Suraqah ibn Malik
Surāqa ibn Mālik ibn Juʿshum al-Kinānī (Arabic: سراقة بن مالك بن جعشم الكناني) was a member of the Kinana tribe, like its sub-tribe the Quraysh, belongs to the Adnani branch of Arabs. During his ignorance, Suraqah was a well-known figure among the Arab community and was also a leader in a tribe called Kinanah.
Arab society at that time saw him as an authoritative person and was also highly respected and loved by them because of his habit of constantly feeding the poor and poor who were hungry, liked to provide security protection to people who were being oppressed, and always take care of anyone who needs care from him.
Suraqa ibn Malik
Suraqa's pursuit of Muhammad and Abu Bakr
The Story of Suraqah Chasing Rasulullahﷺ When His Majesty
Hijrah.
When the Quraysh learned that Rasulullahﷺ had left the city of Mecca to emigrate to Medina, they also issued an order to hunt down Rasulullahﷺ and those who succeeded in killing or capturing Rasulullahﷺ would be given a big reward. The reward is one hundred camels. Many polytheists are fascinated by the rewards that will be given so many of them participate in the hunt and one of them is Suraqah bin Malik.
Before Suraqah went hunting down Rasulullahﷺ, he was sitting at a majlis held by his people, namely Bani Mudlij, suddenly one of them came to the majlis and said, “O Suraqah! Really when I was on my way here I saw some people traveling far away. I felt that it was Muhammad with his companions.' Suraqah believed precisely what the man said. But he replied otherwise, “They are not Muhammad and his companions. But they are So and So, we saw them going out to look for their lost treasure.’ Then Suraqah paused for a moment and hurried towards her house. He ordered his maidservant to go out and take his horse to the back of a small hill and restrain him. Suraqah also took his spear and went out secretly to the place where his horse was prepared and then immediately started his hunt.
Suraqah quickly followed the journey of Rasulullahﷺ so that one day he managed to approach Rasulullahﷺ with his best friend, but suddenly the horse that Suraqah was riding on tripped and he fell from his horse. Then Suraqah intended to take an arrow and shoot it, and immediately at that moment a whisper appeared in her heart saying "Will I continue to try to harm them or not." Then he decided to cancel the action.
Suraqah rode her horse back and immediately chased Rasulullahﷺ. At that time the horse ran fast so that at that time Suraqah could hear what was being read by Rasulullahﷺ, Rasulullahﷺ did not turn at all towards Suraqah, only Saiyidina Abu Bakr As Siddique رضي الله عنه turned his head a lot, suddenly the two front legs of the horse ridden by Suraqah fell into the ground reached his knees and he was thrown from it. Then he forced his horse to stand up. The horse tried to get up but could not get its legs out.
Then in the end Suraqah called Rasulullahﷺ by saying, "I am Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju'syum. Wait for me, O Muhammad. I want to talk to you guys. By Allah, I will not do anything that you hate." Then Rasulullahﷺ stopped.
Suraqah got back on her horse and came to Rasulullahﷺ. Then Suraqah said to Rasulullahﷺ, "Indeed your people have promised yourself a gift as big as a diyat." Suraqah told Rasulullahﷺ what the polytheists had done to them and Suraqah offered his food to Rasulullahﷺ. But Rasulullahﷺ did not accept and did not ask him for anything, he only said, "Keep it secret about us!" Then Suraqah also asked Rasulullahﷺ to write to him something that could be a sign of peace between him and Rasulullahﷺ. Then he ordered 'Amir bin Fuhairah to write it on a sheet of leather. After that Rasulullahﷺ went on his journey.
Suraqah complied with Rasulullahﷺ's request to keep his journey a secret. Suraqah did not find anyone looking for him unless he asked him to stop his hunt, he told them, "I have done enough for you to search in this direction."
Entry of Suraqah Into Islam
At the time of the victory and success of the Muslims in opening the city of Makkah in the month of Ramadan in the 8th year of the Hijrah and not long after that in the month of Shawwal 8th of the Hijrah the end of the Hunain war, Suraqah bin Malik carrying a security guarantee letter given by Rasulullahﷺ went to him to meet with the king. Suraqah met Rasulullahﷺ in a place called Ji'ranah, the site is located in the northeastern part of the city of Makkah at a distance of about 20 kilometers. At that time Rasulullahﷺ was sharing ghanimah's results of the Hunain war.
