ABU DUJANAH RA - THE LEADER WITH THE RED HEADBAND

Abu Dujanah RA - The Battle of Uhud

Abu Dujana – Another Lion of Allah SWT. Amongst the Lions of Allah was a companion by the name of Abu Dujana Sammak bin Kharsha RA. He was from the Ansar and accepted Islam early in the Prophet’s SAW mission. He was known for his piety and strength and bravery in Jihad. Wherever we find his name in the books of Sunnah, he can be found fighting for the Deen of Allah. During the battle of Uhud, the second most significant battle (after the victory of Badr), the Prophet SAW urged his Companions to fight and spurred them to show stamina and steadfastness in the Jihad. He started to implant the spirit of boldness and bravery in them. To wage and inflame them and maintain their zeal in the fight, he (s.a.w) drew his sword, held it in his hand and called out to his Sahaba and said, “Who is ready to take this sword and fulfill it’s right?” Many notable Sahaba set out to take it.

Amongst them were ‘Ali bin Abi Talib RA, Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam RA and ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab RA. But it was granted to none of them. Abu Dujana RA stood and inquired, “O Messenger of Allah, what is its price?” The Prophet SAW said, “It is to strike the enemy’s faces with it until it breaks!” So Abu Dujana RA said, “O Messenger of Allah, I will take it for that price.” and he was given the sword. Abu Dujana RA was a man of courage who used to stand proud and brave in war. He had a red headband that he wore round his head. Whenever he was head-banded everybody knew that he was determined to fight to death. Therefore as soon as Abu Dujana RA took the Prophet’s SAW sword, he banded his head and started strutting proudly amongst the Mujahideen. Upon seeing this, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said, “This is a sort of walking that Allah detests except in such a situation (Jihad).”

Then the fighting began. In this battle, countless acts of courage can be noted from several of the Sahaba. Abu Dujana RA, recognized by the red band worn round his head, came forth, fighting with the sword of the Prophet SAW. He was determined to pay its price at all costs. He slaughtered all the idolaters that stood on his way splitting and dispersing their ranks. Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam RA said, “I felt angry and discouraged when the Messenger of AllahSAW refused to give me the sword but instead gave it to Abu Dujana RA. I said to myself, ‘I am his paternal cousin. I am the cousin of his aunt Safiya RA. Also, I am from his tribe (Quraish). Besides, I was the first who demanded it and yet he favoured him to me. By Allah, I will watch how he will use it.’ So I followed him and saw him take out his red band and wear it round his head. Seeing him like that, the Ansar said, ‘Abu Dujana RA has worn the red band of death.’ 

Abu Dujanah - The Commander in "The Battle of Uhud"

Then he ,Abu Dujana RA set out saying loudly (in the form of poetry), ‘I am the one whom my intimate friend [the Prophet SAW made covenant with, when we were under the palm-trees on the mountain side. The covenant was that I would not fight at the rear, but fight at the front heroically with the sword of Allah and His Messenger.’ During this battle no one stood the way of Abu Dujana RA and remained alive. There was a man among the idolaters whose only objective was to finish off the wounded Muslims. During the fight, Abu Dujana RA approached that man; so I (Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam RA) implored Allah that they might engage in combat. 

 They did start fighting and exchanged two sword-strokes. The idolater swung at Abu Dujana RA, but he escaped it and the sword pierced into his (Abu Dujana’s) leather shield. The idolater’s sword now stuck to his shield, Abu Dujana RA lunged at that Kafir with his sword and killed him. Then into the thick of the battle, he rushed to kill a person who was inciting the enemy to fight the Muslims. Upon this the person shrieked and lo! it was a woman. Abu Dujana RA spared her saying, ‘I respect the Prophet’s SAW sword too much to use it on a woman.’ The woman was Hind bint ‘Utbah (the wife of Abu Sufyan who was leading the Quraish army against the Muslims, who later became Muslim).” [Ibn Hisham Vol. 2 pg.68-69]

