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SAD
IBN ABI WAQQAS Radhia
Allahu Anaha
We
are now in a small town in a narrow valley. There is no
vegetation, no livestock, no gardens, no rivers. Desert
after desert separates the town from the rest of the
world. During the day the heat of the sun is unbearable
and the nights are still and lonely. Tribes flock to it
like animals in the open country flock to a water-hole. No
government rules. There is no religion to guide people
except one which promotes the worship of stone idols.
There is no knowledge except priestcraft and a love for
ele gant poetry. This is Makkah and these are the Arabs.
In
this town lies a young man who has not yet seen twenty
summers. He is short and well-built and has a very heavy
crop of hair. People compare him to a young lion. He comes
from a rich and noble family. He is very attached to his
parents and is particul arly fond of his mother. He spends
much of his time making and repairing bows and arrows and
practising archery as if preparing himself for some great
encounter. People recognize him as a serious and
intelligent young man. He finds no satisfaction in the
religion and way of life of his people, their corrupt
beliefs and disagreeable practices. His name is Sad ibn
Abi Waqqas.
One
morning at about this time in his life the genial Abu Bakr
came up and spoke softly to him. He explained that
Muhammad ibn Abdullah the son of his late cousin Aminah
bint Wahb had been given Revelations and sent with the
religion of guidance and truth . Abu Bakr then took him to
Muhammad in one of the valleys of Makkah. It was late
afternoon by this time and the Prophet had just prayed
Salat al-Asr. Sad was excited and overwhelmed and
responded readily to the invitation to truth and the
religion of One God. The fact that he was one of the first
persons to accept Islam was something that pleased him
greatly.
The
Prophet, peace be on him, was also greatly pleased when
Sad became a Muslim. He saw in him signs of excellence.
The fact that he was still in his youth promised great
things to come. It was as if this glowing crescent would
become a shining full moon before long. Perhaps other
young people of Makkah would follow his example, including
some of his relations. For Sad ibn Abi Waqqas was in fact
a maternal uncle of the Prophet since he belonged to the
Bani Zuhrah, the clan of Aminah bint Wahb, the mother of
the Prophet, peace be upon him. For this reason he is
sometimes referred to as Sad of Zuhrah, to distinguish him
from several others whose first name was Sad.
The
Prophet is reported to have been pleased with his family
relationship to Sad. Once as he was sitting with his
companions, he saw Sad approaching and he said to them:
"This is my maternal uncle. Let a man see his
maternal uncle!"
While
the Prophet was delighted with Sad's acceptance of Islam,
others including and especially his mother were not. Sad
relates: "When my mother heard the news of my Islam,
she flew into a rage. She came up to me and said:
"O
Sad! What is this religion that you have embraced which
has taken you away from the religion of your mother and
father...? By God, either you forsake your new religion or
I would not eat or drink until I die. Your heart would be
broken with grief for m e and remorse would consume you on
account of the deed which you have done and people would
censure you forever more.'
'Don't
do (such a thing), my mother,' I said, 'for I would not
give up my religion for anything.'
However,
she went on with her threat... For days she neither ate
nor drank. She became emaciated and weak. Hour after hour,
I went to her asking whether I should bring her some food
or something to drink but she persistently refused,
insisting that she wo uld neither eat nor drink until she
died or I abandoned my religion. I said to her:
'Yaa
Ummaah! In spite of my strong love for you, my love for
God and His Messenger is indeed stronger. By God, if you
had a thousand souls and one soul after another were to
depart, I would not abandon this my religion for
anything.' When she saw that I w as determined she
relented unwillingly and ate and drank."
It
was concerning Sad's relationship with his mother and her
attempt to force him to recant his faith that the words of
the Quran were revealed: "And we enjoined on man (to
be good) to his parents. In pain upon pain did his mother
bear him and his weaning took two years. So show gratitude
to Me and to your parents. To Me is the final destiny.
"But
if they strive to make you join in worship with Me things
of which you have no knowledge, obey them not. Yet bear
them company in this life with justice and consideration
and follow the way of those who turn to Me. In the end,
the return of you all i s to Me and I shall tell you (the
truth and meaning of) all that you used to do."
(Surah Luqman, 31: 14-15).
In
these early days of Islam, the Muslims were careful not to
arouse the sensibilities of the Quraysh. They would often
go out together in groups to the glens outside Makkah
where they could pray together without being seen. But one
day a number of idolat ers came upon them while they were
praying and rudely interrupted them with ridicule. The
Muslims felt they could not suffer these indignities
passively and they came to blows with the idolaters. Sad
ibn Abi Waqqas struck one of the disbelievers with the
jawbone of a camel and wounded him. This was the first
blood shed in the conflict between Islam and kufr - a
conflict that was later to escalate and test the patience
and courage of the Muslims.
