A man who witnessed murder and torture

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Saeed ibn Aamir Al-Jumahi رضي الله عنه

He was a youth who was amongst those who come out to the outskirts of Makkah at the call of the leaders of the Quraish. They had beeen called to witness the death of Khubayb ibn Adi رضي الله عنه, a companion of Rasulullah ﷺ who had been captured treacherously.

It was destined for him that he see this captive of the quraish shackled while the people were waiting to take revenge to Nabi ﷺ through him, wanting to kill him in place of those who were killed in the battle of badr.

Khubayb رضي الله عنه requested that he be allowed to perform 2 rakaats of Salaah and was given permission to do so. On completing his Salaah he turned to the Quraish and said, "By Allah, If it was not for the fact that you would think I was lenghtening my Salaah out of fear of death, I would have definitely lengthened it.

Sa'eed رضي الله عنه witnessed with his own eyes as the people mutilated this Sahabi while he was alive. They cut piece after piece from his body while they questioned, "Do you prefer Muhammed ﷺ be in your place and you be safe?"

He replied while he was bleeding profusely, "By Allah I do not like that I be safe and sound amongst my family while Muhammed ﷺ gets pricked by a thorn." He looked towards the sky and made dua, "Oh Allah count their number, and kill them one after the other, and do not spare a single one of them," then he breathed his last. No one was able to count the amount of strikes from swords and stabs from spears that wounded his body.

The Quraish returned to Makkah and soon forgot about this incident. However the adolescent, Saeed ibn Aamir, did not forget. Khubayb رضي الله عنه was not absent from his mind for a moment. He would see him in his dreams while asleep and he would see him in his thoughts while awake. He appeared infront of him performing two rakaats of Salaah tranquil and content infront of the gallows and he heard his voice ringing in his ears as he made dua against the Quraish. he feared being struck by a thunderbolt or that a boulder would fall on him from the skies.

Certainly Khubayb رضي الله عنه taught Saeed رضي الله عنه what he did not know before. He taught him that the reality of this life is belief and striving in the path of your beliefs until death. He taught him that firmly established Imaan works wonders and does miracles. He taught him that surely that man who he loved so greatly was definitely the messenger who is helped from the heavens.

Saeed رضي الله عنه stood amongst a gathering of people and announced his innocence of the sins of the Quraish and forsaking the worship of idols and statues and entering the deen of Allah.

He migrated to Madinah and spent most of his time in the company of Rasulullah ﷺ until Nabi ﷺ passed away. He then became an unshethed sword in the hands of the first two khalifah's. He lived to be unique and unmatched example of one who had traded this world for the hereafter.

Umar رضي الله عنه told Saeed رضي الله عنه "Oh Saeed, Surely you are entrusted over the people of Hims (as a leader)."

He replied, "Oh Umar, I adjure by Allah that you do not test me."

This led Umar رضي الله عنه to angrily exclaim, " You placed this matter (of Khilafat) on my neck then you freed yourself of it?! By Allah I will not leave you." Then he made him the governer of Hims.

Not long afterwards, Umar رضي الله عنه sent a delegation to Hims. He requested them to write the names of the poor among them so he could relieve their needs. They prepared a list for him in which the name Saeed ibn Aamir appeared.

"Who is this Saeed ibn Aamir?" asked Umar رضي الله عنه.

"Our leader," they replied.

"Your leader is poor?" questioned Umar رضي الله عنه.

"Yes," they affirmed, "By Allah, several days go by without a fire being lit in his house."

Umar رضي الله عنه was greatly moved and wept. He got a thousand dinars, put it in a purse and said, "Convey my greetings to him and tell him that the Amir al-Mu'mineen has sent this money to help him look after his needs."

The delegation came to Saeed رضي الله عنه with the purse. When he found that it contained money, he began to push it far away from him, saying, "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon."

He said it in such a way as if some misfortune had descended on him. His alarmed wife hurried to him and asked, "What's the matter, Saeed? Has the Khalifah died?"

"Infact it is something greater than that." he replied.

"Have the Muslims been defeated in a battle?" she questioned.

"Infact it is something greater than that. The world has come upon me to destroy my hereafter and create corruption in my house."

"Then free yourself of it," said she, not knowing anything about the dinars.

"Will you help me in this?" he asked.

She agreed. He took the dinars, put them in bags and distributed them to the Muslim poor.

Not long afterwards, Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه went to Syria to examine conditions there. When he arrived at Hims which was called little Kufah because, like Kufah, its inhabitants complained a lot about their leaders, he asked what they thought of their leader. They complained about him mentioning four of his actions each one more serious than the other.

"I shall bring you and him together," Umar رضي الله عنه promised. "And I make dua to Allah that my opinion about him would not be damaged. I used to have great confidence in him."

When the meeting was convened, Umar رضي الله عنه asked what complaints they had against him.

"He only comes out to us when the sun is already high," they said.

"What do you have to say to that, Saeed?" asked Umar.

Saeed رضي الله عنه was silent for a moment, then said, "By Allah, I really didn't want to say this but there seems to be no way out. My family does not have a servant so I get up every morning and prepare dough for bread. I wait a little until it rises and then bake it for them. I then make wudhu and go out to the people."

"What's your other complaint?" asked Umar رضي الله عنه.

"He does not answer anyone at night," they said.

To this Saeed رضي الله عنه reluctantly said, "By Allah, I really wouldn't have liked to disclose this also, but I have left the day for them and the night for Allah."

"And what's your other complaint about him?" asked Umar رضي الله عنه.

"He does not come out to us for one day in every month," they said.

To this Saeed رضي الله عنه replied, "I do not have a servant, O Amir al-Mu'mineen and I do not have any clothes except what I am wearing. I wash it once a month and I wait for it to dry. Then I go out in the later part of the day."

"Any other complaint about him?" asked Umar رضي الله عنه.

"From time to time, he blacks out in meetings," they said.

To this Saeed رضي الله عنه replied, "I witnessed the killing of Khubayb ibn Adiy رضي الله عنه when I was a mushrik. I saw the Quraysh cutting him and saying, "Would you like Muhammad ﷺ to be in your place?" to which Khubayb رضي الله عنه replied, "I would not wish to be safe and secure among my family while a thorn hurts Muhammad ﷺ." By Allah, whenever I remember that day and how I failed to come to his aid, I only think that Allah would not forgive me and I black out."

Thereupon Umar رضي الله عنه said, "Alll praises are due to Allah who has not tainted my thoughts about him." He later sent a thousand dinars to Saeed to help him out. When his wife saw the amount she said. "Praise be to Allah Who has enriched us out of your service. Buy some provisions for us and hire a helper."

"And what if there is something better than that??" asked Saeed رضي الله عنه .

She asked, "And what is that?"

He replied "We will give it to someone who will help us when we are more in need than we are now.
"نقرضها الله قرضا حسنا"
We will loan it to Allah, A good loan."

"Yes, And you will be recompensed better," she agreed.

He did not leave the place he was sitting in until he put the dinars into small bags and said to a member of his family, "Take this to the widow of so and so, and the orphans of that person, to the needy in that family and to the poor family of so and so."

May Allah be pleased with Sa'id ibn Aamir al-Jumahi who was indeed one of those who prefered others over themselves even if they were hungry.