Ammar Ibn Yasir (ra) - A Companion of the Prophet ('s)
Chapter 6: Sufferings of the Oppressed
Sumayya daughter of Khayyit said to her husband Yasir: "Woe to this
obstinate, transgressing tyrant! The city of Makkah is resounding with
the tales of cruelty and oppression of this man with regard to ‘Ammar
and the incident of atrocities committed by this cruel man on him is now
the talk of the town .O my dear ‘Ammar! O Allah! What may I do, for I am
going to lose my son!
I have learned that Abu Jahl has not permitted ‘Ammar to offer evening
and night prayers and has ordered that he should be whipped. What a
whipping! The sound of the whips falling on his body is now heard in the
same manner in which his own voice used to be heard at dawn when he
offered prayers and made supplications to Allah. O my dear ‘Ammar! I am
boiling with indignation for the outrage let loose on you.
O my Lord! What may I do? People say that Abu Jahl is not contented
with the blows which are being administered to ‘Ammar and which are so
severe that they may split even the stones. Besides the torments to
which he is subjected at night he is made to suffer torture during
daytime also. It is unprecedented even in the jungles.
Alas, my dear ‘Ammar! Is it possible that I may be made to suffer this
torture in his place? Will this male violent dictator accede to this
request of mine? O Yasir! Get up. Go to Abu Jahl and ask him to torment
me instead of ‘Ammar and to agree to let fall on me, those blows, which
are being dealt on his delicate body. Do get up, Yasir! You are well
aware that ‘Ammar's body is not used to such flogging.”
Yasir said: "O maidservant of Allah! The torments to which ‘Ammar is
being subjected will be reckoned before Allah. Our Prophet (S) has
ordered us to be patient and for bearing. Don't be in a hurry .Tomorrow
your and my turn will come when we shall be subjected to daily
torture.
How important it will be if the father and mother of ‘Ammar are
sacrificed for the 'Word of Allah' and lay down their lives for the sake
of the deliverance and freedom of the people so that these cruelties may
disappear and people may live in peace and prosperity!
Furthermore, we know it well that the oppressions and transgressions to
which the general public is being subjected are more severe and dreadful
than the torture which ‘Ammar is suffering. How good it will be if these
sacrifices of ours become the means of the deliverance of the common
people and they get rid of servitude and oppression and this dark
atmosphere changes into a luminous space.
If we make these sacrifices in lieu of the eternal blessings which
soothes our souls we will not be doing any wrong and will not lose
anything. On the contrary our good names will survive in both the
worlds.
Don't get excited on account of these events. Don't grieve and complain
but extinguish these flames with the cold and wholesome water of
confidence and faith. In the meantime be cheerful and happy, because
tomorrow you will succeed in meeting ‘Ammar, and will also receive your
share of whipping and other tortures at the hands of this tyrant, who is
called Abu Jahl.
Sumayya, you must keep this fact in view that this harassment and
persecution in the path of Islam is not limited to the family of Yasir,
but others are also have to face it. There can be nothing of greater
pride for us than that we should serve as an example for these helpless
people? These poor people have also to bear such sufferings and
tortures, but have observed patience and fortitude. All of them are
undergoing persecution and are bearing it. It is not only Abu Jahl who
is oppressive and cruel, to his slaves and allies. All these unjust and
aggressive tyrants who are polytheists oppress their allies and slaves
and have made them helpless, so much so that the only food and
sustenance which they provide them is whipping and branding of their
bodies.
Umayya bin Khalaf Jahami tortures Bilal bin Ruba. ‘Umar bin Khattab
torments the slave-girl of Bani Mu'il who belongs to the tribe of
Adi.[^1] Furthermore, Salam, slave of Abu Huzayfa, Khubab bin Art,
Suhayb bin Sanan, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Amir bin Fahira, Abu Fakiha, Umme
Ans, Zanira and many other brothers and sisters of ours are undergoing
severe persecutions and tortures. You shouldn't, therefore, grieve
because ‘Ammar is being tortured. ‘Ammar is the vanguard of dawn and the
leader of the caravan of auspiciousness and quest for reform. All these
distinguished persons, pure in heart, follow him and illuminate his dark
night. In any case ‘Ammar has become a model for these devoted persons
and what pride can be greater for all of them than that Allah should be
their Helper, and what honour can be higher than that their reward lies
with Allah?"
