On the Day of Badr, he was one of the
leaders who took up their swords to put
an end to Islam. He was sharp-sighted
and a perfect estimator, so his people
delegated him to determine the number of
Muslims who set forth with the Messenger
and to see if the Muslims had ambushers
or reinforcements behind them. 'Umair
Ibn Wahb Al-Jamhii galloped on his horse
round the camp of the Muslims, then
returned to his people and told them
that there were about 300 men, and his
estimation was right.
They asked him if they had
reinforcements behind them. He said,
"I found nothing. But 0 you Quraish,
I saw horses carrying veritable death.
They have neither fortitude nor refuge
except their swords. By Allah! I see if
one of them is killed, one of you will
be killed also. If they killed the same
number as you, what would be the benefit
of life after that? Think wisely."
Some of the leaders of the Quraish were
affected by his opinion and what he had
said and were about to gather their men
and return to Makkah without fighting,
were it not for Abu Jahl who altered
their opinion and ignited the fire of
spite and war, in which he was its first
victim.
The Quraish gave him the epithet
"The Satan of Quraish". On the
Day of Badr, the Satan of Quraish fought
fiercely and wildly, but the forces of
the Quraish returned to Makkah
completely beaten and "Umair Ibn
Wahb left a part of himself at Al-Madiinah,
as the Muslims had taken his son as a
prisoner of war.
One day, he joined his cousin fiafwaan
Ibn Umaiyah who was chewing his enemies
in deadly bitterness because his father
Umaiyah Ibn Khalaf had been killed at
Badr and his bones buried at AI-Qaliib.
Safwaan and 'Umair sat together
ruminating on their enemies. Let "Urwah
Ibn Az- Zubair tell us their long
dialogue:
Safwaan, mentioning those who were
killed at Badr said, "By Allah,
there isn't any good in life after
them." 'Umair said, "That's
true. By Allah, were it not for debts
that I'm unable to repay and my children
who I fear might be vagabonds after me,
I would ride to Muhammad and kill him. I
have a plausable reason to give him.
I'll say that I have come for the sake
of my son, a prisoner of war."
Safwaan seized the chance and said,
"I'll repay your debts and maintain
your children with mine and comfort them
as long as they live." 'Umair
agreed and said, "Keep it
secret." Then he ordered his sword
to be sharpened and poisoned and set
out.
When he arrived at Al-Madiinah, 'Umar
Ibn Al-Khattaab was sitting among some
of the Muslims talking about the Day of
Badr. 'Umar looked and saw 'Umair Ibn
Wahb, girded with his sword, making his
camel kneel at the door of the mosque. 'Umarsaid,
"That dog, the enemy of Allah, 'Umair
Ibn Wahb! By Allah, he has come for
nothing but evil. It is he who provoked
us on the Day of Badr."
'Umar entered and said to the Messenger
(PBUH), "0 Prophet of Allah , here
is the enemy of Allah, 'Umair Ibn Wahb
come girded with his sword."
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Let him
in." 'Umar came and took him by the
scabbard of his sword round his neck and
said to some of the men, "Enter and
sit with the Prophet (PBUH) and be
cautious of that fellow, he is
dishonest." Then "Umar entered
holding the scabbard of his sword round
his neck and when the Prophet saw him,
he told 'Umar to let him alone and said
to "Umair, "Draw nearer."
'Umair approached and said, "Good
morning." That was the salutation
in the period of Jahiliyah.
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Allah has
honored us with a better salutation than
yours. It is As-Salaam, the salutation
of the believers in Paradise."
"Umair said, "O, Muhammad, by
Allah I have heard it recently."
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "What made
you come, 'Umair?" "Umair
said, "I have come for the sake of
this captive in your hands." The
Prophet (PBUH) said, " Tell the
truth, 'Umair, what have you come for, 'Umair,
"I have come for that
purpose." The Prophet (PBUH) said,
"But you sat with Safwaan Ibn
Umaiyah at Al-Hijir and mentioned those
of Al-Qaliib from the Quraish, then you
said, were it not for my debts and my
children, I would ride and kill
Muhammad. Safwaan promised to repay your
debts and maintain your children on
condition that you kill me, but Allah
prevented you from doing so."
