Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Know the Companions #8 - Jaabir bin `Abdullaah رضي الله عنه


بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

HIS NAME

He is Jaabir bin `Abdullaah ibn `Amr bin Harraam bin Tha`labah bin Harraam bin Ka`b bin Ghanam bin Ka`b bin Salamah, the great Imaam, the Mujtahid, the Haafidh, the companion of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, Abu `Abdullaah and also Abu `Abdul Rahmaan, al-Ansaaree, al-Khazrajee (from the tribe of Khazraj), al-Sulamee, al-Madanee, the Faqeeh.


HIS LIFE

Ibn Sa`d said: Jaabir was with the 70 people who took the pledge of al-`Aqabah, and he was the youngest one of them.

Jaabir was one of those who gave the pledge to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم under the tree (Bai`atul-Ridhwaan). And he was the last one to die, from the people who witnessed the second pledge of al-`Aqabah.

And it is reported that he witnessed the battle of Badr (but did not participate in the battle).

Al-Bukhaaree reported in his “al-Taareekh” with a Saheeh chain that Jaabir said: I used to supply water to my companions in the battle of Badr.

It is said that he lived for 94 years. According to this, his age on the day of Badr would be 18 years.

His father was one of the commanders on the day of Badr; and he was martyred in the battle of Uhud.

Jaabir had obeyed his father and stayed back home on the day of Uhud to take care of his sisters. He later participated in the battle of Khandaq (trench) and the pledge under the tree. When he grew old, he went blind, and he was around the age of 90.

Narrated Jaabir: “Allaah's Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم said to me, “Have you got married O Jaabir?” I replied, “Yes.” He asked: “What, a virgin or a matron?” I replied, "Not a virgin but a matron." He said, “Why did you not marry a young girl who would have fondled with you?” I replied, “O Allaah's Apostle! My father was martyred on the day of Uhud and left nine (orphan) daughters who are my nine sisters; so I disliked to have another young girl of their age, but (I sought) an (elderly) woman who could comb their hair and look after them.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “You have done the right thing.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (3826)]

Narrated Jaabir bin `Abdullaah: That his father was martyred on the day of the battle of Uhud and was in debt and left six (orphan) daughters. Jaabir added, "When the season of plucking the dates came, I went to Allaah's Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم and said, "You know that my father was martyred on the day of Uhud, and he was heavily in debt, and I would like that the creditors should see you." The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Go and pile every kind of dates apart.” I did so and called him (i.e. the Prophet). When the creditors saw him, they started claiming their debts from me then in such a harsh manner (as they had never done before). So when he saw their attitude, he went round the biggest heap of dates thrice, and then sat over it and said, “(O Jaabir!), call your companions (i.e. the creditors).” Then he kept on measuring (and giving) to the creditors (their due) till Allaah paid all the debt of my father. I would have been satisfied to retain nothing of those dates for my sisters after Allaah had paid the debts of my father. But Allaah saved all the heaps (of dates), so that when I looked at the heap where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had been sitting, it seemed as if not a single date had been taken away thereof." [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (3827)]

Al-Waaqidee reported that Ibraheem bin Ja`far informed him on the authority of his father that Jaabir said: I participated in 19 military expedition with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. I was not able to participate till my father was killed in the battle of Uhud. For he would put me in-charge of my sisters; and they were nine. The first expedition, which I was able to participate with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, was “Hamraa’ al-Asad”.

Narrated Jaabir ibn `Abdullaah: I fought in the company of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم nineteen battles. Jaabir said: I did not participate in the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud. My father prevented me (from participating in these battles). After `Abdullaah (my father) was killed on the Day of Uhud, I never lagged behind the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) and joined every battle (he fought).” [Saheeh Muslim]

And Jaabir said: On the day of al-Hudaibiyah, the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Today, you are the best people on Earth.” And we were 1,400 then. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (4154), Muslim (1856)]

On the authority of Jaabir that he said: I was in the military which was led by Khaalid (bin al-Waleed), which had laid siege on Damascus.

Narrated Jaabir bin `Abdullaah: I was with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in a Ghazwa (military expedition) and my camel was slow and exhausted. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came up to me and said, "O Jaabir." I replied, "Yes?" He said, "What is the matter with you?" I replied, "My camel is slow and tired, so I am left behind." So, he got down and poked the camel with his stick and then ordered me to ride. I rode the camel and it became so fast that I had to hold it from going ahead of Allaah's Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم. He then asked me, “have you got married?" I replied in the affirmative. He asked, "A virgin or a matron?" I replied, "I married a matron." The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Why have you not married a virgin, so that you may play with her and she may play with you?" Jaabir replied, "I have sisters (young in age) so I liked to marry a matron who could collect them all and comb their hair and look after them." The Prophet said, "You will reach, so when you have arrived (at home), I advise you to associate with your wife (that you may have an intelligent son)." Then he asked me, "Would you like to sell your camel?" I replied in the affirmative and the Prophet purchased it for one Uqiya of gold. Allaah's Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم reached before me and I reached in the morning, and when I went to the Masjid, I found him at the door of the Masjid. He asked me, "Have you arrived just now?" I replied in the affirmative. He said, "Leave your camel and come into (the Masjid) and pray two Raka`aat." I entered and offered the prayer. He told Bilal to weigh and give me one Uqiya of gold. So Bilal weighed for me fairly and I went away. The Prophet sent for me and I thought that he would return to me my camel which I hated more than anything else. But the Prophet said to me, "Take your camel as well as its price." [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]


HIS KNOWLEDGE & HIS EAGERNESS TO SEEK IT

He is from the elite group of companions who has narrated a lot of Ahaadeeth.

