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MU'AADH IBN JABAL
The Most Learned of Halaal and Haraam
Among the seventy-man delegation of the Ansaar who took the oath of allegiance to the Prophet in
the Second Allegiance of `Aqabah sat a young man with a bright face, graceful eyes, and a radiant smile.
When he was silent, he attracted attention with his profound peacefulness and devoutness. On the other
hand, when he talked, he held his people spellbound. This young man was Mu'aadh lbn Jabal (May Allah
be pleased with him). He belonged to the Ansaar, and he was among the foremost believers who gave the
second oath of allegiance to the Prophet. Naturally, a man of such precedence, faith, and certainty would
not miss for the world a battle or an expedition. His uppermost quality was his knowledge of fiqh
(jurisprudence) the practical aspect of Muhammad's message. He reached the apex in knowledge and
fiqh, to the extent that made the Prophet (PBUH) say, "The most learned man of my nation in halaal and
haraam is Mu'aadh Ibn Jabal."
He resembled `Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab in his enlightenment, courage and intelligence. When the
Prophet sent him to Yemen, he asked him, "How will you give a judgment or settle a dispute?" Mu'aadh
answered; "I will refer to the Qur'aan." The Prophet then asked, "What will you do if you do not find the
decree you are looking for in the Qur'aan?" Mu'aadh answered, "I will refer to the Prophet's Sunnah."
The Prophet asked, "But what will you do if you do not find a decree even in the Sunnah?" Mu'aadh
readily answered, "I will be judge between mankind by resorting to juristic reasoning (ijtihaad) to the
best of my power." Now, Mu'aadh's staunch commitment to Allah's Book and the Prophet's Sunnah does
not mean that he closed his mind to the countless and endless hidden or equivocal facts that await
someone to unravel and adjudicate.
Perhaps both Mu'aadh's ability in juristic reasoning and the courageous usage of his intelligence
enabled him to master the fiqh, excelling all other scholars. The Prophet justifiably described Mu'aadh as
"the most learned man of my nation in haaal and haraam."
History portrays him as a man of remarkably enlightened, resolute, and decisive mind. For instance,
`Aaez Allah lbn Abd Allah narrated that one day he entered the mosque with the Companions of the
Prophet (PBUH) at the dawn of `Umar's caliphate. Then he sat among more than thirty men. Let us hear
him narrate the story: "I sat with a group of more than thirty men. They were recalling a hadith of the
Prophet (PBUH). In this ring sat a dark, swarthy young man who had a sweet voice and a radiant face.
Whenever they disputed about a hidden or ambiguous meaning in the hadith, they at once sought his
legal instruction or judgment. He seldom, if ever, spoke unless he was asked. When their meeting was
over, I approached him and asked him, "Who are you, O Allah's Slave?" He answered, "I am Mu'aadh
Ibn Jabal." So I instantly felt dose to him.
Also, Shahr Ibn Hawshab said, "Whenever Mu'aadh lbn Jabal was present when the Companions of
the Prophet (PBUH) were holding a meeting, they looked at him with reverence".
`Umar Ibn Al-khattaab, the Commander of the Faithful, often consulted him. It seemed that
Mu'aadh had a highly disciplined mind and a captivating and convincing logic that moved peacefully and
knowledgeably. When we look at his historical background, we will always see him at the center of
attention. He always sat there surrounded by people. He always maintained a discrete silence that was
only broken whenever people were anxious to hear his judgment and whenever they were in dispute.
When he spoke he looked, as one of his contemporaries described, "as if light and pearls were emanating
from his mouth rather than speech." He reached his high rank in knowledge and reverence when the
Prophet (PBUH) was alive and maintained it after his death, notwithstanding his youth, for Mu'aadh died
during `Umar's caliphate at the age of thirty-three years.