Julaybib (R.A)

His name was unusual and incomplete. Julaybib means, "small grown". It
is the diminutive form of the word "Jalbab". The name is an indication
that Julaybib was small and short. More than that, he is described as
being "damam" which means ugly, deformed, orof repulsive appearance.
Even more disturbing, forthe society in which he lived, Julaybib's
lineage was not known. There is no record of who his mother and father
were, or to what tribe he belonged. This was considered a serious
disability in his society. Julaybib (RA) could not expect any
compassion, protection, or support from a society that placed a great
deal of importance on family and tribal connections. Inthis regard,
all that was known of him was that he was an Arab and that, as far as
the new community of Islamwas concerned, he was one ofthe Ansar. He
was shunned in his society. Asan example, Abu Barzah, of the Aslam
tribe, prohibited him from entering his home, and he told his wife:
"Do not let Julaybib (RA) enter among you. If he does, I shall
certainly do something terrible to him."
Was there any hope for Julaybib (RA) to be treated with respect and
consideration? Was thereany hope for him to find emotional
satisfaction as an individual and as a man? Was there any hope for him
to enjoy therelationships that others take for granted? And in the new
society emerging under the guidance of the Prophet (SAW), was he so
insignificant as to be overlooked in the preoccupation with the great
affairs of state and in the supreme issues of life and survival which
constantly engaged the attention of the Prophet (SAW)? Just as he was
aware of the great issues of life and destiny, the Prophet (SAW), who
is mercy for all humanity, was also aware of the needs and feelings of
his most humble companions.
With Julaybib (RA) in mind, the Prophet (SAW) went to one of the Ansar
and said: I want to have your daughter married.
"How wonderful and blessed, O Messengerof Allah, and what a delight to
the eye (this would be)," replied the Ansari man with obvious joy and
happiness.
I do not want her for myself, added the Prophet (SAW).
"Then for whom, O Messenger of Allah?" asked the man,
obviouslysomewhat let down.
The Ansari must have been too shocked to givehis own reaction so he
replied: "I will consult with her mother."
And off he went to his wife. "The Messenger of Allah (SAW) wants to
have your daughter married", he told his wife.
She was thrilled. "What a wonderful idea and whata delight to the eye
(this would be)," she said.
"He does not want to marry her himself, but hewants to marry her to
Julaybib (RA)," he added.
She was flabbergasted! "To Julaybib (RA)? No, never to Julaybib (RA)!
No, by the Living Allah, we shall not marry (her) to him." she
protested. Asthe Ansari was about to return to the Prophet (SAW) to
inform him of what his wife had said, the daughter, who had heard her
mother's protestations, asked: "Who has asked to marry me?"
Her mother told her of the Prophet' (SAW)s request to marry her to
Julaybib (RA).When she heard that the request had come from the
Prophet (SAW), and that her mother was absolutely opposed to the idea,
she was greatly perturbed and said: "Do you refuse the request of the
Messenger of Allah Ta'ala? Send me to him, for he shall certainly not
bring ruin to me."
This was the reply of a truly great person who had a clear
understanding of what was required of her as a Muslim. What greater
satisfaction and fulfillment can a Muslim find than in responding
willingly to the requests and commands of the Messenger of Allah
Ta'ala!Truly, this companion of the Prophet (SAW), even though we do
not know her name, set an examplefor all of us to obey the Quranic
command:
Whenever Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, it is not for
a believing man or woman to claim freedom of choice in so far as this
matter is concerned. And he who disobeys Allah and His Messenger has,
most obviously, gone astray. [Al-Ahzab 33:36]
This was revealed in connection with the marriageof Zaynab bint Jahsh
and Zayd bin Harithah, which was arranged by the Prophet (SAW) to show
the egalitarian spirit of Islam.Zaynab (RA), at first, was highly
offended at the thought of marrying Zayd (RA), a former slave, and
refused to marry him. The Prophet (SAW) prevailed upon them both and
they were married. The marriage however ended in divorce and Zaynab
was eventually married to theProphet (SAW) himself.
It is said that the Ansari girl read the verse to her parents and
said: "I am satisfied, and submit myself to whatever Allah's Messenger
(SAW) deems good for me."
The Prophet (SAW) heard of her reaction and prayed for her: `O Lord,
bestow good on her in abundance and make nother life one of toil and
trouble.'
It is said that among the Ansar, there was not a more eligible bride
than her. She was married by the Prophet (SAW) to Julaybib (RA), and
they lived together until he was killed. He went on anexpedition with
the Prophet (SAW), and an encounter with some mushrikin ensued. When
the battle was over, the Prophet (SAW) asked his companions: Have you
lost anyone? They namedtheir relatives or close friends who were
killed. Another group answered that they had lost no close relative
whereuponthe Prophet said: But I have lost Julaybib (RA). Search for
him in the battlefield.
They searched and foundhim beside seven mushrikin whom he had struck
before meeting hisend. The Prophet stood up and went to the spot where
Julaybib ,his short and deformed companion, lay. The Prophet of Allah
stood over him and said: He killed seven and then was killed? This man
is of me and I am of him. He repeated this two or three times. The
Prophet then took him in his armsand it is said that he had no better
bed besides theforearms of the Messenger of Allah.
The Prophet then dug forhim a grave, and himself placed him in it. The
Prophet of Allah (SAW) did not wash him, for theone slain in the Way
of Allah is not washed before burial. Julaybib (RA) and his wife are
not among the companions of the Prophet whose deeds of obedience and
valor are well known. The little that is known about them demonstrates
how the meek and the humble were given hope and dignity by the Prophet
(SAW) – where once there was only despair and self-debasement.
The attitude of the unknown and unnamed Ansari girl, who readily
agreed to be the wife of a physically unattractive man, reflected a
profound understanding of Islam. It reflected the effacement of
personal desires and preferences, even when she could have counted on
the support of her parents. It reflected a total disregard for social
norms and pressures. It reflected, above all, a ready and unshakable
confidence in the wisdom and authority of the Prophet in submitting
herself to whatever he deemed good. This is indeed the attitude of the
true believer.
In Julaybib (RA) there is the example of a person who was regarded as
a social outcast because of his mere appearance. Given confidence by
his faith in Allah, the Glorious, and encouragement by the noble
Prophet (SAW), he was able to perform great acts of courage andwas
blessed by the most virtuous death a believer could ever hope for –
death fighting in the Wayof Allah, the Supreme. This led to the
commendation which should be the desire of every believer: the
commendation of the Prophet of Allah (SAW) : He is of me, and I am of
him.

