Islamic personalities

[Muslimah]

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[AbuNoran]

`Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz

His Status:

- He belonged to the tabi`in (Followers: a generation that followed that of the Companions of the Prophet). As he was keen to follow the conduct of the Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs, he had the honorary title of “the Fifth Rightly-Guided Caliph”.

- He assumed caliphate after Sulaiman bin `Abdul-Malik. He was highly praised by Muhammad bin `Ali bin Al-Husain.

His Pursuit of Knowledge:

- Since his young age, `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz sought knowledge and attended the councils of notable jurists and scholars.

His Assume of Caliphate:

- He was paid homage to assume caliphate following the death of Sulaiman bin `Abdul-Malik. First, he gathered people and announced them that he did not accept the office of caliphate and that they should choose a caliph other than him. However, the people insisted on him. He then yielded to their will and accepted the office of caliphate, saying to them: “Obey me so long as I obey Allah! If I happen to disobey Allah, I will not be entitled to demand your obedience to me.”

His Justice:

- `Umar once gathered a group of jurists and scholars and said to them: “I have called you to discuss the iniquities made by my predecessors.” They replied: “Commander of Believers! You have nothing to do with these iniquities committed before your rulership. None should bear them but those who made them.” However, `Umar was not convinced with this opinion. He rather adopted the opinion of another group, among whom was his son `Abdul-Malik, who viewed that iniquities made by former rulers should be investigated and the wronged people should be paid back their rights.

His Death:

- His short tenure lasted no more than two years and half, after which he died.[/color:72f5d715e8]

[AbuNoran]

Muhammad bin Sirin

His Birth and Early Life:

- Muhammad bin Sirin was born during the caliphate of `Uthman bin `Affan (may Allah be pleased with him).

- His father “Sirin” was a servant who belonged to the Companion Anas bin Malik, as a share that he got from the spoils following the Battle of `Ain Al-Tamr. `Ain Al-Tamr was a town located western Kufa, which was conquered by Khalid bin Al-Walid during the caliphate of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. Anas bin Malik eventually set “Sirin” free.

- His mother’s name was Safiyah, who was a female-slave of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and was later freed by him.

- Both his father and mother were known for their piety and blameless life.

His Pursuit of Knowledge:

- Muhammad bin Sirin was brought up in a respected family, and had relations with many Companions, such as

· Zaid bin Thabit

· `Imarn bin Al-Husain

· Anas bin Malik

· Abu Hurairah

· `Abdullah bin Al-Zubair

· `Abdullah bin `Abbas

· `Abdullah bin `Umar

- Muhammad bin Sirin received knowledge from the above Companions, including jurisprudence and Hadith narrations.

His Fame:

- Muhammad bin Sirin’s fame spread throughout the Islamic territories, and was especially known for his knowledge and piety.

- He had notable stands towards the Umayyad rulers, in which he stuck to truth and gave advice sincerely for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. For example, he was once asked by `Umar bin Hubairah, the Umayyad ruler, “What are the conditions of the people in your town?” he replied, “I left them soaked in injustice, while you are not paying attention to them.” When his nephew patted him on his shoulder to alleviate his tone of speech, Muhammad bin Sirin said to him, “You are not the one who is asked about my people, but it is me. The answer on what I have been asked about is a testimony; whoever conceals it, his heart is tainted with sin.” Ibn Hubairah, however, offered him a magnificent gratuity, but he did not accept it. His nephew blamed him saying, “What’s wrong if you accept the gratuity of the emir?” He replied, “If this gratuity is in return for something good he expects in me, I should not accept it if this good is really in me. If it is not in me, again I will not be worthy to accept it.”

His Piety:

- Muhammad bin Sirin once heard a man reviling Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf Al-Thaqafi after his death. He said to him, “Stop it! Al-Hajjaj is now in the audience of his Lord. When you will be in his place, you will find the most insignificant sin you have committed in your life, more disturbing to you than the greatest sin committed by Al-Hajjaj. That day each one of us will have enough concern of his own to make him indifferent to the others. Know that just as Allah will avenge those who were wronged by Al-Hajjaj by punishing him, He will also avenge Al-Hajjaj by punishing those who wronged him. Thus, you should not busy yourself with reviling others.”

- Muhammad bin Sirin had a good appearance and was much loved by people. If he was seen in a marketplace, people would attend from their advertence and would remember Allah and pronounce tahlil and takbir (saying: “la ilaha illa Allah” and “Allahu Akbar”.

- When he returned home after a long busy day of selling and buying in the marketplace, he used to perform tahajjud and recite Qur’an while weeping.

- He was very meticulous concerning his transactions. Once he bought oil for a delayed price of 40,000 dirhams. When he opened one of the receptacles of oil, he found a decayed mouse in it. As all the oil in the press was contained in one and the same place, he thought, and that filth was not limited to such receptacle only, the seller may sell it to people, if Ibn Sirin returned it to him on account of such filth. He, thus, spilt all the oil.

- Acknowledgement of His Merits:

- It was said about him: “No one has ever been seen more understanding when he observes piety, or more scrutinizing in religious matters than Muhammad bin Sirin.”

His Death:

- Muhammad bin Sirin died when he was 77 years old. May Allah shower him with His Mercy![/color:7bc075f9f4]

[AbuNoran]

Al-Hasan Al-Basri

His Birth and Early Life:

- His name is Al-Hasan bin Yasar. His father “Yasar” was the freed-slave of the great Companion Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). His mother’s name was “Khaiyrah,” who was a freed female-slave of Umm Salamah, the Prophet’s wife (peace be upon him).

- Al-Hasan was born in Medina in around 30 A.H. He was brought up in the apartments of the Prophet’s wives, especially Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), who suckled him when he was a baby.

His Pursuit of Knowledge:

- He received knowledge in the Prophet’s Mosque at the hands of major Companions, such as `Uthman bin `Affan, `Abdullah bin `Abbas, `Ali bin Abi Talib. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, Anas bin Malik, Jabir bin `Abdullah and `Abdullah bin `Umar.

- At the age of fourteen, Al-Hasan moved to Basra and settled there with his family. The city of Basra was then a beacon of knowledge, whose great mosque was teeming with major Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), especially `Abdullah bin `Abbas, with whom Al-Hasan kept company and learnt from him Tafsir, Hadith and the manners of recitation of the Holy Qur’an.

- Al-Hasan received the knowledge of jurisprudence, grammar and literature from Companions other than Ibn `Abbas, until he became a prominent scholar, who was much loved by people.

The Scholars Acknowledgement of Him:

- Khalid bin Safwan said concerning him: “He is a man of good nature, who practiced what he preached. He always felt self-sufficient from people, while people were in need of his knowledge.”

- Maslamah bin `Abdul-Malik said concerning him: “How can a people go astray while Al-Hasan Al-Basri is among them?”

His Preaching:

- The preaching of Al-Hasan Al-Basri had a great influence on the hearts of people. Among his preaching was his saying: “The parable of the worldly life and the Hereafter is like the east and the west. The nearer you draw to either of them, the farer you be to the other. The worldly life is an abode whose start is a suffering and its end is the passing away. Lawful deeds made during life will be accountable, while misdeeds will be punished….”

His Death:

- Al-Hasan Al-Basri died in 110 A.H. All the people of Basra witnessed his funeral in the first of the month of Rajab.[/color:6535c0cfe7]