At the moment, 'Umair cried, "I
witness that there is no god but Allah
and that you are His Prophet. That
matter wasn't attended by anyone except
Safwaan and me. By Allah, Allah told it
to you. Praise be to Allah who guided me
to Islam." The Prophet (PBUH) said
to his companions, "Teach your
brother the religion and how to reach
the Qur'aan and set free the prisoner of
war."
Thus, "Umair Ibn Wahb embraced
Islam. Thus, the Satan of Quraish was so
overwhelmed by the light of the Prophet
(PBUH) and the light of Islam that, in a
moment, he embraced Islam and turned
into the Disciple of Islam.
'Umar Ibn Al-Khaftaab, (May Allah be
pleased with him) said, "By Allah,
I hated him more than I hated a pig,
when he appeared. But now,1 love him
more than I love some of my sons."
'Umair sat thinking deeply about the
tolerance of this religion and the
greatness of its Prophet. He remembered
his previous days in Makkah when he was
arguing and fighting against Islam
before the Hijrah of the Prophet (PBUH)
and his Companions to Al-Madiinah. Then
he remembered his fighting on the Day of
Badr and his coming on this day to kill
the Prophet. All that was abolished in a
moment of saying, "There is no god
but Allah and Muhammad is His
Messenger."
What tolerance! What purity, what self
confidence that this great religion
carries. At such a moment Islam
abolished all his previous sins, Muslims
forgave all his crimes and hate, opened
their hearts and embraced him. Is not he
whose sword is still glimmering in front
of their eyes, planning with devilish
intention to commit the most ignoble
deed? All that was forgotten and nothing
was mentioned. 'Umair became in a single
moment, one of the Muslims and one of
the Prophet's Companions with their
rights and duties. Did not he whom 'Umar
Ibn Al-Khattaab wanted to kill a short
time ago become dearer to him than his
sons?
If in one moment of truth when "Umair
embraced Islam he deserved all the
respect, honor, glory, and splendor of
Islam, then Islam is indeed a great
religion.
Within a short period of time, "Umair
knew that his duty towards this religion
was to serve it as much as he had fought
it, to support it as much as he had
conspired against it and to show Allah
and His Prophet what they liked of
truth, struggle, and obedience.
Thus, one day he came to the Prophet and
said "0 Prophet of Allah,1 had been
doing my best to put out the light of
Allah and was fond of hurting the
Muslims. I would like you to give me
permission to go to Makkah to call them
to Allah, His Prophet and to Islam.
Allah may guide them, otherwise, I'll
hurt them in their religion as I used to
hurt your companions in their
religion."
From the time 'Umair left Makkah for Al-Madiinah,
Safwaan Ibn Umaiyah, who had persuaded
"Umair to go and kill the
Messenger, walked proudly in the streets
of Makkah ,and dropped into its meetings
and clubs joyfully and merrily. And
whenever his people and his brothers
asked him about the reason for his
merriment and ecstacy when the bones of
his father were still warm in the sands
of Badr, he rubbed his hands proudly and
said to the people, "Hurrah ! After
a few days, happy news will come and
make you forget the Battle of Badr."
Every morning he went out of Makkah and
asked the caravans, "Hasn't any
matter occurred in Al-Madiinah?"
Their answers were in the negative, as
none of them had heard or seen any
important matter in Al-Madiinah.
Safwaan continued without despair asking
caravan after caravan until one day he
met one and said to them, "Hasn't
anything taken place in Al-Madiinah?"
The traveler said, "Yes, a very
important matter occurred." With a
radiant face and at the peak of ecstasy
Safwaan asked the traveler anxiously,
"What happened? Tell me!" The
man said ."'Umair Ibn Wahb has
embraced Islam, and he is there learning
the religion and the Qur'aan!"
Safwaan felt giddy, and the good news
which he had announced to his people and
for which they were waiting to make them
forget the Battle of Badr came to him
that day dreadful enough to cause his
ruin!