‘Ammar's mother said to Yasir: "O Abu ‘Ammar! May Allah give reward of
the patient persons to you who are manifesting so much fortitude for the
sake of Islam! I swear by Allah that you have extinguished the fire of
my heart and invigorated my soul. Before I heard these words from you a
fire was aflame in my heart. It was consuming my entire being. You might
say that I was hearing the sound of the lashes which were being
administered to my weak son and was burning with excitement on that
account. O Abu ‘Ammar, may Allah give you a good reward! Even now I can
hear the sound of those lashes but at the same time I feel that for
every lash which is administered to him an angel gives solace to his
grieved heart. Get up! This night is very lengthy for us and nothing
cuts a lengthy night short like prayers.”
The husband and the wife got up and both hurried to the place where
‘Ammar used to worship and began offering prayers. They kept awake and
remained busy in the prayers for a very long time till dawn appeared.
Then they heard that someone was knocking at the door. With mixed
sentiments of happiness and grief ‘Ammar's mother said with a painful
smile on her lips: "Do you think we are being invited to meet ‘Ammar?"
Yasir said: "Don't you hear with what intensity and vehemence the
knocker is knocking at the door? As if the door has committed a crime
and the knocker is like one whose father has, so to say, been flogged in
our house, or some one has abused his father; or, it may be said that
the knocker has been commissioned to frighten us in advance and it is
intended to vex us before we are subjected to torture. Rise with
reliance on Allah. ‘Ammar has been away since long. It is possible that
we may be able to see him ".
Yasir's words had not yet ended when the house was attacked by a number
of rogues and ruffians. A group of rustics commissioned by Abu Jahl
entered the house like the genii holding luminous torches in their
hands. Behind this group of torch bearers came men who were carrying
sticks on their shoulders. Flames of fire mixed with smoke had enveloped
the entire space of the house and the attackers were raising a hue and
cry. However, these aged couple did not pay any heed to this tumult.
At this juncture the transgressors stretched their hands to this couple
and they were seized at the door of the room in which ‘Ammar prayed and
where they were still standing. Later they were tied with ropes and
pulled out of the house.
A group of rascals and vagabonds then went ahead and another group
drove the innocent Yasir and Sumayya harshly from behind and reviled and
abused them. However, these two persons were asking Divine forgiveness
and reciting the name of Muhammad with respect and praising him.
The city of Makkah was not unaware of this incident, but the hue and
cry of the rogues and vagabonds had filled the atmosphere of that
morning with agitation and anxiety. For this reason the people came out
of their houses in a confused state of mind and witnessed the hardships
of Yasir's family.
This scene roused various sentiments in the hearts of the people. Many
unbiased and just persons were apparently calm and quiet, but their
hearts were bleeding with grief and the state of affairs was unbearable
for them. Evidently, in the circumstances discontent was becoming
stronger day by day. However, as the opponents of the prevailing
conditions did not display their opposition openly, Abu Jahl thought
that the masses that were observing silence were his supporters and
endorsed his views. He also imagined that all the people had gathered
under his standard. For this reason he felt elated and proud and
considered himself powerful and in full authority.
As a result of this wrong thinking he did not give up the policy of
cruelty, harshness and oppression, and imagined that the more oppressive
he was the more the people would support him, and the followers of Islam
would be terrified and would abandon their faith, and consequently the
front of the polytheists would become stronger. However, if he had
realized his mistake he would have known that the reality of the fact
was other than what he had supposed, and would have also realized that
the people were in fact the supporters of the family of Yasir and were
observing patience for the sake of victory of truth over falsehood.
