Mu'adh ibn Jabal
Encyclopedia
Muadh ibn Jabal is considered in Islam
a sahaba
(a person who knew the Prophet Muhammad
during his lifetime, believed in him and died upon the believe in the Prophet).
. He was a native of Medina
and was there during most of Muhammad's lifetime. He was noted for his intelligence, quick wit, potency in speech, and for his prominent standing between people. He was also described as a very attractive looking individual with dark eyes and eyelashes. His teeth were extremely white and his hair was African in its curliness. Books referring to his physical appearance say that the onlooker would be stunned by his good looks.
. He traveled to Mecca
to participate in Bayatul Aqabah
with 71 other people. In the Bayaa
, he embraced Muhammad and pledged to uphold the religion of Islam. When he came back from Mecca, he formed a small posse of youth from his community and they vowed to destroy the idol
s that were kept in Medina. It was because of him and his posse that one of the most respectable people of Medina converted to Islam. That person was Amr ibn al-Jamuh
, and he was one of the leaders of the tribe of Banu Salamah.
Amr had a magnificent idol carved of wood which was similar to the one of all the other noblemen, except for the fact that he took explicit care of it in every way. He clothed it with silk and painted it with the sweetest smelling extracts. The name of his idol was Manah, and he honored it more than anything in the world.
Muadh spotted the idol and under the cover of darkness he and companions took the idol from its place. On awakening, Amr prepared to paint the idol with aromatic essences. Shocked to see that it was missing, he spent most of the day looking for his idol until he found it behind the houses of Banu Salamah. It was planted face first in the middle of the hole into which the tribe stuffed refuse and human waste. He was deeply offended by this and said "Woe to you he who dare attack our lord in the middle of the night!" and after taking it out, cleaning it, purifying it, dressing it, and painting it with perfumes he said to it "Oh Manah, if I only knew who did this to you, I would humiliate him everywhere."
The next night the boys did the same thing but this time planting it firmly in another family's septic hole. Amr woke up and to his shock the idol was missing again. He searched everywhere until he found it in the septic hole and then he took it out repeated the process of purifying and then warned the idol to watch for people that would do this to it again. When the process recurred the next night, he cleaned the idol and told it "Oh Manah, I have nothing in my power to protect you with so take this sword and if you are of any worth you will protect your self." While saying that he hung a sword by a rope around the neck of the idol and left. That night the posse came and took the sword, tied it to the neck of a dead dog, tied the dog to the idol, and dumped the idol head first into a septic hole. When Amr woke up, he searched for his idol and found it tied to the dog, headfirst in a waste hole. He said "Obviously, you are worth nothing and not a god because if you were you would not be tied up to a dead dog and put headfirst into a septic hole." After this he went and declared his Islam and became a very prominent Muslim.
and master at Islamic knowledge. This was supported by Yazeed ibn Qutayb when he said: "I entered a mosque in Homs
and saw a young man with afro like hair and the people gathering around him. I asked who is this young man and they said to me he is Muadh bin Jabal. Abu Muslim al-Khawlani
also said: I came to a mosque in Damascus
and saw older men conversing in religion and every time they had an argument they reported to Muadh to see the answer to their debate. I asked who is that young man and I was told that it was Muadh ibn Jabal.
Muhammad said that this man is the most knowledgeable of his nation in the matters of Halal
and Haraam
. He was also one of the six called Kutab al-Wahi who compiled the Qur'an under the authority of Muhammad.
The six were
Muhammad is quoted by Sunnis as saying "Learn the Qur'an
from four persons: Abd-Allah ibn Mas'ud, Salim Mawla Abu-Hudhayfah, Ubayy ibn Kab
and Muadh ibn Jabal."
Sahih al-Bukhari
says :
When Muadh returned to Medina, the Khalifa
was Abu Bakr
.
