'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].

You can find all special expressions in the Glossary. We need your comments to develop this site for you.

Ja’far ibn Abi-Talib [AAH]

the one with two wings

The master and the martyr who has a high rank. He is the son of the uncle of the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH], Abi-Talib Abd-Manaf ibn Abdel-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd-Manaf ibn Qusayy al-Hashemy. Ja’far [AAH] is the brother of Imam Ali ibn Abi-Talib [AHHF]. He was older than his brother Ali [AHHF] with ten years. He emigrated the two emigrations and he emigrated from al-Habasha to Medina, and he came to the Muslims while they were in Khaybar immediately after the conquest of it. He stayed some months in Medina, then the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] put him as the head of the army of Mo’atah invasion by al-Karak, where he martyred. The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] was delighted so much for his arrival and was so sad for his death.

His emigration to al-Habasha:

It was narrated from ibn Mas'oud [AAH] that he said:

The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] sent us out to an-Nagashy and we were eighty men: me, Ja’far, Abo-Moses, Abdullah ibn Urfatah and Osman ibn Maz’on… Quraysh sent out Amro ibn al-Aas and Umarah ibn al-Walid with a gift. When they came to an-Nagashy, they prostrated to him and proceeded to him. One of them sat to his right and the other sat to his left. They said that “Some foolish young men from us left our religion and did not embrace your religion. They came out with a fabricated religion that is unknown to us. They resorted to your country, so we were sent out to you to turn them back to us”. The patriarchs of an-Najashy said “They said the truth, O, king”. The king an-Najashy got angry and said his patriarchs “By Allah, I will not give these emigrants back to their people until I talk to them, as they resorted to my state and chose my neighborhood”. At that time the most hateful thing to Amro and ibn Abi-Rabi’ah was that the king would listen to their words. The king sent for them, Ja’far said “I will be your speaker”, and they followed him. He entered to the king and saluted him. So, they said to him “Why do not you prostrate to the king”. He said “We do not prostrate except to Allah”. They said “And why is that?”

He said “Oh, King! We were polytheist people, worshiping the idols, eating the dead animals, mistreating the neighbors and deeming lawful the prohibited things and the blood shedding. Then Allah sent out to us a prophet from us. One that we know well his fidelity, his sincerity and his faithfulness. He called us to worship Allah alone, to be good to our relatives, to treat our neighbors well and to pray and fast”.

As soon as Ga'far finished his speech, an-Najashy wept till he wet his beard. And so did his bishops till they wet their bibles. Then he said “This saying emanates from the same lantern that Moses [PBUH] was sent out with. Go with Guidance. By Allah, I will never give them back to you nor give you any satisfaction”. Amro said: “They contradict you regarding the son of Maryam and his mother”. The king said “What do you say about the son of Maryam and his mother?” Ja’far said “We say what Allah, Almighty, said: the soul of Allah and His word, which He gave to the virgin maiden who has never been touched by any human”. Then an-Najashy raised a stick from the ground and said “O, people of Habasha, monks and priests! What do you want? This does not do me any harm. I testify that he is the Messenger of Allah and He is the one that Jesus brought up his good tiding in the Bible. By Allah, if it was not for what I am in of the kingship, I would have gone to Him and I would be the one who carries his shoes and would have served his ablution for him”. And said to them “stay wherever you will”. An-Najashy, then, ordered the gift of the others to be returned back to them.

The grace of Ja’far [AAH]:

When The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] came back from Khaybar, Ja’far [AAH] received Him. The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] hugged him and kissed him between the eyes, then He [PPBUH] said (I do not know for which should I be more delighted, for the return of Ja’far or the conquest of Khaybar). Then He [PPBUH] kissed him between his eyes, embraced him and hugged him.

Mohamed ibn Osama ibn Zaid narrated from his father that he heared the Prophet [PPBUH] saying to Ja’far (Your physical characteristics resembles mine and your morals resembles mine, as you are from me and from my tree). Also it was narrated from Ali [AHHF] that He said “The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] said to Ja’far [AAH] (You resemble my physical characteristics and my morals).

It was narrated that Abo-Hurayrah [AAH] said “No one wore shoes nor rode mounts better than Ja’far ibn Abi-Talib, other than the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH]”, which means: in the generosity and liberality. Also it was narrated from Abo-Hurayrah [AAH] that he said “We used to call Ja’far father of the poor. He used to take us to his house and if he did not find anything, he would bring “Okkah” [a kind of food made from butter and honey] for us. We would split it and lick it”.

