Tomorrow
You'll See the Nature of the Rulers
after Me
Among
the foremost Muslims and the first
Muhaajiruun to Abyssinia and then Al-Madinah,
among the extraordinary fighters who
proved themselves brave in the cause of
Allah was this towering, bright-faced,
and humble-hearted man, Utbah Ibn
Ghazwaan.
He was among the first seven who
embraced Islam and extended their right
hands to the right hand of the Messenger
of Allah (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam).
They pledged themselves to him while
challenging the Quraish with all their
fortitude and power for revenge. In the
first days of the mission, the days of
difficulty and terror, Utbah Ibn
Ghazwaan, together with his brothers,
stood bravely, which turned out later to
be the very provision that nourished the
human conscience and made it grow in the
course of time.
When the Messenger of Allah (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) ordered his
Companions to emigrate to Abyssinia,
Utbah went with them, but his yearning
for the Prophet r did not allow him to
settle there. Soon he hurried back to
Makkah where he stayed near the
Messenger (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
until it was time for the Hhijrah to Al-Madinah.
So, Utbah emigrated again with the
Muslims.
After the Quraish started their
provocations and wars, 'Utbah was
always carrying his lance and bow, using
them expertly and contributing with his
believing brothers to the destruction of
the old world, including all its idols
and lies. He did not, however, put his
weapons down after the noble Messenger r
had died, but kept fighting. His jihaad
against the Persian armies was great.
The Commander of the Faithful Umar Ibn
Al-Khattaab sent him to conquer Al-Abullah
and purify its land of the Persians who
regarded it as a dangerous zone of
action from which to launch out at the
Muslim troops that would be marching
across the land of the Persian Empire,
trying to save the countries and slaves
of Allah. While Umar was bidding him and
his army farewell, he said, "Proceed
on your way until you reach the remotest
Arab country and the nearest foreign
country. Go, and may Allah bless you.
Invite to Allah whoever answers you, and
impose jizyah upon whoever refuses or
else use your sword without mercy. Wear
the enemy down, and fear Allah your
Lord."
Utbah advanced, heading an army that was
not big until they reached Al-Abullah,
where the Persians were massing one of
their strongest armies. Utbah organized
his troops and stood at the front
carrying his lance that never missed its
target. He called out his soldiers,
"Allahu akbar (Allah is the Greatest),
and Allah will fulfill His Promise,"
as if he were reading something
invisible. It was no more than blessed
patrols before Al-Abullah surrendered.
Its land was purified of the Persian
soldiers, its people were liberated from
the tyranny that had often tormented
them, and the Great Allah had fulfilled
His promise.
In the same place as Al-Abullah, Utbah
planned the city of Al Basrah,
constructed it, and built its great
mosque. When he wanted to leave the city
and return to Al-Madinah, escaping from
the responsibilities of rule, the
Commander of the Faithful ordered him to
stay. Utbah stayed in his place leading
people in prayer, instructing them in
religion, judging between them with
justice, and giving them the most
wonderful example in asceticism, piety,
and simplicity. He fiercely fought the
extravagance and luxury of those who
liked comforts and desires.
One day he made a speech addressing
them. He said: "By Allah, I was the
seventh of the first seven with the
Messenger of Allah r, eating nothing but
leaves of trees until the comers of our
mouths were sore. I was given a garment.
I cut it into two halves and gave one
half to Sa'd Ibn Maalik and I wore the
other half."
Utbah used to fear the extravagance of
the world, and in order to protect his
religion and the Muslims, he tried to
persuade them to practice asceticism and
moderation. Many people tried to turn
him from his way, to arouse a sense of
ruling in his soul, and draw his
attention to the right of ruling,
especially in those countries that were
never accustomed to such type of ascetic
rulers and whose people used to respect
high-ranking supercilious appearances.
But Utbah used to answer them saying:
"I seek refuge in Allah from being
great in your world and small in the
sight of Allah." When he found people
bored with his austerity he induced them
to be earnest and modest saying,
�Tomorrow you'll see the rulers
after me."
When it was the Hajj season, he
appointed one of his brothers as
successor and went to make the Hajj.
When he finished, he traveled to Al-Madinah
and asked the Commander of the Faithful
to discharge him from the rule. But Umar
would not lose the reverent ascetic who
fled from what the mouths of mankind
watered for. He used to say to them,
"You burden me with your trusts and
leave me alone? No, by Allah, I'll
never discharge you." And that was
what he said to 'Utbah Ibn Ghazwaan.
As Utbah could do nothing but obey, he
took his camel and rode it back to Al-Basrah.
But before he mounted it he turned to
the Qiblah and raised his imploring
hands to heaven and invoked Almighty
Allah not to return him to Al-Basrah or
to government rule again. His invocation
was answered, for while he was on his
way to this rule, he died. His spirit
was given up to its Creator. It was
happy with what it had exerted and
given, with its asceticism and
continence, with the favour that Allah
had completed upon it, and with the
reward that Allah had prepared for it.
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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