1-23-2013

Episode 33: A Community in the Making - Some of the early Companions (ra)

Welcome to Seerah Pearls, which aims to highlight some tantalising learning points from each episode of the Seerah- Life of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

A hadith by Imam Ahmad reports that the first seven people to make their Islam known were the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), Abu Bakr, Ammar ibn Yasir, his mother Sumayyah, Suhayb, Bilal and Miqdad. As far as the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was concerned, he was defended by means of his uncle, Abu Talib. Abu Bakr was protected by his people, Banu Taym. As for the rest, they were at the mercy of the disbelievers and their harsh treatment e.g. they would grab them, dress them in armour of iron and leave them to scorch in the hot desert sun. All were eventually able to have some reprieve from the torture, except Bilal. He would be handed over to the children of Makkah, who would tie him up and drag him around the streets of Makkah, as he proclaimed the oneness of Allah.

Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) took the message to some prominent, remarkable people: he was the direct means of delivering Islam to the following people in the first few days of himself becoming Muslim:

'Uthman ibn 'Affan

al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam

Talhah ibn Ubaidullah

Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas

Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf

He gathered them together, took them to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), who presented Islam to them and they all believed.

Abu Bakr had many qualities, including being:

a leader of his people

a businessman

of good character: he was never known to engage in social evils e.g. he was never intoxicated

an expert in genealogy i.e. of family trees. Later on, when the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) engaged in more dawah, Abu Bakr would accompany him; he would start off a conversation by identifying family ties and then would introduce the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), who could deliver his message.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that someone who guides towards something that is good, it is as if he has done it himself i.e. he gets the reward for it as well. Also, whoever starts a good practice in Islam gets the reward of it and the reward of whoever will follow that good practice i.e. it is a form of Sadaqah Jariyah.

Talhah ibn Ubaidullah

Talhah ibn Ubaidullah reports he went to the souk of Busra. There, a worshipper in his temple was enquiring from the people if anyone from the Haram was present. Thus, Talhah presented himself. The worshipper asked if Ahmed had appeared. Talhah enquired who this was: he said he was son of Abdullah, the son of Abdul Muttalib, and that this was the month he was supposed to become apparent to the people as the finality of the Prophets. The worshipper also commented how he would appear at the Haram and later migrate to a place described as the landscape of Madina at that time. The worshipper tells Talhah that he must find this Prophet and attach to him. Talhah quickly departed home and the residents of Makkah confirmed that in his absence, Muhammad al-Amin ‘pretends’ to be a Prophet and that Abu Bakr has followed him. Talhah went to Abu Bakr, who confirmed he followed the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Abu Bakr advised Talhah to go and meet him and to follow him as he called to the truth. Abu Bakr took him to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and he accepted Islam.

Other Early Converts

The next day, Uthman bin Maz’un, Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (dubbed by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) as the most trustworthy man of this Ummah), Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf and Abu Salamah bin Abdul Asad (whose wife was Umm Salamah, who would later marry the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi w...