The Prophet (PBUH) asked Abu Al-Mundhir
one day, 'Which is the greatest verse in
the Holy Qur'aan?" He answered,
"Allah and His Prophet know
best." The Prophet (PBUH) then
repeated his question, "Which is
the greatest verse in the Holy Qur'aan,
Abu Al-Mundhir?" Ubaiy finally
answered < Allah! None has
the right to be worshiped but He, the
Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and
protects all that exists ...> (2:
255)
The
Prophet's face brightened with joy as he
patted Abu Al-Mundhir on the back and
said, "I congratulate you for
having such knowledge and insight, Abu
Al-Mundhir."
Abu
Al-Mundhir whom the Prophet (PBUH)
congratulated for the insight that Allah
had bestowed on him is Ubaiy Ibn Ka'b,
the great Companion. He was one of the
Ansaar, the citizens of Al-Madiinah who
helped and aided the Muhaajtruun. He
belonged to Al-Khazraj tribe. He
witnessed the Pledge of Al-'Aqabah, the
Battle of Badr, and the rest of the
great events. He held a highly
distiguished position among those who
were the first to commit themselves to
Islam.
The
Commander of the Faithful 'Umar (May
Allah be pleased with him) said, "Ubaiy
is the master of the Muslims."
Ubaiy
ibn Ka'b was one of the first Muslim
scribes who wrote down the revelation
that descended on the Prophet (PBUH) as
well as messages. He was a pioneer in
learning the Holy Qur'aan by heart,
reciting it in a slow, pleasant tone and
comprehending its content.
One
day, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said to
Ubaiy Ibn Ka'b, "I was ordered to
recite the Qur'aan to you." Ubaiy
knew that the Prophet (PBUH) took his
orders from the Spirit, therefore, he
was overwhelmed with thrill and asked
the Prophet (PBUH) anxiously, "You
are dearer to me than my own mother and
father! Please tell me, did the Spirit
mention me by name?" The Prophet (PBUH)
answered, "Yes, it resounded your
very name and your family name in the
kingdom of heaven and earth."
Now, a
Muslim who was so close to the Prophet (PBUH)
must indeed be a special one. Throughout
the years in which Ubaiy Ibn Ka'b
accompanied the Prophet (PBUH), he tried
to stay close to him so as to quench his
thirst for Islam from the Prophet's
inexhaustible spring. Ubaiy Ibn Ka'b
adhered tenaciously to his covenant in
worship, piety, and conduct. Even after
the Prophet's death, he was always there
to warn people against wrong-doing and
remind them of their pledge, morals, and
asceticism when the Prophet was alive.
He used to address his companions in
such impressive words saying, "We
stood as one man when the Prophet was
alive, but as soon as he departed we
went in different directions."
He was
steadfast in his adherence to piety. He
resorted to asceticism to escape life's
seduction and delusion. He saw that life
really begins when it ends and that no
matter how long a man lives in luxury
surrounded by graces and blessings, he
will end up empty-handed but for his
good deeds and bad deeds. Ubaiy
contemplated about life and said,
"Man's food is a good example of
what life is all about, for no matter
how much you are careful that it tastes
delicious and that its ingredients are
well proportioned, look what it turns to
after you digest it."
Whenever
Ubaiy addressed people, he was like a
magnet that attracted their attention
and interest. He feared no one but Allah
and desired nothing of life. When Islam
gained more lands and influence and he
saw that Muslims flattered their rulers,
he warned saying, "They are ruined
and will ruin others. I don't pity them,
but I pity the Muslims that they will
ruin."
His
extreme piety and fear of Allah made him
cry whenever Allah or the Day of
Judgment was mentioned. The noble
Qur'aan's verses shook his heart and
soul whenever he recited them or heard
them recited. Yet a certain verse made
him incredibly sad: < He has
the power to send torment on you from
above or from under your feet, or to
cover you with confusion in party
strife, and make you to taste the
violence of one another > (6:65).
The
thing that Ubaiy most dreaded was that
one day the Islamic nation would suffer
turmoil and violence at the hands of its
own sons. He always asked Allah's safety
and protection. He won it by Allah's
mercy and grace and met Allah as a true
believer who felt completely secure and
rewarded.
Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas),
a West African Islamic Academic founded AWQAF Africa, of
which he's the first al Amir (i.e. President).
Sheikh Dr. Adelabu was studying Postgraduate Degrees in
Damascus early 1990's during when Syria reviewed its
national security after an �Oslo Accord'...
Syria like many other countries around the world
witnessed, during this period, the flood of refugees
from war troubled nations like Somalia, arrival of
people from Algeria during the brutal struggling between
the Mujahidun and the government, resettlement of the
Palestinians fleeing from sophisticated guns of the
Israelis as well as adventure of African migrants for
reasons uncountable�
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