Suraqah secretly sneaked into the Ansar cavalry but in the end the Ansar noticed her. They surrounded him and pointed spears at him and one of them said, “Go! What do you want here?” Until he came closer to Rasulullah SAW who was on his camel. Suraqah showed Rasulullahﷺ the security guarantee letter he had given him and said, “O Messenger of Allah! This is the letter you gave me first. I am Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju'syum." Rasulullahﷺ replied, “This is the day to return the favor and fulfill my promise to you. Come closer!” Suraqah approached and declared himself a Muslim.
Rasulullahﷺ's Promise To Suraqah
There is a hadith that narrates that Rasulullahﷺ once
said to Suraqah, "How do you feel when you wear Kisra's two bracelets, her
belt, and her crown?" Then during the caliphate of Saiyidina Umar bin Al Khattab
Death of Suraqah Bin Malik
Suraqah bin Malik died in the 24th year of Hijrah and at that time the caliphate was under the leadership of Saiyidina Uthman bin Affan's رضي الله عنه frien
Virtues and Merits of Rasulullahﷺ) and his Companions;
Narrated Al-Bara' bin `Azib: With regards of Suraqah Bin Malik in pursuit of Rasulullahﷺ and Saiyidina Abu Bakar As Siddique رضي الله عنه.
Narrated Al-Bara' bin `Azib:
Abu Bakr came to my father who was at home and purchased a saddle from him. He said to `Azib. "Tell your son to carry it with me." So I carried it with him and my father followed us so as to take the price (of the saddle).
My father said, "O Abu Bakr! Tell me what happened to you on your night journey with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (during Migration)." He said, "Yes, we traveled the whole night and also the next day till midday. when nobody could be seen on the way ( because of the severe heat).
Then there appeared a long rock having shade beneath it, and the sunshine had not come to it yet. So we dismounted there and I leveled a place and covered it with an animal hide or dry grass for the Prophet (ﷺ) to sleep on (for a while). I then said, 'Sleep, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and I will guard you.' So he slept and I went out to guard him. Suddenly I saw a shepherd coming with his sheep to that rock with the same intention we had when we came to it.
I asked (him). 'To whom do you belong, O boy?' He replied, 'I belong to a man from Medina or Mecca.' I said, 'Do your sheep have milk?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Will you milk for us?' He said, 'Yes.' He caught hold of a sheep and I asked him to clean its teat from dust, hairs, and dirt. (The sub-narrator said that he saw Al-Bara' striking one of his hands with the other, demonstrating how the shepherd removed the dust.)
The shepherd milked a little milk in a wooden container and I had a leather container that I carried for the Prophet (ﷺ) to drink and perform the ablution from. I went to the Prophet, hating to wake him up, but when I reached there, the Prophet (ﷺ) had already awakened; so I poured water over the middle part of the milk container, till the milk was cold. Then I said, 'Drink, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!' He drank till I was pleased.
Then he asked, 'Has the time for our departure come?' I said, 'Yes.' So we departed after midday. Suraqa bin Malik followed us and I said, 'We have been discovered, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!' He said, Don't grieve for Allah is with us.' The Prophet (ﷺ) invoked evil on him (i.e. Suraqa) and so the legs of his horse sank into the earth up to its belly. (The sub-narrator, Zuhair is not sure whether Abu Bakr said, "(It sank) into solid earth.")
Suraqa said, 'I see that you have invoked evil on me. Please invoke good on me, and by Allah, I will cause those who are seeking after you to return.' The Prophet (ﷺ) invoked good on him and he was saved. Then, whenever he met somebody on the way, he would say, 'I have looked for him here in vain.' So he caused whomever he met to return. Thus Suraqa fulfilled his promise."
| Reference | : Sahih al-Bukhari 3615 |
| In-book reference | : Book 61, Hadith 122 |
| USC-MSA web (English) reference | : Vol. 4, Book 56, Hadith 812 |
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