After
the incident, however, the Prophet enjoined his companions
to be patient and forbearing for this was the command of
God: "And bear with patience
what they say and avoid them with noble dignity. And leave
Me alone to deal with those who give the lie to the Truth,
those who enjoy the blessings of life (without any thought
of God) and bear with them for a little while." (The
Quran, Surah al Muzzammil, 71: 1O).
More
than a decade later when permission was given for the
Muslims to fight. Sad ibn Abi Waqqas was to play a
distinguished role in many of the engagements that took
place both during the time of the Prophet and after. He
fought at Badr together with his young brother Umayr who
had cried to be allowed to accompany the Muslim army for
he was only in his early teens. Sad returned to Madinah
alone for Umayr was one of the fourteen Muslim martyrs who
fell in the battle.
At
the Battle of Uhud, Sad was specially chosen as one of the
best archers together with Zayd, Saib the son of Uthman
ibn Mazun and others. Sad was one of those who fought
vigorously in defence of the Prophet after some Muslims
had deserted their positi ons. To urge him on, the
Prophet, peace be on him, said: "Irmi Sad...Fidaaka
Abi wa Ummi " Shoot, Sad ...may my mother and father
be your ransom."
Of
this occasion, Ali ibn Abi Talib said that he had not yet
heard the Prophet, peace be on him, promising such a
ransom to anyone except Sad. Sad is also known as the
first companion to have shot an arrow in defence of Islam.
And the Prophet once prayed for him:
"O
Lord, direct his shooting and respond to his prayer."
Sad was one of the companions of the Prophet who was
blessed with great wealth. Just as he was known for his
bravery, so he was known for his generosity. During the
Farewell Pilgrimage with the Prop het, he fell ill. The
Prophet came to visit him and Sad said:
"O
Messenger of God. I have wealth and I only have one
daughter to inherit from me. Shall I give two thirds of my
wealth as sadaqah?"
"No,"
replied the Prophet.
"Then,
(shall I give) a half?" asked Sad and the Prophet
again said 'no'.
"Then,
(shall I give) a third?' asked Sad.
"Yes,"
said the Prophet. "The third is much. Indeed to leave
your heirs well-off' is better than that you should leave
them dependent on and to beg from people. If you spend
anything seeking to gain thereby the pleasure of God, you
will be rewarded for it even if it is a morsel which you
place in your wife's mouth."
Sad
did not remain the father of just one child but was
blessed thereafter with many children.
Sad
is mainly renowned as the commander-in-chief of the strong
Muslim army which Umar despatched to confront the Persians
at Qadisiyyah. Umar wanted nothing less than an end to
Sasanian power which for centuries had dominated the
region.
To
confront the numerous and well-equipped Persians was a
most daunting task. The most powerful force had to be
mustered. Umar sent despatches to Muslim governors
throughout the state to mobilize all able-bodied persons
who had weapons or mounts, or who h ad talents of oratory
and other skills to place at the service of the battle.
Bands
of Mujahidin then converged on Madinah from every part of
the Muslim domain. When they had all gathered, Umar
consulted the leading Muslims about the appointment of a
commander-in-chief over the mighty army. Umar himself
thought of leading the army but Ali suggested that the
Muslims were in great need of him and he should not
endanger his life. Sad was then chosen as commander and
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awl, one of the veterans among the
Sahabah said:
"You
have chosen well! Who is there like Sad?" Umar stood
before the great army and bade farewell to them. To the
commander-in-chief he said:
"O
Sad! Let not any statement that you are the uncle of the
Messenger of God or that you are the companion of the
Messenger of God distract you from God. God Almighty does
not obliterate evil with evil but he wipes out evil with
good.
"O
Sad! There is no connection between God and anyone except
obedience to Him. In the sight of God all people whether
nobleman or commoner are the same. Allah is their Lord and
they are His servants seeking elevation through taqwa and
seeking to obtain wh at is with God through obedience.
Consider how the Messenger of God used to act with the
Muslims and act accordingly..."
Umar
thus made it clear that the army was not to seek conquest
for the sake of it and that the expedition was not for
seeking personal glory and fame.
The
three thousand strong army set off. Among them were ninety
nine veterans of Badr, more than three hundred of those
who took the Pledge of Riffwan (Satisfaction) at
Hudaybiyyah and three hundred of those who had
participated in the liberation of Makk ah with the noble
Prophet. There were seven hundred sons of the companions.
Thousands of women also went on to battle as auxiliaries
and nurses and to urge the men on to battle.
The
army camped at Qadisiyyah near Hira. Against them the
Persians had mobilized a force of 12O,OOO men under the
leadership of their most brilliant commander, Rustum.
Umar
had instructed Sad to send him regular despatches about
the condition and movements of the Muslim forces, and of
the deployment of the enemy's forces. Sad wrote to Umar
about the unprecedented force that the Persians were
mobilizing and Umar wrote to him:
"Do
not be troubled by what you hear about them nor about the
(forces, equipment and methods) they would deploy against
you. Seek help with God and put your trust in Him and send
men of insight, knowledge and toughness to him (the
Chosroes) to invite him to God... And write to me
daily."
