The Secretary of the Muslim Ummah…

The Secretary of the Muslim Ummah…

On the day of Badr, Abu-Ubaida Amir-bin-Aljarah embarked boldly upon the disbelievers of Quraish, like a lion. Tearing all that comes in his path, risking his life in God’s way. All the non-believers of Quraish were avoiding him. Fearing for their lives. But Abu Ubaidah was after every one that comes his way. He killed & wiped out many of them. All that was for God’s sake.

There was a man, just one man, who was after him, following him & chasing him wherever he goes.
 But the strange thing was that Abu Ubaidah was desperately avoiding him. That looked so weird but when Abu Ubaidah was surrounded & encompassed by that man, he courageously set out to kill that man. They fought a duel & at the end Abu Ubaidah with a tremendous hit, struck his head with the greatest might, tearing his head into two. The opponent fell dead at his feet.

Do not try, my dear reader, to guess who this man was, because you will never succeed in your conjecture. But let me tell you the identity of this man will cause you severe confusion, if ever you come to know that he was ‘his father’. If ever you ask Abu Ubaidah why did you kill your father, he will tell you that he had not killed his father but a disbeliever.

Because of this unique & unmatched conduct, Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad the last verse of Suratul-Mujadala:

“You (O Muhammad) will not find any people who believe in Allah & the last day making friendship with those who oppose Allah & His Messenger, even though they were their father or their sons or their brother & their kindred (people). For such, He has written faith in their Hearts & strengthened them with true guidance from Himself. And He will admit them to Paradise under which rivers flow to dwell there in (for ever). Allah is pleased with them & they with Him. Verily, it is the Party of Allah that will be the successful”

(Suratul Mujadalah: verse22).

This man Abu-Ubaidah Amir bin Aljarah (God might be pleased with him) was one of the ten who were informed by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that he would surely enter Paradise.

He was the one whose both front teeth were broken trying to take out the iron Helmet that broke through the Holy Prophet’s head, when one of the disbelievers hit the Holy Prophet with his sword on his head. The helmet was then taken out & ironing that place stopped the profuse bleeding.

In the Holy Prophet’s life, Abu Ubaidah proved an unequalled warrior, & a fedayee. The Holy prophet even granted him the leadership of his army several times.

After the Holy Prophet’s death, there came the time to choose a caliph. Omar (God might be pleased with him) came to Abu Ubaidah & said:” I heard the Holy prophet saying: (for every nation there is a trustworthy secretary & the reliable secretary of my Ummah (nation) is Amir bin Aljarah) & their for” added Omar” I appoint Amir bin Aljarah as a caliph for the Muslim nation”. But Amir bin Aljarah did not accept it & said:” I will never give myself the precedence over a person whom the Holy Prophet has given the priority to lead us in Salah (prayers)”.

Abu Bakr Al-siddeeq was then recognized as the caliph of the Muslim nation. Abu Ubaidah in the reign of Abu Bakr proved a faithful & obedient citizen. Abu Bakr used to consult him in most of the matters that related the Muslim Ummah.

After Abu Bakr, there came the reign of Omar. Amir obeyed Omar in every respect but also disobeyed him once. That was when he was sent to the north of Arabia i.e. Sham, to conquer those land, to add them to the vast region of Arabia, & to bless those people with the grace of Islam.

When he was there fighting the disbelievers, there spread the epidemic plague. When Omar in Medina, got the news, he sent to Amir to come to him. He told him that he has something very important to tell him. But Amir knew that Omar wanted him to be safe in Medina. So he sent him a reply:” O Ameer Al-Mu’mineen, I understand what you really want from me. & Therefore, I tell you that I am an ordinary warrior in the Muslim Army. I am ready to face what they face. That’s why, I beg you to let me stay where I am”.

When Omar read the reply, he wept very much. The companions of the Holy Prophet who were sitting around him thought that Amir must have died. They asked him. He replied that Amir did not die but was very near to death.

Omar was right because very soon plaque affected Abu Ubaidah & he died.

He left behind a nation mourning him. Weeping for the departure of the reliable & most faithful secretary. For the great warrior & the one who had been pre-informed by the Holy Prophet that he would surely enter Paradise. The one who killed his father just because of Allah.