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6. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (5) Among the pious people’s dua (supplication) mentioned in the Qur’ān are: g. the people of later generation. g. the dua of people of later generation. After the migration of the Prophet and his followers from Makkah to Madinah, the Muslims were divided into three categories: 1. the Muhājirīn (the emigrants), the Anṣār (lit. “the helpers”, the people of Madinah who helped the Prophet and the emigrants), 3. the people who came after them. The Muhājirīn were the inhabitants of Makkah who had converted to Islam and emigrated to Madinah before the conquest of Makkah, to avoid persecution of the Makkan pagans. Allah praised them when He said: ُ َِ ينِالَّذ َِ لِم ِن ِ ً ْونِ َفض َِ ار ِه ِْمِ َوأَمْ َوال ِِه ِْمِ َي ْب َت ُغ َِ ل ِْلفُ َق َرا ِِءِ ْال ُم َها ِج ِر ِ ِينِأ ْخ ِرجُواِمِنِِْ ِد َي .)8:ونِ(الحشر َِ ُكِ ُه ُِمِالصَّا ِدق َِ ّللاِ َو َرسُولَ ُِهِأُولَ ِئ ََِّ ُِون َِ صر ُ ّللاِ َو ِرضْ َوا ًناِ َو َي ْن َِِّ (And there is also a share in the booty)1 for the poor emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their property, seeking the bounties from Allah and (His) good pleasure, and helping Allah and His Messenger. Such are indeed the truthful. (Q. 59:8) The Anṣār were the Muslims of Madinah who welcomed and helped the Muhājirīn. They competed among themselves in taking 1
The fay’ (booty without fighting) was taken from the Jewish tribe Banī ‘l-Naḍīr who tried to kill the Prophet when he came to them in order to get rid of him and to avoid paying blood money demanded by the Prophet. The Prophet gave them an ultimatum to leave the Madinah within ten days. The leader of the hypocrites of Madinah, ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy, told them that he and his people were on their side, and advised them not to leave their houses, but to protect themselves in their fortresses. The Prophet and his army sieged their fortress. Finally, they surrendered, and were allowed to leave and to take whatever they could except weapons. With 600 camels fully loaded, they set out for Khaybar. What was left behind became the spoils of war to be divided among the Muhājirīn, while the Anṣār, out of their sympathy with the Muhājirīn, did not want to take any share from the booty. This took place in 4 A.H.
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them as guests in their houses. After 5 month of the Prophet’s arrival in Madinah he strengthened the brotherhood between the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār in the house of Anas ibn Mālik: each of the 45 hosts of the Anṣār took his guest among the 45 Muhājirīn as his brother, like blood brotherhood, so that they inherited each other after their death, without being relatives on the maternal side. Allah said: ِ َِتِأَ ْي َما ُن ُك ِْم ِْ ِينِ َع َقد َِ ُونِ َوالَّذ َِ انِ َو ْاْلَ ْق َرب ِِ كِ ْال َوالِ َد َِ ِيِ ِممَّاِ َت َر َِ َِولِ ُكلِِ َج َع ْل َناِ َم َوال ِ )33:انِ َعلَىِ ُكلِِ َشيْ ءِِ َش ِهي ًداِ(النساء َِ ّللاَِ َك َِّ ََِِّفآ ُتو ُه ِْمِ َنصِ ي َب ُه ِْمِإِن And to everyone, We have appointed heirs of that (property) left by parents and relatives. To those also with whom you have made a pledge (brotherhood), give them their due portion (by wasiyyah-wills). Truly, Allah is Ever a Witness over all things. (Q.4:33). The example of this brotherhood is that the Prophet made brotherhood between Abu Bakr and Khārijah ibn Zuhayr, between ‘Umar and ‘Utbān ibn Mālik, between ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān and Aws ibn Thābit, between Abū ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ and Sa‘d ibn Mu‘ādh, between al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām and Salāmah ibn Salāmah, and so on. Allah praised their hospitality in the Qur’ān as follows: ِ ِاج َِرِإِلَي ِْه ِْم َِ انِمِنِِْ َق ْبل ِِه ِْمِ ُي ِحب َِ اْلي َم َِ ِينِ َت َب َّوءُواِال َّد َِ َوالَّذ َ ُّونِ َمنِِْ َه ِ ْ ارِ َو ِ ِان َِ ونِ َعلَىِأَ ْنفُسِ ِه ِْمِ َولَوِِْ َك َِ اج ًِةِ ِممَّاِأُو ُتواِ َوي ُْؤ ِث ُر ُ ِونِفِي َِ لِ َي ِج ُد ِ َ َو َ ور ِه ِْمِ َح ِ ص ُد ُ ُِوق .)9:ُونِ(الحشر َِ كِ ُه ُِمِ ْال ُم ْفلِح َِ حِ َن ْفسِ ِِهِ َفأُولَ ِئ َِّ ش َِ صةِِ َو َمنِِْي َ صا َ ِب ِه ِْمِ َخ (And it is also for) those who, before them, and homes and had adopted the faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breath for that which they have been given, and give them preference over themselves even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own greed, such are they who will be successful.(Q. 59:9) We see here that the Anṣār loved the Muhājirīn, had no jealousy for their merit (of leaving their homeland and belongings