Biographies - Shaykh Shah Jalal

Shah Jalal is one of the most revered legendary Islamic heroes of
Bangladesh and one of the key founding fathers of Islamin the country.
Hewas a great saint and a great warrior. Along withhis disciples, he
made a unique contribution in liberating the people of Sylhet region.
His full full name is Shaykh-ul Mashaek Mokhdum Shaykh Shah Jalal
Mozorrodh Bin Muhammed. His father was the contemporary of Maulana
Jalaluddin Rumi.Losing his parents early in his life he was broughtup
by his maternal uncle who was also a pious saint. After completing his
education, his uncle gave him a handful of earth and told him to
travel to a land, in Hindustan, where earth of the same colour can
befound. There he should settle down and establishthe religion of
Islam.
In the course of his journey he met Khwaja Gharibnawaz Moinuddin Hasan
Chisty and Shaykh Nizam ud din Auliya. Aftera while he reached Sylhet,
Bengal where he found a Shaykh, Burhan ud din was being persecuted by
Raja Gaur Govinda, the king of the Sylhet. Shaykh Shah Jalal and his
travelling party of 300 plus auliyas joinedthe army which had beensent
by the Sultan of Gauragainst the King. Alhumdulillah, they were able
to defeat the King despite two previous failed attempts.
After the conquest Shaykh Shah Jalal found a match for the earth his
uncle had given him and he settled in Sylhet and remained there until
his death. He and his disciples travelled as far as Mymensingh and
Dhaka to preach the message of Islam.
Ibn Battutah who met Shaykh Shah Jalal in Sylhet says of him:
'he was numbered among the principal saints, and was one of the most
singular of men.He had done many noteworthy acts, and wrought many
celebrated miracles. He used to remain standing (in prayer) all night.
The inhabitants of these mountains received Islamfrom his hands, and
it was for this reason that he stayed among them.'
Ibn Battutah also narrates several miracles of the saint, and reports
the date of his death as 1347.
May Allah swt accept the efforts of Shaykh Shah Jalal for the cause of
Islam, Ameen.