Sad
understood well the gravity of the impending battle and
kept in close contact with the military high command in
Madinah. Although commander-in-chief, he understood the
importance of shura.
Sad
did as Umar instructed and sent delegations of Muslims
first to Yazdagird and then to Rustum, inviting them to
accept Islam or to pay the jizyah to guarantee their
protection and peaceful existence or to choose war if they
so desired.
The
first Muslim delegation which included Numan ibn Muqarrin
was ridiculed by the Persian Emperor, Yazdagird. Sad sent
a delegation to Rustum, the commander of the Persian
forces. This was led by Rubiy ibn Aamir who, with spear in
hand, went directly to Rustam's encampment. Rustam said to
him:
"Rubiy!
What do you want from us? If you want wealth we would give
you. We would provide you with provisions until you are
sated. We would clothe you. We would make you become rich
and happy. Look, Rubiy! What do you see in this assembly
of mine? No doub t you see signs of richness and luxury,
these lush carpets, fine curtains, gold embroidered wails,
carpets of silk...Do you have any desire that we should
bestow some of these riches which we have on you?"
Rustum
thus wanted to impress the Muslim and allure him from his
purpose by this show of opulence and grandeur. Rubiy
looked and listened unmoved and then said:
"Listen,
O commander! Certainly God has chosen us that through us
those of His creation whom He so desires could be drawn
away from the worship of idols to Tawhid (the affirmation
of the unity of God), from the narrow confines of
preoccupation with this w orld to its boundless expanse
and from the tyranny of rulers to justice of Islam.
"Whoever
accepts that from us we are prepared to welcome him. And
whoever fights us, we would fight him until the promise of
God comes to pass."
"And
what is the promise of God to you?" asked Rustum.
"Paradise
for our martyrs and victory for those who live."
Rustum
of course was not inclined to listen to such talk from a
seemingly wretched person the likes of whom the Persians
regarded as barbaric and uncivilized and whom they had
conquered and subjugated for centuries.
The
Muslim delegation returned to their commanderin-chief. It
was clear that war was now inevitable. Sad's eyes filled
with tears. He wished that the battle could be delayed a
little or indeed that it might have been somewhat earlier.
For on this particul ar day he was seriously ill and could
hardly move. He was suffering from sciatica and he could
not even sit upright for the pain.
Sad
knew that this was going to be a bitter, harsh and bloody
battle. And for a brief moment he thought, if only... but
no! The Messenger of God had taught the Muslims that none
of them should say, "If....." To say
"If....." implied a lack of will and de
termination and wishing that a situation might have been
different was not the characteristic of a firm believer.
So, despite his illness, Sad got up and stood before his
army and addressed them. He began his speech with a verse
from the glorious Quran:
"And
indeed after having exhorted (man), We have laid it down
in all the books of Divine wisdom that My righteous
servants shall inherit the earth." (Surah al-Anbiyaa,
21:1O5).
The
address over, Sad performed Salat az-Zuhr with the army.
Facing them once again, he shouted the Muslim battle cry
"Allahu Akbar" four times and directed the
fighters to attack with the words:
"Hayya
ala barakatillah Charge, with the blessings of God."
Standing in front of his tent, Sad directed his soldiers
and spurred them on with shouts of Allahu Akbar (God is
Most Great) and La hawla wa la quwwata ilia billah (there
is no power or might s ave with God). For four days the
battle raged. The Muslims displayed valor and skill. But a
Persian elephant corps wrought havoc in the ranks of the
Muslims. The ferocious battle was only resolved when
several renowned Muslim warriors made a rush in the d
irection of the Persian commander. A storm arose and the
canopy of Rustam was blown into the river. As he tried to
flee he was detected and slain. Complete confusion reigned
among the Persians and they fled in disarray.
Just
how ferocious the battle was can be imagined when it is
known that some thirty thousand persons on both sides fell
in the course of four days' fighting. In one day alone,
some two thousand Muslims and about ten thousand Persians
lost their lives.
The
Battle of Qadisiyyah is one of the major decisive battles
of world history. It sealed the fate of the Sasanian
Empire just as the Battle of Yarmuk had sealed the fate of
the Byzantine Empire in the east.
Two
years after Qadisiyyah, Sad went on to take the Sasanian
capital. By then he had recovered his health. The taking
of Ctesiphon was accomplished after a brilliant crossing
of the Tigris river while it was in flood. Sad has thus
gone down in the annals of history as the Hero of
Qadisiyyah and the Conqueror of Ctesiphon.
He
lived until he was almost eighty years old. He was blessed
with much influence and wealth but as the time of death
approached in the year 54 AH, he asked his son to open a
box in which he had kept a course woolen jubbah and said:
"Shroud me in this, for in this (jubbah) I met the
Mushrikin on the day of Badr and in it I desire to meet
God Almighty."
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