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The
Infantry Hero
His son lyaas summarized all his virtues
in just one sentence:
"My father never lied." To be
described by this singular virtue makes
a person elligible for a highly elevated
position among the pious and virtuous.
Salamah Ibn Al-Akwa achieved such a
position, one which he deserved. Salamah
was one of the rare Arab spearmen, but
he was also famous for his courage,
generosity, and charitable deeds.
He
sincerely submitted himself to Islam;
then it was Islam that molded his
personality according to its system.
Salamah
was one of those who attended the Pledge
of Radwaan.
In
A.H. 6, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam) and his Companions aimed at
visiting the Sacred House in Makkah, but
the Quraish hindered them from doing so.
The
Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
sent 'Uthmaan Ibn 'Affaan to tell them
that he came as a visitor, not as a
fighter. While they awaited ‘Uthmaan's
return, a rumor spread that the Quraish
had killed him. The Prophet (PBUH) sat
under a shady tree to take the
Companion's oath of allegiance, one by
one. They gave him their word to be
ready to die.
Salamah
reported: I swore the oath of allegiance
in front of the Prophet to be ready to
die. Then I stepped aside. When the
crowd of people nearly ended, the
Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
said," O Salamah, aren't you going
to swear your oath of allegiance?"
I said, "I've already done
that." He said," Again."
I swore the oath again.
Salamah
had redeemed his oath long before that
day. He redeemed it since the day he
admitted that there is no god but Allah
and Muhammad is His Messenger. He said,
"I joined the Prophet (sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam) in seven battles and
joined Zaid Ibn Haarithah in nine
battles."
He was
one of the most skillful warriors as an
infantryman and one of the best to shoot
arrows and throw spears. His tactics
were similar to present day guerilla
warfare: if an enemy approached, he
retreated waiting for him to move
backwards or to take a rest, in order to
attack him by suprise. In this way he
was able to chase alone the force led by
Uyainah Ibn Hifi. Al-Fizaarii which
raided the environs of Al-Madiinah in
the Dhii Qarad Raid. Totally alone, he
followed their traces, then continued
fighting and pushing them away from Al-
Madiinah until the Prophet (sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam) reached him with a
great number of Companions. On that day
the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
said to the Companions, "Our best
infantryman is Salamah Ibn Al-Akwa.
Salamah
never knew deep sorrow and anxiety
except when his brother 'Aamir Ibn Al-Akwa'
died during the Battle of Al- Khaibar.
‘Aamir
was the one singing in front of the
Muslim army:
Had it not been for You
We would not have been guided,
Nor prayed nor given charity.
Bless us with tranquility,
And let us be strong and firm-hearted
when meeting our enemies.
In that battle 'Aamir wanted to strike a
polytheist with his sword. However, his
sword bent and its edge injured him
fatally. Some Muslims said, "Poor
‘Aamir, he has been deprived of
martyrdom."
Salamah's
anxiety was severe because he thought,
like others, that his brother, who had
killed himself accidently, was deprived
of the recompense of jihaad and the
reward of martyrdom. But soon the
Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
put things in their right order when
Salamah went to him saying. "O
Messenger of Allah, is it true that by
dying in this way ‘Aamir has been
deprived of the reward of all his
previous deeds?" The Messenger (sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam) answered, "He has
been killed as a mujaahid. He is to be
granted two rewards. He is right now
swimming in the rivers of
Paradise."
Salamah
was very generous. However, he was more
so when asked to give something for the
sake of Allah. If someone had asked him
to give away his life for the sake of
Allah, he would not have hesitated to do
so. People knew this attitude of his, so
when anyone needed something, he just
asked him for the sake of Allah. He
always said, "If someone would not
give for the sake of Allah, for whose
sake then would he give?"
On the
day of Uthmaan's murder (May Allah be
pleased with him) the great mujaahid
realized that the gates of sedition had
been opened. How could it be possible
for him who had fought among his
brethren all his life to turn into a
warrior against his brethren? It was not
his right to use his fighting skill,
which had been praised by the Prophet (sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam), against believers and
Muslims.
It was
therefore more proper that he carry his
belongings and leave Al-Madiinah for a
place called Ar-Rabzah, the same place
to which Abu Dhar chose to emigrate and
settle.
Salamah
spent the rest of his life at Ar-Rabzah.
In A.H. 74 his burning desire took him
to Al-Madiinah, where he spent one or
two days as a visitor, and on the third
day he died. It was as if the dear,
moist earth of Al-Madiinah appealed to
him to offer his body a cool, safe
shelter, as it had previously offered
all the blessed Companions and pious and
virtuous marytrs.
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