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Page 10 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 9 Page 11 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 9
Sa ’id Ibn Aamir al-Jumahi
Sa’id ibn Aamir al-Jumahi was one of the thousands who left for
the region of Tan’im on the outskirts of Makkah at the invitation
of the Quraysh leaders to witness the killing of Khubayb ibn Adiy,
one of the companions of Mohammed (PBUH) whom they had
captured treacherously.
With his exuberant youthfulness and strength, Sa’id jostled through
the crowd until he caught up with the Quraysh leaders, men like
Sufyan ibn Harb, and Safwan ibn Umayyah, who were leading the
procession. Now he could see the prisoner of the Quraysh shackled
in his chains, the women and children pushing him to the place
set for his death.
Khubayb’s death was to be the revenge for Quraysh losses in the
battle of Badr. When the assembled crowd arrived with its prisoner
at the appointed place, Sa’id ibn Aamir took up his position at a
point directly overlooking Khubayb as he approached the wooden
cross. From there he heard Khubayb’s firm but quiet voice amid
the shouting of women and children. “If you would, leave me to
pray two rakaats (unit of prayer) before my death.”
This the Quraysh allowed.
Sa’id looked at Khubayb as he faced the Ka’bah and prayed. How
beautiful and how composed those two rakaats seemed!
Then he saw Khubayb facing the Quraysh leaders. “By God, if you
thought that I asked to pray out of fear of death, I would think the
prayer not worth the trouble,” he said.
Sa’id then saw his people set about dismembering Khubayb’s body
while he was yet alive and taunting him in the process.
“Would you like Muhammad to be in your place while you go free?”
With his blood flowing, he replied, “By God, I would not want
to be safe and secure among my family while even a thorn hurts
Muhammad.”
People shook their fists in the air and the shouting increased. “Kill
him. Kill Him!”
Sa’id watched Khubayb lifting his eyes to the heavens above the
wooden cross. “Count them all, O Lord,” he said. “Destroy them
and let not a single one escape.” Thereafter Sa’id could not count
the number of swords and spears which cut through Khubayb’s body.
The Quraysh returned to Makkah and in the eventful days that
followed forgot Khubayb and his death. But Khubayb was never
absent from the thoughts of Sa’id, now approaching manhood. Sa’id
would dream of Khubayb in front of him praying his two rakaats,
calm and contented, before the wooden cross. And he would hear
the reverberation of Khubayb’s voice as he prayed for the punish-
ment of the Quraysh. He would be afraid that a thunderbolt from
the sky or some calamity would strike him.
Khubayb, by his death, had taught Sa’id what he did not realize
before--that real life was faith and conviction and struggle in the
path of faith, even until death.
He taught something else too- that the man who is loved by his
companions with such a love as Khubayb’s could only be a Prophet
with Divine support.
Thus was Sa’id’s heart opened to Islam. He stood up in the assem-
bly of the Quraysh and announced that he was free from their sins
and burdens. He renounced their idols and their superstitions and
proclaimed his entry into the religion of God.
Sa’id migrated to Madinah and attached himself to the Prophet
(pbuh). He took part with the Prophet in the battle of Khaybar
and other engagements thereafter. After the Prophet passed away,
Sa’id continued active service under his successors, Abu Bakr and
Umar. He lived the unique and exemplary life of the believer who
purchased the Hereafter with this world. He sought the pleasure
and blessings of God above selfish desires and bodily pleasures.
Both Abu Bakr and Umar knew Sa’id well for his honesty and piety.
They would listen to whatever he had to say and follow his advice.
Sa’id once came to Umar at the beginning of his caliphate and said,
“I adjure you to fear God in dealing with people and do not fear
people in your relationship with God. Let not your actions deviate
from your words for the best of speech is that which is confirmed
by action. Consider those who have been appointed over the affairs
of Muslims, far and near. Like for them what you like for yourself
and your family. Surmount any obstacles to attain the truth and do
not fear the criticisms of those who criticize in matters prescribed
by God.
“Who can measure up to this, Sa’id?” asked Umar. “A man like
yourself from among those whom God has appointed over the
affairs of the Ummah of Muhammad and who feels responsible to
God alone,” replied Sa’id.
“Sa’id,” he said, “I appoint you to be governor of Homs (in Syria).”
“Umar,” pleaded Sa’id, “I entreat you by God, do not cause me to
go astray by making me concerned with worldly affairs.”
Umar became angry and said, “You have placed the responsibility
of the caliphate on me and now you forsake me.” “By God, I shall
not forsake you,” Sa’id quickly responded. Umar appointed him
as governor of Homs and offered him a gratuity.
“What shall I do with it, O Amir al-Mu’mineen?” asked Sa’id. “The
salary from bayt al-mal will be more than enough for my needs.”
With this he proceeded to Homs. Not long afterwards, a delegation
from Homs made up of people in whom Umar had confidence,
came to visit him in Madinah. He requested them to write the
names of the poor among them so he could relieve their needs.
They prepared a list for him in which the name Sa’id ibn Aamir
appeared. “Who is this Sa’id ibn Aamir?” asked Umar. “Our amir,”
they replied. “Your amir is poor?” said Umar, puzzled. “Yes,” they
affirmed, “By God, several days go by without a fire being lit in his
house.” Umar was greatly moved and wept. He got a thousand
dinars, put it in a purse and said, “Convey my greetings to him and
tell him that the Amir al-Mu’mineen has sent this money to help
him look after his needs.”
The delegation came to Sa’id with the purse. When he found that
it contained money, he began pushing it away saying, “From God
we are and to Him we shall return.” He said it in such a way as if
some misfortune had descended on him.
