ABU UBAYDA IBN AL-JARRAH

Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah was born in Mecca in 583. He was one of the few people in Mecca who could read and write, and for this reason he was respected. In the early days when the Prophet had just begun his call, Abu Ubayda accepted Islam in his late twenties through the mediation of Abu Bakr. He was one of the closest companions of the Prophet. He is regarded as one of those praised in Surah At-Tawbah, where it is stated that Allah is pleased with them. From the very first days of the Prophet’s mission, he was among the most important supporters of his call. Because of his trustworthy character, the Prophet introduced him as “the trustee of the ummah.” He was praised both by the Prophet and by the Companions. Indeed, the Prophet said about him, “If I were to take any trait from any of my Companions, I would take something from the character of Abu Ubayda,” and “Every nation has a trustee; and the trustee of this nation is Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah.”

Some of the Companions carried out the mission of preaching secretly, while others openly declared their Islam and invited people to Islam. Abu Ubayda was among those who openly announced their Islam and openly called people to it. He worked for the spread of Islam and, as a result, was subjected to the oppression of the polytheists. In order to prevent the spread of Islam, the polytheists resorted to denial, humiliation, insults, and even killing Muslims, becoming more aggressive as they failed. Consequently, Muslims considered migration both to escape this oppression and to spread Islam to other regions. The first migration took place in the fifth year after the beginning of the Islamic call, to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) on the African coast of the Red Sea. In 615, this first group of fifteen Muslims was followed about a year later by a second group of nearly one hundred people. Abu Ubayda was among those who participated in the second migration to Abyssinia. In later years, he returned to Mecca with a group that came back and stayed there until the migration to Medina. When the migration to Medina began, he left Mecca permanently and migrated to Medina by the command and guidance of the Prophet Muhammad.

The migration to Medina marked the beginning of a new life for the Muslims. The Meccan emigrants were hosted by the people of Medina. In order to ensure the permanent settlement of the Muslims, the Prophet established the bond of brotherhood between the emigrants (Muhajirun) and the helpers (Ansar). The Meccan emigrants and the Medinan helpers were paired as brothers, thus trying to solve the problems of settlement and livelihood for the emigrants.

A short time after the migration to Medina, verses granting permission to fight were revealed to the Muslims. As a result of these verses, the Prophet worked to ensure security around Medina and to spread Islam. Abu Ubayda took part in these military units both as a soldier and as a commander. In one battle, while removing with his mouth the links of a helmet that had pierced the Prophet’s face, he lost two of his front teeth.

During the Prophet’s lifetime, in the 9th year after the Hijra, tribes from all over Arabia sent delegations to the Messenger of Allah to accept Islam. One of these delegations came to the Prophet, stating that they wished to pledge allegiance to him and requesting that a trustworthy Companion be sent with them. Thereupon, the Prophet said that he would send a trustworthy person and asked the Companions to gather in the mosque. Everyone hoped to be the trustworthy person whom the Prophet said, “I will send you a very trustworthy man.” In the end, the Prophet chose Abu Ubayda and sent him with this delegation. After this event, the Prophet and his Companions frequently honored Abu Ubayda with the title “the trustee of the ummah,” and he became famous by this title.

After the death of the Messenger of Allah, Abu Ubayda continued to hold important positions within the ummah. In the 16th year of the Hijra, he participated in the siege of Iliya (Jerusalem). When he arrived there, he offered peace to the opposing side and asked them to surrender their city through a peace agreement. However, they did not accept this and continued to defend the city. As the Muslims grew stronger, the people of Jerusalem eventually sought peace. Abu Ubayda’s arrival in the city and the people of Jerusalem’s request for peace took place within a short period of two or three days. The people of Jerusalem stated that they wished to receive the pledge of security from Umar himself. Upon Umar’s arrival in the city, an agreement was concluded, and Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) came under Muslim control. After this, Abu Ubayda resided in Damascus as the governor (commander-in-chief) of the Syrian region.

A plague that emerged in the Palestine region spread to the Syrian area as well. Abu Ubayda did not leave the place where he was, wishing to attain the merit mentioned in the Prophet’s hadith, “...One who dies from plague is a martyr...,” and he even desired to be afflicted by it. Although Umar called him back, he did not leave. However, in order to fulfill Umar’s request that at least the army be moved to a clean area, he found a suitable place where the army could settle and led them there. While the soldiers struggled with the disease, his refusal to leave the region himself demonstrated that he prioritized the people under his command over himself, as well as his patience and trust in Allah in the face of the calamity decreed by Him. He did not leave the region for his own sake, but when it came to the army, he agreed to move them to a place with cleaner air. Abu Ubayda’s illness worsened there, and after conveying his final advice to the believers, he passed away. After his death, Mu‘adh ibn Jabal led his funeral prayer and spoke to the congregation about his virtues.