal alone: orphans and poor people were always present. He often
blamed some of his sons when they invited the rich, and not the poor ones, to
their banquets; thereupon saying, "You leave the hungry behind and invite
the sated ones." The poor knew his tenderness, felt his kindness sympathy,
so they sat down across his path for him to take them a house: When he saw them
he was like a sweet scented flower surrounded by a drove of bees to suck its nectar.
* * *
Money
in his hands was a slave not a master, a means for necessities and not luxury.
Money was not his alone. The poor had a right to it, a mutually corresponding
right, with no privilege kept to himself. His self-denial helped him to reach
such great generosity that he never stored, endeavored, or had a vivid interest
toward the worldly life. On the contrary, he never wished to possess more than
a gown to cover his body and just enough food to keep him alive.
Once a friend coming from Khurasan
presented him with a fine, delicate, handsome, embellished and decorated gown,
saying to him, "I've brought you this gown from Khurasan. I would be
pleased to see you take off this rough gown and wear this nice one." Ibn
'Umar said, "Show it to me then. " He touched it asking, "Is it
silk?" His friend said, "No, it's cotton." 'Abd Allah looked at
it for a while then pushed it away with his right hand saying, "No, I'm
afraid to tempt myself. I'm afraid it would turn me into an arrogant, proud
man. Allah dislikes the arrogant, proud ones."
On another day, a friend
presented him with a container filled with something. Ibn 'Umar asked him,
"What's that?" He said, "Excellent medicine, which I brought you
from Iraq!" Ibn 'Umar said, "What does it cure?" He said,
"It digests food." Ibn 'Umar smiled and said to his friend,
"Digests food? I haven't satisfied my appetite for 40 years."
He who has not satisfied his
appetite for 40 years has not curbed his appetite due to need or poverty, but
rather due to self, denial and piety, and a trial to imitate the Prophet and
his father.
He was afraid to hear on the
Day of Judgment: < “You have, wasted all your good deeds for the enjoyment
in the life of this world” > (46:20). He realized that he was in this life
just as a visitor or a passer-by. He described himself saying, "I haven't
put a stone upon another (i.e. I haven’t built anything) nor planted a palm
tree since the; Prophet's death."
Maimuun Ibn Muhraan once
said, "I entered Ibn 'Umar's house and tried to evaluate all that was
inside such as the bed, the blanket, the mat and so on. Indeed, everything. I
didn't find it worth even 100 dirhams."
That was not due to selfishness; he was very generous. But it was due
to his asceticism, his disdain of luxury, and his adherence to his attitude of
sincerity and piety.
Ibn "Umar lived long
enough to witness the Umayyad period, when money became abundant, and land and
estates spread, and a luxurious life was to be found in most dwellings, let
alone most castles.
Despite all that, he stayed
like a firm-rooted mountain, persistent and great, not slipping away from his
paths and not abandoning his piety and asceticism. If life with its pleasure
and prosperity - which he always escaped from - was mentioned, he said, "I've
agreed with my companions upon a matter. I'm afraid if I change my stance I
won't meet them again." Then he let the others know that he did not turn
his back to the worldly life owing to inability, so he lifted his hands to the
sky saying, "O Allah, You know that if it weren't for fear of You, we
would have emulated our clan in the Quraish in this life."
Indeed, if it were not for
his God-fearing self, he would have rivaled people in this life, and he would
have been triumphant. He did not have to rival people. Life was striving
towards him and chasing him with its tempting pleasure.
Is there any position more
tempting than the caliph's? It was offered to Ibn "Umar several times, but
he refused. He was threatened with death if he refused, but he continued his
refusal and his shunning.
Al
Hasan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: When 'Uthmaan Ibn "Affaan
was killed, it was said to "Abd Allah Ibn "Umar, "You are the
people's master and the son of the people's master. Go out so that people swear
to you the oath of allegiance." He said, "By Allah, if I could, I
would never allow a drop of blood to be shed because of me." They said,
you will either go out or we will kill you in your bed." He repeated his
first statement. They tried to tempt him by frightening him, but all in vain!
After that, when time passed
and civil strife became rampant, Ibn `Umar was always the hope of the people
who urged him to accept the caliph's position. They were ready to swear to him
the oath of allegiance, but he always and constantly refused.
His refusal may be seen as a
reprehensible act. However, he had his logic and argument. After the murder of
'Uthmaan (May Allah be pleased with him) the situation got worse and aggravated
in a dangerous and alarming way.
Although he was very humble
towards the position of the - caliph, he was ready to accept its
responsibilities and face its dangers, but only on the condition that he be
voluntarily and willingly ' chosen by all Muslims. However, to force one single
Muslim to swear the oath of allegiance by sword was what he opposed, and so he
refused the post of caliph.
At that time, however, this
was impossible. Despite his merits - and the public consensus of love and
respect for him, the expansion into the different regions, the long distances
between them, and the disputes which furiously set fire between the Muslims and
divided them into sects fighting each other made it impossible to reach such a
consensus set by Ibn 'Umar as a condition for his acceptance of the caliphate.
A man once met him and said,
"No one is more evil in the whole Muslim community than you!" Ibn
'Umar said, "Why? By Allah, I've, never shed their blood, or divided their
community, or sowed dissension." The man replied, "If you had wished
it, every single one; would have agreed upon you." Ibn 'Umar said, "I
don't like to see it (the caliphate) being offered to me while one man says no
and another one says yes."
The
people still loved him even after events changed and the caliphate went to
Mu'aawiyah, then to his son Yaziid, then to Mu’aawiyah II, son of
Yaziid, who stepped down renouncing its pleasure after a couple of days in
office.
