ABBAD BIN BISHR (The Friend of the Qur’an)

Qur'an

It was in the fourth year after the Hijrah that Banu Nadir broke their agreement with the 

Prophet and made plans to kill him. For this, they were banished from the city, this happened in the month of Safar. Two months of uneasy quiet passed after which the Prophet received news that tribes from Najd were planning to attack. In the wake of this, the Prophet gathered a force of over four hundred men and left Uthman ibn Affan in charge of Madina. In this force was the young Ansari,

Abbad ibn Bishr. Arriving at Najd, the Muslims found the habitations of the hostiles deserted of men, only women were there. The men had taken to the hills though some of them regrouped to fight. On the way back, the Prophet pitched camp in a valley for the night. As soon as the Muslims had settled their camel mounts, the Prophet (SAW) asked: "Who will be our guard tonight?" "We, O Messenger of God," said Abbad ibn Bishr and Ammar ibn Yasir both of whom had been paired off as 'brothers' by the Prophet when he arrived in Madinah. Abbad and Ammar left for the mouth of the valley to keep guard. Abbad saw that his "brother" Ammar was tired and asked him: "What part of the night do you wish to sleep, the first or the second?" "I shall sleep during the first part," said Ammar who was soon fast asleep quite close to Abbad. Abbad was enthralled by the Quran from the moment he first heard it being recited by Musab ibn Umayr. That was before the Hijrah when Abbad was just about fifteen years old. The Quran had found a special place in his heart and day and night thereafter he would be heard repeating the glorious words of God so much so that he became known among the Sahaba as the "friend of the Quran". Abbad stood up and faced the Qiblah and entered into the state of Prayer. After reciting Suratul Fatiha, he began reciting Surah al-Kahf. While he was absorbed in reciting and reflecting upon the Qur’an, a hostile stalked the outskirts of the valley in search of the Muslims. From a distance, the man saw Abbad at the mouth of the valley. Silently he drew his bow and shot an arrow. Unerringly it went into Abbad's flesh. Calmly, Abbad pulled out the arrow from his body and went on with his recitation. The attacker shot a second and a third arrow both of which also found their mark. Abbad pulled them out of his flesh one after the other. He finished his recitation, made ruku and then sujud. Weak and in pain, he stretched out his right hand while still in prostration and shook his sleeping companion. Ammar awoke. Silently, Abbad continued the Salat to its end and then said: "Get up and stand guard in my place. I have been wounded." Ammar jumped up and began to yell. Seeing this, the attacker fled into the darkness. Ammar turned to Abbad as he lay on the ground, blood flowing from his wounds. "Ya Subhanallah (Glory be to God)! Why didn't you wake me when you were hit by the first arrow?" "I was in the midst of reciting verses of the Quran which filled my soul with awe and I did not want to cut short the recitation. The Prophet had commanded me to commit this surah to memory. Death would have been dearer to me than that the recitation of this Surah should be interrupted." Abbad's devotion to the Quran was a sign of his intense devotion to and love for God, His Prophet and His religion. The qualities he was known for were his constant immersion in Ibadah, his heroic courage and his generosity in the path of God. At times of sacrifice and death, he would always be in the front line. When it was time for receiving his share of rewards, he became scarce. He was always trustworthy in his dealings with the wealth of Muslims. In the battle of Yamamah, 11 years after the Hijra, Abbad noticed that there was a lack of mutual confidence among the Muhajirin and Ansar. He was grieved and upset. He realized that there would be no success for the Muslims in these terrible battles unless the Muhajirin and Ansar were grouped in separate regiments so that it could be clearly seen who really bore their responsibility and who were truly steadfast in combat. At the break of day when the battle commenced, Abbad ibn Bishr stood on a mound and shouted: "O Ansar, distinguish yourselves among men. Destroy your scabbards. And do not forsake Islam." Abbad harangued the Ansar until about four hundred men gathered around him at the head of whom were Thabit ibn Qays, al-Baraa ibn Malik and Abu Dujanah, the keeper of the Prophet's sword. With this force, Abbad unleashed an offensive into the enemy's rank s which blunted their thrust and drove them back to the "garden of death". It was at the walls of this garden that Abbad ibn Bishr was martyred. So numerous were his wounds, he was hardly recognizable. When Abbad bin Bisr passed away, he was around 27 years old. He had lived, fought and died as a believer. Once late at night, the Prophet once stood up to perform the Tahajjud Prayer. He heard a voice reciting the Quran, pure and sweet and as fresh as when the angel Jibril revealed the words to him. He asked: "Aishah, is that the voice of Abbad ibn Bishr?" "Yes, O Messenger of God," replied Aishah. "O Lord, forgive him," prayed the Prophet out of love for him. Aishah, once said: "There are three persons among the Ansar whom no one could excel in virtue: Sad ibn Muadh, Usayd ibn Khudayr and Abbad ibn Bishr."