Describing the same incident, Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam RA said, “I saw Abu Dujana RA raising a sword over the parting of Hind bint ‘Utba’s hair but then he moved it away. I said to myself, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ (i.e. why he didn’t kill her).” [Ibn Hisham Vol. 2 pg. 69]

Before the battle of Uhud began, the Prophet (s.a.w) had ordered a group of archers to remain on one side of a mountain to offer protection to the rear of the Muslim army. However, when the Muslims started to defeat their enemies, forty of the archers raced down the mountain in order to receive their share of the war booty. The Quraish used this opportunity to circle back and attack the rear of the Muslim army. They even got close enough to attack to Holy Prophet (s.a.w) himself, injuring him severely.

During those awkward moments of the Messenger of Allah’s SAW life, a group of Muslim heroes gathered around the Prophet SAW forming a shield to protect him from the Kuffar. Among them was Abu Dujana RA. He stood before the Messenger of Allah SAW, shielding him from the arrows with his back..

Abu Dujanah RA - The Hero with Red Headband

While these assaults on the Prophet’s SAW life continued, Uthman ibn Abdullah ibn Al-Mugheerah (one of the enemy) approached him and tried to kill him. But Al-Harith bin As-Simma RA came to his defense and sliced into Uthman’s leg making him fall to the ground. Then Al-Harith killed him. But another Makkan horseman, called ‘Abdullah bin Jabir, attacked Al-Harith bin As-Simma, and cut deeply into his shoulder with his sword and he (al-Harith) was carried to the camp of the Muslims suffering from serious wounds. Soon afterwards, Abu Dujana RA, with his red headband and the Prophet’s SAW sword, came upon ‘Abdullah bin Jabir and cut his head off with a single stroke.During the confusion caused by the archers’ mistake of abandoning their post, many Sahaba were martyred. So Quraish started to mutilate their bodies to appease their pride over their defeat at Badr. Ka’b bin Masaid, “I was one of those Muslims who fought in Uhud and witnessed the Kuffar’s act of barbarity in mutilating the dead bodies, but I left this sight because I couldn’t stand it. Then I saw an armed stout mushrik pass through the Muslims and say, ‘Gather them up like sheep are gathered and slaughtered!’ Similarly I saw an armed Muslim waiting for him. I walked towards them till I stood behind him (the Muslim). Comparing both of them, I considered that the Kafir was superior to the other in arms and size. I kept on watching them while they engaged in man-to-man combat.

The Muslim raised his sword up and swung it down hard on the Kafir, so forcefully that the blade went down his hip and split him in half. When the Muslim unveiled his face, he looked at me and said, “What do you think of that, Ka’b? I am Abu Dujana.RA”

After the battle concluded, in the evening of that day (i.e. Saturday, the seventh of Shawwal, 3rd year A.H.), the Messenger of Allah SAW arrived in Madinah. As soon as he reached his house, he handed his sword to his daughter Fatimah and said, “O daughter, wash the blood off this sword. By Allah, it has been helpful to me today.” ‘Ali bin Abi Talib RA also handed her his sword and said, “And wash the blood of this sword too. By Allah, it has been helpful to me today.” So the Messenger of Allah SAW said, “Sahl bin Haneef RA and Abu Dujana RA have been as courageous as you are in the Jihad.”

After the death of the Holy Prophet SAW, during the Khalifah of Abu Bakr RA, Abu Dujana RA fought until he was Shaheed (martyred) against the army of Musailima al-Kathab [the Liar who claimed Prophethood in the lifetime of the Prophet (s.a.w) and made war against his Sahaba when Abu Bakr RA was Khalifah.] To us, his life is a legacy of sacrifice and lessons of bravery and fierceness against Kufr. And to the soldiers of Allah who wear the “red band of death” in our time, he is the epitome of a true Mujahid. May the mercy of Allah be upon Abu Dujana RA and may His life be an example for our Muslim youth. Amin...