Even on that day, when Ibn
'Umar was an old man, he was still people's hope and the hope of the caliphate.
Thus Marwaan went to him saying, "Give me your hand to swear to you the
oath of allegiance. You're the master of the Arabs, and the son of their
master." Ibn 'Umar asked, "What are we going to do with the people of
the east?" Marwaan said, "Beat them until they swear the oath."
Ibn 'Umar replied, "I don't like to be 70 years old and a man gets killed
because of me."
Marwawan went away singing:
I can see civil strife boiling in its pots and the kingdom after Abi Laila
(i.e. Mu'aawiyah Ibn Yaziid) will end in the hands of the victorious.
* * *
This refusal to use force
and the sword is what made Ibn 'Umar hold a position of neutrality and
isolation during the armed civil strife between the parties of 'Aliy and
Mu'aawiyah, reciting these solemn words:
To
the one who says, "Come to prayer," I will respond.
And
to the one who says, "Come to success,' I will respond. But to the one who
says, "Come to kill your Muslim brother to take his money," I will
say, "No."
But while remaining neutral
and isolated he never turned to hypocrisy. How often did he confront Mu'aawiyah
- while the latter was at the summit of his authority - with challenges, which
confused and hurt him till he threatened to kill him, and he was the one who
said, "If there is only a tiny hair between me and the people it won't be
torn."
One
day Al-Hajaaj stood preaching and said, "Ibn Az-Zubair has distorted the
Book of Allah!" Hereupon Ibn 'Umar shouted in his face, "You are lying!
You are lying! You are lying!" Al-Hajaaj was at a loss, struck by
surprise. Everything and everyone was terrified even by the mention of his
name. He promised Ibn 'Umar the worst punishment, but Ibn 'Umar waved his hand
in Al-Hajaaj's face and replied, while people were dazzled, "If you do
what you just promised, there is no wonder about it, for you are a foolish
imposed ruler."
However,
despite his strength and bravery, he remained cautious until his last days,
never playing a role in the armed civil strife and refusing to lean towards
either of the parties. Abu Al-'Aaliyah A1 Barraa' related: I was once walking
behind Ibn 'Umar without his realizing it. 1 heard him saying to himself,
"They are holding their swords, raising them high, killing each other, and
saying, 'O Ibn 'Umar, give us a hand!”
He was
filled with sorrow and pain seeing Muslims bloodshed by their own hands. As
mentioned at the very beginning, he never awoke a sleeping Muslim. If he could
have stopped the fight and saved the blood he would have done that, but the
events were too powerful; therefore he kept to his house.
His
heart was with 'Aliy (May Allah be pleased with him), and not only his heart
but it seems his firm belief, based on a narration of what he said in his last days: "I never felt sorry about
something that I missed except that I
didn't fight on the side of 'Aliy against the unjust party."
However, when he refused to
fight with Imam 'Aliy, on whose side truth was, it was not because he sought a
safe position, but rather because he refused the whole matter of the dispute
and civil strife and refrained from a fight not one in which Muslims fought
disbelievers, but one between Muslims who cut each other into pieces.
He
clarified this when Naafi asked him, "O Abu 'Abd Rahman, you are the son
of 'Umar and the Companion of the Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) ' and you are who you are.
What hinders you from that matter?" He meant fighting on 'Aliy's side. He
replied, "What hinders me is that Allah has forbidden us to shed the blood
of a Muslim. Allah the Mighty and Powerful said: < and continue fighting
them until there is no more persecutions and God’s religion prevails >
(2:193) and we did that. We fought the disbelievers until Allah's religion
prevailed, but now, what is it we are fighting for? I fought when the idols
were all over the Sacred House, from the corner to the door, until Allah cleared the land of the Arabs from it (idolatry). Should I now fight;
those who say, There is no god but Allah?" That was his logic, argument,
and conviction.
Thus he did not refrain from
fighting, nor abstain from taking part in battle to escape fighting, nor did he
passively refuse to determine the outcome of the civil war within the Ummah of
the faithful. Rather he refused to hold a sword in the face of a Muslim
brother.
'Abd Allah Ibn 'Umar lived
long and witnessed the days in which life "opened its gates to the
Muslims." Money became more abundant, high positions more available, while
ambition and desires spread. But his magnificent psychological capacities
changed the rules of his time. He changed the era of ambition, money, and civil
strife into an era of asceticism, humility, piety, and peace. He turned
persistently to Allah and lived according to his worship, firm belief, and
humbleness. Nothing whatsoever could affect his virtuous nature shaped and
modeled by Islam during his early years.
The nature of life changed
within the beginning of the Umayyad period. This change was inevitable. It was
a period of expansion in every aspect of life, in the ambition of the state as
well as the ambitions of individuals.
In
the midst of the excitement of temptation and the agitation of an era lured by
the idea of expansion with its pleasure and booty, stood lbn 'Umar with his
merits, occupying himself with his excellent spiritual progress.
He gained from his great excellent life all that he desired, so that
his contemporaries described him by saying, "Ibn 'Umar died while being
like 'Umar in his merit."
Moreover,
dazzled by the glitter of his merits, his contemporaries liked to compare him with
his father 'Umar saying, Umar lived in a time when similar ones could be found,
and Ibn Umar lived in a time when there was no one similar to him." It is
an exaggeration, which may be forgivable because Ibn Umar deserved it. But as
for 'Umar, no one can be compared to him. It is absolutely out of the question
that a similar one is to be found in any period of time.
* * *
In
the year A.H. 73, the sun sank and the ship of eternity hoisted its sail
towards the next life carrying the body of the last representative of the first
days of the Revelation in Makkah and Al- Madinah: 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Umar Ibn
Al-Khattaab.