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Abbad ibn Bishr RA (Arabic: عباد بن بشر) (c.606–632) was a companion of Rasulullah SAW. He was known for his devotion to worship, knowledge and courage in battle.
On the way back, Rasulullah SAW pitched camp in a valley for a night. As soon as the Muslims had settled their camel mounts, Rasulullah SAW, asked: "Who will be our guard tonight?" "We, O Messenger of Allah," said Abbad ibn Bishr RA and Amar ibn Yasser RA both of whom had been paired off as 'brothers' by Rasulullah SAW when he arrived in Madinah after the Hijrah
Abbad ibn Bishr RA and Amar bin Yasser RA left for the mouth of the valley to take up duty. Abbad ibn Bishr RA saw that his "brother" was tired and asked him: "What part of the night do you wish to sleep, the first or the second?" "I shall sleep during the first part," said Amar ibn Yasser RA who was soon fast asleep quite close to Abbad ibn Bishr RA.
The night was clear, calm and peaceful. The stars, the trees, and the rocks all appeared to celebrate in silence the praises of their lord. Abbad ibn Bishr RA felt serene. There was no movement, no threatening sign. Why not spend the time in ibadah (worship) and reciting the Quran? How delightful it would be to combine the performance of Salah with the measured recitation of the Quran which he so much enjoyed.
In fact Abbad ibn Bishr RA was enthralled by the Quran from the moment he first heard it being recited by the mellow and beautiful voice of Musab ibn Umayr RA. That was before the Hijrah when Abbad ibn Bishr RA was just about fifteen years old. The Quran had found a special place in his heart and day and night thereafter he would be heard repeating the glorious words of Allah so much so that he became known among Rasulullah SAW companions as the "friend of the Quran".
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| Abbad Ibn Bishr RA- Friend of the Quran |
Late at night, Rasulullah SAW once stood up to perform the Tahajjud Prayer in Aisyah’s house which adjoined the masjid. Rasulullah SAW heard a voice reciting the Quran, pure and sweet and as fresh as when the angel Jibril revealed the words to him. Rasulullah SAW asked: "Aisyah, is that the voice of Abbad ibn Bishr?' "Yes, O Messenger of Allah," replied Aisyah. "O Lord, forgive him," prayed Rasulullah SAW out of love for him.
Abbad ibn Bishr RA was enthralled by the Qur'an after first hearing it recited by Musab ibn Umayr RA before the hijrah when Abbad ibn Bishr RA was about fifteen years old. The Qur'an had a special place in his heart, and he became renowned for his recitation so much so that he was known among the companions as the friend of the Qur'an. Rasulullah SAW wife Aisyah bint Abi Bakr RA once said: "There are three persons among the Ansar whom no one could excel in virtue: Sad ibn Muadh RA, Usayd ibn Khudayr RA, and Abbad ibn Bishr RA."
In 625 (4 years after Hijrah), Rasulullah SAW received news that the Najd tribes were planning to attack Madinah. In preemption, Rasulullah SAW he assembled a detachment of over four hundred men including Abbad ibn Bishr RA. Arriving at Najd, they found the men of the tribes had fled to the hills. When the time of Salatul Asr came, Rasulullah SAW feared an ambush so Abbad ibn Bishr RA arranged the Muslims in ranks and divided them into two groups and performed salat ul-Kha wf (the Prayer of Fear). Seeing their disciplined ranks, the hostile tribesmen became uneasy. After Rasulullah SAW made his presence known, he felt a conflict was unnecessary and decided to depart. On the way back to Medina, the Muslims pitched camp in a valley for a night. The responsibility of guarding the camp was assumed by Abbad ibn Bishr RA and Amar bin Yasser RA, whom Rasulullah SAW had paired as brothers following his arrival in Madinah.
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| Illustration Only: He Excel in his virtues. |
After reaching the mouth of the valley, Abbad ibn Bishr RA noticed that his brother was tired and volunteered to keep watch for the first half of the night and allow him to rest. Since there appeared to be no imposing threats, Abbad ibn Bishr RA stood up for prayer. While absorbed in recitation, a stranger stalked the outskirts of the valley in search of Rasulullah SAW and his followers. He was among those who had planned to attack Rasulullah SAW but fled into the mountains.
