Story Of Islam Heroes: ‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’

The Slave who became a Teacher, to King (d. 104 A. H 225)

The characteristic typical of all the Muslim heroes was their effort to direct their work for one and only one purpose; i.e. The pleasure of Allah. Whether in the Battle or in the mosque, in the royal courts or in the market-place those heroes conduct never faltered.

‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’ was an eminent personality of the second generation of Muslims who met or attended many Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). ‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah was once at the doorsteps of the Umayyad; Caliph ‘Hisham-ibn-Abdul Malik’ in Damascus. Let us listen to what goes on between him and the Caliph.

The Caliph: ‘What can we do for you, Abu Muhammad?’

‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’: ‘The people of the two ‘Harams’ (Mecca and Madinah), the guests of Allah (i.e. pilgrims) and the neighbors of the Messenger, give them their allotted annual gifts.’
The Caliph: ‘We will (Turning to Secretary): ‘Write a decree to that effect. What else, Abu Muhammad?’
‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’: ‘The people of Hijaz and Najd are the heart of the Arabs and leaders of Islam, request that you return to them the surplus of their charity.’
The Caliph: ‘Yes, anything else?’

‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’: ‘Yes. leader of the faithful, the soldiers at the frontiers of the Muslim lands. They are there in the face of your enemies, fighting whoever attempts to attack the land of Islam or hurt the Muslims. These people deserve generous salaries and supplies to be sent to them. For if they are lost our frontiers are gone.’

The Caliph: ‘Yes. (Addressing the Secretary) Write a decree to that effect. Anything else I can do for you?’

‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’: ‘The Non-Muslim subjects living in the Muslim State who, in return for paying tax, enjoyed protection and safety) should not be asked to do things beyond their means. For whatever tax they pay you is a help against the State's enemies’.

The Secretary was ordered to write a decree to that effect.

The Caliph asks: ‘Anything else, Abu Muhammad?’

‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’: “Yes. Fear Allah for your own sake. Remember that you were born alone; you will die alone, will be raised on the Day of Resurrection alone, and you will receive the Judgment alone. No one of your friends or relatives can be of any help at those times."

With these words ‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’ bid farewell to the Caliph.

Before going out a man sent by the Caliph offered a pouch full of money for him.

‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’, declined to take the money, quoting from the Qur’an: "I ask you no reward (for the advice). For my reward is with the Lord of the universe."

Now let's go back to the earlier day’s life in Mecca. ‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’ was an Ethiopian, born a slave to a Mecca lady. Since his childhood he became interested in learning.

He divided his time into three portions:

*One third he spent in the service of his mistress carrying out his duties as a faithful servant.

*The second portion he devoted to worship and prayers, and;

*The third he devoted to learning whatever he could from the former companions of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).
The Mecca lady was impressed with her bondsman's devotion. So she set him free, giving him the chance to spend all his time in the Sacred Mosque of Mecca, learning first then teaching and engaged in devotions.

His knowledge and piety earned him a high place in the hearts of the rulers and the ruled alike. Of his knowledge we are told that a great man like 'Abdullah-Ibn-Umar’ was reported to have been surprised that people in Mecca needed to seek religious guidance from anyone while they had a man like ‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’ amongst them.

In the presence of  ‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’ even the greatest of Muslim Caliphs humbled themselves as we saw in the incident mentioned earlier (where we witnessed the encounter between ‘Hisham-Ibn-Abdul Malik’ and ‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah’).

In Mecca, another Umayyad Caliph, ‘Sulaiman-Ibn-Abdul Malik’, accompanied his two sons to sit humbly in the presence of the ex-slave to listen to his teachings in the sacred Mosque.

When he was asked about the man by his sons.

The Caliph answered, "This was '‘Ata-Ibn-Rabah."

Then he said, "My children seek knowledge. For through knowledge and learning the humble becomes great. The fool becomes wise, and slaves become superior to kings."

He lived about one hundred years and performed pilgrimage (Hajj) no less than seventy times.

Ata bin rabah

'ATA' BIN RABAH

The Slave who became a Teacher, to King (d. 104 A. H 225

The characteristic typical of all the Muslim heroes was their effort to direct their work for one and only one purpose; that is, the Pleasure of Allah. Whether in the Battle or in the mosque, in the royal courts or in the market-place those heroes' conduct never faltered.

Ata bin Rabah was an eminent personality of the second generation of Muslims who met or accompanied many Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). 'Ata' ibn Rabah was once at the doorsteps of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn 'Abdul Malik in Damascus. Let us listen to what goes on between him and the Caliph.

The Caliph: What can we do for you, Abu Muhammad?

Ata : The people of the two Harams (Makkah and Madinah), the guests of Allah (i.e. pilgrims) and the neighbors of the Messenger, give them their allotted annual gifts.

_ We will (Turning to Secretary): Write a decree to that effect. What else, Abu Muhammad?

_ The people of Hijaz and Najd are the heart of the Arabs and leaders of Islam. , request that you return to them the surplus of their charity.

