Seerah.Net

by Alia Amer

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, was conversing with his companions before the battle of Badr when he asked them: "How do you plan to fight?" Asim ibn Thabit (radhiallahu anhu) stood up holding his bow, and said: "If the enemy is a hundred yards away, I will shoot with the arrows. If they come within the reach of our spears, I will fight them until the spears break, then we will put them down and it will be time for dueling with the swords." The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "This is indeed the way to combat! Anyone who fights, he should fight like Asim Ibn Thabit."

This testimony of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam attests to the skill of Asim in wars. His companions never forgot how bravely he fought during the battle of Uhud. After the battle's dust settled down, the pagan women rushed to the battleground mutilating the corps of the Muslim martyrs. They cut off ears and noses and made them into anklets and collars!

One of them mounted on a high rock and shrieked at the top of her voice: "We have paid you hack for Badr!" Sulafah bint Sa'd went out with them looking for her husband and sons. She was worried because she did not see them among the returning warriors. She penetrated deeply into the battlefield, scrutinizing the faces of the dead bodies when she saw her husband laying lifeless in a pool of blood.

She looked frantically searching for her three sons. There they were laying on the ground not far from their father. As for her two first sons they were dead, but the third still had a breath of life within him. She put his head on her lap and wiped the blood from his face. She asked him: "Who struck you down my son?" Fighting the death rattle in his throat, he answered with great difficulty: "Asim ibn Thabit struck me, and he also killed my brother Musafi', and…" he rendered his last breath before he could finish his words.

Sulafah rose up, mad with rage and sorrow, she wailed and howled like a wounded beast. She vowed to take revenge for her husband and sons, for her anger and sorrow would not be alleviated until she would hold Asim ibn Thabit's skull in her hands and drink wine from it. She promised to give anyone who came with his head whatever he wished of gold and money. Now everyone in Qurayesh knew of Sulafah's vow and every young man wished that he could be the one who would get the prize.

Not long after the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, sent six of his companions to an Arab tribe who newly accepted Islam to instruct them in the religion and to teach them to read Qur'an. Among them was Asim Ibn Thabit.

The group was on its way not far from Makkah, when a tribe from Huthail got news of them, and set off for their pursuit. While they were off their guard sitting with their belongings and arms next to them, men with swords in their hands surprised them and encircled them. They took their swords to fight them, but the men told them: "There is no way that you can overcome us, and by Allah we do not intend any harm for you if you surrender yourself. We swear by Allah we will not kill you."

The Prophet's companions looked at each other as if to consult each other as to what to do next. Seeing their hesitance Asim exclaimed: "As for me, By Allah I will never accept an undertaking and agreement from a disbeliever." Then he added: "O Allah, I fight to defend Your Deen. O Allah protect my flesh and bones and do not let them fall into the hands of Your enemies." Thereupon he fought with his two friends until they were killed. As for the rest of the companions they chose to surrender, but soon their captors betrayed them and killed them all.

Now the Huthail did not know that among those they had killed was Asim, and so when they realized who he was, they went back to the place of the battle to bring his skull to Sulafah and win the prize. But when they wanted to get to him, they were surprised to find that swarms of bees and wasps were surrounding him!

Whenever they tried to get near him the bees would sting them in the faces and the eyes. The insects protected Asim's body and did not allow any of the disbelievers to even touch him. They finally gave up after many trials, when one of them said: "Let him alone until nightfall, then the insects will leave him and we can take his skull." Before even the day was gone the sky became dark with clouds and a heavy rain fell on the ground the like of which they have never seen before. Allah sent a flood in the valley. When the morning came they went back to the place to look for the body, but in vain did they search. They could not find it.

That was because the flood washed it away from them and it was never found. Allah has fulfilled Asim's prayer and has saved his flesh and bones from falling into the hands of the disbelievers!