بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Sa’ad bin Muadh, the Chief of the Ansar (ra)...
Who is the Sa’ad of the Ummah Today?!
(Translated)
Mention of the great personalities of Islamic history, is not like mention of any legendary, historical “hero.” The difference between the great Muslims and the historical “heroes” is that our study of the former, is in order to follow their example. We follow their footsteps, and take lessons from their heroic deeds. Note, that they did not perform these heroics because they were “legends.” Instead, they did so because they understood Islam as a belief and Shariah rulings. They applied these rulings properly, so they distinguished themselves. They were among those with determination and those whom the divine texts praised. Amongst these heroes is the honorable companion, Sa’ad bin Muadh, the chief of the Ansar (ra).
He (ra) is amongst those about whom Allah (swt) said,
[وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ]
“As for the foremost, the first of the Muhajirs and the Ansaar, and those who follow them in goodness, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. And He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there for ever and ever. That is the ultimate triumph.” [TMQ Surah At-Tauba 9:100]
This honorable Companion (ra) deserved this praise and that status, for a great deed. It was a great deed that the leaders of Quraysh, the Arabs and other leaders refused to do. It is the great deed of Nussrah (Material Support) for Islam and its Messenger (saw). Therefore, the People of Power today must realize that the Islamic state was established, once Sa’ad gave Muhammad (saw) Nussrah. They must understand that the status of whoever establishes Islam today will be like the one who granted Nussrah to the Messenger (saw).
His rank will be inshaa Allah, like the degree of Sa’ad bin Muadh (ra), about whom the Prophet (saw) said,
«اهْتَزَّ العَرْشُ لِمَوْتِ سَعْدِ بْنِ مُعَاذٍ» “The Throne shook at the death of Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh.” [al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Adh-Dhahabi (rh) said, هذا متواتر أشهد بأن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قاله “This is mutawaatir. I bear witness that the Messenger of Allah (saw) certainly said it.” [al-‘Uluw li’l-‘Aliy al-Ghaffaar]. Adh-Dhahabi reported it in full in his book al-Fawaa’id, from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (ra) who said, “The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
«اهْتَزَّ الْعَرْشُ لِمَوْتِ سَعْدِ بْنِ مُعَاذٍ ، مِنْ فَرَحِ الرَّبِّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ» “The Throne shook at the death of Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh, because of the joy of the Lord, may He be glorified and exalted.”” In as-Sunnah by ‘Abdullah ibn al-Imam Ahmad, it is said, عَنِ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ لَقَدِ اهْتَزَّ عَرْشُ الرَّحْمَنِ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ بِجِنَازَةِ سَعْدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَفَسَّرَهُ الْحَسَنُ فَرَحًا بروحهُ “It was narrated that al-Hasan said, The Throne of the Most Merciful, may He be glorified and exalted, shook at the funeral of Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh (ra). Al-Hasan interpreted it as referring to joy at (the coming of) his soul.”
It is befitting for every Muslim commander to read about Sa’ad (ra) and contemplate. It is Sa’ad (ra) who stood on the Day of Badr, the Day of al-Furqan, and said to the Messenger (saw), لقد آمنا بك وصدقناك... وشهدنا أن ما جئت به هو الحق، وأعطيناك على ذلك عهودنا ومواثيقنا على السمع والطاعة لك، فامض يا رسول الله لما أردت فنحن معك، فوالذي بعثك بالحق لو استعرضت بنا البحر فخضته لخضناه معك ما تخلف منا رجل واحد، وما نكره أن تلقى بنا عدونا غداً، إنا لَصبرٌ في الحرب، صُدقٌ عند اللقاء، لعل الله يريك منا ما تقر له عينك، فسر على بركة الله “We have believed in you and trusted you...and testify that what you have brought is the truth, and on that we have given our pledges to listen to you and obey you. Therefore you decide (any which way) and we are with you, by the One who sent you down with the truth if you order us to jump into the ocean, not one of us will waver. We are not averse to confronting the enemy tomorrow, we shall be steadfast in our fight, and may Allah manifest to you what will please your eyes, let us march and count on His support.”
