Some accounts of him

Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him), in listing the names of the Ansar who took part in Badr, said: Then from the Banu al-Harith bin al-Khazraj, of the Banu Imru' al-Qays bin Tha'labah bin Ka'b bin al-Khazraj bin al-Harith bin al-Khazraj: Abdullah bin Rawahah bin Imru' al-Qays (may Allah be pleased with him, also took part).

Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him), in listing the names of the Ansar who took part in Badr, said: From the Banu al-Harith bin al-Khazraj: Abdullah bin Rawahah bin Imru' al-Qays (may Allah be pleased with him, also took part).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) entered (Makkah) on the occasion of Umrat al-Qada', and Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) was walking in front of him reciting this rajaz: "O sons of the disbelievers, clear the way for him (the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)); indeed the Most Merciful has revealed in His Revelation that the best death is to be killed in His path."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered Makkah, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) walked in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) reciting these verses: "O sons of the disbelievers, clear his way; today we will strike you over its interpretation, a blow that removes the head from its resting place and makes a friend forget his friend." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Ibn Rawahah, in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and in the Sanctuary of Allah you recite poetry?" Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Umar, leave him. By the One in whose hand is my soul, these verses are harder on them than the blows of swords."

Abdullah bin Abi Bakr narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) entered Makkah during that Umrah, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) was holding the halter of his she-camel and reciting this rajaz: "O sons of the disbelievers, clear the way! I bear witness that he is His Messenger. Clear the way, for all good lies in His Messenger. O my Lord, I believe in his word. I recognise the right of Allah in accepting it. We have fought you over its interpretation just as we fought you over its revelation, with blows that remove heads from their resting places and make a friend forget his friend."

Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that during the Umrah al-Qada', when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded his Companions: "Uncover your shoulders and walk briskly in the tawaf (perform raml)," so that the polytheists would see their strength and vigour, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) would outmanoeuvre them in every way he could, the people of Makkah, men, women and children, all poured out to watch the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions circling the House. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him), with his sword slung over his shoulder, was walking in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) reciting this rajaz: "O sons of the disbelievers, clear the way! I bear witness that he is His Messenger. The Most Merciful has sent this down in His revelation, in scrolls that are recited to His Messenger. Today we will strike you over its interpretation just as we struck you over its revelation, with blows that remove heads from their resting places and make a friend forget his friend." Some of the chiefs of the polytheists, out of anger, resentment, envy and jealousy, hid themselves, disliking to look at the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and went out to the outskirts of Makkah. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) completed his rites and stayed for three days.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) conquered Khaybar, he stipulated with them that the land and everything yellow and white (that is, gold and silver) would be his. The people of Khaybar said: "We know the land better." So he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave it to them on the condition that they would work it, and half of the produce would be theirs and half would belong to the Muslims. The narrator states that he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave them (the land) on that condition. Then, when the time came to cut the dates, he (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Sayyiduna Ibn Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) to them, and he estimated the dates; this is what the people of Madinah call 'khars' (estimation). He stated such-and-such an amount (in the estimate), and they (the people of Khaybar) said: "O Ibn Rawahah, you have been excessive with us." He said: "Then I will take the dates (myself) at this estimate and give you half of the amount I stated." They said: "This is the truth, and by it the heavens and the earth stand. We are content with what you have said."

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), describing the affair of Khaybar, said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to send Sayyiduna Ibn Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Jews, and he would estimate the dates when they ripened, before any of them were eaten. Then the Jews would be given the choice either to take (the fruit) themselves at that estimate or to hand over (the Muslims' half) at that estimate. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the estimation only so that the zakah could be calculated before the fruit was eaten and distributed.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: Sayyiduna Ibn Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) estimated it at forty thousand wasq, and he stated that when Ibn Rawahah gave the Jews the choice, they took the dates (themselves), and twenty thousand wasq (of the Muslims' share) became due from them.

Jubayr narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) conquered it (Khaybar), and all of it belonged to him, both its crops and its date palms. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions had no slaves (to work there), so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made a settlement with the Jews on the condition that they would take on the work and half of the dates would be theirs, on the condition that "I will let you remain for as long as Allah and His Messenger see fit." It was on that occasion that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Sayyiduna Ibn Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) to make the estimate for them, and when he gave the Jews the choice, the Jews took the dates (themselves). Khaybar remained in the hands of the Jews under the settlement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) until the era of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came, and he expelled them. The Jews said: "Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) not make a settlement with us on such-and-such terms?" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Indeed he did, on the condition that you would be allowed to remain for as long as Allah and His Messenger saw fit, and now I have seen fit to expel you." So he expelled them, then divided it among the Muslims who had conquered it with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he gave nothing of it to anyone who had not been present at its conquest. (The narrator says:) Now its owners are the Muslims; there are no Jews in it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the estimation only so that the zakah could be calculated before the fruit was eaten and distributed, and they continued to act upon that.

