Mus'ab ibn Umayr - From Rags to Riches

We have all heard of the classic storyline from rags to riches, where a person starts off having little to nothing, and ends with more than they desired. But how can a man who lost all his material wealth end up with more riches than he had desired? This is the story of Mus'ab ibn Umayr.

Background

Mus'ab ibn Umayr was a wealthy, well-known, and well-loved young man among the Quraysh living in Makkah. To put things into perspective, Mus'ab and his family's wealth equaled that of half of all of Quraysh. In all the markets he visited, he was the main topic of conversation. In all gatherings, he was the most sought after. He was, in common terms, a popular and respected young man for his looks, wealth, and status.

Acceptance of Islam

Upon hearing of a man named Muhammad preaching of a secret message, Mus'ab became interested. This man was none other than Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who spread the message of Islam in secret for 3 years. Mus'ab heard of Muhammad gathering with other Makkans at the house of Arqam bin Abil Arqam, donned Darul Arqam. He secretly made his way to Darul Arqam to hear the message of the Prophet. Upon hearing the first utterance of the Holy Quran from Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, he immediately felt his heart moved by the words. In that setting, he took the shahada and became a Muslim.

In the coming years, Mus'ab would continue to secretly join the Prophet ﷺ and the Sahabah (Companions) at Darul Arqam to learn more about Islam. Due to his societal status and his reverence of his mother, Mus'ab found it risky to showcase his new belief. As her only son, Mus'ab's mother was an extremely important person in his life. She was known as a woman of great authority and strong will. He knew his mother would disapprove greatly of his conversion to Islam, so he kept it hidden.

Mus'ab's Islam Known Publicly

One night, as Mus'ab was making his way to Darul Arqam, he was spotted by Othman ibn Talha. The Qurayshi man made note of Mus'ab's route but said nothing. Once more, Othman ibn Talha spotted Mus'ab among the Sahabah, and on another occasion, performing Salah. Upon seeing this prayer, Othman ibn Talha rushed to Mus'ab ibn Umayr's mother and informed her of what he saw. This angered Mus'ab's mother, who summoned her son to defend himself.

In front of his entire family and the leaders of Quraysh, Mus'ab confirmed his belief in Allah SWT and in Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as His Messenger.

Mus'ab's mother became so angry as she reached out to strike him, then hesitated. She realized rather than punishing her son herself, she will let the gods she believed in provide their punishment for his traitorous act. She moved him to a far corner of their home and locked him there. With nothing more than the Iman in his heart, Mus'ab spent his time in his locked room reciting what he knew from the Holy Quran. He stayed this way until hearing of a group of Muslims headed towards Abyssinia, which is modern day Ethiopia.

Emigration to Abyssinia

Mus'ab escaped from his home and joined the Muslims headed to Abyssinia. Mus'ab stayed in Abyssinia and married Hamnah bint Jahsh. Upon hearing the rumor that the tQuraysh had converted to Islam, Mus'ab headed back to Makkah. Strong and steadfast in his Iman, Mus'ab went to visit the blessed Prophet ﷺ first, then went to see his family. His mother refused to see him nor help him until he denounced his religion, which Mus'ab refused to do.

Giving Dawah

Mus'ab Iman was so strong and his personality so bright that the Prophet ﷺ chose him as one of the first people to give dawah (or calling others to Islam). In the 11th year after revelation, when a group of people came to Makkah for Hajj, the Prophet ﷺ gave dawah to the newcomers. Of them, there were six men from Medina, or Yathrib. They asked for someone to come alongside them to teach the people of Medina about Islam. Although there were many powerful and important people who could do this, the Prophet ﷺ entrusted Mus'ab ibn Umayr with this task.

Life in Medina

In Medina, Mus'ab joined as one of only 12 Muslims in the area. Within a few months, Mus'ab had taught the people of Medina about the message of Islam, and there were over 70 men and women who became Muslim. The Muslims of Medina were called the Ansar. Mus'ab felt grateful and humbled to be a person who could promote Allah SWT's message and be a vessel in the guidance of new Muslims.