This is what the People of Power and Protection, from the officers and commanders of the soldiers in the Muslim armies, must realize about the stances of men, in deciding the fate of the Ummah. This is so that they spend their lives as Sa’ad (ra) did, in obedience to Allah (swt). Indeed, Sa’ad understood the life of this world rightly. So, he (ra) fulfilled the duty of granting Nussrah for Islam and His Messenger (ra) to establish Allah’s Deen on earth. His death was like that of a groom wedded to the gardens of paradise. This was Sa’ad about whom the people told the Prophet (saw), ما حملنا يا رسول الله ميتاً أخفَّ علينا منه “We have not carried a dead body lighter than this.” It is upon this that the Prophet (saw) replied,
«مَا يَمْنَعُهُ أَنْ يَخِفَّ وَقَدْ هَبَطَ مِنَ المَلاَئِكَةِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، لَمْ يَهْبِطُوا قَطُّ قَبْلَ يَوْمِهِم، قَدْ حَمَلُوْهُ مَعَكُم»
“Nothing made his body lighter, but it was such and such number of angels who descended and carried him along with you. Those angels had never before descended.” [Narrated in Tabaqat, by ibn Sa’ad.]
Such was Sa’ad (ra) that when he died Jibreel (as) came to the Prophet (saw) and said, من هذا العبد الصالح الذي مات؟ فتحت له أبواب السماء وتحرك له العرش “Who was this good soul who died? The gates of the heavens were opened for him and the throne moved.” The Prophet (saw) then said,
«هَذَا الْعَبْدُ الصَّالِحُ الَّذِي تَحَرَّكَ لَهُ الْعَرْشُ، وَفُتِحَتْ لَهُ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ، وَشَهِدَهُ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفاً مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَمْ يَهْبِطُوا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ، وَلَقَدْ ضُمَّ ضَمَّةً ثُمَّ أُفْرِجُ عَنْهُ»
“This virtuous servant for whom the gates of heavens were opened and the throne moved. Seventy thousand angels descended for him, he was buried and left.” [This is narrated by Haakim and authenticated by al-Dhahabi. Imam Ahmad reported it with an authentic chain of narration.]
Indeed, this status has been prepared by Allah (swt) for the one who gave Nussrah to the Messenger of Allah (saw), when he (saw) established the Islamic State. This status is the same and perhaps, by the grace and favor of Allah (swt), is greater for those who grant Nussrah to Muslims in this era. It is a time when Islam is absent from their lives, whilst the forces of kufr and tyranny dominate them, enemies rally against them and all systems and orders strike them in unison. So, the successful one from amongst the People of Power and Protection is the one who seizes this opportunity, which has only presented itself after fourteen centuries, for the second time. The successful one strives to achieve the reward and status of the one who seized the opportunity the first time, our chief, Sa’ad bin Muadh (ra).
As for the deprived within the People of Power and Protection, he is the one who sells his Aakhira for his Dunya, or his Aakhira for the Dunya of someone else. So, he only strives for medals, ranks and high positions in the Muslim armies. He does not invest these to defend Islam and Muslims, and establish the Shariah law of the Lord of all humanity, on earth. Instead, he does so to obtain the largest possible portion of the pleasures of the world, for a fleeting vanity. He forgets the fact that medals and ranks will neither prevent the wrath of Allah (swt), nor anything else from the fire of Hell, if he fails to grant Nussrah for the Deen.
The officer possessing power and prevention must realize that Sa’ad bin Muadh (ra) was a human being like us. He had human instincts that we also have. He had the instinctual drives for possession, procreation and survival, whose manifestations are the love of money, status, children and women... However, because his belief was pure and clear, he was certain that the enjoyment of this world is the enjoyment of fleeting vanity. He was certain that the enjoyment of the Hereafter is permanent and uninterrupted, and that is the real enjoyment. The People of Power and Protection today must realize that the Companion Saad (ra) is not one of the failures of history that must not be repeated. Like Saad (ra), they can perform his good deed, for their Nussrah is like his Nussrah. The divine address to them today is the same address of yesterday, to Saad (ra).