's Caliphate. The governor of Syria, Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan sent a message informing Umar that the people of Syria were many and they needed someone to teach them the Quran and instruct them in religion. Umar thereupon summoned five persons who had collected the Quran in the lifetime of Muhammad. They were Muadh ibn Jabal, Ubadah ibn asSamit, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
, Ubayy ibn Kab
and Abu adDardaa. He said to them:
"Your brothers in Syria have asked me to help them by sending those who can teach them the Quran and instruct them in the religion. Please appoint three among you for this task and may God bless you. I can select three of you myself if you do not want to put the matter to the vote."
"Why should we vote?" they asked. "Abu Ayyub is quite old and Ubayy is a sick man. That leaves three of us." "All three of you go to Homs first of all. If you are satisfied with the condition of the people there, one of you should stay there, another should go to Damascus and the other to Palestine."
So it was that Ubadah ibn as-Samit was left at Homs, Abu ad-Dardaa went to Damascus and Muadh went to Palestine.
of Muhammad. Historical accounts estimated that about 25,000 people died in this outbreak. Muadh had two wives and a son named Abdur Rahman, all of which caught the plague and died. It was with his name that Muadh received the title "Abu Abdur Rahman". Thereafter, Muadh fell ill with the plague that had affected the whole area. It is reported that he died 18 years after the Hijra at the age of 38. People claim that his tomb is at Ghor in the Jordan Valley.
(10:74) said that its narrators are all trustworthy (thiqat), while Suyuti declared it hasan in his Jami` al-saghir (#7701).
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
a sahaba
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
(a person who knew the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
during his lifetime, believed in him and died upon the believe in the Prophet).
Early life
Muadh was a young boy when Muhammad started preaching the message of IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. He was a native of Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
and was there during most of Muhammad's lifetime. He was noted for his intelligence, quick wit, potency in speech, and for his prominent standing between people. He was also described as a very attractive looking individual with dark eyes and eyelashes. His teeth were extremely white and his hair was African in its curliness. Books referring to his physical appearance say that the onlooker would be stunned by his good looks.
Conversion of Amr ibn al-Jamuh
He became a Muslim at the hands of Musab bin Umair, who was sent to Medina as a missionary before the HijraHijra
Hijra as an Arabic word meaning migration or flight may refer to:* The Hijra is the emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE, marking the first year of the Islamic calendar, 1 AH * Hijri year, marks the start of the Hijri year of the Islamic calendar*...
. He traveled to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
to participate in Bayatul Aqabah
Second pledge at al-Aqabah
The Second pledge at al-Aqabah was an important event that preceded the Migration to Medina.-Event:Converts to Islam came from nearly all Arab tribes present in Medina, such that by June of the subsequent year there were seventy-five Muslims coming to Mecca for pilgrimage and to meet Muhammad...
with 71 other people. In the Bayaa
Bayaa
The bayaa ceremony is performed in Islamic societies, as a means to formally endorse the rule of a newly-appointed Caliph, Imam, Sultan or other leader, by a pledge of allegiance.- Overview :...
, he embraced Muhammad and pledged to uphold the religion of Islam. When he came back from Mecca, he formed a small posse of youth from his community and they vowed to destroy the idol
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
s that were kept in Medina. It was because of him and his posse that one of the most respectable people of Medina converted to Islam. That person was Amr ibn al-Jamuh
Amr ibn al-Jamuh
Amr ibn al-Jamuh was an ansari sahabi. He died in the Battle of Uhud.-References:...
, and he was one of the leaders of the tribe of Banu Salamah.
Amr had a magnificent idol carved of wood which was similar to the one of all the other noblemen, except for the fact that he took explicit care of it in every way. He clothed it with silk and painted it with the sweetest smelling extracts. The name of his idol was Manah, and he honored it more than anything in the world.
