'They are people with high status prestige' (qasida 15:48)

This is the motto of this section, which is for talking about the companions and beloved ones to our prophet Mohammad [PPBUH].

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The lion of Allah: Hamza ibn Abdel-Mottalib [AAH]

He is Hamza ibn Abdel-Mottalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd-Manaf ibn Qusayy, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH]. He was nicknamed Abi-Ya’li, and Abi-Omarah [father of Ya’li and Omarah], who are his sons. He was also called the “Lion of Allah”. It was said that he was born two years before the birth of the Prophet [PPBUH], some said four years, but the first is more correct. His mother is Halah bent Wahib ibn Abd-Manaf ibn Zahrah, and she is the cousin of sayyda Amenah bent Wahb, the mother of the Prophet [PPBUH]. So he and sayyduna the Prophet [PPBUH] are cousins from their mothers, and he is full brother of Safiya bent Abdel-Mottalib, the mother of az-Zobair ibn al-Awwam.

This is how sayydi Hamza is connected to the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] in more than one way. As he is his uncle from his father’s side, and his cousin from his mother’s side. Allah gifted him with the love for sayyduna the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] and made his strong love for the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] and his vigilant concern for him as a reason for his embracing of Islam. Sayydi Fakhreddin says:

[If the hearts of the people were filled                                       

                           with the love of the Chosen, it would be its shield] 29/24

The meaning of this verse is beautifully demonstrated in the story of the embracing of sayydi Hamza to Islam. As the love of sayydi Hamza to the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] was the reason behind his embracing of Islam, his company to the Prophet [PPBUH], his martyrdom and his naming as the master of the martyrs.

Ibn Hisham tells us about that and says:

Abo-Jahl [father of ignorance] passed by the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] at as-Safa, so he hurt him, cursed him, and told him what he hated of reprehension of his religion and undermining his matters. The Prophet [PPBUH] did not talk to him. A servant of Abdullah ibn Gad’an was nearby, so she saw and heard what happened. Then Abo-Jahl left the Prophet [PPBUH] and went to one of Quraish’s clubs by the Ka’ba and sat there with them.

It was not long before sayydi Hamza came back from his hunt, as he used to go to the Ka’ba and circumambulate it after he comes back from his hunt. He also used to stop at each club of Quraish, greets and talks to them. He was the most influential, powerful, and sharp youth in Quraish. At that day he came back as usual and went to Ka’ba with his bow on his back. He started to circumambulate the Ka’ab, then he met the servant of ibn Gad’an, who have seen how Abo-Jahl cursed the Prophet [PPBUH]. So she said to him: O, Abi- Omarah, if you have seen what happened to your nephew, Muhammad, earlier from Abo-Jahl! He said: What happened? She said: H found him sitting here, so he hurt him, cursed him, and did him what he hated, then he left him while sayydi Mohammad did not talk to him.

Sayydi Hamza [AAH] got mad - for what Allah has bestowed in his heart of love to Prophet [PPBUH] - and he went looking for Abo-Jahl. He did not stop at each club as he used to, rather he was prepared for Abo-Jahl. When he entered Ka’ba, he looked and found Abo-Jahl, went straight to him, hit him with the bow and wound him a bad wound. Then he said: Do you curse Muhammad, while I am in his religion and I said what he say? … answer that if you can! A man from the tribe of Bani-Makhzoom stood to Hamza to support Abo-Jahl. But Abo-Jahl said: Leave Abi-Omarah, as I admit that I cursed his nephew an ugly curse.

When Hamza embraced Islam, Quraish knew that the Messenger of Allah became powerful and invulnerable. So they stopped some of what they used do harm him. That was because sayydi Hamza was very rushing and daring to support the Prophet [PPBUH], and because he declared that he embraced the religion of the Prophet [PPBUH].

Sayydi Hamza immigrated to Medina with Muhajirin. Ibn Hisham said: sayydi Hamza immigrated to Medina and stayed at Kalthoum ibn al-Hadm, some say at Saad ibn Khaythamah. The Prophet [PPBUH] made him brother with Zayd ibn Harithah who used to be called Zayd ibn Muhammad.

Sayydi Hamza participated in the great conquest of Badr. Ibn Hisham said: Sayydi Hamza fought with bravery in the great conquest of Badr. He dueled with Rabi’a ibn Abd-Shams and killed him, and he participated in the killing of Otba ibn Rabi’a with sayydi Ali ibn Abi-Talib [AAH], and he killed Towaima ibn Addi. All those were of the fearful bolds of the polytheism and opposition. Sayydi Hamza used to mark himself in the field of the battle, as he used to put a feather of an ostriches above his head to be seen by the enemy. No one but the very brave ones does that. The captives of Badr were inquiring about the man with the feather, and when they were told that it was Hamza ibn Abdel-Mottalib, they said he harmed us so bad.

