Source:
Companions of the Prophet by Abdul Wahid Hamid As-haab ar-Rasool (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), compiled by Mahmoud Masri
When he went to Basrah as governor of the city, he called the inhabitants to a meeting and addressed them:
“The Amir al-Muminin, ‘Umar, has sent me to you to teach you the Book of your Lord and the Sunnah of His Prophet and to clean your streets for you.”
People were taken aback when they heard these words. They could easily understand that one of the responsibilities of a Muslim ruler was to instruct people in their religion. However, that one of his duties should be to clean streets was something new and surprising to them.
Who was this governor of whom the Prophet’s grandson, al-Hasan (Radia-Allaahu anhu) said:
“There was no rider who came to Basrah who was better for its people than he.”
His real name was ‘Abdullah ibn Qays but he was and continues to be known as Abu Musa al-Ash’ari. He left his native land, Yemen, for Makkah immediately after hearing that a Prophet had appeared there who was a man of rare insight, who called people to the worship of One God and who insisted on the highest standards of morality.
While in Makkah, he stayed in the company of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and gained knowledge and guidance. Then he returned to his country to propagate the word of Allaah and spread the mission of the noble Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). We have no further news of him for more than a decade. Then just after the end of the Khaybar expedition, he came to the Prophet in Madinah. His arrival there coincided with that of Ja’far ibn Abi Taalib (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) and other Muslims from Abyssinia, and the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) welcomed them all with joy and happiness.
Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated: “The news of the migration of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) (from Makkah to Madinah) reached us while we were in Yemen. So we set out as Muhajirun (emigrants) towards him. We were (three); me and my two brothers. I was the youngest of them, and one of the two was Abu Burda, and the other Abu Ruhm, and our total number was fifty-three. We got on board a boat that took us to Najashi (Negus) in Ethiopia. There we met Ja’far ibn Abi Taalib and stayed with him. Then we all came to Madinah and met the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) at the time of the Conquest of Khaibar. Some of the people, namely the people of the boat, used to say to us: “We have migrated before you.” Asmaa’ bint ‘Umais, who was one of those who had come with us, came as a visitor to Hafsah, the wife of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). She had migrated along with those other Muslims who migrated to Najashi (Negus). ‘Umar came to Hafsah while Asmaa’ bint ‘Umais was with her and upon seeing Asmaa’ said: “Who is this?” She said: ‘Asmaa’ bint ‘Umais.” ‘Umar said: “Is she the Ethiopian? Is she the seafaring lady?” Asmaa’ replied, “Yes.” ‘Umar said: “We have migrated before you (people of the boat), so we have more right than you over Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).” On that, Asmaa’ became angry and said: “No by Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), who fed the hungry ones amongst you, and advised the ignorant ones amongst you, we were in the far off hated land of Ethiopia, and all that was for the sake of Allaah and (then) for His Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). By Allaah, I will not eat or drink anything until I inform Allaah’s Messenger of all that you have said. There we were harmed and frightened. I will mention this to the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and will ask him (about it). By Allaah, I will not tell a lie or curtail your saying or add something to it.” So when the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came, she said: “O Allaah’s Prophet, ‘Umar has said so and so.” The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “He (i.e. ‘Umar) does not have more right than you people over me, as he and his companions have (the reward of) only one migration, and you, the people of the boat, have (the reward of) two migrations.” [Al-Bukhaari, Book of al-Maghazi, 1653]
This time Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) did not come alone. He came with more than fifty people from Yemen, all of whom had accepted Islam. Among them were his two brothers, Abu Ruhm and Abu Burdah. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) referred to the whole group as the “Ash’aris”. In fact he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sometimes referred to all Yemenis as Ash’aris after Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu). He often praised the group for their soft and tender-hearted nature and held them up to the rest of his Companions as a high example of good behavior. He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The People of Yemen have come to you and they are gentler and soft hearted. Belief is Yeminite and wisdom is Yeminite, while pride and haughtiness are the qualities of the owners of camels (i.e. Bedouins). Calmness and solemnity are characteristics of the owners of sheep.” [Al-Bukhaari, the Book of al-Maghazi]
Iyadh al-Ash’ari narrated that when Allaah’s statement was revealed in Surat al-Ma’idah 5:54: “Allaah will bring forth [in place of them] a people whom He will love and they will love Him,” Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “They are your people O Abu Musa! and he gestured at him.” [Reported by Ibn Sa’d, and authenticated by al-Haakim]
Anas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Tomorrow people will come to you who have a more tender heart for Islam than you.” hence, the Ash’aris came and when they approached they started reciting the following poem: “Tomorrow we will meet the beloved ones, Muhammad and his party.” When they came they started to shake hands; they were the first ones who started the shaking of hands.” [Ahmad and Ibn Sa’d]