Biographies - Bi Safiyyah – Mother of Maulana Ilyas Dehlvi

Bi Saffiyah was an excellent reciter and memoriser of the Holy Qur'an.
She had memorised the Holy Bookduring her son Yahya's suckling and she
had a command on memory that few could stand to contest. She had the
habit of going through the Qur'an Al-Majid once daily during the month
of Ramadanand thus would complete 30 repititions of the Noble Book. It
was also her practice to perform the household duties and
therecitation simultaneously. Her daily practice other than Ramadan
was that she would recite:
*.Durood shareef5000 times
*.Ism Dhat(One of Allahs names chosen on the virtue of its meaning) 5000 times
*.بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم(in the name of Allah, the Gracious, the
Merciful) 900 times
*.يا مغنى(O Enricher, Provider to His slaves) 1100 tiimes
*.استغفار(I beg Thine pardon, Mighty Lord) 500 times
*.حسبى الله ونعم الوكيل(Allah sufficeth me! Most excellent is He in
whom we trust) 500 times
*.سبحان الله(Glory be to Allah) 200 times
*.الحمد للله(Praise be to Allah) 200 times
*.لااله الا الله(There is no God but Allah) 200 times
*.الله اكبر(Allah is the Greatest) 200 times
*.افوض امر الى الله(I confide my cause unto Allah) 100 times
*.حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل(Allah is sufficient for us, Most excellent is
He in whom we trust) 100 times
*.رب انى مغلوب فانتصر(My Lord, I am vanquished, so give me help) 100 times
*.رب انى مسنى الضر وانت ارحم الراحمين(My Lord, Lo adversity afficeth
me, and thou are Most Merciful of all who show mercy) 100 times
*.لااله الا انت سبحنك انى كنتمن الظلمين(There is no God save Thee, Be
Thou Glorified! Lo! I have been a wrong doer) 100 times
and, moreover she wouldrecite some part of the Holy Qur'an.
Source: Leading Ladies, who made a difference in the lives of others
Subhanallah such an amazing example of a Pious Woman from Modern
history, not only did she engage in Dhikr of Allah, but she would also
fulfill her household chores and reared her children with an islamic
upbringing. May Allah give us the ability to tread in the footsteps of
our pious predecessors, generate the love of Allahin our hearts,
obtain nearness to our Lord and live our lives in accoradance to the
Shariah. Ameen