He narrated a lot of `ilm from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and from `Umar, `Alee, Abu Bakr, Abu `Ubaidah, Mu`aadh ibn Jabal, al-Zubair and many others.

Those who narrated from him are: Ibn al-Musaayib, `Ataa’ bin Abi Rabaah, Hasan al-Basree, Abu Ja`far al-Baaqar, Abu Zubair, Mujaahid, Sharheel bin Sa`d, Tawoos, `Abdullaah bin Abee Qataadah, and many more. He was the Muftee of Madinah in his time. He lived for a few years after the death of Ibn `Umar. He witnessed the pledge of al-`Aqabah with his father.

Ibn `Ajlaan narrated on the authority of `Ubaidullaah bin Muqsim that he said: Jaabir bin `Abdullaah travelled to Makkah in the last age, in search for the Ahaadeeth that he had heard. Then he went back to Madeenah.

It has been reported that Jaabir رضي الله عنه undertook the journey of one month to Egypt to hear (only one single Hadeeth) the Hadeeth of Punishment (on the Day of Judgment) from `Abdullaah bin Unais.

Jaabir ibn `Abdullaah said, "I purchased a camel and rode it hard for a month until I reached al-Shaam. `Abdullaah ibn Unais was there, and I sent word to him, saying, “Jaabir is at the door.” The messenger returned and asked, “Jaabir ibn `Abdullaah?” I replied: “Yes”. So `Abdullaah came out and embraced me. I said, “A Hadeeth reached me (on your authority) which I had not heard before and I feared that one of us might die.” He (`Abdullaah bin Unais) went on, “I heard the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم say, “Allaah will gather His slaves or he said, the people (on the Day of Judgment) naked, uncircumcised, without anything.” We asked, 'What is meant by "without anything"?' The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “They will have nothing with them.” (The Prophet went on) “They will be called by a voice that is heard from afar (and I think that he said, 'as if it was from close at hand'), saying, "I am the King. No one from the people of the Paradise will enter the Paradise while someone from the people of the Fire is seeking him for some injustice that he did to him. And no one of the people of the Fire will enter the Fire while someone from the people of the Paradise is seeking him for an injustice that he did to him."' I asked, 'How is this? We come to Allaah naked and we would be without any worldly goods?' He said, 'This applies to good deeds (which will be taken from the oppressor and given to the oppressed) and evil actions (which will be taken from the oppressed and given to the oppressor).”” [Adab al-Mufrad (970) of al-Bukhaaree and graded as “Hasan” (good) by Shaikh al-Albaanee. He also authenticated it in “Takhreej Kitaab al-Sunnah” (514)]

It is reported in the “Musannaf” of  Wakee` on the authority of Hishaam bin `Urwah that Jaabir used to study circles in the Masjid (al-Nabawi) and the people used to seek knowledge from him.


THE PROPHET صلى الله عليه وسلم PRAYED FOR HIM

On the authority of Abu al-Zubair that Jaabir said: “The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم, on the night of the camel*, sought forgiveness for me 25 times.” [Tirmidhee (3852), graded as “Dha`eef” (weak) by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

* Night of the camel is night when Jaabir رضي الله عنه sold his camel to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Jaabir narrated: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم sought forgiveness for me 25 times, and every time with his hand in my hand. He would say: “Did you pay of your father’s debt?” I would say: “Yes” He would then say: “Allaah forgive you.” [Reported by Ibn `Adee in “al-Kaamil fee al-Dhu`afaa’” (2/336) and it is weak]

Narrated Jaabir: Allaah's Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم came to visit me while I was sick and unconscious. He performed ablution and sprinkled the remaining water on me and I became conscious and said, "O Allaah's Apostle! To whom will my inheritance go as I have neither ascendants nor descendants?" Then the Divine verses regarding Fara'id (inheritance) were revealed. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (194)]


HIS DEATH

Al-Waaqidee and Yahya bin Bakeer said: He died in the year 78 Hijri.

And Abu Na`eem said: He died in the year 77 Hijri.

And he said: He lived for 94 years.

Aboo Bakr al-Madanee said: I saw that the lower garment of Jaabir did not reach his ankles, and on him was a white turban.

Al-Waaqidee said that Salamah bin Wardaan said: I say Jaabir رضي الله عنه and he had a white head and white beard.

Al-Waaqidee reported on the authority of Ubai bin `Abbaas that his father said: We were in Minaa (in Hajj), and we informed Jaabir of what we were seeing from the changes which the people had made (in religion). So he said: “Were it that my hearing had also gone away as has my eye sight, so that I would not have had to listen nor see what the people had innovated.”

Khaarijah bin al-Haarith said: Jaabir bin `Abdullaah died in the year 78 Hijri, when he was 94 years old. His became blind in his old age. I saw him cold on his bed. And Abaan bin `Uthmaan, who was the Ameer of al-Madeenah, led his funeral prayer.

He (Jaabir) was the last one to die from those who witnessed the pledge of al-`Aqabah, رضي الله عنه.

He has narrated a total of 1,540 Ahaadeeth. Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim agreed upon 58 Ahaadeeth. Al-Bukhaaree individually reported 26 Ahaadeeth, and Muslim individually reported 126 Ahaadeeth.

References:
الإصابة في تمييز الصحابة – لإبن الحجر الأسقلاني
أسد الغابة في معرفة الصحابة – لإبن الأثير
الاستيعاب في معرفة الأصحاب - لإبن عبد البر
سير اعلام النبلاء – إمام الذهبي

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