Muadh spotted the idol and under the cover of darkness he and companions took the idol from its place. On awakening, Amr prepared to paint the idol with aromatic essences. Shocked to see that it was missing, he spent most of the day looking for his idol until he found it behind the houses of Banu Salamah. It was planted face first in the middle of the hole into which the tribe stuffed refuse and human waste. He was deeply offended by this and said "Woe to you he who dare attack our lord in the middle of the night!" and after taking it out, cleaning it, purifying it, dressing it, and painting it with perfumes he said to it "Oh Manah, if I only knew who did this to you, I would humiliate him everywhere."
The next night the boys did the same thing but this time planting it firmly in another family's septic hole. Amr woke up and to his shock the idol was missing again. He searched everywhere until he found it in the septic hole and then he took it out repeated the process of purifying and then warned the idol to watch for people that would do this to it again. When the process recurred the next night, he cleaned the idol and told it "Oh Manah, I have nothing in my power to protect you with so take this sword and if you are of any worth you will protect your self." While saying that he hung a sword by a rope around the neck of the idol and left. That night the posse came and took the sword, tied it to the neck of a dead dog, tied the dog to the idol, and dumped the idol head first into a septic hole. When Amr woke up, he searched for his idol and found it tied to the dog, headfirst in a waste hole. He said "Obviously, you are worth nothing and not a god because if you were you would not be tied up to a dead dog and put headfirst into a septic hole." After this he went and declared his Islam and became a very prominent Muslim.
Accomplishments
When Muhammad arrived in Medina, Muadh was always around him until he became one of the top readers of Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
and master at Islamic knowledge. This was supported by Yazeed ibn Qutayb when he said: "I entered a mosque in Homs
Homs
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
and saw a young man with afro like hair and the people gathering around him. I asked who is this young man and they said to me he is Muadh bin Jabal. Abu Muslim al-Khawlani
Abu Muslim al-Khawlani
Abu Muslim Al-Khawlani was a well known tabi'i and a very prominent religious figure in Damascus, Syria. He was one of the 'Eight Ascetics,' who included Amir ibn Abd al-Qays, Abu Muslim al-Khawlani, Uways al-Qarani, Al-Rabi ibn Khuthaym, al-Aswad ibn Yazid, Masruq ibn al-Ajda', Sufyan al-Thawrt...
also said: I came to a mosque in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and saw older men conversing in religion and every time they had an argument they reported to Muadh to see the answer to their debate. I asked who is that young man and I was told that it was Muadh ibn Jabal.
Muhammad said that this man is the most knowledgeable of his nation in the matters of Halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
and Haraam
Haraam
Haraam is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden", or "sacred". In Islam it is used to refer to anything that is prohibited by the word of Allah in the Qur'an or the Hadith Qudsi. Haraam is the highest status of prohibition given to anything that would result in sin when a Muslim commits it...
. He was also one of the six called Kutab al-Wahi who compiled the Qur'an under the authority of Muhammad.
The six were
- Ali Ibn Abi Talib
- Abu Ad Darda
- Ubadah Ibn al-Samit
- Abu Ayub al-Ansari
- Ubay ibn Kaab
- Muadh ibn Jabal
Muhammad is quoted by Sunnis as saying "Learn the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
from four persons: Abd-Allah ibn Mas'ud, Salim Mawla Abu-Hudhayfah, Ubayy ibn Kab
Ubayy ibn Kab
Ubay ibn Ka'b , also known as Abu Mundhir , was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a person of high esteem in the early Muslim community.-Biography:...
and Muadh ibn Jabal."
Sahih al-Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
says :
Last meeting with Muhammad
When Muhammad was sending Muadh to Yemen to teach the people about Islam, he personally bade farewell to him and walked for some distance alongside Muadh as he set out to leave the city. It is said Muhammad informed Muadh that on his return to Medina, he will perhaps see only his Masjid and grave. Upon hearing this, Muadh began to cry.When Muadh returned to Medina, the Khalifa
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
was Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death...
.
Muadh during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr and Umar
Muadh lived through the Caliphate of Abu Bakr and was a very respected figure during UmarUmar
`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....