Breaching covenants – a trait of the immoral

Whenever a person makes a promise, he or she must fulfill it; if he or
she commits him/herself to something, whether it concerns other people
or Allaah The Almighty, and then falls shortof delivering on it, that
is considered a breach of the pledge. The righteous believers never
break their covenants, which is rather typical of immoralpeople and
hypocrites. Allaah TheAlmighty Says (what means):{AndWe did not find
for most of them any covenant; but indeed, We found most of them
defiantly disobedient.}[Quran 7:102]
The Prophet,, also warned us:"A person who has the following four
[characteristics] is a pure hypocrite and he who possesses one of them
has a traitof hypocrisy until he abandons it: when he talks, he lies;
when he isparty to a covenant, he proves to be treacherous; when he
makes apromise, he breaks it; and when he disagrees with others, he
disputes violently."[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] In fact, he,, depicted a
person who has this dispraised trait as one who has lost his or her
nobility and religion, when he said:"A person who is not trustworthy
has no faith and whoever breaches his pledge has no religion."[Ahmad]
That is why Ibn Al-Jawzisaid,"Violating an agreement is characteristic
of the depraved and those who [do that] will receive their punishment
some day."Also, Muhammad ibn Ka'b Al-Qurathisaid,"Three traits afflict
the one who has them: scheming, being unjust and breaching a
covenant"; he then recited the verses where Allaah The Almighty Says
(what means):
{But the evil plot does not encompass except its own people.}[Quran 35:43]
{O mankind, your injustice is only against yourselves.}[Quran 10:23]
{So he who breaks his word only breaks it to the detriment of
himself.}[Quran 48:10]"
Commenting on the third verse, Ibn 'Atiyyahsaid,"Breaking one's word
means contravening a pledge; thus, [a man who does so] harms his soul
and his breaching of the covenant is only to his own detriment."
The prohibition of this major sin
Allaah The Almighty forbade the believers from breaking their pledges
and rendered it compulsory for them to fulfill them, as He Says (what
means):
{And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that
about which one will be] questioned.}[Quran 17:34]
{O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts.}[Quran 5:1]
There is abundant proof indicating the obligation of fulfilling
covenants and the prohibition of breaching it. Consequently, some
scholars considered violating an agreement as one of the gravest
errors. Among them are:
- Imaam Ath-Thahabiwho said,"The forty-fifth major sin is treachery
and breaching a covenant."
- Imaam Ibn Hajarwho stated,"Considering infringementof an agreement
as one of the major sins is the view of many scholars."
- Imaam Ibn 'Atiyyahwho declared,"It is prohibited to violate any
permissible pact between Muslims."
Consequences of breaching a covenant
This act has many evil consequences that affect both individuals and
communities. It leads to dispute and dissension, hostility and hatred;
it removes confidence from within the society and causes others to
lose faith in the Muslim community. Inaddition to this, Allaah The
Almighty threatened those who go against their word, with various
punishments, some of which are:
1- 1. A curse on, and hardness of,the heart
In the following Quranic verse, Allaah The Almighty relates abouta
group of the Children of Israel, when He Says (what means):{So for
their breaching of the covenant We cursed them and made their hearts
hard. They distort words from their [proper]usages and have forgotten
a portion of that of which they were reminded. And you will still
observe deceit among them, except a few of them.}[Quran 5:13] Shaykh
Ash-Shinqeetisaid,"He who violates a pact that he was a party to,
harms no one but himself and subjects himself to the Curse of Allaah."
2- 2. Great loss in this life and theHereafter
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{Who break the covenantof Allaah
after contracting it and sever that which Allaah has ordered to be
joined and cause corruption on earth. It is those who are the
losers}[Quran 2:27], both in this life and in the Hereafter.
Al-Haafith Ibn Hajardrew attention to this when he said,"When the
Quraysh infringed their treaty with the tribe of Khuzaa'ah, who were
allies of the Prophetthe repercussions were that the Muslims invaded
them and conquered Makkah. Those people then sought security and
instantly became humiliated following their previous state of pride
and power; and they remained this way until they reverted to Islam."
3- 3. Prevalence of murder and being overcome by enemies
This is one of the immediate retributions that afflict communities
when they allow the habit of breaking pledges to permeate them. This
is indicated by the Hadeeth where the Prophet,, said:"Whenever people
[begin to] breach the covenant, killing spreads among them."[Ibn
Maajah, Saheeh - Albaani] Talking about some punishments that afflict
the Ummah when certain acts of disobedience become rampant among
Muslims, the Prophet,, said:"When they breach the Covenant of Allaah
and that of HisMessengerAllaah would give a foreign enemy power over
them, who would seize some of what they have."[Ibn Maajah and others]
4- 4. Disgrace and painful punishment on the Day of Resurrection
On the Day of Judgment, when Allaah The Almighty gathers all
ofmankind, every treacherous person will be branded by a sign; and it
will be announced, "This is the treachery of so-and-so, the son of
so-and-so." That is the disgrace, followed by a painful punishment, as
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{Butthose who break the Covenant
of Allaah after contracting it and sever that which Allaah Has Ordered
to be joined and spread corruption on earth - for them is the curse,
and they will have the worst home.}[Quran 13:25]
5- 5. The ignominy of being the worst people in the Sight of Allaah
The Almighty
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{Indeed, the worst of living
creatures in the Sight of Allaah are those who have disbelieved, and
they will not [ever] believe - the ones with whom you made a covenant
but then they break their covenant every time, and they do not fear
Allaah.}[Quran 8:55-56] Commenting on these verses, Imaam Ibn
Katheersaid,"Allaah The Almighty states here that the most debased
living things on earth are the disbelievers who do not have faith in
Him and who break their covenants whenever they committo them and even
when they vowto honor them. They are not mindful of Allaah The
Almighty in any of the sins they do."
Islam warnsagainst breaching covenants, even with enemies. Our
righteous predecessors have set wonderful examples in this respect.
'Amr ibn 'Abasahrelates:"There was a [provisional]covenant between
Mu'aawiyahand the Romans. Before the end of the period, he moved
towards their land in order to invade them after the treaty would
expire. Upon seeing this, an old man remarked, 'Allaah is The
Greatest, Allaah is The Greatest! Fulfill the covenant and do not
breach it. The Messenger of Allaahsaid,'Whoever enters into an
agreement with some people is not permitted to make a single move [in
breach of it] until the term expires or he renounces [it] with them on
equal terms.''"Hence, as soon as Mu'aawiyahheard that, he withdrew.
We will conclude with the remarks of Al-Haafith Ibn Hajarregarding
this topic:"Treachery is a grave major sin, particularly when it comes
from aperson who is in a position of authority. That is because his
infringement harms many peopleand he is not forced to do that because
fulfilling it instead is within his capacity."