Abdullah bin Ubayd bin Umayr (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates concerning the settlement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with the Jews of Khaybar, that half of the fruit would be ours and half yours, and you would take on the work. Then, when their fruit had ripened, they came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Our fruit has ripened, so send an estimator to make the estimate between us and you." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him). When he had gone around their date palms and looked, he said: "By Allah, I know of no one among the creation of Allah who fabricates greater lies against Allah or is more hostile to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) than you. By Allah, Allah has not created anyone more hateful to me than you. (Yet) by Allah, this will never lead me to wrong you by even the weight of a speck, knowingly." The narrator says: Then he estimated the entire (produce), what belonged to the Muslims and what belonged to the Jews, at eighty thousand wasq. The Jews said: "You have given us the choice (to take our share or to hand it over)?" Sayyiduna Ibn Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If you wish, give us forty thousand wasq and (take your share and) part from us." They looked at one another, then said: "By this (justice) the heavens and the earth stand, and because of it they (the Muslims) prevail over you."

Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) conquered Khaybar, he sent Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) to divide (the produce) with the Jews. When he arrived among them, they began sending him gifts of food, but he disliked taking anything from them and said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has sent me only to be just between you and him; I have no desire for your gifts." So he estimated the dates, and when he had completed the estimate, Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) gave them the choice, saying: "If you wish, I will guarantee your share for you and take charge of it (the produce) myself; and if you wish, you guarantee our share for us and take charge of it yourselves." They chose to give the guarantee and take charge of it themselves, and they said: "O Ibn Rawahah, this which you offer us and the (justice) you act upon is that by which the heavens and the earth stand, and they stand only by the truth." Khaybar was reserved for those who had been present at al-Hudaybiyah; no one else shared it with them, none of them stayed behind from it, and no one other than them took part in it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not permit anyone who had stayed behind from his journey to al-Hudaybiyah to take part in Khaybar.

Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him), in his account of the conquest of Khaybar, says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) to divide the fruit with the Jews. When he arrived among them, they began sending him gifts of food and speaking (gently) with him, and they collected some jewellery from the jewellery of their women, placed it before him and said: "This is for you; be lenient with us and overlook (some of it)." Sayyiduna Ibn Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O company of Jews, by Allah, you are the most hateful of people to me. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has sent me only to be just between you and him. I have no desire for your worldly goods, and I will never wrong you. What you have offered me is unlawful bribery, and we do not consume it." So he estimated the dates, and when he had completed the estimate, he gave them the choice, saying: "If you wish, I will guarantee your share for you; and if you wish, you guarantee our share for us and take charge of it yourselves." They chose to give the guarantee and take charge of it themselves, and they said: "O Ibn Rawahah, this which you act upon is that by which the heavens and the earth stand, and they stand only by the truth."

Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates: I asked Ata' (may Allah have mercy on him): "Was this estimation made in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?" He informed me about Sayyiduna Ibn Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him), that he made the estimate between the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Jews and said: "If you wish, it will be ours, and if you wish, it will be yours." They (the Jews) said: "By this (justice) the heavens and the earth stand."

Al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates: When Sayyiduna Ibn Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to them (the Jews), they collected some jewellery from the jewellery of their women and presented it to him as a gift. He said: "O company of Jews, you are the most hateful of Allah's creation to me, yet this will not lead me to wrong you. As for this bribe that you have offered us, it is unlawful, and we do not consume it." Then he made the estimate for them, and then gave them the choice either to take it themselves or for him (Ibn Rawahah) to take it. They said: "By this (justice) the heavens and the earth stand." So they took (the fruit) at that estimate.

Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had no labourers to work the date palms and crops of Khaybar, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called the Jews of Khaybar and handed Khaybar over to them on the condition that they would work it in return for half the produce and would pay (the other half) to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "I will let you remain in it for as long as Allah lets you remain." So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to send Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) to them, and he would estimate the dates when the fruit first began to ripen, before any of it was eaten. Then he would give the Jews the choice either to take the produce at that estimate or to hand it over to them at that estimate.