In the meantime the patience and fortitude of the family of Yasir in
the face of the oppression of Abu Jahl was gaining sympathy of the
impartial spectators, but an obstinate and despotic man like Abu Jahl
could not perceive this fact until he was ruined and annihilated as a
result of his mistake, rebellion and intellectual deficiency arising
from sheer obstinacy.
Anyhow, when these pious, pure, and chaste couple surrendered to the
executioner Abu Jahl said to them: “You traitors! How have you found the
promise of Muhammad?”
Yasir: “It is the same promise which Allah and His Prophet (S) made to
us.”
Sumayya: “Whatever Allah and His Prophet (S) have said is true and
correct.”
They did not say anything more than this. Abu Jahl: “Are you prepared
to curse Muhammad and praise our gods so that you may remain safe?
Otherwise you will be subjected to an unprecedented torture.”
Yasir: “Whatever we have to endure is according to the promise of Allah
and His Prophet.”
Sumayya: “Whatever Allah and His Prophet (S) have said is true and
correct.”
Abu Jahl: “Don't be obstinate. I leave you free to make a choice
between torture and safety. In any case I would advise you to be wise
and not to follow the fool to whom you have given birth, and who is a
source of inauspiciousness and bad luck to you as well as to the Makhzum
tribe!”
Yasir: “Whatever has taken place is exactly according to the promise of
Allah and His Prophet.”
Sumayya: “Whatever has been said by Allah and His Prophet (S) is
correct.”
Abu Jahl said to his slaves: "Make them taste the unwholesome and
bitter breakfast, and then take them to the place where ‘Ammar is
confined, so that punishment may be awarded to all the three.”
The slaves of Abu Jahl dragged aside the innocent aged couple and
flogged them continuously. The whips were rolling up round their bodies
like snakes and their sound echoed loudly, but these pious persons did
not groan or complain.
When the slaves of Abu Jahl got tired of whipping and Abu Jahl himself
also was fed up with that he ordered them to be taken to the place where
‘Ammar was confined. When the parents of ‘Ammar met him all the three of
them were overjoyed. It might be said that all of them achieved their
object, and from that moment onwards the paradisiacal atmosphere, which
they were awaiting, spread its shadow on them.
‘Ammar, who was bound in chains, said to his parents: "How do you do?"
His parents said with one voice: "How do you do?" ‘Ammar replied: "If no
weakness has taken place in my faith as well as in yours I am in a good
state.”
Yasir said: "Blessed are you, ‘Ammar! Let me give you the good tidings
about something which will be the source of the strengthening of your
faith. The good news which I have for you is that I have been told that
the Almighty Allah has referred, in one of the verses of the Qur'an, to
you and to the masjid which you have built, and which was burnt by the
polytheists, and has said:
Do you give attention to the condition of the person who offers
throughout the night, whether standing or performing sajda (prostration)
and fears the Day of Judgement and hopes for Divine blessings? (O
Prophet!) Say: Are the persons who possess knowledge equal to those who
do not possess knowledge? Only the people who possess reason take
heed. (Surah al-Zumar, 39:9)
On hearing the contents of these verses tears trickled down the cheeks
of ‘Ammar on account of excessive devotion, happiness and hope, and he
performed a sajda on the earth as a mark of thanksgiving to Allah!
From then onwards the power of resistance of the members of this family
against the torture, insults and contempt to which they were subjected
by Abu Jahl increased, and as the mischief and shamelessness of the
opponents was intensified the spirit of patience, forbearance and
steadfastness of these pious persons also grew stronger.
[^1]: It has been said that before embracing Islam ‘Umar bin Khattab was a sworn enemy of Islam and the Muslims. He tortured this slave girl, who had embraced Islam, so that she might give up Islam. Ibn Hisham writes: ‘Umar meted out such a harsh treatment to this woman and cudgelled her so much that he himself got exhausted and then said to her: "I offer an excuse to you and leave you to yourself, because I am too tired of thrashing you". Eventually Abu Bakr delivered her, because he purchased her and set her free. This woman was one of those slavegirls and slaves who were reckoned to belong to the tribe of Quraysh and whose number amounted to thirteen. All of them were purchased and set free by Abu Bakr.