His alarmed wife hurried to him and asked, “What’s the matter,
Sa’id? Has the Khalifah died?” “Something greater than that.” “Have
the Muslims been defeated in a battle?” “Something greater than
that. The world has come upon me to corrupt my hereafter and
create disorder in my house.”
“Then get rid of it,” said she, not knowing anything about the di-
nars. “Will you help me in this?” he asked. She agreed. He took the
dinars, put them in bags and distributed them to the poor Muslims.
Not long afterwards, Umar ibn al-Khatab went to Syria to examine
conditions there. When he arrived at Homs, which is called little
Kufah because, like Kufah, its inhabitants complained a lot about
their leaders, he asked what they thought of the Amir. They com-
plained about him mentioning four of his actions each one more
serious than the other.
“I shall bring you and him together,” Umar promised. “And I pray
to God that my opinion about him would not be damaged. I used
to have great confidence in him.”
When the meeting was convened, Umar asked what complaints
they had against him. “He only comes out to us when the sun is
already high,” they said. “What do you have to say to that, Sa’id?”
asked Umar.
Sa’id was silent for a moment, then said, “By God, I really didn’t
want to say this but there seems to be no way out. My family does
not have help in the home so I get up every morning and prepare
dough for bread. I wait a little until it rises and then bake it for my
family. I then make wudu and go out to the people.”
“What’s your other complaint?” asked Umar. “He does not answer
anyone at night,” they said. To this Sa’id reluctantly said, “By God,
I really wouldn’t have liked to disclose this also, but I have left the
day for them and the night for God, Great and Sublime is He.”
“And what’s your other complaint about him?” asked Umar. “He
does not come to us for one day in every month,” they said.
To this Sa’id replied, “I do not have a house help, O Amir al-Mu’mi-
neen and I do not have any clothes except what’s on me. This I
wash once a month and I wait for it to dry. Then I go out in the
later part of the day.”
“Any other complaint about him?” asked Umar. “From time to time,
he blacks out in meetings,” they said.
To this Sa’id replied, “I witnessed the killing of Khubayb ibn Adiy
when I was a mushrik (ascribing partners to Allah). I saw the Quraysh
cutting him and saying, “Would you like Muhammad to be in your
place?” to which Khubayb replied, ‘I would not wish to be safe and
secure among my family while a thorn hurts Muhammad.’ By God,
whenever I remember that day and how I failed to come to his aid,
I only think that God would not forgive me and I black out.”
Thereupon Umar said, “Praise be to God. My impression of him
has not been tainted.” He later sent a thousand dinars to Sa’id to
help him out.
When his wife saw the amount she said. “Praise be to God Who has
enriched us out of your service. Buy some provisions for us and get
us a person to help in the house.” “Is there any way of spending it
better?” asked Sa’id. “Let us spend it in whoever comes to us and
we would get something better for it by thus dedicating it to God.”
“That will be better,” she agreed.
He put the dinars into small bags and said to a member of his
family, “Take this to the widow of so and so, and the orphans of
that person, to the needy in that family and to the indigent of the
family of that person.”
“Sa’id ibn Aamir-al Jumahi was indeed one of those who deny
themselves even when they are afflicted with severe poverty.
Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
“He has no faith who does not keep trust, and he has no
prayer who is impure, and he has no religion who does
not offer prayer. Verily the place of prayer in the religion
is just as the position in the body.” (Al-Mu’jam Al-Saghir)
Abu Musa Ash’ari (R.A.A.) said, “A person, who comes to
offer prayer from a long distance, gets the highest reward;
and he who waits so that he might say his prayer along
with the Imam (in congregation) has higher recompense
than the one who prays all alone, and thereafter goes to
sleep.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.A.) relates that the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W.) said: “When you notice a person regularly visit-
ing a mosque, testify to his faith (his being a believer) for
Allah, the Master of Honor and Glory said: “The mosques
of Allah shall be visited and maintained by such as believe
in Allah and the Last Day.” (S.9 V.18) (Tirmizi)
Abu Hurairah (R.A.A.) relates that the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W.) said: When a person goes under sound sleep the
Satan ties three knots at the nape of his neck (where it
touches the head) reciting some spell over each of these
knots i.e. there is enough of the night go on sleeping. If
he wakes up and remembers Allah, one of these knots is
untied. Then if he gets up and makes ablution, another
one is loosened. If he offers his prayer, then the remaining
third knot is loosened. Thus he faces his morning quite
fresh and is in a cheerful mood. Otherwise he gets up in an
unpleasant, dull and lethargic mood. (Bukhari andMuslim)
When you are among your goats in the desert and call the
Adhan, raise your voice for whoever of the jinn and men;
and whatever hears the farthest sound of the voice of the
muezzin shall bear witness to it on the Day of Judgment.
(Bukhari)
If people realized the beneficence of calling the Adhan and
standing in the first row for Prayer, and they could secure
these privileges only through drawing lots they would draw
lots for them; and if they knew the merit of coming early
to Prayer they would vie with each other in hastening to it;
and if they appreciated the value of the dawn and evening
Prayers they would come to them even if they had to crawl
on all fours. (Bukhari and Muslim)
When you hear the Adhan, repeat after the muezzin what
he says. (Bukhari and Muslim)
A supplication made between Adhan and Iqamah is not
rejected. (Abu Daud and Tirmidhi)
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: “Tell me if one of you
had a stream running at his door and he should take a
bath in it five times every day would any dirt be left upon
him?” He was answered: “No dirt would be left on him.”
The Holy Prophet observed: “This is the case of the five
Prayers. Allah wipes out all faults in consequence of them.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Sayings of the Prophet (pbuh)