They accompanied the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), who loved them with all his heart when he saw the generosity in their actions, tenderness of their hearts, truthfulness in their speech and their occupation day and night with worshipping the Most High, the Most Great. He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to say: “I recognize the voice of the group of Al-Ash’ariyun when they recite the Qur’an, when they enter their homes at night, and I recognize their houses by (listening) to their voices when they are reciting the Qur’an at night although I have not seen their houses where they stay during the daytime. Amongst them is Hakeem, who, upon meeting the cavalry (or said) the enemy, used to say to them (i.e. the enemy): ‘My Companions order you to wait for them.’” [Al-Bukhaari, Book of Maghazi]
He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) once said of them: “If the Ash’aris go on an expedition or if they only have a little food among them, they will gather all they have on one cloth and divide it equally among themselves. They are thus from me and I am from them.” [Reported by Muslim]
Merits of Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu anhu)
When Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu anhu) returned to Madinah, he started to acquire the knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah from the beloved Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He used to read the Qur’an in a voice that profoundly stirred the souls of all who listened to him. Concerning his moving and melodious recitation of the Qur’an, the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Abu Musa has indeed been given one of the flutes of the people of David.” [At-Tirmidhi and authenticated by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jami’ no. 7831]
Also, ‘Umar, (Radia-Allaahu anhu) often summoned Abu Musa and asked him to recite from the Book of Allaah, saying:
“Create in us a yearning for our Lord, O Abu Musa.” [Reported by Ibn Hibban]
Ibn Buraidah narrated on the authority of his father who said: “I came out of the masjid one night and I saw the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) standing at the gate of the masjid and a man was praying. He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘O Abu Buraidah! Do you think he is showing off?’ I said: ‘Allaah and His Messenger know better.’ He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘No, he is a believer and Muneeb (frequently returning to Allaah). He has indeed been given one of the flutes of David.’ When I came to him I found that he was Abu Musa, so I told him.” [Reported by Muslim]
As a mark of his dedication to the Qur’an, Abu Musa was one of the few Companions who had prepared a Mus-haf (a written collection of the Revelations).
Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) soon became highly esteemed in the Muslim community. He had many great qualities. He was a Faqih (jurist) endowed with intelligence and sound judgment and was ranked as one of the leading judges in the early Muslim community. People used to say:
“The judges in this Ummah are four: ‘Umar, ‘Ali, Abu Musa and Zayd ibn Thaabit.“
Abu Musa had a natural, uncomplicated disposition. He was by nature a trusting person and expected people to deal with him on the basis of trust and sincerity.
‘Umar (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) entrusted him the rulership of al-Basrah and ‘Uthman entrusted him with the rulership of al-Korfa.
His Jihad in the Course of Allaah
In the field of Jihad, he was a warrior of great courage; endurance and skill. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said of him: “The master of horsemen is Abu Musa.“
Abu Burdah reported that his father said: “When the Prophet finished with Hunain, he sent Abu ‘Aamir with an army to Autaas where he met Duraid ibn Simmah; he killed Duraid ibn Simmah; his companions were defeated by Allaah.
Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) said: “The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sent me with Abu ‘Aamir who had been wounded in his knee by an arrow, by a man from Jusham. The arrow remained in his knee. I asked Abu ‘Aamir: ‘O uncle, who shot your knee? ‘ He said: ‘That man you see is my killer. ‘ Abu Musa said: ‘I chased the man and almost caught him, but he took flight.‘ I continued chasing him and said: ‘Don’t you feel ashamed? Are you not an Arab? Why do you not stop?‘ He stopped; we exchanged two strikes and then I killed him by the sword.
Then I went back to Abu ‘Aamir and said: ‘Allaah has put an end to your fellow.‘ He asked me to pull the arrow out of his knee and I did. His wound bled some water. He said: ‘O my nephew, go to the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and give him my regards and tell him that Abu ‘Aamir begs you to ask forgiveness for him. ‘Abu ‘Aamir appointed me as a governor and he died a short time later.
I went back to the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and visited him. He had been lying on a cot woven with strings and there was no bed over it; hence, there were marks of the strings on the back and sides of the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). I told him what had happened to us and to Abu ‘Aamir and said to him: ‘He (Abu ‘Aamir) asked you to pray to Allaah to forgive him.‘
The Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked for some water, performed Wudu’ and raised his hands and said: ‘O Allaah, forgive Your slave, Abu ‘Aamir.‘ I could see the whiteness of his armpits. Then he said: ‘O Allaah, raise him on the Day of Resurrection above many of Your creatures (or: many people).‘ I said: ‘Pray to Allaah for me too, O Messenger of Allaah.‘ The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘O Allaah, forgive ‘Abdullah ibn Qais his sins and give him an honorable entrance on the Day of Resurrection.‘”
Abu Burdah said: One invocation was for Abu ‘Aamir and the other was for Abu Musa.