Ali [AHHF] got married to Asmaa bent Umays. Her two young sons “Mohamed ibn Ja’far and Mohamed ibn Abu-Bakr” vied in boasting with one another. Each one of them said “My father is better than your father”. Ali [AHHF] said “O, Asmaa, judge between them”. She said “I never saw a young man better than Ja’far nor an old one better than Abu-Bakr”. Ali [AHHF] said “You did not leave us anything but if you said anything except this, I would have detested you”. She said “By Allah, if there are three and you are the least of them, they would be the best”. It was narrated from Abdullah ibn Ja’far that he said “I never asked Ali for something, for the love of Ja’far, unless he gave it to me”.

The invasion of Mo’tah:

The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] sent out the army of the princes and said (Zaid will be at the head of the army, if he is hit, Ja’far will be at the head and if Ja’far is hit, then ibn Rawaha will be). Then Ja’far jumped and said, “I will redeem you with my father and my mother, I was never afraid if you make zaid at the head over me”. He [PPBUH] said (Go ahead, you do not know which is better). The army went ahead and lasted for a while as Allah willed. Then The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] ascended the pulpit and told them to call for prayer. He [PPBUH] said (Should I tell you about your army? They met the enemy, and Zaid was hit and martyred. So, ask Allah forgiveness for him. Ja’far took the flag after him. He pressed the enemies till he was martyred. Then ibn Rawaha took the flag and faught strongly till he was hit and martyred. Then Khalid took the flag), Khaled ibn al-Waleid was not from the princes, but he made himself one. Then the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] raised His two fingers saying (O, Allah, he is a sword from Your swords, so grant him victory). From that day, Khaled ibn al-Waleid was called “The sword of Allah”. Then [PPBUH] said (Go forth, support your brothers and no one shall be absent). So, the people went ahead and it was so hot then.

It was narrated about Ja’far [AAH] in the conquest of Mo’tah, that he attacked on a blond horse of his then he wounded its leg and he fought until he was killed. He [AAH] was the first one in Islam to do that, i.e. to wound the legs of his mount in order to have no way back, out of courage. And he said:

What a beloved is the paradise and its approaching                                    

                                                               It is pleasant and its drink is cold

And the Romans are the purpose and their torture was close                      

                                                if I meet them, then it will be with my hits

His Martyrdom [AAH] in Mo’tah:

A roman man hit him and cut him into two pieces. They found in one half more than thirty wounds. It was narrated from Ibn Omar that he said “ We lost Ja’far the day of Mo’tah, we found more than ninty wound between a stab and throw and we found that in what was showing of his body”.

It was narrated from Asmaa bent Umays, the wife of Ja’far, that she said “The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] entered my house and called out the sons of Ja’far. I saw Him [PPBUH] smelled them, then his eyes shed tears. I said: O, Messenger of Allah, did you know anything about Ja’far? He [PPBUH] said (Yes, He was killed today). Then we stood up and began to weep. He [PPBUH] returned and said (Make some food for the household of Ja’far, as they are busy from their own selves). It was narrated also that sayyda Aisha [AAH] said “When Ja’far died, we realized the sadness in the face of The Prophet [PPBUH]”.

Ja’far The Flyer [AAH]:

Ibn Abbas [AAH] narrated that:

While the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] was sitting and Asmaa bent Umays was near to him, He [PPBUH] said (O, Asmaa this is Ja’far with Gebriel and Mikhail just passed. He told me that he met with the polytheist people the day of so-and-so. And he saluted you, so answer his salute. He also said that he met the polytheists and had seventy three hits him in his front parts. Then he took the flag with his right hand, but it was cut, then he took it with his left hand and it was also cut. He said: Allah compensated me instead of my hands with two wings. I flying with them with Gebril and Mikhail in the paradise and eating from its fruits).

Ibn Abbas [AAH] narrated that the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] said (I saw Ja’far ibn Abi-Talib as an angel in paradise and his front parts stained with blood, flying in paradise). Ibn Omar used to say to Abdullah ibn Ja’far, if he saluted him, “Peace be upon you, O, son of the one with two wings”.

Edited by Samir Gamal

Translated by Fatima az-Zahraa.

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

Editors Team