One hadith everyhday thread #2 - Page 4

It did not matter to Khalid whether he was a commander or a soldier. Both ranks were one and the same to him as long as they enabled him to carry out his duties towards Allah whom he believed in, the Prophet SAW whom he gave allegiance to, and, finally, towards the religion which he embraced. This great self-control of Khalid and of other Muslims was not possible without the help and guidance of the unique type of caliphs who were at the head of the Muslim nation at that time. These caliphs were Abu Bakr and Umar. The mere mention of either name conjures up all the unique and great traits created in mankind. Notwithstanding the fact that Khalid and Umar were not exactly best friends; Umar's decency, justice, and remarkable greatness were not in the least questioned by Khalid. Hence, his decisions and judgments were not questioned. The unbiased conscience of the man who issued these orders reached the apex of piety, steadfastness, and veracity.

Umar, the Commander of the Faithful, had nothing against Khalid but his overburdening and sharp sword. He vented these reservations when he suggested to Abu Bakr that Khalid should be dismissed after the death of Maalik Ibn Nuwairah. He said, Khalid's sword is overburdening.' He meant that it was swift, sharp, and harsh. The Caliph Abu Bakr said, I would not sheathe what Allah had unsheathed against the disbelievers.' Not only did these words manifest the elevated politeness of the Commander of the Faithful but also his profound appreciation of Khalid.

Whenever he travelled back in time, he saw the wars he waged against the Prophet SAW and his Companions and the strokes of his sword that had slain believers and worshipers. Those memories agitated him and made him conscience stricken: Therefore, his sword longed to devastate the pillars of disbelief to compensate for his wrongdoings in the past.

You would remember what went on between Khalid and the Prophet SAW, particularly when Khalid asked the Prophet, Please ask Allah's forgiveness for me for all the wrongdoings I committed to hinder men from Allah's path.' You also remember that even when the Prophet told him that Islam erases all the wrongdoings committed before it, he pleaded with him until he finally promised him to ask Allah's forgiveness for him for all the mischief he had committed before he submitted himself to Islam.

Surely when the sword is carried by such an extraordinary knight as Khalid and thrust upon the commands of a conscience, revived by the warmth of purification, sacrifice, and absolute loyalty to a religion that was surrounded by conspiracy and animosity, it will be impossible for this sword to throw aside its strict principles or its spontaneous sharpness.

For instance, when the Prophet SAW sent him to some Arab tribes after the conquest of Mecca, he said to him, I am sending you there not as a warrior, but as a Muslim who invites to the way of Allah.' Unfortunately, his sword got the better of him and forced him into the role of the warrior, obliterating the role of the Muslim who invites to the way of Allah that the Prophet SAW had ordered him to follow. When the Prophet SAW heard what Khalid had done, he was stricken with anxiety and pain. Then he turned in the direction of the Qiblah and raised his hands in supplication and apology to Allah and said, O Allah, I free myself from blame for what Khalid has committed.' Then he sent Ali RA to give compensatory blood-money to the family of the deceased.

We will always repeat the words of Umar the Commander of the Faithful about Khalid: Women who give birth to men like Khalid are extremely rare,' as well as our earnest wish along with Umar that his sword would lose its rashness.

On the day of Khalid's death, Umar cried excessively. Later, people learned that his grief was not only caused by his personal loss, but also by the loss of his last chance to return the command to Khalid now that people were no longer infatuated with him. The reasons behind his dismissal were now gone. Only this time, unfortunately, the man was gone too.

Indeed, the great hero rushed to take his place in Paradise. For it was about time he caught his breath, considering the fact that no one on earth had been more restless than he. It was really about time his exhausted body would sleep for a while, considering that he was described by his friends and enemies alike as A sleepless man who would not let anyone sleep!'

If it were for him to decide, he would have chosen to live on until he had demolished all the decaying ruins of the ancient world and continued his jihad in the way of Allah and Islam.

If it were for him to decide, he would have chosen to live on until he had demolished all the decaying ruins of the ancient world and continued his jihad in the way of Allah and Islam.

He used to say, Nothing is dearer to me than a frosty night in the company of an infantry of Muhajirun when we are to attack the disbelievers in the morning. Not even the night in which I was wedded to a new bride or received the glad tidings of the birth of a new child.'

Therefore, the tragedy of his life, in his opinion, was dying in bed after he had spent his entire life on horseback, raising his glittering sword. It was difficult for him to accept that he was to die in bed after all the battles he had fought next to the Prophet SAW, and after he had annihilated the Roman and Persian empires and after he had galloped to Iraq where he achieved one victory after another until he had liberated it. Then he had turned to Syria where he had achieved one victory after another until he had set it free from the bonds of disbelief.

In spite of his position as a commander, he was so modest that if you had seen him you would not have distinguished him from among his soldiers, yet at the same time, you would have known at once that he must be a commander from the way he shouldered responsibilities and set himself as a good example.

On his deathbed, he said as his tears flowed, All the battles I fought in left my body scarred with wounds and stabs everywhere, yet here I am dying in bed as if I had never witnessed war before. I hope that the cowards will not have a day's rest even after I am dead.'

When the moment of departure was close, he dictated his will. Can you guess to whom he left all his valuables? It was to Umar lbn Al-Khattab himself. Can you guess what his valuables were? They were his horse and his weapon. He had nothing else to bequeath but his horse and weapon.

His only obsession while he was alive was achieving victory over the enemies of truth. He was not in the least obsessed with life, with all its splendours and luxury. There was one thing that he obsessively cherished and treasured. It was his helmet. He lost it in the Battle of Al-Yarmuuk, and he exhausted himself and others in searching for it. When he was criticized for that, he said, I keep it for luck, for it has some hairs of the Prophet's forehead. It makes me feel optimistic that victory is within reach.'

Finally, the body of the hero left his home carried on the shoulders of his companions. The deceased's mother took one last look at the hero, her eyes full of determination tinged with sadness as she commended him to Allah's protection and said, There are far, far better than a thousand men who flung themselves into the battlefield. Do you ask me about his valour? He was much more courageous than a huge lion that protects its cubs in the time of danger. Do you ask me about his generosity? He was far more generous than an overwhelming torrential rain that slides down from the mountains!' Umar's heart throbbed and his eyes flowed with tears when he heard her recite these lines of poetry: You spoke the truth. By Allah, he was everything you said he was.'

His companions stood at his grave in reverence. They felt that the whole universe was so peaceful, humble, and silent that it seemed as if the whole world went into mourning.

May Allah bless your morning, Abu Sulaiman. May Allah bestow glory, praise, and eternity on you.

Let us now repeat after Umar the Commander of the Faithful. The sweet elegy with which he paid his last farewell to Khalid: May Allah have mercy on you, Abu Sulaiman. What you have now is far better than what you had in life, for you are now with Allah. You were honoured in life and content in death.'