From a distance, the man saw the figure of Abbad ibn Bishr RA and knew the Muslim force must be inside the valley. Silently he drew his bow, and fired an arrow which embedded itself in Abbad's flesh. Calmly, Abbad ibn Bishr RA removed the arrow and went on with his recitation, still absorbed in his Salat. The attacker shot two more arrows, which also found their mark. Abbad ibn Bishr RA pulled them out and finished his recitation. Weak and in pain, Abbad ibn Bishr RA stretched out his hand while still in prostration and shook his sleeping companion. Abbad ibn Bishr RA continued the prayer to its end and then said: "Get up and stand guard in my place. I have been wounded."
Amar ibn Yasser RA stood up, and seeing them both, the attacker fled into the darkness. Amar ibn Yasser RA turned to Abbad ibn Bishr RA, blood flowing from his wounds, and he asked "Why didn't you wake me when you were hit by the first arrow?"
Abbad ibn Bishr RA replied "I was reciting verses of the Qur'an which filled my soul with awe and I did not want to cut short the recitation. Rasulullah SAW had commanded me to commit this surah to memory. Death would have been dearer to me than that the recitation of this surah should be interrupted."
Abbad ibn Bishr RA was killed fighting the forces of Musailamah at the battle of Yamamah in 632. Before the battle, he observed the lack of mutual confidence between the Muhajirin and Ansar, realized the campaign would fail unless they were separately regimented, and distinguished those who bore their responsibility and were steadfast in combat. When the battle commenced, Abbad ibn Bishr RA stood on a mound and shouted:
"O Ansar, distinguish yourselves among men. Destroy your scabbards. And do not forsake Islam."
Abbad ibn Bishr RA gathered about four hundred men from the Ansar and launched an offensive into the enemy ranks, forcing their retreat to the garden of death, where Abbad ibn Bishr RA was mortally wounded. Although the battle was a victory for the Muslims, twelve hundreds of their forces were killed. So numerous were Abbad’s wounds, that he was hardly recognizable. Although he passed at a young age, Abbad ibn Bishr RA contributed much to the strength of the early Muslim community, and his life and martyrdom continue to inspire followers of Islam the world over.
At the walls of this garden, Abbad ibn Bishr RA fell. So numerous were his wounds, he was hardly recognizable. He had lived, fought and died as a believer.
Hadiths Attributed to Abbad Ibn Bishr RA.
found In: Sahih Bukhari Chapter No: 50, Witnesses
Hadith no: 836
Narrated: Aisha
The Prophet (SAW) heard a man (reciting Quran) in the Mosque, and he said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. No doubt, he made me remember such-and such Verses of such-and-such Sura which I dropped (from my memory). Narrated Aisha: The Prophet (SAW) performed the Tahajjud prayer in my house, and then he heard the voice of Abbad who was praying in the Mosque, and said, "O Aisha! Is this Abbad's voice?" I said, "Yes." He said, "O Allah! Be merciful to Abbad!"
Relevance: 17.0514
Hadith no: 836
Narrated: Aisha
The Prophet (SAW) heard a man (reciting Quran) in the Mosque, and he said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. No doubt, he made me remember such-and such Verses of such-and-such Sura which I dropped (from my memory). Narrated Aisha: The Prophet (SAW) performed the Tahajjud prayer in my house, and then he heard the voice of Abbad who was praying in the Mosque, and said, "O Aisha! Is this Abbad's voice?" I said, "Yes." He said, "O Allah! Be merciful to Abbad!"
