Said Bin Amir Al-Jumahi

 

Mecca was a dangerous place for new Muslims.  The pagan leaders were very cruel.  They captured new Muslims and tortured and killed them. 

The pagans lost the Battle of Badr, and they were very angry.  One day they caught Hubayb, one of the new Muslims.  They invited everyone in Mecca to watch his death.

Said was one of the thousands who came to watch Hubayb be killed.  He went through the crowd until he caught up with the pagan leaders such as Abu Sufyan and Safwan.  They were leading the procession.  Said wanted to see the prisoner.

Hubayb had chains on his hands and feet.  He was going to be hung in revenge for the pagan deaths at Badr.  The women and children were pushing him towards the place of hanging.  Said took his place directly in front of Hubayb.

 “Can I pray two rakats of salat before I die?” Hubayb asked.

The pagan leaders said, “Okay.”

Said looked at Hubayb.  Hubayb faced the Ka’ba and prayed.  After two rakats, he said, “If you wouldn’t think I was afraid of death, I would like to have prayed more.”

Said couldn’t count the number of swords and spears that cut Hubayb’s body. “Would you like Muhammad to be in your place while you go free?” the pagans asked.

“I don’t want to be safe and secure with my family if even a thorn hurts Muhammad,” Hubayab replied.

The pagans shook their fists in the air and shouted, “Kill him!  Kill him!”

Said saw Hubayb lift his eyes to heaven and pray:  “O Lord, don’t forget what they’ve done.  Destroy them.  Don’t let a single pagan escape.”  Then Hubayb died.

The people returned to Mecca and everyday life.  They forgot about Hubayb and his death.  But Said couldn’t forget.  He remembered every detail.  He saw Hubayb in his dreams and while he was awake.  He saw Hubayb calmly praying two rakats of salat before he died. 

Said learned many things from Hubayb’s death.  He learned things he hadn’t known before.  He learned that real life was faith and struggling for that faith.  He also learned that Muhammad (pbuh) was the only person with the total support of his friends.

Said’s heart opened to Islam.  He gave up the pagan idols and superstitions.  He believed in the One God and His Prophet. 

Said emigrated to Medina.  He was with the Prophet at the Battle of Khaybar and later battles.  After the Prophet died, he actively served Islam during the caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar.  He was a model of behavior for others. 

Both Abu Bakr and Umar knew Said for his honesty and piety.  They always listened to his advice. 

One day Said said to Umar: “Fear God in dealing with people.  Don’t fear people in your relationship with God.  Let your actions and speech be one.  Like for Muslims what you like for yourself and your family.  Dislike for them what you dislike for yourself and your family.”

“Who is strong enough to do that?” Umar asked.

“Someone like you whom God has chosen to lead the Muslims,” replied Said.

One day Umar said to Said, “I choose you to be governor of Syria.”

At first Said didn’t want to accept.  But Umar became very angry.  Finally Said accepted the offer.  He went to Syria as governor.  Umar wanted to give him money for his needs but Said wouldn’t accept any.  He went there and worked.

Later, a group came from Syria to see Umar in Medina.  Umar asked about the poor in Syria.  They gave him a list of the poor.  Umar looked at the list and saw Said’s name among them.  Umar felt very sad.  He sent a thousand dinars to Said for his needs.

The group took the purse of money to Said.  He looked in the purse and became very upset by the money.  His wife thought something terrible had happened.  “Did the Caliph Umar die?” she asked.

“Something worse,” replied Said.

“Did the Muslims lose a battle?” his wife asked.

“Something worse,” answered Said.

“What is it then?” questioned his wife.

“The world has come to destroy my afterlife,” replied Said. 

Said’s wife told him, “Then get rid of it!”

Said put the money in small bags and gave it all to the poor.

Not long after, Umar went to Syria.  He asked the Muslims about Said.  They had some complaints about him.  So Umar brought Said and the people together to settle their complaints.  Umar trusted Said and prayed that he had done no wrong. Umar asked the people about their first complaint.  “He doesn’t come out until the sun is high in the sky,” they said.

“What do you have to say?” Umar asked Said.

“I didn’t want to say this,” replied Said, “but I guess I must.  I don’t have any servants.  So every morning I get up and make the bread for my family.  It takes some time for the bread to rise.  After the bread is baked, I come out to see the people.”

“Do you have any other complaints?” Umar asked the people.

“He doesn’t take care of our work at night,” they said.

“I didn’t want to say this either,” replied Said.  “I take care of the people’s business during the day.  But I use the night to worship God.”

“What other complaints do you have?” asked Umar.

Someone said, “He doesn’t come out to us one day each month.”

“Amir of the Believers,” replied Said.  “I don’t have a servant.  I have only one set of clothes.  I wash it once a month and wait for it to dry.  Towards evening I go out to see the people.”

Umar asked one more time, “Are there any more complaints?”

They said, “We have just one more complaint.  Sometimes he loses his mind.”

“What about that, Said?” asked Umar.

Said explained, “Sometimes I remember the day Hubayb was cut to pieces in front of my eyes.  I didn’t help him at all.  When I remember that I think God won’t forgive me.  Then I lose my mind.”

“Praise to God that I was not wrong to trust Said,” said Umar.

Later Umar sent a thousand dinars to Said’s home.  Said’s wife was very pleased to see the money.  She wanted to buy a servant and some food.  But Said told his wife he had a better idea.  He said they would get more benefit from the money in the next world by giving it to the poor.  His family agreed and they sent the money to the poor.

Even though he was poor, Said always thought of others’ needs first.