- Yes, anything else?

_ Yes. leader of the faithful, the soldiers at the frontiers of the Muslim lands. They are there in the face of your enemies, fighting whoever attempts to attack the land of Islam or hurt the Muslims. These people deserve generous salaries and supplies to be sent to them. For if they are lost our frontiers are gone.

- Yes. (Addressing the Secretary) Write a decree to that effect. Anything else I can do for you?

- (the non-Muslim subjects living in the Muslim State who, in return for paying tax, enjoyed protection and safety) should not be asked to do things beyond their means. For whatever tax they pay you is a help against the State's enemies.

The Secretary was ordered to write a decree to that effect. The Caliph asks: Anything else, Abu Muhammad?

- Yes. Fear Allah for your own sake. Remember that you were born alone; you will die alone, will be raised on the Day of Resurrection alone, and you will receive the Judgment alone. No one of your friends or relatives can be of any help at those times."

With these words Ata bin Rabah bid farewell to the Caliph.

Before going out a man sent by the Caliph offered a pouch full of money for him. 'Ata ibn Rabah, declined to take the money, quoting from the Qur’an: "I ask you no reward (for the advice). For my reward is with the Lord of the universe."

Now let's go back to the earlier day’s life in Makkah. 'Ata ibn Rabah was an Ethiopian, born a slave to a Makkan lady. Since his childhood he became interested in learning. He divided his time into three portions: one third he spent in the service of his mistress carrying out his duties as a faithful servant. The second portion he devoted to worship and prayers, and one third he devoted to learning whatever he could from the former companions of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The Makkan lady was impressed with her bondsman's devotion. So she set him free, giving him the chance to spend all his time in the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, learning first then teaching and engaged in devotions.His knowledge and piety earned him a high place in the hearts of the rulers and the ruled alike. Of his knowledge we are told that a great man like 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar was reported to have been surprised that people in Makkah needed to seek religious guidance from anyone while they had a man like 'Ata ibn Rabah amongst them.

In the presence of 'Ata' even the greatest of Muslim Caliphs humbled themselves as we saw in the incident mentioned earlier (where we witnessed the encounter between Hisham ibn 'Abdul-Malik and Ata bin Rabah). In Makkah, another Umayyad Caliph, Sulaiman ibn 'AbdulMalik, accompanied his two sons to sit humbly in the presence of the ex-slave to listen to his teachings in the Sacred Mosque. When he was asked about the man by his sons, the Caliph answered, "This was 'Ata ibn Rabah." Then he said, "My children seek knowledge. For through knowledge and learning the humble becomes great. The fool becomes wise, and slaves become superior to kings."

He lived about one hundred years and performed pilgrimage (Hajj) no less than seventy times.'ATA' BIN RABAH

The Slave who became a Teacher, to King (d. 104 A. H 225

The characteristic typical of all the Muslim heroes was their effort to direct their work for one and only one purpose; that is, the Pleasure of Allah. Whether in the Battle or in the mosque, in the royal courts or in the market-place those heroes' conduct never faltered.

Ata bin Rabah was an eminent personality of the second generation of Muslims who met or accompanied many Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). 'Ata' ibn Rabah was once at the doorsteps of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn 'Abdul Malik in Damascus. Let us listen to what goes on between him and the Caliph.

The Caliph: What can we do for you, Abu Muhammad?

Ata : The people of the two Harams (Makkah and Madinah), the guests of Allah (i.e. pilgrims) and the neighbors of the Messenger, give them their allotted annual gifts.

_ We will (Turning to Secretary): Write a decree to that effect. What else, Abu Muhammad?

_ The people of Hijaz and Najd are the heart of the Arabs and leaders of Islam. , request that you return to them the surplus of their charity.

- Yes, anything else?

_ Yes. leader of the faithful, the soldiers at the frontiers of the Muslim lands. They are there in the face of your enemies, fighting whoever attempts to attack the land of Islam or hurt the Muslims. These people deserve generous salaries and supplies to be sent to them. For if they are lost our frontiers are gone.

- Yes. (Addressing the Secretary) Write a decree to that effect. Anything else I can do for you?

- (the non-Muslim subjects living in the Muslim State who, in return for paying tax, enjoyed protection and safety) should not be asked to do things beyond their means. For whatever tax they pay you is a help against the State's enemies.

The Secretary was ordered to write a decree to that effect. The Caliph asks: Anything else, Abu Muhammad?

- Yes. Fear Allah for your own sake. Remember that you were born alone; you will die alone, will be raised on the Day of Resurrection alone, and you will receive the Judgment alone. No one of your friends or relatives can be of any help at those times."

With these words Ata bin Rabah bid farewell to the Caliph.

Before going out a man sent by the Caliph offered a pouch full of money for him. 'Ata ibn Rabah, declined to take the money, quoting from the Qur’an: "I ask you no reward (for the advice). For my reward is with the Lord of the universe."