Relevance: 17.0514
Found In: Sunan An-Nasai Chapter No: 1, The Book of Purification
Hadith no: 289
Narrated: Anas
“When one of their womenfolk menstruated, the Jews would not eat or drink with them, nor mix with them in their houses. They asked the Prophet of Allah (saw) about that, and Allah the Mighty and Sublime revealed: They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: ‘That is an Adha (a harmful thing).’ [2:222] So the Messenger of Allah (saw) commanded them to eat and drink with them (menstruating women) and to mix with them in their houses, and to do everything with them except intercourse. The Jews said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (saw) does not leave anything of our affairs except he goes against it.’ Usaid bin Hudair and ‘Abbad bin Bishr went and told the Messenger of Allah (saw) and they said: ‘Should we have intercourse with them when they are menstruating?’ The expression of the Messenger of Allah (saw) changed greatly until we thought that he was angry with them, and they left. Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) received a gift of milk, so he sent someone to bring them back and he gave them some to drink, so they knew that he was not angry with them.” (Sahih)
Relevance: 14.677
Hadith no: 289
Narrated: Anas
“When one of their womenfolk menstruated, the Jews would not eat or drink with them, nor mix with them in their houses. They asked the Prophet of Allah (saw) about that, and Allah the Mighty and Sublime revealed: They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: ‘That is an Adha (a harmful thing).’ [2:222] So the Messenger of Allah (saw) commanded them to eat and drink with them (menstruating women) and to mix with them in their houses, and to do everything with them except intercourse. The Jews said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (saw) does not leave anything of our affairs except he goes against it.’ Usaid bin Hudair and ‘Abbad bin Bishr went and told the Messenger of Allah (saw) and they said: ‘Should we have intercourse with them when they are menstruating?’ The expression of the Messenger of Allah (saw) changed greatly until we thought that he was angry with them, and they left. Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) received a gift of milk, so he sent someone to bring them back and he gave them some to drink, so they knew that he was not angry with them.” (Sahih)
Relevance: 14.677
Found In: Sahih Muslim Chapter No: 2, Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah)
Hadith no: 445
Narrated: Jami bin Shaddad
I heard Humran b. Aban narrate to Abu Burda in this very mosque during the governorship of Bishr that 'Uthman b. Alfan said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed: He who completed ablution as Allah, the Exalted, enjoined upon him, his obligatory prayers would be explatious (for his minor sins that he would commit) during (the interval) between them. This hadith is transmitted by Ibn Mu'adh, and in the hadith narrated by Ghundar, the words" during the governorship of Bishr" are omitted and there is no mention of the obligatory prayers.
Relevance: 14.5819
Hadith no: 445
Narrated: Jami bin Shaddad
I heard Humran b. Aban narrate to Abu Burda in this very mosque during the governorship of Bishr that 'Uthman b. Alfan said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed: He who completed ablution as Allah, the Exalted, enjoined upon him, his obligatory prayers would be explatious (for his minor sins that he would commit) during (the interval) between them. This hadith is transmitted by Ibn Mu'adh, and in the hadith narrated by Ghundar, the words" during the governorship of Bishr" are omitted and there is no mention of the obligatory prayers.
Relevance: 14.5819
Found In: Sahih Muslim Chapter No: 3, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid)
Hadith no: 592
Narrated: Thabit
Among the Jews, when a woman menstruated, they did not dine with her, nor did they live with them in their houses; so the Companions of the Apostle (may peace be upon him) asked The Apostle (may peace be upon him), and Allah, the Exalted revealed:" And they ask you about menstruation; say it is a pollution, so keep away from woman during menstruation" to the end (Qur'an, ii. 222). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do everything except intercourse. The Jews heard of that and said: This man does not want to leave anything we do without opposing us in it. Usaid b. Hudair and Abbad b. Bishr came and said: Messenger of Allah, the Jews say such and such thing. We should not have, therefore, any contactwith them (as the Jews do). The face of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) underwent such a change that we thought he was angry with them, but when they went out, they happened to receive a gift of milk which was sent to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). He (the Holy Prophet) called for them and gave them drink, whereby they knew that he was not angry with them.