Urwah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent an army to Mu'tah in Jumada al-Ula of the year 8 AH and appointed Sayyiduna Zayd bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) as its commander, and he said: "If Zayd is martyred, then Ja'far bin Abi Talib will be in command of the people; and if Ja'far is martyred, then Abdullah bin Rawahah will be in command of the people." So the people made their preparations and got ready to set out; they numbered three thousand. When the time of their departure came, the people bade farewell to the commanders appointed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and greeted them with salam. When Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) bade farewell along with the others, he wept. It was said to him: "O Ibn Rawahah, what makes you weep?" He said: "By Allah, it is not love of this world or grief at parting from you that makes me weep. Rather, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recite a verse from the Book of Allah in which Hell is mentioned: 'And there is none of you except that he will pass over it (Hell); this is upon your Lord an inevitability decreed.' [Surah Maryam: 71]. So I do not know how the return will be after coming to it." The Muslims said to them: "May Allah be your companion, protect you and bring you back to us safe and sound." Upon this Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) said (these verses): "But I ask the Most Merciful for forgiveness, and for a blow, wide-gashing, that throws out (blood like) foam, or a deadly thrust at the hands of a spearman, with a spear that pierces the bowels and the liver, so that when people pass by my grave they will say: 'May Allah guide you; you were a warrior who was rightly guided.'" Then, when the people were ready to set out, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to bid him farewell and said: "May Allah keep firm the good He has given you, as He kept Musa (peace be upon him) firm, and grant you help like the help that was given to them. I perceived good in you, in abundance, through insight, an insight in which I differed from them in what they saw. You are the Messenger of Allah; so whoever is deprived of your gifts and of (the blessing of) your face has been disgraced by destiny." Then the people set out, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) went out with them to see them off, until, when he had bidden them farewell and turned back, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Peace be upon a man whom I bade farewell among the palm trees, neither left without farewell nor wearied." Then they went on until they halted at Ma'an in the land of Syria. News reached the people that Heraclius had encamped at a watering place in the land of al-Balqa' with one hundred thousand Romans, and that the Arabised Arabs of the tribes of Lakhm, Judham, Balqayn, Bahram and Bali had also gathered with him, numbering one hundred thousand, commanded by a man of the Irashah clan of the tribe of Bali named Malik bin Zafilah. When this news reached the Muslims, they stayed at Ma'an for two nights, considering their situation, and they said: "Let us write to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and inform him of the number of our enemy; either he will reinforce us with more men, or he will give us his command and we will carry it out." Upon this Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) encouraged the people and said: "O people, by Allah, the very thing you now dislike is the thing you set out for, namely seeking martyrdom. We do not fight people by number, strength or multitude; rather, we fight them by this religion with which Allah has honoured us. So go forward, for it is only one of two good outcomes: either victory or martyrdom." On that occasion Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) said (further verses). (Then the narrator relates from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) that) he said: I was an orphan under the guardianship of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) on that journey, and he had me riding behind him on his mount. By Allah, we were travelling one night when I heard him reciting this verse: "When you have brought me (to my destination) and carried my baggage a journey of four days beyond al-Hisa' (then I care not)." When I heard this from him, I wept, and he struck me with his whip and said: "What is it to you, O foolish one, if Allah grants me martyrdom and you return (safe and sound) between the two sides of the saddle?" Then the people went on until, when they reached the borders of al-Balqa', the armies of Heraclius, Romans and Arabs, met them at one of the villages of al-Balqa' called Masharif. Then the polytheists drew near, and the Muslims withdrew to a village called Mu'tah; there the two armies met, and the Muslims drew up their ranks. They placed on their right wing a man of Banu Udhrah named Qutbah bin Qatadah, and on their left wing a man of the Ansar named Ubayah bin Malik. Then the two armies clashed and fought. Sayyiduna Zayd bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) fought holding the banner of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until he was surrounded by the enemy's spears and martyred. Then Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) took up the banner and fought, until, when the fighting closed in on him, he leapt down from his reddish horse and hamstrung it, then fought the enemy until he was martyred. Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first man in Islam to hamstring (his horse).

