Shining Stars

Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah b. Miḥṣan رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ

Mawlana Adnan Ahmad Attari Madani

It is said in Arabic: سَبَقَکَ بِہَا عُکَّاشَۃُ, meaning, “ꜤUkāshah preceded you.” When one person precedes another in a matter, this is said as a proverb to the one who left behind.[1] But who was ꜤUkāshah and how did he become an example? Let us read more about this:

Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah b. Miḥṣan Asadī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was Companion of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, who was from al-Sābiqūn al-Awwalūn (the Forerunners) and Ahl al-Ṣuffah.[2] He is considered to be from the most brave, distinguished and excellent individuals.[3] He was two years younger than his brother Sayyidunā Abū Sinān رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ.[4] He is also the brother of the well-known female Companion, Sayyidah Umm Qays al-Muhājirah رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا.[5]

The bow was fixed

Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ witnessed many miracles of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. On one such occasion, during a battle, the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was shooting arrows when his bow broke at the corner and the bowstring also broke, leaving only a handspan length of bowstring in the Beloved Prophet’s blessed hand (which could not be stretched to reach the bow’s corner). Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ took the bow and tried to pull the string in order to tie it to the bow’s corner (but was unable to do so).

He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ then said, “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, the string is not reaching the corner.”

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم responded, “Pull it, it will reach!”

Hearing this, he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ pulled the string, causing it to stretch and allowing it to easily reach the corner of the bow, where it was wrapped around two or three times. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم then took the bow from him and began shooting arrows towards the enemy.[6]

The branch became a sword

In Ramadan 2 AH, during the Battle of Badr, his sword was broken whilst fighting the enemy, so he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ went to the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم handed him a branch and said, “O ꜤUkāshah, fight with this.”

He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ took hold of the branch and waved it, and it became a long, white, shining, strong sword, so he fought the enemies with it until Allah Almighty granted victory to the Muslims.[7] The sword always remained with him. He took part in the Battles of Uḥud, Khandaq, and all subsequent expeditions, displaying its qualities.[8]

In RabīꜤ al-Awwal 6 AH, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم sent 40 noble Companions رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُم under his leadership to the Ghamr Spring of Banī Asad. He attacked them along with his comrades, leading the enemy to flee without their camels. The noble Companions رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُم wished to chase them but he prevented them, thus, they returned to al-Madinah al-Munawwarah with 200 camels. Neither were any of them injured nor did fall prey to any deception or trap.[9]

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم also sent him on an expedition in RabīꜤ al-Ākhir 9 AH.[10]

ꜤUkāshah رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ preceded you

The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم once said:

I saw all nations during Hajj, and I saw my own nation surrounding the plains and mountains; their abundance pleased me. I was asked, “Are you happy with this?”

“I am happy,” I replied.

Then it was said, “With these, there are 70,000 more who will enter Paradise without any accountability. They are those who do not perform ruqyah, do not cauterise, do not take bad omens and place their trust in their Lord.”

Hearing this, Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ stood and said, “Supplicate to Allah Almighty to make me from among them.”

Thus, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم supplicated, “O Allah, make him from among them too.”

Then a second Companion رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ stood and said, “Supplicate that Allah Almighty makes me from among them too.”

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, “ꜤUkāshah has preceded you in this.”[11]

In another narration, he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “The first people who enter will have faces glowing like the full moon and then those who have faces like the brightly shining stars in the sky.”

Upon this, Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ stood and requested, “Supplicate that Allah Almighty makes me from among them.”

So, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “O Allah, make ꜤUkāshah from among them.”

Someone else said, “Supplicate for me too.”

He صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, “ꜤUkāshah preceded you.”[12]

Martyrdom while defending belief in the Finality of Prophethood

In 9 AH, Ṭulayḥah b. Khuwaylid al-Asadī (prior to accepting Islam) made a claim to Prophethood,[13]  so Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ sent an army under the leadership of Sayyidunā Khālid b. Walīd رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ to confront him. Sayyidunā Khālid b. Walīd رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ sent forth Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah and Sayyidunā Thābit b. Aqram رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُم to gather information on Ṭulayḥah. Thus, they both mounted horses and on the way, they fell into a confrontation with Ṭulayḥah and his brother Salamah.

Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ attacked Ṭulayḥah whilst Sayyidunā Thābit رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ attacked Salamah. However, Salamah martyred Sayyidunā Thābit رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ. Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ almost killed Ṭulayḥah, but he cried out, “Help me, he will kill me!”, so Salamah ran to him until they had both surrounded Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ and then martyred him. They then proceeded to trample both of their blessed bodies with the hooves of their horses. When the Muslims reached that place, they were aggrieved when they saw the bodies of these noble individuals. Then they laid to rest both of them in their blood-stained clothes in that area.[14]

According to one narration, whilst fighting the apostates, he was martyred in 12 AH, in the area of Najd known as Buzākha. However, the correct opinion is that he was martyred in 11 AH by Ṭulayḥah and his brother.[15]

Ṭulayḥah al-Asadī accepts Islam

After being defeated by Sayyidunā Khālid b. Walīd رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, Ṭulayḥah b. Khuwaylid Asadī left for al-Shām, then he repented and accepted Islam. He took the pledge of allegiance at the hands of Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ and took part in many battles of Islam. In particular, during the Battle of Qādisiyyah, where he exhibited his battle prowess. He was martyred during the Battle of Nahāwand in 21 AH.[16]

Narrations

At the time of the Beloved Prophet’s physical passing, Sayyidunā ꜤUkāshah b. Miḥṣan رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ was 44 years old.[17] The sword that was given to him by the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was passed down as inheritance from generation to generation.[18] Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah and Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤAbbās رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُم narrated from him.[19]