On the authority of Asim bin Qatada, it is narrated that, “The Messenger of Allah (saw) slept, and an angel came to him - or Gabriel said - when he woke up, and said, من رجل من أمتك مات الليلة، استبشر بموته أهل السماء “Who is a man from your Ummah who died tonight, whose entry into the afterlife was rejoiced by the people of heaven? He said,
«لا أَعْلَمُ إِلا أَنَّ سَعْداً أَمْسَى دَنِفاً (مريضاً). مَا فَعَلَ سَعْدٌ؟» “I do not know, except that Saad was afflicted by illness, what did Saad do?” They said, يا رسول الله، قد قبض، وجاءه قومه فاحتملوه إلى ديارهم O Messenger of Allah (swt), his soul has been taken. His people came to him, so they carried him to their homes.” The Messenger of Allah (saw) prayed the morning Salah and went with the people. The people continued to walk fast, until the tops of their sandals would break off from their feet, and their robes would fall off their shoulders. A man said to him, “O Messenger of Allah (saw), the people have tired.” He (saw) said,
«إِنِّي أَخْشَى أَنْ تَسْبِقَنَا إِلَيْهِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ كَمَا سَبَقَتْنَا إِلَى حَنْظَلَةَ» “I am afraid that the angels will precede us to him, as they preceded us to Hanzalah (ra).” He was repeating, «هَنِيئاً لَك أَبَا عَمْرٍو! هَنِيئاً لَك أَبَا عَمْرٍو» “Congratulations to Abu Umar! Congratulations to you Abu Umar!”
O People of Power and Protection amongst the Officers of the Muslim Armies! This is a day when resolve is awakened, and glories are recorded. This is a day when you spare no effort in the way of granting Nussrah to this Deen. So do not miss your opportunity. Respond to the command of Allah (swt) with your affirmed declaration, “At your service, O Allah, at your service”. Today, the Islamic Ummah is crying out to you, so respond by saying, “We are your comfort, our Ummah, we are your relief.” Today, Hizb ut Tahrir extends its hands to you so that you complete the duty with it, so respond by saying, “We are your Sa’ad, Hizb ut Tahrir, we are your Sa’ad.” Respond to the one who calls you to the command of Allah (swt)... Do you not want to be on the path of the two Saads, Saad bin Muadh and Saad bin Ubadah, Asa’ad and Usayd?! Do you not want your station to be like their station, and to rise to their stations, securing for yourselves an eternal pleasure like theirs?!
O People of Power and Protection among the officers of the Muslim armies! The stances of the chief of the Ansar, Saad bin Muadh (ra), filled the hearts of the Muslims with joy. His name is not mentioned, except that tongues rejoice in Dua for him. It is not heard that the throne of the Most Merciful shook at his death, except that the eyes overflowed with joy for him, with an intense yearning for the same. Is there any other way to return to our Lord (swt)?! The greatness of men lies in the sincerity of their stances, the loftiness of their goals, and their patience within the trials. The greatness of men lies in their stances, whatever the circumstances, with an insistence upon achieving them, no matter how great the challenges are... You live in a time, when the same call as that of the Muhajirun to the Ansar, has been raised again. So, be our Ansaar today. Rise for the glory of our Deen. Rise for the glory of our Ummah.
We know of all this, just as you do. Your proper place is upon the battlefields. So, where are the battlefields of glory that these rulers have opened for you?! Where are the battles of honor that they have fought alongside you?! Where are the wars of heroes, that had your names and good deeds preserved?! Where are the battles that you are known for, and are known to you? We know, as you do, that you are not mere employees. Your concern is not stability and securing a living. You are the key to the door of succession in ruling and empowerment in authority. You are the Ummah’s platform for Jihad against the enemies of the Deen. The Ummah wants to see in you the likes of Musa bin Naseer, Uqba bin Nafi’, Muhammad bin Qasim and Tariq bin Ziyad.
