Reflections From the Age of Bliss

Ubadah b. Samit

radiyallahu anh

Ubadah b. Samit (radiyallahu anh) was one of the leaders of Khazraj, one of the two great tribes in Medina. He was one of the first Muslims to be honored with Islam in Medina.

Sources include black skin, tall, big body, and bushy hair among his physical features. It is reported that he was a handsome person who liked to dress beautifully. Those who saw him were afraid of his intimidating figure but also admired him.

Ubadah (radiyallahu anh) participated in every battle alongside Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). He was one of the five Companions who memorized the entire Qur'an from the Ansar in the Age of Bliss. He was also a revelation scribe and a valued contributor to Muslims’ collective hadith literature with the 181 hadiths he narrated.

He taught the Qur'an to Ashab al-Suffah, a group of Muslims who dedicated all their time to learning, and was known for being very patient with his students. He passed away in Palestine in 34 Hijri. May Allah bless him.

We present some of the stories from the life of Ubadah b. Samit (radiyallahu anh) in this writing.

A commander worth a thousand men

During Umar bin Khattab's (radiyallahu anh) caliphate, one of the governors asked him to appoint a commander for the Islamic army that would face the Byzantines. Umar bin Khattab (radiyallahu anh) sent Ubadah b. Samit (radiyallahu anh) as commander and wrote a letter to the governor saying:

“ I'm sending you a commander worth a thousand men. Follow his commands. If you obey him, Allah will always grant you victory.”

Indeed, Allah granted the Muslims the conquest of Homs, Latakia, Jabalah, and Alexandria under his command.

The teacher of Al-Quds

Umar bin Khattab (radiyallahu anh), received a letter from Muawiya (radiyallahu anh), whom he’d appointed as the governor of Damascus. The letter said:

“O commander of the believers! Praise be to Allah, He has given us victories. The Islamic geography expanded and the number of Muslims increased. There is a need for people who will teach them the Qur'an and decide on their fiqh issues. Send whom you see fit for this task here.”

Thereupon, Umar bin Khattab (radiyallahu anh) summoned five companions from the Ansar who had memorized the entire Quran. Ubay b. Ka’b, Abu’d-Darda, Muadh b. Jabal, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, and Ubadah b. Samit (radiyallahu  anhum) came to Umar bin Khattab (radiyallahu  anh). He said to them:

-Listen! Muslims living in Damascus need people from whom they will learn the Qur’an. I will send three of you there. You decide who goes there among yourselves.

Ubadah (radiyallahu anh) said:

- O commander of the believers! Abu Ayyub is the oldest among us. Ubay b. Ka'b has been ill for a long time. The rest of us volunteered to perform this service.

Thus, Ubadah (radiyallahu anh) was chosen to go to Al-Quds. (Al-Quds was an administrative division of the province of Damascus at that time.) Umar bin Khattab gave Ubadah the following advice before he set out:

– O Ubadah! Never put a distance between yourself and the public by placing an attendant at your door. You are in such a land that there are footprints of dozens of Prophets. You are in such a town that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) always remembered it favorably. No matter what, always rule with justice.

The Fear That Gripped Al-Muqawqis

During the conquest of Egypt, Ubadah (radiyallahu anh) was one of the commanders serving under Amr b. As, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic army.

The conversation between them and Al-Muqawqis (the governor of Byzantium) shows that Muslims are not only a military power but also an army of believers who unite with their hearts and fight with their hearts.

When the Muslims came to conquer Egypt, they invited the Egyptians to Islam before fighting them, as the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) instructed.

When Al-Muqawqis wanted to listen to the Muslims first, a group of eleven people was taken to his palace. At the head of this group was the dark-skinned Ubadah (radiyallahu anh). Since Al-Muqawqis could not think that such a person could be a leader, he asked:

- Who is your leader?

When Ubadah (radiyallahu anh) took another step forward, Muqawqis intervened immediately.

- Get this black guy away from me! Don't you have anyone else to speak for you but him?

Ubadah (radiyallahu anh) did not move from his place. One of the Muslims behind him replied:

- The person standing in front of you is the best of us in terms of knowledge and wisdom. He is our commander. We listen to his word and consult him about our affairs.

Al-Muqawqis, who was surprised by the answer he received, continued to ignore Ubadah (radıyallahu anh) and said:

– Well, how did you agree to have this black person be the best of you? The only thing he could be is the most delirious among you!

They replied:

– Our religion does not separate people according to their skin color. Black has no superiority over white, and white has no superiority over black. As the Lord of the worlds has commanded, superiority comes only through taqwa.

Al-Muqawqis called Ubadah (radiyallahu anh), who was waiting silently during this conversation, to come near him and said:

– O black guy, come closer. Say what you have to say, but don't raise your voice because your appearance scares me.

Upon this, Ubadah (radiyallahu anh), who got closer, started to speak with a dignified smile.

- If you are afraid of me, let me tell you this: There are a thousand other blacks like me, waiting for me and following my orders. Each of them is blacker than me, more frightening. You're afraid of this old man standing in front of you, but I'm not afraid to stand alone in front of your thousand best men. If you want, bring them all to me now. Know that we did not come here to fight for worldly gains.

Not a single soldier in the army behind me has an eye for a penny of you. Our desire is the pleasure of Allah. We have come to invite you and your people to Islam. If you accept it, you will have protected yourself and your people from the punishment of the Hereafter. If you do not accept it, you will pay us the jizya and continue to rule your lands in peace. If you also refuse to pay the jizya, we have no choice but to fight.

Al-Muqawqis, who was very impressed by what he heard, turned to his friends and said:

– Have you ever heard of such a thing in your life? Before this man spoke, I was afraid of his appearance. Now, what he says scares me more than his looks.