's Caliphate. The governor of Syria, Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan sent a message informing Umar that the people of Syria were many and they needed someone to teach them the Quran and instruct them in religion. Umar thereupon summoned five persons who had collected the Quran in the lifetime of Muhammad. They were Muadh ibn Jabal, Ubadah ibn asSamit, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari - born Khalid ibn Zayd ibn Kulayb in Yathrib - hailed from the tribe of Banu Najjar and was a close companion of Muhammad. Abu Ayyub was one among the Ansar of early Muslim history, or those who supported Muhammad after the hijra to Medina in 622...
, Ubayy ibn Kab
Ubayy ibn Kab
Ubay ibn Ka'b , also known as Abu Mundhir , was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a person of high esteem in the early Muslim community.-Biography:...
and Abu adDardaa. He said to them:
"Your brothers in Syria have asked me to help them by sending those who can teach them the Quran and instruct them in the religion. Please appoint three among you for this task and may God bless you. I can select three of you myself if you do not want to put the matter to the vote."
"Why should we vote?" they asked. "Abu Ayyub is quite old and Ubayy is a sick man. That leaves three of us." "All three of you go to Homs first of all. If you are satisfied with the condition of the people there, one of you should stay there, another should go to Damascus and the other to Palestine."
So it was that Ubadah ibn as-Samit was left at Homs, Abu ad-Dardaa went to Damascus and Muadh went to Palestine.
Final Days of Muadh
It is reported that in 630 A.D., the town of Amwaas in Palestine was hit with a severe plague. The plague caused the death of many prominent sahabaSahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
of Muhammad. Historical accounts estimated that about 25,000 people died in this outbreak. Muadh had two wives and a son named Abdur Rahman, all of which caught the plague and died. It was with his name that Muadh received the title "Abu Abdur Rahman". Thereafter, Muadh fell ill with the plague that had affected the whole area. It is reported that he died 18 years after the Hijra at the age of 38. People claim that his tomb is at Ghor in the Jordan Valley.
Ahadith transmitted by Muadh bin Jabal
Mu`adh ibn Jabal said that Muhammad said: "The People of Paradise will not regret except one thing alone: the hour that passed them by and in which they made no remembrance of Allah." Narrated by Bayhaqi in Shu`ab al-iman (1:392 #512-513) and by Tabarani. Haythami in Majma al-Zawa'idMajma al-Zawa'id
Majma' al-Zawa'id wa Manba' al-Fawa'id is a secondary hadith collection written by Ali ibn Abu Bakr al-Haythami . It compiles the 'unique' hadith of earlier primary collections-Al-Zawa'id:...
(10:74) said that its narrators are all trustworthy (thiqat), while Suyuti declared it hasan in his Jami` al-saghir (#7701).
Quotes by Muadh ibn Jabal
It is said that Muadh bin Jabal advised his son, "My son! Pray the prayer of he who is just about to leave and imagine that you might not be able to pray ever again. Know that the believer dies between two good deeds; one that he performed and one that he intended to perform later on." quote taken from Siffat as SafwahSee also
- Jabal (name)Jabal (name)Jabal is a male Arabic given name that means mountain.it was also named 'as-sadiq and yunus chelsea football club have won the most titles overall in european historyPeople using it in their patronymic includucu*Mu'adh ibn Jabal...
- Mua'dh (name)Mua'dh (name)Mua'dh or Maaz is a male Arabic given name.Information on the meaning of the name is available here: .People named Hisham include:*Mu'adh ibn JabalPeople using it in their patronymic include:*Sa'd ibn Mua'dh...
- List of Muslims
- SalafSalafA Salaf is an early Muslim of the first three generations of proponents of the religion.-First generation:* See: List of SahabaThe Salaf are the first generation of Muslims, which included Muhammad's companions and followers at the time....
- SahabaSahabaIn Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
- Sunni view of the Sahaba
External links
- http://alislaah2.tripod.com/caliphs/id11.html