Ubadah Ibn as-Samit: A Black Man Equal to 1000 Men

Ubadah ibn Samit was a descendant of Saba from both his father's and his mother's side. His father was As-Samit b. Qays b. Asram and his mother was Qurratu’l-Ayn bint Ubada bin Nadla. 

Ubadah was one of the first twelve people of Madina who embraced Islam after meeting The Prophet at Aqabah; he is said to have been around forty years old at the time. 

He was dark-skinned, well-built and he was frequently described as good-looking. He was in every battle The Prophet (SAW) waged; he was also one of the scribes who wrote the Qur’an. Ubadah’s wife, Umm Haram bint Milhan, was the maternal aunt of Anas b. Malik. He had another wife named Jamila bint Abi Sa'sa'a. 

Ubadah ibn as-Samit was also known by the kunya, Abu al-Walid, because he had a son named al-Walid who was the father of Muhammad ibn al-Walid. 

When Muhammad (SAW) migrated to Madina, he struck a brotherhood between Ubadah ibn as-Samit and Abi Marthad al-Ghanwi. However, Ubadah had four blood siblings named Aus bin As-Samit (the husband of Khawla bint Thalaba), Thabit bin As-Samit, Umama bint As-Samit and Khawla bint As-Samit.

There were not many personal encounters between the Prophet (SAW) and Ubadah ibn as-Samit. 

During the Caliphate of Umar ibn Khattab, there was a request for reinforcement from Syria. Umar sent Ubadah and three others with a message that the four men were equivalent of 4000 warriors. 

Ubadah was not just a warrior; he also knew how to plan cities as an architect. Along with Amr b. al-Aas, he was involved in planning the city of Fustat (the first capital of Egypt) and was also involved in building the first Masjid in Egypt which exists till today. It is known as the Masjid of Amr b. al-Aas. 

It is said that Ubadah wrote the entire Qur’an in Kufic script on the periphery and on the walls of the Masjid from top to bottom on marble so that anyone could read it even while seated. The whole of this was destroyed by the British during their occupation of Egypt. 

The Muslims laid siege to the Babylon Fortress in 641 CE in the area known as Coptic Cairo today where the Egyptian Ruler was holed up. Amr ibn al-Aas sent a delegation of ten men, headed by Ubadah to speak with the Egyptian ruler. 

When Ubadah stepped forward, the ruler was alarmed because of the darkness of Ubadah’s skin. 

He said, “Take this black man away from me and let someone else come and speak to me!” 

One in the Muslim contingent replied, “This black man is the best of us in knowledge and wisdom. He is our leader and the best of us, and has been appointed over us. We all refer to his opinion, and our leader has appointed him over us and ordered us not to go against him.” 

The king said to the delegation, “How could you accept this black man as the best among you? Rather he should be the least among you.” 

The Muslim replied again, “No; even though he is black as you can see, he is the best in status among us, one of the foremost among us and one of the wisest. Blackness is not something bad among us.” 

The king said to Ubadah, “Come forward, O black man, and speak to me gently, for your blackness alarms me, and if you speak harshly that will alarm me further.” 

Ubadah went forth and said, “I have heard what you said. Among my companions whom I left behind are a thousand men who are all as black as me and even blacker than me and more terrifying to behold. If you saw them you would be even more alarmed. My youth has gone, but nevertheless I would not be scared if one hundred men of my enemy wanted to face me all at once, and the same is true of my companions, for our hope and our desire is to strive for the sake of Allah, seeking the pleasure of Allah. The reason for our campaign against our enemies who wage war against Allah is not hope of worldly gains or the accumulation of wealth; rather Allah has permitted that to us and made the booty we acquire permissible for us. But none of us cares whether he has a qintar of gold or has nothing but a dirham, because all we want from this world is something to eat and ward off hunger, and a cloth to wrap around ourselves. If one of us owns nothing more than that, that is enough. If he gets a qintar of gold he will spend it for the sake of Allah and be content with the little that is left in his hand, because the pleasure of this world is not true pleasure and its luxury is not true luxury; rather real pleasure and luxury come in the Hereafter. This is how our Lord has guided us and our Rasulullah has taught us; he advised us that our ambition in this world should be just to have enough to ward off hunger and cover our nakedness; our main concern should be to please our Lord and strive against His enemies.” 

When the king heard these, he said to those who were around him: “Have you ever heard anything like what this man is saying? His appearance alarmed me but his words alarm me more than his appearance. Allah has sent this man and his companions out to destroy the world! I think that they are bound to prevail over the entire world.” 

Ubadah was staunch in matters related to religion. Once an Imam delivering a Friday khutbah began to praise him while he was in the congregation. Ubadah took sand in his hand and threw it into the mouth of the Imam and said, "Did not the Prophet, Peace and Allah blessing belong upon him, say that when we saw a person extolling virtues to his face, then we should throw mud to his face?"

On one occasion, Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan expressed a personal opinion when Ubadah was quoting the Prophet (SAW). Ubadah vacated Syria in disgust. When Umar heard of this, he urged Ubadah to return to Syria saying, “A piece of land has no good in it which has not got a man of your kind.” 

Umar wrote to Muawiyah telling him, “You are not a governor over him”. 

Ubadah was one of the learned appointed by Umar to teach people Qur’an and Islam ethics and Ubadah remained in Homs until the people were competent in the Qur’an after which he left for Palestine where he remained for a long time serving as a state-appointed Qadi. A lot of his students became renowned scholars. 

The last Hadith he narrated was, “Whoever said, ‘There is no Deity save Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger,’ will be spared Hellfire”. 

When his son requested him to declare his will at the time of death, he advice: “My son, you will not experience full bliss of faith nor will you fully comprehend it until you believe in destiny governing good and evil”. 

When the time of death approached Ubadah, he asked to be moved to the courtyard and his home folk, relatives, neighbors and others were called together. 

He inquired of them if they had any claim on him, they thereafter said he had been like an honest and dutiful father to them all. 

Grave of Ubadah ibn as-Samit in Palestine

Before breathing his last, Ubadah ibn as-Samit requested that when he is dead “Let each of you make a goodly ablution, enter a Masjid and pray and supplicate for my forgiveness.” 

According to well-established reports, Ubadah ibn as-Samit died in the year 34 A. H in Palestine, he was around 69 years old.

May Allah be pleased with him.

LESSONS

1. Zero Racism: The Prophet (SAW) had companions from all races. At a time when black people were considered too inferior to sit in the midst of light skinned people, Muhammad (SAW) appointed black people as leaders over members of his own race. The Prophet (SAW) sid in his farewell Message, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.”
2. Worldly Life: The Muslims were more concerned with meeting their Lord; they had very little concern for worldly pleasures.
3. War for Peace: The Muslims did not wage war against disbelievers for the sake getting their wealth. All they desired was for the word of Allah to prevail.
4. Sycophancy is a Crime: The practice of praising leaders for personal benefits is an act that frowned upon in Islam. This even extends to every individual; leader or follower. The Prophet (SAW) taught us a du’a to make when we are praised: “O Allah, do not call me to account for what they say and forgive me for what they have no knowledge of and make me better than they imagine.” Shu'ab Al-Iman 4:228
5. Superiority of Muhammad (SAW): Ubadah became furious at Muawiyya when the latter chose to follow his personal opinion on an issue that had already been decided by the Prophet (SAW). Ubadah did not hide his disgust for this and Umar ibn Khattab fully supported his stand. Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an: The only statement of the true believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, "We hear and we obey." And those are the successful. Suratul Nur (24:51)