Abu Musa‘s (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) insight and the soundness of his judgment did not allow him to be deceived by an enemy in battle. In battle conditions he saw situations with complete clarity and executed his actions with a firm resolve.
Conquest of Asbahaan
Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) was in command of the Muslim army traversing the lands of the Sasanian Empire. At Asbahaan, the people came to him and offered to pay the Jizyah (in return for military protection) to make peace and avoid fighting. However, they were not sincere in their offer and merely wanted an opportunity to mount a treacherous attack on the Muslims. Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) however saw through their real intentions and he remained on the alert. Thus when the Asbahaanis launched their attack, the Muslim leader was not caught off-guard; he engaged them in battle and before midday of the following day, he had won a decisive victory.
The Battle of Tustar
In the major campaigns against the powerful Sasanian Empire, Abu Musa’s (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) role was outstanding. In the great Battle of Tustar itself, he distinguished himself as a military commander.
The Persian commander, Hormuzan, had withdrawn his numerous forces to the strongly fortified city of Tustar. The Caliph ‘Umar did not underestimate the strength of the enemy and he mobilized powerful and numerous forces to confront Hormuzan. Among the Muslim forces were dedicated veterans like ‘Ammaar ibn Yaasir, al-Baraa’ ibn Malik and his brother Anas, Majra’a al-Bakri and Salamah ibn Rajaa’ (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhum). ‘Umar (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) appointed Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) as commander of the army.
So well fortified was Tustar that it was impossible to take it by storm. Several attempts were made to breach the walls but these proved unsuccessful. There followed a long and difficult siege which became even more testing and agonizing for the Muslims when the Persians began throwing down iron chains from the walls of the fortress at the ends of which were fastened red-hot iron hooks. Muslims were caught by these hooks and were pulled up either dead or in the agony of death.
Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) realized that the increasingly unbearable impasse could only be broken by a resort to stratagem. Fortunately, at this time a Persian defected to the Muslim side and Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) induced him to return behind the walls of the fortified city and use whatever artful means he could to open the city’s gates from within. With the Persian he sent a special force of hand-picked men. They succeeded well in their task, opened the gates and made way for Abu Musa’s (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) army. Within hours the Persians were subdued. [Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah]
His Withdrawl from the Fitnah
Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu anhu) only participated in fighting against the armies of Mushrikeen; armies which tried to oppose the religion of Allaah and extinguish the light of faith. When fighting broke out among Muslims, he fled from such conflict and never took any part in it. Such was his stand in the conflict that arose between ‘Ali and Mu’awiyah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhuma). It is in relation to this conflict and in particular his role as an adjudicator, that the name of Abu Musa al-Ash’ari is most widely known.
Briefly, Abu Musa’s (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) position appeared to be that of a ‘neutral.’ He saw Muslims killing each other and felt that if the situation were to continue, the very future of the Muslim Ummah would be threatened. To start off with a clean slate, the Khalifah ‘Ali (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) should give up the position and Mu’awiyah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) should relinquish any claim to be Khalifah and the Muslims should be given a free choice to elect whoever they wanted as Khalifah.
Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu anhu) continued to remain neutral in the conflict which was ended by ‘Ali (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) when he made a treaty with Mu’awiyah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) confirming the latter as the one responsible for governing Syria and Egypt.
The End of his Life
Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu anhu) himself, left for Makkah and spent the rest of his life near the Sacred Mosque. During his life he had remained devoted to the noble Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his righteous successors.
Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu anhu) was particularly attached to the Qur’an, reading it constantly, memorizing it, understanding it and putting it into practice. His advice regarding the Qur’an is full of wisdom.
“Follow the Qur’an,” he said, “and do not desire that the Qur’an should follow you.”
In ‘Ibaadah, he showed a great deal of strength and endurance. On days when the heat was intense and almost unbearable, Abu Musa (Radia-Allaahu anhu) would be found fasting and he would say:
“Perhaps the thirst of the midday heat will prove to be quenching for us on the Day of Qiyaamah.”
As his end drew near, the words which he kept saying were words which he was known to repeat throughout his life as a believer:
Allaahumma anta-s Salaam wa minka-s Salaam
“O Lord, You are the Source of Peace and from You comes Peace…”
When he was on his death bed he remembered the poem that he and his people were saying when they first came to meet the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam):
“Tomorrow, we will meet the beloved ones, Muhammad and his party,” and his soul departed to its Creator….Allaah.
May Allaah be pleased with and forgive him.
Always feel free to share the khair!