You know, O People of Our Nussrah, that these rulers want to prevail with their falsehood, and remain in their tyranny. They want you to stand with them and protect their falsehood. However, Allah (swt) wants you to seize the authority from these people. Allah (swt) wants you to hand the authority over to the people of the Dawah, to establish the Second Khilafah Rashidah (Righteous Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood, so that they rule by all that Allah (swt) has revealed. These rulers know that amongst you are the sincere ones who take pride in their Deen. They know that there are those amongst you who are angry with them, because of their shameful deals and pacts. They know that amongst you are those whose feelings are shaken by what the Ummah is suffering at the hands of its enemies, as well those who are afflicted by the pain that the Muslims are feeling...
Therefore, they threaten you, distance you, monitor you, restrain you, change your posts and interrogate you. They promote the vile criminal-minded officer, whilst denying the promotion of the noble, upright officer. They do so to paralyze your hands from making change, whilst Allah (swt) wants you to seize hold of the rulers, whip their backs, uproot them, and relieve the Ummah from their evils. Allah (swt) wants you to be mighty over the criminal rulers, merciful to the Muslims, and protectors of this Deen. It is not the time for hesitation. It is not the time for procrastination. It is the time for justice for the Ummah and Nussrah for the Deen. If you do not prioritize the command of Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw) over the affairs of evil, difficult conditions will remain for your Deen and your Ummah. And matters will turn against you in the Hereafter, for your negligence.
Would Saad (ra) ever accept what the Jews do to the Muslims in Palestine? Or what America did in Iraq and Afghanistan, besides its crusader hostility against Muslims everywhere? Or what the Russians did in Chechnya and Syria, India in Kashmir, and China in East Turkestan?! So, how can the descendants of Saad accept all of this? We do not turn to the criminals among the people of power amongst you, who are similar to the rulers. We turn to the sincere ones amongst you. We do not want Nussrah except from the likes of you. Therefore, you have no excuse for not responding. There is no excuse for remaining silent and sitting still. If you do not take the initiative to grant Nussrah for our Deen, then who will take the initiative?
Changing the rulers of today, in order to establish the ruling by all that Allah (swt) has revealed, is the foremost of all the obligations in the Deen. This material change falls on the shoulders of the people of power, before all others. The paths have been paved for you, so that the Ummah’s demand has become to change the rulers. The paths have been paved for you, such that the rulers fear the vengeance of the people upon them. The paths have been paved, such that the sword of the American and European occupiers was broken upon the anvil of the mujahideen, whilst the Jewish commanders began to reveal their fear of the emergence of a Salahudin today.
The paths have been paved and they await those who will traverse them upon Truth. Grant your Nussrah for the sake of Allah (swt). The glad tidings of the Messenger of Allah (swt) of the second Khilafah on the Method of Prophethood awaits you. Be the Ansaar of today who grant Nussrah for its return. Be the Sa’ad of this Ummah today. Sa’ad is present amongst you, so let him come forwards. The Ummah is eager to see him amongst you. It awaits a Sa’ad to seize the authority, upon Truth, to hand it as a trust to the sincere people of the Dawah, so as to establish the Second Khilafah Rashidah (Righteous Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood, to rule with Truth. Allah (swt) said,
[مَنْ كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَنْ لَنْ يَنْصُرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ بِسَبَبٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ لِيَقْطَعْ فَلْيَنْظُرْ هَلْ يُذْهِبَنَّ كَيْدُهُ مَا يَغِيظُ]
“Whoever thinks that Allah will not help His Prophet in this world and the Hereafter, let them stretch out a rope to the ceiling and strangle themselves, then let them see if this plan will do away with the cause of their rage.” [TMQ Surah Al-Hajj 22:15]
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Bilal al-Muhajir – Wilayah Pakistan