The Islam of Osaid ibn Hudair

One incident in which Mus'ab's calm and sensible personality helped in the spread of Islam came during an encounter with Osaid ibn Hudair, the chief of Banu Abdul 'Ash'al. While preaching to people about Islam, Osaid came with his spear drawn out of anger, believing that Mus'ab was turning his people against him. Rather than becoming angry, defensive, or feeble, Mus'ab suggested a sensible alternative to bloodshed. He offered that Osaid ibn Hudair listen to what he has to say. If he liked or agreed with his words, he would accept it. If he did not like or agree with his words, then Mus'ab will leave. Mus'ab's only request was for him to listen. Osaid agreed to this and listened to what Mus'ab had to offer.

Mus'ab began reciting verses from the Holy Quran, which deeply affected Osaid and the listeners. As his heart softened, Osaid celebrated Mus'ab's words and asked in awe how one can join this beautiful religion. In that setting, Osaid declared his belief in Allah SWT and His Messenger ﷺ. After this incident, the people would come listen to Mus'ab, then convert to Islam. Then another. Then another. Many important and well-known leaders became Muslim during the time Mus'ab was spreading the message in Medina, including Sa'ad ibn Mu'ath, and Sa'ad ibn Obada. After these influential people converted to Islam, the rest of the people wondered why they were holding back from doing the same, as nothing but the truth spilled from Mus'ab's lips.

Spread of Islam in Medina

In the following years, the number of Muslims in Medina grew, and were then joined by the Prophet ﷺ and the Sahabah who emigrated in the 13th year afer revelation. The Muslims who emigrated from Makkah to Medina were known as the Muhajireen.

Mus'ab continued proving his strength in character and Iman alongside the Prophet ﷺ as he joined in the Battle of Badr, and celebrated their victory. A year later, Mus'ab proved once more his strength and valor in the Battle of Uhud as the official flagbearer, but was ultimately met with his demise. The last moments of Mus'ab's life were honorable ones that showcased his true dedication and love for the Deen and the Prophet ﷺ

The Battle of Uhud

. The Battle of Uhud was a hard one for all the Muslims, both the Muhajireen and the Ansar. It took place amongst the mountains, where each army was strategically placed. There was a group of Muslim archers on the mountain who had direct orders not to move. However, they witnessed the Quraysh retreating and though the battle to be over. The archers moved from their positions and were met with a surprise ambush by the Quraysh. The Muslims suffered harshly under this attack.

Using this surprise ambush to their advantage, the Quraysh took this opportunity to rush towards the Prophet ﷺ, intending to kill him and end the spread of Islam. Mus'ab, seeing the Quraysh's determination, held strongly onto the flag with one hand and swung his sword with the other. He continued clashing through the crowds of soldiers in an attempt to protect the Prophet ﷺ. He bravely held back against the attacks and held onto the Muslims' flag.

The Death of Mus'ab

However, one man, Ibn Qam'a, came onto Mus'ab and struck his right arm. Now left with a stump, Mus'ab strongly held onto the flag with his left arm. The man once more struck his arm, leaving him limbless. Mus'ab held onto the flag with the stumps of his arms pressed against his chest, repeating:

"Muhammad ﷺ is no more than a Messenger of Allah. And many Messengers have passed away before him"

Holding tightly onto the Muslims' flag and onto this thought, Mus'ab was struck once more with a spear and died an honorable martyr.

The Grieving of Mus'ab

Although the Muslims suffered many losses during the Battle of Uhud, the death of Mus'ab struck deeply amongst the Muhajireen and the Ansar. The Prophet ﷺ himself felt very heavy-hearted at the death of this brave and intelligent man, the first Ambassador of Islam. It was narrated that as the Muslims attempted to cover his body at the end of the Battle, they would lift his garments to cover his head and look down to find his feet visible. They would then pull the garment down to cover his feet and look to find his head uncovered.

Thus was the fate of Mus'ab ibn Umayr. One of the wealthiest, most beloved, and sought after young men in Quraysh, whose ultimate end was in the dirt, covered in blood, and ragged clothes that could not cover him wholly. Yet, his rags to riches story remains true. His death as a martyr and his life as a brave Ambassador of Islam enriched him in ways the Quraysh could not provide.

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