Muadh ibn Jabal - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Muadh ibn Jabal was a young man growing up in Yathrib as the light of
guidance and truth began to spread over the Arabian peninsula. He was
a handsome and imposing character with black eyes and curly hair and
immediately impressed whoever he met. He was already distinguished for
the sharpness of his intelligence among young men of his own age.
The young Muadh became a Muslim at the hands of Musab ibn Umayr, the
daiy (missionary) whom the Prophet had sent to Yathrib before the
hijrah. Muadh was among the seventy-two Yathribites who journeyed to
Makkah, one year before the hijrah, and met the Prophet at his house
and later again in the valley of Mina, outside Makkah, at Aqabah. Here
the famous second Aqabah Pledge was made at which the new Muslims of
Yathrib, including some women, vowed to support and defend the Prophet
at any cost. Muadh was among those who enthusiastically clasped the
hands of the blessed Prophet then and pledged allegiance to him.
As soon as Muadh returned to Madinah from Makkah, he and a few others
of his age formed a group to remove and destroy idols from the houses
of the mushrikeen in Yathrib. One of the effects of this campaign
wasthat a prominent man of the city, Amr ibn al-Jumuh, became aMuslim.
When the noble Prophet reachedMadinah, Muadh ibn Jabal stayedin his
company as much as possible. He studied the Quran and the laws of
Islam until he became one of the most well-versed of all the
companions in the religion of Islam.
Wherever Muadh went, people would refer to him for legal judgments on
matters over which they differed. This is not strange since he was
brought upin the school of the Prophet himself and learnt as much as
hecould from him. He was the bestpupil of the best teacher. His
knowledge bore the stamp of authenticity. The best certificate that he
could have received came from the Prophet himself when he said: "The
most knowledgeable of my ummah in matters of Halal and haram is Muadh
ibn Jabal."
One of the greatest of Muadhs contributions to the ummah of Muhammad
was that he was one of the group of six who collected the Quran during
the lifetime of the Prophet, peace beupon him. Whenever a group of
companions met and Muadh was among them, they would look at him with
awe and respect on account of his knowledge. The Prophet and his two
Khalitahs after him placed this unique gift and power in the service
of Islam .
After the liberation of Makkah, the Quraysh became Muslims en masse.
The Prophet immediatelysaw the need of the new Muslims for teachers to
instruct them in the fundamentals of Islam and to make them truly
understand the spirit and letter of its laws. He appointed Attab ibn
Usay as his deputy in Makkahand he asked Muadh ibn Jabal to stay with
him and teach people the Quran and instruct them in the religion.
Sometime after the Prophet had returned to Madinah, messengers of the
kings of Yemen came to him announcing that they and the people of
Yemen had become Muslims. They requested that some teachers should be
with them toteach Islam to the people. For this task the Prophet
commissioned a group of competent duat (missionaries) and made Muadh
ibn Jabal their amir. He then put the following question to Muadh:
"According to what will you judge?"
"According to the Book of God," replied Muadh.
"And if you find nothing therein?"
"According to the Sunnah of the Prophet of God."
"And if you find nothing therein?"
"Then I will exert myself (exercise ijtihad) to form my own judgment."
The Prophet was pleased with this reply and said: "Praise be to God
Who has guided the messenger of the Prophet to that which pleases the
Prophet."
The Prophet personally bade farewell to this mission of guidance and
light and walked for some distance alongside Muadh as he rode out of
the city.Finally he said to him:
"O Muadh, perhaps you shall not meet me again after this year. Perhaps
when you return you shall see only my mosque and my grave." Muadh
wept. Those with him wept too. A feeling of sadness and desolation
overtookhim as he parted from his beloved Prophet, peace and blessings
of God be on him.
The Prophet's premonition was correct. The eyes of Muadh neverbeheld
the Prophet after that moment. The Prophet died before Muadh returned
from theYemen. There is no doubt that Muadh wept when he returned to
Madinah and found there wasno longer the blessed company of the
Prophet.
During the caliphate of Umar, Muadh was sent to the Banu Kilab to
apportion their stipendsand to distribute the sadaqah of their richer
folk among the poor.When he had done his duty, he returned to his wife
with his saddle blanket around his neck, empty handed, and she asked
him:
"Where are the gifts which commissioners return with for their
families?" "I had an alert Supervisor who was checking over me," he
replied. "You were a trusted person with the messenger of God and with
Abu Bakr. Then Umar came and he sent a supervisor with you to check on
you!' she exclaimed. She went on to talk about this to the women of
Umar's household and complained to them about it. The complaint
eventually reached Umar, so he summoned Muadh and said:
"Did I send a supervisor with youto check on you?"
"No, Amir al-Mumineen," he said,"But that was the only reason I could
find to give her." Umar laughed and then gave him a gift, saying, "I
hope this pleases you."
Also during the caliphate of Umar, the governor of Syria, Yazid ibn
Abi Sufyan sent a message saying:
"O Amir al-Mumineen! The people of Syria are many. They fill the
towns. They need people to teach them the Quran and instruct them in
the religion."
Umar thereupon summoned fivepersons who had collected the Quran in the
lifetime of the Prophet, peace be upon him. They were Muadh ibn Jabal,
Ubadah ibn asSamit, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Ubayy ibn Kab and
AbuadDardaa. 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 ifyou 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 youare 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. There Muadh fell ill
with an infectious disease. As he was near to death, he turned in the
direction of the Kabah and repeated this refrain: "Welcome Death,
Welcome. A visitor has come after a long absence . . ." And looking up
to heaven, he said: "O Lord, You know that I did not desire the world
and to prolong my stay in it . . . O Lord, accept my soul with
goodness as you would accept a believing soul..."
He then passed away, far from his family and his clan, a daiy in the
service of God and a muhajir in His path.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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