Yahya bin Abbad (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father, Abbad bin Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah have mercy on him), who said: My foster father, who was from Banu Murrah bin Awf and had taken part in the expedition of Mu'tah, narrated to me. He said: By Allah, it is as if I am looking at Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) when he leapt down from his red horse, then hamstrung it, then fought the enemy until he was martyred. When Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) took up the banner and advanced with it while mounted on his horse. He began urging himself to dismount, showing some hesitation, then he said: "O soul, I have sworn that you shall surely descend; you shall descend willingly or be made to descend. Why is it that I see you averse to Paradise, while the people have gathered in ranks and are raising their clamour? For a long time you have been at ease; you are nothing but a drop of water in a worn-out waterskin." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) also said: "O soul, if you are not killed, you will die anyway. This is the bitterness of death which you have already tasted. What you wished for has been given to you; if you do as those two did, you will be rightly guided." He meant his two companions, Zayd and Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with them both). Then he dismounted, and when he dismounted, a cousin of his brought him a bone with meat on it and said: "Strengthen your back with this, for you have endured what you have endured in these days of yours." He took it from his hand and took one bite, then he heard the clash of swords from the direction of the people and said: "And you are still in this world!" Then he threw it from his hand, took his sword, advanced and fought until he was martyred. Then Sayyiduna Thabit bin Aqram (may Allah be pleased with him), who was from Banu al-Ajlan, took up the banner and said: "O people, agree upon one man from among you." They said: "You." He said: "I will not do it." So the people agreed upon Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him). When he took up the banner, he held off the enemy, then withdrew until he returned with the people. When this loss befell them, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Zayd bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) took up the banner and fought with it until he was martyred; then Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) took it up and fought with it until he was martyred." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fell silent until the faces of the Ansar changed, and they thought that perhaps he had something displeasing in mind concerning Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then Abdullah bin Rawahah took it up and fought with it until he was martyred." Then he said: "In a dream I was shown their places in Paradise on thrones of gold, and I saw that the throne of Abdullah bin Rawahah was somewhat turned away from the thrones of his two companions. I asked: 'Why is this?' I was told: 'Those two went forward, while Abdullah showed some hesitation and then went forward.'"

Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent an army to Mu'tah and appointed Sayyiduna Zayd bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) as its commander, (and said that) if Zayd was martyred, their commander would be Ja'far, and if Ja'far was martyred, Abdullah bin Rawahah al-Ansari would be their commander. So they set out towards Syria, in the direction of Mu'tah, and the commanders appointed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) were martyred. Then Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) took up the banner, and the Muslims agreed upon him, and Allah defeated the enemy.

It is narrated from Sa'id bin al-Musayyab (may Allah have mercy on him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "These three were shown to me in Paradise in a tent of pearl, each of them on a throne." I saw the necks of Zayd and Ibn Rawahah turned aside (from the throne), while Ja'far was perfectly straight, with no turning in him. The narrator says: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)) asked, or he said: I was told that when death overcame those two, it was as if they turned away, or as if they turned their faces aside, whereas Ja'far did not do so. Ibn Uyaynah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: This is the occasion on which Ibn Rawahah said: "O soul, I swear that you shall surely descend (onto the battlefield), even if you obey with reluctance; for a long time you have sat at ease." And Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "How sweet is the fragrance of Paradise!"

Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent an army to Mu'tah and appointed Sayyiduna Zayd bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) as its commander; if he was martyred, Ja'far bin Abi Talib would be their commander, and if Ja'far was martyred, Abdullah bin Rawahah would be their commander. So they set out until they met Ibn Abi Sabrah al-Ghassani at Mu'tah, where there were gatherings of Christian Arabs and Romans, and the (tribes of) Tanukh and Bahram were also there. Ibn Abi Sabrah shut the fortress against the Muslims for three days, then they (the enemy) came out, and they met on a field of green crops and fought fiercely. Sayyiduna Zayd bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) took up the banner and was martyred, then Ja'far took it up and was martyred, then Ibn Rawahah took it up and was martyred. Then, after the commanders of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the Muslims agreed upon Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) (as their commander), and Allah defeated the enemy and gave the Muslims victory. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had sent them in Jumada al-Ula.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), while relating his stories, used to say: Your brother (that is, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him)) used to compose poetry, or speech, that contained no obscenity. He would say: "Among us is the Messenger of Allah, reciting His Book, when the familiar light of dawn breaks forth, shining. He showed us guidance after blindness, so our hearts are certain of it, that it is the truth that will come to pass. He spends the night keeping his side away from his bed, when the beds have grown heavy with the disbelievers."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: A brother of yours did not speak obscenity, meaning Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: "Among us is the Messenger of Allah, reciting His Book, when the familiar light of dawn breaks forth, shining. He brought us guidance after blindness, so our hearts are certain of it, that whatever he said is true."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), while relating his stories and mentioning the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: Your brother did not speak obscenity, meaning Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him); (he used to say): "Among us is the Messenger of Allah, reciting His Book, when the familiar light of dawn breaks forth, shining. He showed us guidance after blindness, so our hearts are certain of it, that whatever he said is true. He spends the night keeping his side away from his bed, when the beds have grown heavy with the disbelievers."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), while relating his stories, would say: Your brother did not speak obscenity, meaning Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him).