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for Allah’s sake) over them (who remained in their homeland), and preferred them over themselves. Abū Hurayrah narrated that a man came to the Prophet. The Prophet asked his wives to entertain him, but they said that that had nothing for him except water. Then a man among the Anṣār said he would entertain his guest. He came home and told his wife to entertain the Prophet’s guest, but his wife told him that she had nothing except food for children. He told her to prepare the meal and to make her children sleep and to light the lamp. When the time for meal arrived, the children were asleep, and she pretended to repair the lamp, so that they had their meal in the dark, and he pretended to share the meal. In the morning he told the Prophet how he entertained his guest. The Prophet said that Allah admired what the couple had done, and revealed, “and give them preference over themselves even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own greed, such are they who will be successful.” (Reported by Bukhari). The Prophet told the Anṣār whether they would share their wealth and property with the Muhājirīn, and at the same time would share the spoils of war with them, or give the whole spoils of war to the Muhājirīn and without sharing their wealth and property with them. The Anṣār said that they would let the whole spoils of war to the Muhājirīn, and at the same time they would share their wealth and property with them. To this, Allah praised their sacrifice with the above verse, “… and give them preference over themselves even though they were in need of that.” The Anṣār were so good to the Muhājirīn, that the latter asked the Prophet whether there would still remain for them thawāb (reward for going good) left by the Anṣār for their enormous good deed to them. The Prophet told them that there was still reward, left as long as they appreciate what they had done and pray for them. This law of inheriting each other was put into effect till the occurrence of the Battle of Badr. Since then, this law became
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abrogated, with the following verse, although the brotherhood remained. ِ ِّللا َِِّ ِب ِِ ض ُه ِْمِأَ ْولَىِ ِب َبعْ ضِِفِيِ ِك َت ُ ْامِ َبع ِِ َوأ ُ ْولُوِْاِالرْ َح ِ ِِِِ)55:ّللاِ ِب ُكلِِ َشىْ ءِ َعلِيمِِ(اْلنفال ََِّ َِِّإِن …But kindred by blood are nearer to one another (regarding inheritance) in the decree ordained by Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Knower of everything.(Q. 8:75) The Anṣār loved the Muhājirīn very much, that they offered to the Prophet to divide their agricultural land between the Muhājirīn and themselves, but the Prophet rejected this proposal. But when they proposed to share the fruit of it, the Prophet accepted it. Sa‘d ibn al-Rabī‘ who was the riches man among the Anṣār, offered his emigrant brother ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf half of his land, and to let him marry one of his two wives, after divorcing her and the lapse of the period of iddah. But ‘Abd al-Raḥman rejected the offer with appreciation, and asked the location of the Qaynuqā‘ market where he started his business. Soon after that he become prosperous and married a woman among the Anṣār. All these kinds of people were promised by Allah with Paradise, ِ ِِِينِا َّت َبعُو ُه ِْمِ ِبإِحْ َسان َِ ارِ َوالَّذ ِِ ص َِ ِنِ ْال ُم َها ِج ِر َِ ونِم َِ ُونِ ْاْلَ َّول َِ َُّابق َ ينِ َو ْاْلَ ْن ِ ِِ َوالس َ َ َّ ْ ِ ّللا ُِ َع ْن ُه ِْمِ َو َرضُواِ َع ْن ُِهِ َوأ َع َِّدِلَ ُه ِْمِ َج َّناتِِ َتجْ ِريِ َتحْ َت َهاِاْل ْن َها ُِر ِ ِي َِ َِرض )011:كِ ْال َف ْو ُِزِ ْال َعظِ ي ُِمِِ(التوبة َِ ِِينِفِي َهاِأَ َب ًداِ َذل َِ ِ َخالِد ِِAnd the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhajirin (those who migrated from Makkah to al-Madinah) and the Anṣār (the citizens of al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajirin) and also those who follow them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for the Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell there-in forever. That is the supreme success.(Q. 9:100) Allah prepares Paradise for the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār, and the Prophet said, as reported by Bukhārī and Muslims, that the best generation is his generation, then the one following it, and