One day the traveler arrived, and 'Umair
returned to Makkah holding his sword,
ready to fight, and Safwaan Ibn 'Umaiyah
was the first who met him. No sooner did
Safwaan see 'Umair than he got ready to
attack him, but the combat-ready sword
in the hand of 'Umair dissuaded him. He
was satisfied with some insults vented
on 'Umair and went his way.
'Umair entered Makkah as a Muslim though
he had left it a few days earlier as a
polytheist. In his memory was the image
of 'Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab when he
embraced Islam, and cried, "By
Allah! I'll sit as a believer in every
place where I sat as a polytheist."
Taking these words as a motto and that
situation as a model, "Umair made
up his mind to sacrifice his life for
the religion that he had boldly fought
against when he had the force to hurt
any Muslim. And thus he began to
compensate for what he had missed and to
race with time by calling to Islam day
and night, secretly and openly. In his
heart faith floods upon him with safety,
guidance, and light.
On his tongue are words of truth with
which he calls to justice, charity,
kindness and good. In this right hand is
a sword with which he terrifies the
severers who hinder the believers from
the path of Allah and want it crooked.
Within a few weeks, those who embraced
Islam by the guidance of 'Umair Ibn Wahb
were becoming innumerable. 'Umair set
forth with them to Al- Madiinah in a
delightful,long caravan.
The desert that they crossed during
their journey could not hold its
astonishment and wonder at that man who
had crossed it a short while ago holding
his sword and hurrying towards
Al-Madiinah to kill the Prophet (PBUH).
Then he had crossed it returning from
Al-Madiinah with quite a different face
from the first one. He was reciting the
Qur'aan on the back of his she-camel.
Now, he was crossing the desert for the
third time ahead of a long procession of
believers filling the desert with the
praise of Allah.
Yes, it was a great announcement, that
the Satan of the Quraish was turned by
the guidance of Allah into a bold
Disciple of Islam who stood beside the
Prophet (PBUH) in battles and situations
and whose loyalty to the religion of
Allah continued to be firm even after
the departure of the Prophet from life.
On the day of the Conquest of Makkah, he
did not forget his companion and
relative, to call him to Islam,
especially after there was no doubt in
the truth of the Prophet (PBUH) and his
mission.
Safwaan had traveled to Jeddah on his
way to Yemen by sea. 'Umair pitied him
so much that he decided to deliver him
from Satan by all means. He hurried to
the Prophet (PBUH) and said, "0
Prophet of Allah, Safwaan Ibn 'Umaiyah
is the chief of his people. He set off
escaping from you to throw himself into
the sea. Give him safety. Peace be upon
you." The Prophet (PBUH) said,
"He is safe." 'Umair said
"0 Prophet of Allah, give me a
token for his safety." The Prophet
(PBUH) gave him his turban which he had
worn when he entered Makkah.
We let 'Urwah Ibn Az-Zubair complete the
story: 'Umair set off till he reached
Safwaan when he was about to sail. 'mair
said, "0 Safwaan,1 sacrifice my
mother and father for you. Avert
perishing yourself. This is the safety
of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) I came to
you with." Safwaan said to him,
"Woe to you! Go away, don't speak
to me." "Umair said to him,
"0 Safwaan! I sacrifice my mother
and father for you. The Prophet of Allah
is the best, the most righteous, and the
most clement of all people. His glory is
yours and his honor is yours."
Safwaan said, "I'm afraid."
'mair said, "He's more clement and
more generous than that." He
returned with him until they came to the
Prophet (PBUH). Safwaan said to the
Prophet, "He claims that you have
given me safety." The Prophet said,
"He speaks the truth." Safwaan
said to the Prophet, "Give me the
option for two months." The Prophet
(PBUH) said, "You have the option
for four months."
After a while Safwaan embraced Islam,
and 'Umair was extremely happy about his
acceptance of Islam.
Ibn Wahb went on his blessed Journey to
Allah following the great Prophet by
whom Allah saved people from straying
and took them out of the depth of
darkness into light.
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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