Julaybib
His name was unusual and incomplete.
Julaybib means "small grown" being the
diminutive form of the word "Jalbab ". The name
is an indication that Julaybib was small and short, even
of dwarf-like stature. More than that, he is described as
being "damim" which means ugly, deformed, or of
repulsive appearance.
Even more disturbing, for the society in
which he lived, Julaybib's lineage was not known. There is
no record of who his mother or his father was or to what
tribe he belonged. This was a grave disability in the
society in which he lived. Julaybib could not expect any
compassion or help, any protection or support from a
society that placed a great deal of importance on family
and tribal connections. In this regard, all that was known
of him was that he was an Arab and that, as far as the new
community of Islam was concerned, he was one of the Ansar.
Perhaps he belonged to one of the outlying tribes beyond
Madinah and had drifted into the city or he could even
have been from among the Ansar of the city itself.
The disabilities under which Julaybib
lived would have been enough to have him ridiculed and
shunned in any society and in fact he was prohibited by
one person, a certain Abu Barzah of the Aslam tribe, from
entering his home. He once told his wife:
"Do not let Julaybib enter among
you. If he does, I shall certainly do (something terrible
to him)." Probably because he was teased and scoffed
at in the company of men, Julaybib used to take refuge in
the company of women.
Was there any hope of Julaybib being
treated with respect and consideration? Was there any hope
of his finding emotional satisfaction as an individual and
as a man? Was there any hope of his enjoying the
relationships which others take for granted? And in the
new society emerging under the guidance of the Prophet,
was he so insignificant as to be overlooked in the
preoccupation with the great affairs of state and in the
supreme issues of life and survival which constantly
engaged the attention of the Prophet?
Just as he was aware of the great issues
of life and destiny, the Prophet of Mercy was also aware
of the needs and sensibilities of his most humble
companions. With Julaybib in mind, the Prophet went to one
of the Ansar and said: "I want to have your daughter
married." "How wonderful and blessed, O
Messenger of God and what a delight to the eye (this would
be)," replied the Ansari man with obvious joy and
happiness. "I do not want her for myself," added
the Prophet. "Then for whom, O Messenger of
God?" asked the man, obviously somewhat let down.
"For Julaybib," said the Prophet.
The Ansari must have been too shocked to
give his own reaction and he merely said: "I will
consult with her mother." And off he went to his
wife. "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and
grant him peace, wants to have your daughter
married," he said to her. She too was thrilled.
"What a wonderful idea and what a delight to the eye
(this would be)." she said. "He doesn't want to
marry her himself but he wants to marry her to
Julaybib," he added. She was flabbergasted.
"To Julaybib! No, never to
Julaybib! No, by the living God, we shall not marry (her)
to him." she protested.
As the Ansari was about to return to the
Prophet to inform him of what his wife had said, the
daughter who had heard her mother's protestations, asked:
"Who has asked you to marry me?"
Her mother told her of the Prophet's
request for her hand in marriage to Julaybib. When she
heard that the request had come from the Prophet and that
her mother was absolutely opposed to the idea, she was
greatly perturbed and said:
"Do you refuse the request of the
Messenger of God? Send me to him for he shall certainly
not bring ruin to me." This was the reply of a truly
great person who had a clear understanding of what was
required of her as a Muslim. What greater satisfaction and
fulfillment can a Muslim find than in responding willingly
to the requests and commands of the Messenger of God! No
doubt, this companion of the Prophet, whose name we do not
even know had heard the verse of the Quran: "Now
whenever God and His Apostle have decided a matter, it is
not for a believing man or believing woman to claim
freedom of choice in so far as they themselves are
concerned. And he who disobeys God and His Prophet has
already, most obviously, gone astray." (The Quran,
Surah al-Ahzab, 33:36).
This verse was revealed in connection
with the marriage of Zaynab bint Jahsh and Zayd ibn
al-Harithah which was arranged by the Prophet to show the
egalitarian spirit of Islam. Zaynab at first was highly
offended at the thought of marrying Zayd a former slave
and refused to do so. The Prophet prevailed upon them both
and they were married. The marriage however ended in
divorce and Zaynab was eventually married to the Prophet
himself. It is said that the Ansari girl read the verse to
her parents and said:
"I am satisfied and submit myself
to whatever the Messenger of God deems good for me."
The Prophet heard of her reaction and prayed for her:
"O Lord, bestow good on her in abundance and make not
her life one of toil and trouble."
Among the Ansar, it is said there was
not a more eligible bride than she. She was married by the
Prophet to Julaybib and they lived together until he was
killed.
And how was Julaybib killed? He went on
an expedition with the Prophet, peace be on him, and an
encounter with some mushrikin ensued. When the battle was
over, the Prophet asked his companions: "Have you
lost anyone?" They replied giving the names of their
relatives of close friends who were killed. He put the
same questions to other companions and they also named the
ones they had lost in the battle. Another group answered
that they had lost no close relative whereupon the Prophet
said:
"But I have lost Julaybib. Search
for him in the battlefield." They searched and found
him beside seven mushrikin whom he had struck before
meeting his end. The Prophet stood up and went to the spot
where Julaybib, his short and deformed companion, lay. He
stood over him and said: "He killed seven and then
was killed? This (man) is of me and I am of him."
He repeated this two or three times. The
Prophet then took him in his arms and it is said that he
had no better bed besides the forearms of the messenger of
God. The Prophet then dug for him a grave and himself
placed him in it. He did not wash him for martyrs are not
washed before burial.
Julaybib and his wife are not usually
among the companions of the Prophet whose deeds are sung
and whose exploits are recounted with reverence and
admiration as they should be. But in the meagre facts that
are known about them and which have here been recounted we
see how humble human beings were given hope and dignity by
the Prophet where once there was only despair and
self-debasement.
The attitude of the unknown and unnamed
Ansari girl who readily agreed to be the wife of a
physically unattractive man was an attitude which
reflected a profound understanding of Islam. It reflected
on her part the effacement of personal desires and
preferences even when she could have counted on the
support of her parents. It reflected on her part a total
disregard for social pressures. It reflected above all a
ready and implicit confidence in the wisdom and authority
of the Prophet in submitting herself to whatever he deemed
good. This is the attitude of the true believer.
In Julaybib, there is the example of a
person who was almost regarded as a social outcast because
of his appearance. Given help, confidence and
encouragement by the noble Prophet, he was able to perform
acts of courage and make the supreme sacrifice and deserve
the commendation of the Prophet: "He is of me and I
am of him."
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