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then the one following it. He praised the Anṣār when he said, “Nobody loves the Anṣār, except he is a Muslim, nobody hates the Anṣār except he is a hypocrite; whoever loves them Allah will love him, and whoever hates them, Allah will hate them.” (Reported by Bukhārī). He prayed for the Anṣār; he said “O Allah, forgive the Anṣār, the children of the Anṣār, the spouses of the Anṣār, and the descendants of the Anṣār” (Reported by Ahmad). Based on this verse the Qur’ān commentator Ibn Kathīr indicates the twisting minds and the turning upside down of the heart of the Rāfiḍah (a sect in Shiites) who hate and curse the companions of the Prophet who have been promised with Paradise, such as Abū Bakr and ‘Umar. Allah said about the third group, who came after the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār, as follows: ْ ِونِ َر َّب َنا ِِ اْلي َم ان َِ ْل ْخ َوا ِن َناِالَّذ َِ ُ ِينِ َجاءُواِمِنِِْ َبعْ ِد ِه ِْمِ َيقُول َِ َوالَّذ ِ ْ ِينِ َس َبقُو َناِ ِب ِ ِ اغفِرِِْ َل َناِ َو .)10:كِ َرءُوفِِ َرحِيمِِ(الحشر َِ ِينِآ َم ُنواِ َر َّب َناِإِ َّن َِ لِلِلَّذ ًِ ِوب َناِغ ِْ لِ َتجْ َع ِ َ َو ِ ُ لِفِيِقُل And those who came after them say: “Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believe. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.” (Q. 59:10) The third group is the Muslims who come after the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār till the Judgment day. It is our generation where we have to follow their examples in every aspect of piety, generosity, sincerity, and dedication to Islam. At least, love and pray for them as Allah taught us in the above verse. We ask Allah to forgive us and forgive our brothers who came before us, including the companions of the Prophet. When the Prophet was passing a cemetery he greeted the people in the grave, and then he said, “I wish to see our brothers.” When his companions asked him, “Are not we your brothers?” The Prophet s.a.w. replied, “No, you are my companions. Our brothers are those who have not come yet.”
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A group of people from Iraq came to ‘Ali ibn al-Ḥusayn r.a. and curses Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān r.a. He asked whether they belonged to the first category of Muslims, namely, the Muhājirīn. When they said “no”, he asked them whether they belonged to the second category of Muslims, namely, the Anṣār. When they said “no”, he said that they definitely did not belong to the third category of Muslims who prayed, loved, and asked forgiveness for them, as mentioned in the above verse. The number of the Prophet’s companions exceeds a hundred thousands, some thousands of them are known to us, and some hundreds were well-known to us. Abū’l-Qāsim al-Baghawī (d. 305 AH) and Ibn Qāni‘ (d.351 AH) were among the earlier scholar recording the ṣaḥābah in their books entitled Mu‘jam al-Ṣaḥābah (Dictionary of the Ṣaḥābah). Ibn al-Athīr (d. 631 AH) recorded the names of over seven thousands of the ṣaḥābah in his work Usud al-Ghābah fī Ma‘rifat al-Ṣaḥābah in 8 volumes. Another writer was Ibn Hajar (d.852/1449) who wrote al-Iṣābah fī Tamyīz al-Ṣaḥābah, in 8 volumes, containing more than twelve thousand names, the most comprehensive dictionary of the Companions of the Prophet. (CIVIC, 20.02.15) :المراجع المكتبةِالشاملة (ِهـ301ِ.تفسيرِالطبريِ(ت (ِهـ650ِ.تفسيرِالقرطبىِ(ت (ِهـ557ِ.تفسيرِابنِكثيرِ(ت Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005. Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar alAndalus, 1984. http://islamqa.info/ar/218999 http://articles.islamweb.net/media/index.php?page=article&lang=A &id=13431. http://ar.wikisource.org/wiki/ المؤاخاة_بين_المهاجرين_واْلنصار/سيدنا_محمد_صلى_ّللا_عليه_وسلم http://www.oqba.ma/Article.aspx?C=5601