[17] Some Extraordinary Personalities of The First Three Generations

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Ismaa’eel Bin Ayyaash said that Amr Bin Muhaajir said: When Umar Bin Abdil Azeez became the Khalifah, he stood in front of the people, praised Allah and then said:

“O people! Verily, there is no Book after the Qur’an and no Prophet after Muhammad, peace be upon him. Indeed, I am not a judge, rather I am one upon whom it is obligated to comply with commands and prohibitions. Indeed, I am not an innovator in religion, but rather I am one who adheres to the Sunnah. Verily a man who flees from an oppressive leader cannot be a wrong doer, [Footnote a] but that oppressive leader is the disobedient one. Indeed, there is no obedience to the creation in disobedience to the Creator, The Mighty and Majestic”.

Az-Zubayr Bin Bakkaar said: Muhammad Bin Sallaam informed me that Sallaam Bin Saleem said: When Umar Bin Abdil Azeez became the Khaleefah, he climbed the Minbar – and that was the first Khutbah he delivered, then he praised and exalted Allah, and said:

“O people! Whoever accompanies us, then let him accompany us with five affairs otherwise let him disassociate from us: Let him inform us of the needs of those who are not able to inform us, help us to do good by his guidance, direct us to good by way of that which he guides himself, refrain from backbiting anyone in our presence and not engage in that which does not concern him”.

After this speech of his, the poets and sermonisers disassociated from him, but the Zuhhad and the Fuqahaa kept close company with him and said, “We cannot disassociate from this man until he opposes what he has stated”.

Sufyan Ibn Uyaynah said: When Umar Bin Abdil Azeez became the Khalifah, he contacted Muhammad Bin Kab, Rajaa Bin Haywah and Salim Bin Abdillah and said to them: “You have seen that which I have been put to trial and indeed it has fallen upon me, so what advice do you have?” Muhammad Bin kab said: “Consider the old man a father, the young person a brother and the little one as your child, so be good to your father, keep ties with your brother and be kind to your child”. Rajaa said to him, “Wish for the people what you wish for yourself, hate for them what you hate for yourself and do not approach them except in manner you would like them to approach you”. Salim said, “Concentrate on one matter by degrading the lusts of the worldly life and let your innate disposition be directed towards reflecting upon death”. Umar said: “Laa Hawla Walaa Quwwata illaa Billaah”.

Whenever he faced a difficult matter, he would gather the jurists of Madinah, particularly ten of them and would not firmly decide on a matter without them or some of them, and they were Urwah, Ubaydullah Bin Abdillah Ibn Utbah, AbuBakr Bin Abdir Rahman Ibn Al-Harith Ibn Hisham, AbuBakr Bin Sulayman Ibn Khaythama, Salayman Bin Yasar, Al-Qasim Bin Muhammad Ibn Hazm, Salim Bin Abdillah, Abdullah Bin Aamir Ibn Rabee’ah and Kharijah Bin Zayd Ibn Thaabit. He never used to hold a view that was different from that of Sa’eed Ibn Al-Musayyib, and Sa’eed did not use to visit any of the caliphs besides Umar Ibn Abdil Azeez in Madinah. [1]

Khalid Ibn Safwan, may Allah have mercy upon him, reported: I met Maslamah Ibn Abdil Malik, may Allah have mercy upon him, in a state of bewilderment, so he said to me: ”O Khalid! Inform me about Hasan Al-Basree, for indeed I think that you know about his affair that which none else knows”. I said:

”May Allah rectify the affairs of the Ameer, I am the best of those to inform you about him based on knowledge. I was a neighbour of his, I sat with him and I sat in his gatherings”. He (Maslamah) said to me, ”Give what you have (of information)”. I said:

”Indeed, he was a man whose private affairs were the same as his public affairs (i.e. what he believed and did in private was the same as what he believed and did in public), and his speech conformed to his actions. When he commanded good, he was the one who acted upon it the most, and when he forbade evil, he was the one who abandoned it the most. Indeed, I saw him free from having any need of the people and abstaining from what the people possessed, but the people were in need of him and sought after what he had.” Maslamah said, ”Enough O Khalid! How can people be misguided when the likes of such a person was amongst them”. [2]

Footnote a: https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2021/02/10/believers-bahaviour-towards-muslim-rulers-advise-given-in-private-supplicate-for-them-and-refrain-from-rebellion-so-beware-of-spiteful-foreign-instigators-and-some-dangerous-social-media-networ/

[1] An Excerpt from Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah. Vol 9. Pages 193-202. Publisher: Maktabah Al-Ma’aarif and Daar ibn Hazm. 9th Edition. 1414 AH (1994)

[2] Suwar Min Hayaat At-taab’een Lis-saf Ath-thaalitha Al-Mutawassit page 14. Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education