Imam Fakhreddin [AAH] said about those companions who participated in Badr:

[O, people of Badr, O, companions of Ahmed                               

                            who would give the hearts its drink and provision] 46/1

[The Chose is one of us, the Imams of his companions                 

                                and in his hands the closeness and the repelling] 46/2

[How many reigns have vanished, but, because of him,                

                              we dominated both our reign and the worshipers] 46/3

[the promise is true, and the angels are with him                          

                                    and he is the king with all of them as soldiers] 46/4

[words cannot say what you deserve                                             

                                                             even if we used the seas as ink] 46/5

As the people of Badr have a great virtue. It is known that the people of Badr have a special virtue over the rest of the companions. Also those who participated in Badr of the angels have a special virtue over the rest of the angels. Mo’az ibn Refa’ah ibn Rafi’ az-Zorqi narrated from his father, who was one of the people of Badr, he said that Gabriel came to the Prophet [PPBUH] and asked him “How do you consider the people of Badr among you?” The Prophet [PPBUH] said (Of the best Muslims), or some word like that. Gabriel said “So do all who participated in Badr of the angels”. Al-Bukhari.

Sayydi Hamza [AAH] martyred in the conquest of Uhud. He was killed by Wahshy, who was a Habshi slave very good at shooting with his spear, who later embraced Islam. After embracing Islam, Wahshy told the story of killing sayydi Hamza, he said:

I was looking at Hamza hitting people with his sword until he stumbled and his armor shifted from his stomach. So I raised my spear and throw it at him and it hit him. He came towards me but he fell. I waited then I went to him, took my spear, and went back to the camp, as I had nothing else that I needed from the battle.

Later Wahshy embraced Islam, became a good Muslim, and the Prophet [PPBUH] pardoned him after he did declare his killing as lawful. Wahshy fought for the sake of Allah and the privilege of killing Musilamah the lier.

Abo-Hurairah [AAH] said that the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] stood by sayydi Hamza after his body was mutated. It was the most heart aching sight. The Prophet [PPBUH] said (May Allah grant you mercy, O, uncle, as you have been kind to the kinship, and doer of the good).

Gaber narrated that the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] wept when he saw sayydi Hamza killed. But when he saw the mutation they did to him he got very angry.

Sayydi Hamza [AAH] was a bold knight. He was not killed except by treason and he fought very good with bravery in the conquest of Uhud. It is also known that the conquest of Uhud was for the Muslims at first and the polytheists ran away in front of them. The Muslims followed them and started collecting their trophies, but the archers saw them from above the hill. In spite of the fact that the Prophet [PPBUH] had told the archers never to leave their places, not matter wining or losing, they left their positions and they did not abide by the precept of the Prophet [PPBUH]. So they came down the mountain to pick up the trophies with the rest of the army. It was a chance that became available to the polytheists at that time, so they came from behind the Muslims and raised their flag again. The face of the battle changed.

The Prophet [PPBUH] ordered the counting and the burial of the killed Muslims. They came with sayydi Hamza and enshrouded him with a garment that did not cover his leg if they covered his head, and vise versa. The Prophet [PPBUH] said (cover his face) and he put over his legs Harmal [a perfumed plant].

Sayydy Hamza was buried with sayydi Abdullah ibn Gahsh in one grave. Sayydi Hamza was also the uncle of sayydi Abdullah. Sayydi Abo-Bakr, Omar, Ali, and az-Zubair came down this grave, while the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] was sitting by its side.

The Prophet [PPBUH] said (I saw the angels washing Hamza). Sayydi Hamza was the first martyr, the Prophet [PPBUH] prayed upon, and the last one. As he was not taken from his place after the Prophet [PPBUH] prayed upon him. Rather, he was left while other martyrs were place beside him and raised after prayed upon. Hamza stayed in his place until he was prayed upon seventy times, which the number of the martyrs.

When the Prophet [PPBUH] came back from Uhud, he heard the women of abdel-Ashhal crying for their killed ones. He said (But Hamza has no one to weep for him). Saad ibn Mo’az heard that, so he took his women to the door of the Masjid to weep for Hamza.

Sayyda Aisha [AAH] said: we went out weeping with them. The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] slept while we are weeping. Then he woke up and prayed the last Esha prayer, then he slept while we are still weeping. Then he woke up and the voice, so he said (hay, are they still here till now? Tell them to go back and never weep for any dead one after that). The Prophet [PPBUH] prayed for these women and said (May Allah bless you and your children and their children). The Prophet [PPBUH] stood on the pulpit and forbid the lamentation as the most forbidden thing. And lamentation is forbidden, but weeping is a manifestation of mercy. As we saw before the Prophet [PPBUH] wept for Hamza [PPBUH] and he also wept for his son, Ibrahim, and said (the eye weeps, the heart submits, and we do not say what makes Allah discontent). He also said (not from us, whoever cut his cloth, hits his cheeks, or calls for the call of the ignorance) [he meant the pre-Islam time]. So the martyrdom of Hamza was not without a preaching by the Prophet [PPBUH] directed to the nation to guide it to the righteous way.

The best thing to finish this talk is the words of Imam Fakhreddin [AAH]:

[He dies as a martyr, whoever loved Muhammad                         

               and his family and companion, how happy this dead one] 1/135

O, Allah, if you keep us alive, make us die, and resurrect us on the love of sayyduna the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH], the love of the family of the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH], and the love of the companions of the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH], Amen.

Written by the Student.

Translated by Sayed

Whoever wants to read more about the great companions, can browse the companions pages in al-Ahbab site.

Editors Team