Now let's go back to the earlier day’s life in Makkah. 'Ata ibn Rabah was an Ethiopian, born a slave to a Makkan lady. Since his childhood he became interested in learning. He divided his time into three portions: one third he spent in the service of his mistress carrying out his duties as a faithful servant. The second portion he devoted to worship and prayers, and one third he devoted to learning whatever he could from the former companions of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The Makkan lady was impressed with her bondsman's devotion. So she set him free, giving him the chance to spend all his time in the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, learning first then teaching and engaged in devotions.His knowledge and piety earned him a high place in the hearts of the rulers and the ruled alike. Of his knowledge we are told that a great man like 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar was reported to have been surprised that people in Makkah needed to seek religious guidance from anyone while they had a man like 'Ata ibn Rabah amongst them.

In the presence of 'Ata' even the greatest of Muslim Caliphs humbled themselves as we saw in the incident mentioned earlier (where we witnessed the encounter between Hisham ibn 'Abdul-Malik and Ata bin Rabah). In Makkah, another Umayyad Caliph, Sulaiman ibn 'AbdulMalik, accompanied his two sons to sit humbly in the presence of the ex-slave to listen to his teachings in the Sacred Mosque. When he was asked about the man by his sons, the Caliph answered, "This was 'Ata ibn Rabah." Then he said, "My children seek knowledge. For through knowledge and learning the humble becomes great. The fool becomes wise, and slaves become superior to kings."

He lived about one hundred years and performed pilgrimage (Hajj) no less than seventy times.

Umar Bin Abdul Abdul Aziz - The Righteous Caliph

Umar Bin Abdul Aziz

The Umayyads, who gained control of the Islamic Caliphate, after the four Righteous Caliphs, chose Damascus for the capital of the Islamic Empire.  Umar Bin Abdul Aziz was not a man of war and military battles but rather a simple man who strived to live a very humble life in the midst of that type of life of luxury and affluence. What makes this all the more remarkable is that 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz did all this after he became the Caliph or the ruler of a great Empire. 'Umar the Caliph who was accustomed to the life of ease and comfort shunned all the amenities and luxuries of royal life and led a humble life like any of the ordinary citizens of the Empire he ruled. 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz was born in Madinah around 59 A.H. (680 G.). He was a descendent of 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab on his mother's side. So his life of material luxury and richness did not spoil the moral and religious aspects of his life. In his youth he memorized the Holy Ouran and kept the company of many religious scholars in Madinah and elsewhere. At the age of twenty-six, 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz was appointed Governor of Madinah. This was the first test of his character. 'Umar successfully passed the test. For as soon as he was appointed, he chose ten 'Ulama' (religious scholars) to help him carry out his duties, by giving him sincere advice and warning him of any injustices incurred by the citizens. In the year 99 A.H. (ca. 720 G.) 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz ascended to the throne in Damascus after the death of Sulaiman ibn 'Abdul-Malik who chose him for a successor.

And according to the conventions of the time, people swore the oath of allegiance to 'Umar who told them to make their pledge conditional on his obedience to Allah; in other words, he did not want allegiance of his subjects to be a blind one. People had to obey him and be loyal to him only as long as he did not break any of the Divine laws; otherwise, they did not have to obey him. In this great attitude 'Umar ibn' Abdul-Aziz was certainly following the path of the four Righteous Caliphs, who always insisted that subjects should show obedience to the ruler only so long as he broke no law of Allah.

To him worldly comfort and wealth had no meaning but rather were considered hindrances in the path of piety. He had never transgressed the laws of the faith; neither had he caused any harm to anyone intentionally. When he became the Caliph, however, in contrast to many or most rulers, he rejected the soft way of life and started a new way of austerity and hard work for the Pleasure of Allah. He refused to be accompanied by the official parade, and he sent off his royal guards saying: "I have no need for this; for I am only a member of the Muslim community."

Another practice discontinued by 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz was the practice of giving rewards and incentives to the poets who praised the Caliphs. To him this was an unfair way of wasting the money of the public treasury. For that money should only go to the people who really needed it.

What makes 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz a heroic model is the fact that to him piety and justice were not matters of preaching only, but they were matters of practice, and that practice began at home. He divested himself of all the unnecessary amenities of life and asked his wife Fatimah to return her dearest and valuable jewelry to the Muslim treasury. To him, members of the royal family were no better than the common people, and they deserved no special favors.

It was In fact this sense and practice of justice and sincerity in carrying out the duties of the caliphate that made the whole empire free of the poor and needy people, which made it difficult to find people who deserved the poor dues (Zakat).

Another important aspect of his personality was his extreme modesty and humility. He, the ruler of one of the greatest empires in history, wore the simplest of inexpensive garments, lived the simplest way of life and served himself whenever possible. His order to his servant was: "Rulers usually appoint people to watch over their subjects. I appoint you a watcher over me and my behavior. If you find me at fault in word or action guide me and stop me from doing it."