Relevance: 14.5084
Hadith no: 592
Narrated: Thabit
Among the Jews, when a woman menstruated, they did not dine with her, nor did they live with them in their houses; so the Companions of the Apostle (may peace be upon him) asked The Apostle (may peace be upon him), and Allah, the Exalted revealed:" And they ask you about menstruation; say it is a pollution, so keep away from woman during menstruation" to the end (Qur'an, ii. 222). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do everything except intercourse. The Jews heard of that and said: This man does not want to leave anything we do without opposing us in it. Usaid b. Hudair and Abbad b. Bishr came and said: Messenger of Allah, the Jews say such and such thing. We should not have, therefore, any contactwith them (as the Jews do). The face of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) underwent such a change that we thought he was angry with them, but when they went out, they happened to receive a gift of milk which was sent to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). He (the Holy Prophet) called for them and gave them drink, whereby they knew that he was not angry with them.
Relevance: 14.5084
Found In: Sunan An-Nasai Chapter No: 3, The Book of Menstruation and Istihadah
Hadith no: 369
Narrated: Anas
“When one of their womenfolk menstruated, the Jews would not eat or drink with them, or mix with them in their houses. They (the Companions) asked the Prophet of Allah (saw) about that, and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed the Ayah: They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: “That is an Adha (a harmful thing).[2:222] So the Messenger of Allah (saw) commanded them to eat and drink with them (menstruating women) and to mix with them in their houses, and to do everything with them except intercourse. The Jews said: 'The Messenger of Allah (saw) does not leave anything of our affairs except he goes against it.' Usaid bin Hudair and 'Abbad bin Bishr went and told the Messenger of Allah (saw) and they said: 'Should we have intercourse with them when they are menstruating?' The expression of the Messenger of Allah (saw) changed greatly until we thought that he was angry with them, and they left. Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) received a gift of milk, so he sent someone to bring them back and he gave them some to drink, so we knew that he was not angry with them.” (Sahih)
Relevance: 14.4999
Hadith no: 369
Narrated: Anas
“When one of their womenfolk menstruated, the Jews would not eat or drink with them, or mix with them in their houses. They (the Companions) asked the Prophet of Allah (saw) about that, and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed the Ayah: They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: “That is an Adha (a harmful thing).[2:222] So the Messenger of Allah (saw) commanded them to eat and drink with them (menstruating women) and to mix with them in their houses, and to do everything with them except intercourse. The Jews said: 'The Messenger of Allah (saw) does not leave anything of our affairs except he goes against it.' Usaid bin Hudair and 'Abbad bin Bishr went and told the Messenger of Allah (saw) and they said: 'Should we have intercourse with them when they are menstruating?' The expression of the Messenger of Allah (saw) changed greatly until we thought that he was angry with them, and they left. Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) received a gift of milk, so he sent someone to bring them back and he gave them some to drink, so we knew that he was not angry with them.” (Sahih)
Relevance: 14.4999
Found In: Sunan Ibn Majah Chapter No: 7, The Chapters of Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them
Hadith no: 1103
Narrated: Ibn Umar
that the Prophet (saw) used to deliver two sermons, and he would sit briefly between the two. (One of the narrators)Bishr added: "While he was standing." Daif
Relevance: 11.1658
Hadith no: 1103
Narrated: Ibn Umar
that the Prophet (saw) used to deliver two sermons, and he would sit briefly between the two. (One of the narrators)Bishr added: "While he was standing." Daif
Relevance: 11.1658
Found In: Sunan at-Tirmidhi (Jami-al-Tirmidhi) Chapter No: 2, Salah (Prayers)
Hadith no: 191
Narrated: Abu Mahdhurah
narrated that Allah's Messenger (SAW) made him sit down and taught him the Adhan, word by word. Ibrahim said,Bishr says "like our Adhan and I said to him to repeat and he repeated it with Tarji." [Ahmed 15380, Muslim 379, Abu Dawud 503, Nisai 631, Ibn e Majah 708]
Relevance: 10.241
Hadith no: 191
Narrated: Abu Mahdhurah
narrated that Allah's Messenger (SAW) made him sit down and taught him the Adhan, word by word. Ibrahim said,Bishr says "like our Adhan and I said to him to repeat and he repeated it with Tarji." [Ahmed 15380, Muslim 379, Abu Dawud 503, Nisai 631, Ibn e Majah 708]
Relevance: 10.241
