The Martyr's Reward

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عَنْ سَلَمَةِ بْنِ الأَكْوَعِ

From Salama ibn al-Akwa'.

قَالَ خَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى خَيْبَرَ

He said, "We set out with the Messenger of Allah to Khaybar."

فَسِرْنَا لَيْلًا

So we traveled at night,

فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ لِعَامِرِ بْنِ الأَكْوَعِ

Then a man from the people said to Amir ibn al-Akwa.

أَلاَ تَسَمَّعْنَا مِنْ هُنَيْهَاتِكَ

Will you not let us hear some of your short verses?

قَالَ وَكَانَ عَامِرٌ رَجُلًا شَاعِرًا

He said that Amir was a man and a poet.

فَنَزَلَ يَحْدُو بِالْقَوْمِ يَقُولُ

Then he came down among the people and began to chant, saying:

اللَّهُمَّ لَوْلَا أَنْتَ مَا اِهْتَدَيْنَا وَلَا تَصَدَّقْنَا وَلَا صَلَّيْنَا

O Allah, were it not for You, we would not have been guided, we would not have given charity, and we would not have prayed.

فَٱغْفِرْ فِدَاءٌ لَكَ مَا اِقْتَفَيْنَا وَثَبِّّتْ الْأَقْدَامَ إِنْ لَاقَيْنَا

So forgive us; let what we have followed be a ransom for you, and make our steps firm if we meet.

وَأَلْقَيْنَا سَكِينَةً عَلَيْنَا

And we cast tranquility upon us.

إِنَّا إِذَا صِيحَ بِنَا أَتَيْنَا

Indeed, when we were called, we came.

وَبِالْصِّيَاحِ عَوَّلُوا عَلَيْنَا

And they cried out at us.

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ هَذَا السَّائِقُ

Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, "Who is this driver?"

قَالُوا عَامِرُ بْنُ الْأَكْوَعِ

They said, "Amir ibn al-Akwa."

فَقَالَ يَرْحَمُهُ اللَّهُ

So he said, "May Allah have mercy on him."

فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ وَجَبَتْ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ

Then a man from the people said, "It has become necessary, O Prophet of God,"

لَوْ أَمْتَعْتَنَا بِهِ

If only you had let us enjoy it.

قَالَ فَأَتَيْنَا خَيْبَرَ فَحَاصَرْنَاهُمْ

He said, "Then we came to Khaybar and besieged them."

حَتَّى أَصَابَتْنَا مَخْمَصَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ

Until severe hunger struck us,

ثُمَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَتَحَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ

Then indeed Allah opened it for them,

فَلَمَّا أَمْسَى النَّاسُ الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي فُتِحَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْقَدُوا نِيرَانًا كَثِيرَةً

When evening fell on the day that had been opened to them, the people kindled many fires.

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا هَذِهِ النِّيرَانُ

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "What are these fires?"

عَلَى أَيِّ شَيْءٍ تُوَقِدُونَ

What are you lighting?

قَالُوا عَلَى لَحْمٍ

They said, "On meat."

قَالَ عَلَىٰ أَيِّ لَحْمٍ

He said, "On what meat?"

قَالُوا عَلَى لَحْمِ حُمُرٍ إِنْسِيَّةٍ

They said, 'On the meat of domestic female donkeys.'

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَهْرِقُوهَا وَاكْسِرُوهَا

The Messenger of God said, "Pour it out and break it."

فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوْ نَهَرِّقُهَا وَنَغْسِلُهَا

Then a man said, "O Messenger of God, shall we pour it out and wash it?"

قَالَ أَوْ ذَاكَ

He said, "Or that."

فَلَمَّا تَصَافَّ الْقَوْمُ كَانَ سَيْفُ عَامِرٍ فِيهِ قِصَرٌ

When the people engaged one another, Amir's sword had a short dagger in it.

فَتَنَاوَلَ بِهِ يَهُودِيًّا لِيَضْرِبَهُ

Then a Jew took hold of it to strike him.

وَيَرْجِعُ ذُبَابُ سَيْفِهِ فَأَصَابَ رُكْبَةَ عَامِرِ فَمَاتَ مِنْهُ

The tip of his sword snapped back and struck Amir's knee, and he died from it.

فَلَمَّا قَفَلُوا قَالَ سَلَمَةُ رَآنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَاحِبًا

When they had gone, Salamah said, "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw me pale."

فَقَالَ لِي مَا لَكَ

He said to me, "What is the matter with you?"

فَقُلْتُ فِدًى لَكَ أَبِيَ وَأُمِّيَ

So I said, "May my father and my mother be a ransom for you."

زَعَمُوا أَنَّ عَامِرًا حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ

They claimed that Amir's deeds were nullified.

قَالَ مَنْ قَالَهُ

He said, "Whoever said it."

قُلْتُ قَالَهُ فُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ وَأُسَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُضَيْرِ الأَنْصَارِيِّ

I said: It was said by so-and-so, and so-and-so, and so-and-so, and Usayd ibn al-Hudayr al-Ansari.

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَذَبَ مَنْ قَالَهُ

So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever said that lied."

إِنَّ لَهُ لَأَجْرَيْنِ وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْهِ إِنَّهُ لَجَاهِدٌ مُجَاهِدٌ

Indeed for him are two rewards—and he pressed his two fingers together—indeed he is a striver who exerts himself.

قَلَّ عَرَبِيٌّ نَشَأَ بِهَا مِثْلَهُ

Few Arabs who grew up in it were like him.