Men Around The Prophet

When the seventy Ansaar gave their allegiance to the Messenger of Allah(PBUH) in the Second Pledge of `Aqabah, `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr Ibn Hiraam, alsoknown as Abu Jaabir Ibn `Abd Allah, was one of them. When the Messenger ofAllah (PBUH) chose some leaders among them, `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr was one ofthese leaders. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) made him the leader of his people, the Bani Salamah. When they returned to Al-Madiinah, he sacrificed himself, his money, and his family in the service of Islam. After the Messenger'sHijrah to Al-Madiinah, Abu Jaabir found utmost enjoyment in accompanyingthe Prophet (PBUH) day and night.

In the Battle of Badr, he went out fighting like a hero. At Uhud he dreamed of his death before the Muslims went out to battle. He was overwhelmed by a true sense that he was not coming back, and his heart was full of joy.He called to him his son Jaabir Ibn Abd Allah, the noble Companion, and said, "I see myself killed in this battle. Maybe I'll be the first martyr among the Muslims. By Allah, I'll leave no one that I like more than you afterthe Messenger of Allah (PBUH). I am in debt, so pay my debts and make yourbrothers your own concern.

The next morning the Muslims went out to encounter the Quraish that had come in an uproarious army to invade their peaceful city. A dreadful battle raged, at the beginning of which the Muslims achieved rapid victory. It could have been a decisive victory but for the archers, whom the Messenger (PBUH) had ordered to stay at their positions and never to leave them, who were temptedby this quick victory over the Quraish. They left their positions on themountain and were preoccupied with gathering the booty of the defeated army!The Quraish quickly gathered its scattered remnants when it found the Muslims'back completely exposed. They surprised them by a quick attack from behind,changing the Muslim victory into defeat.

During this bitter fight, `Abd Allah lbn Amr died as a martyr. When the Muslims went to find their martyrs after the fighting had ended, Jaabir Ibn `Abd Allah went to search for his father. He found him among the martyrs, whom the polytheists had made a dreadful display of along with other heroes. Jaabir and some of his family were crying over the martyr of Islam `AbdAllah Ibn `Amr Ibn Hiraam when the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) passed by.He said, "Cry over him or not, the angels are here to shade him with theirwings!"

Abu Jaabir's belief was strong. His love, or even eagerness, to die inthe cause of Allah was his greatest ambition. Afterward, the Messenger ofAllah (PBUH) announced the great news that depicted his great fondness ofmartyrdom. One day he (PBUH) said to `Abd Allah's son Jaabir, "O Jaabir,Allah has never spoken to anyone but from behind a veil, but He has spokento me face to face. He said, `O slave, ask Me to give you.' He said, `O Allah,I ask You to return me to earth, to be killed again in Your cause.' Allahanswered him," I said before: They will not return to them.' He said, `OAllah, then inform those after me of the blessings you have bestowed on us.'So exalted Allah sent down: "Think not of those who are killed in the wayof Allah as dead Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision.They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty, rejoicingfor the sake of those who have not joined them, but are left behind (notyet martyred) that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve" (3:169-170).

When the Muslims were identifying their pious martyrs after the Battleof Uhud and the family of `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr had identified his corpse,his wife carried him, together with her brother who was martyred also, onher camel. She began taking them back to Al-Madiinah to bury them there.Likewise did some other Muslims for their martyrs. But the crier of the Messengerof Allah (PBUH) caught up with them and announced the Messenger's order:Bury the martyrs on their battle-ground. So they all returned with theirmartyrs.

The Noble Prophet (PBUH) was supervising the burial of his martyred Companions who had fulfilled their promise to Allah and sacrificed their precious souls as humble offerings to Allah and His Messenger. When it was `Abd Allah lbn Hiraam's turn to be buried, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) called, "Bury Abd Allah Ibn `Amr and `Amr Ibn Al-Jamuuh in one grave; they were loving and sincereto each other in this world."

Now, during the moments of preparing the happy grave to receive the two noble martyrs, let us have a loving look at the second martyr, `Amr Ibn Al-Jamuuh!