Utbah ibn Ghazwan is the seventh person to embrace Islam and one of the first immigrants to Abyssinia, but he could not stay there for long, away from Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). This tall companion of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) was known for his exceptional skill in the use of spears and arrows.
Omar ibn al-Khattab, the head of the rapidly expanding Muslim State, sent him to open the city of Al Ubullah, which was one of the most important sources providing men and material to the Persian forces under attack.
Omar appointed him to this mission with the promise that he would send reinforcements to him as soon as possible.
Utbah fought at Badr, Uhud, al-Khandaq and other battles. He had also fought in the terrible battles of Yamamah and emerged unscathed. And Omar knew that he could stand up to this challenge with this small number of warriors.
When the army was assembled in ranks ready to depart, Omar stood before them bidding them farewell and giving instructions to his commander, Utbah. He said:
"Utbah, I am sending you to the land of al-Ubullah. It is one of the major fortresses of the enemy and I pray that Allah helps you to take it. When you reach the city, invite its inhabitants to the worship of God. If they respond to you, accept them (as Muslims). If they refuse, then take from them the jizyah... If they refuse to pay the jizyah, then fight them" And fear Allah, O 'Utbah, in the discharge of your duties. Beware of letting yourself become too haughty or arrogant for this will corrupt your hereafter. Know that you were a companion of the Messenger of Allah; Allah honored you through him after your being insignificant. He strengthened you through him after you were weak. You have become a commander with authority and a leader who must be obeyed. What a great blessing if this does not make you vain and deceive you and lead you to Jahannam. May Allah protect you and me from it."
With this virtuous advice and prayer, Utbah and his army began their journey. A lot of women were in the army including his wife and the wives and sisters of other men. Eventually, they reached a place called Qasba not very far from al-Ubullah. It was called Qasba' because of the abundance of reed-like stalks that grew there.
By the time the Army reached this spot they were suffering from extreme hunger. Utbah ordered some of his men to go and search the land for something to eat. While they were searching for something to eat, they entered a thicket and, lo and behold, there were two large baskets. One of them was full of dates, and in the other small white grains covered with a yellow husk.
After The army of' Utbah finished eating they went on to the fortified city of al-Ubullah on the banks of the Euphrates River. The Persians used al-Ubullah as a massive arms depot. There were several fortresses in the city from which towers sprang. These were used as observation posts to detect any hostile movements outside the city.
The city appeared to be impregnable. What chance had Utbah of taking it with such a small force armed with only swords and spears? A direct assault was obviously futile and so Utbah had to resort to some stratagem.
Utbah hung some flags on spears and then gave them to the women and ordered them to march behind the army. His instructions to them then were:
"When we get near to the city, raise the dust behind us so that the entire atmosphere is filled with it."
As they neared al-Ubullah, a Persian force came out to confront them. They saw the Muslims boldly advancing, the flags fluttering behind them and the dust that was being churned up and that filled the air around. They thought that the Muslims in front of the flags were merely the vanguard of the advancing army, a strong and huge Army. They felt that they could not confront them. They lost heart and prepared to evacuate the city. Picking up whatever valuables they could, they rushed to boats anchored on the river and escaped from their well-fortified city.
Utbah took over al-Ubullah without losing any of his men. From this base he was able to bring surrounding towns and villages under Muslim control. When news spread of Utbah's successes, and of the richness of the land he had occupied, a lot of people flocked to the region in search of wealth and easy living.
Utbah noticed that many Muslims now inclined towards a soft life and followed the ways and customs of the region and that this weakened their determination to continue struggling.
He wrote to Omar ibn al-Khattab asking for permission to build the garrison town of Basra. He described the locations he had chosen for the city and Omar gave his assent. Basra lay between the desert and the ports of the Gulf. From this base expeditions were launched further east. The positioning of the town was for maximum military effectiveness (not merely to support an army of occupation).
Utbah himself planned the city and built its first great mosque, which was a simple enclosure, roofed over at one end and suitable for mass assemblies. From the mosque, Utbah and his men went out on military campaigns. These men eventually settled on the land and built houses.
However, Utbah did not build a house for himself but continued to live in a tent of cloth. He had seen how preoccupation with worldly possessions had caused many people to forget their real purpose in life. He had seen men, who not long ago knew no food better than rice boiled in their husks, getting accustomed to sophisticated Persian patisserie like fasludhanj and lawzinaj made with refined flour, butter, honey and nuts of various kinds to the point where they hankered after these things.
Utbah was afraid that his faith might be affected by the pleasures of life and he was concerned about his hereafter. He called men to the Mosque of Basra and addressed them thus:
"O People! Life will come to an end and you will be carried from it to an abode that will not wane nor disappear. Go to it with the best of your deeds. I look back and see myself among the early Muslims with the Messenger of Allah. We had no food then apart from the leaves of trees and our lips would fester. One day I found a burdah. I tore it in two and shared it with Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. I made an azar with one half and he did the same with the other half. Here we are today. There is not one of us but he is a head of one of the garrison towns. I seek Allah's protection lest I become great in my own estimation and little in the sight of Allah'."
With these words, Utbah appointed someone else to stand in his place, and bade farewell to the people of Basra.
It was the season of pilgrimage and he left to perform the Hajj. He then traveled to Madinah and there he asked Omar to relieve him of the responsibility of governing the city. Omar refused. He could not easily dispense with a governor of the quality of Utbah and said to him:
"You place your trusts and your responsibilities on my neck and then you abandon me to myself. No, by Allah, I shall never relieve you."
So Omar prevailed upon him and commanded him to return to Basra. Utbah knew that he had to obey the Amir al-Mu'minin but he did so with a heavy heart. Before he mounted on his camel he prayed God saying:
"O Lord, do not send me back to Basra. O Lord, do not send me back to Basra."
One his way back to Basra God answered his prayers. He fell of his camel and died, he died and after leading a great life full of worship and fighting to spread the light of Islam.
Source: beautifuIslam.netOmar ibn al-Khattab, the head of the rapidly expanding Muslim State, sent him to open the city of Al Ubullah, which was one of the most important sources providing men and material to the Persian forces under attack.
Omar appointed him to this mission with the promise that he would send reinforcements to him as soon as possible.
Utbah fought at Badr, Uhud, al-Khandaq and other battles. He had also fought in the terrible battles of Yamamah and emerged unscathed. And Omar knew that he could stand up to this challenge with this small number of warriors.
When the army was assembled in ranks ready to depart, Omar stood before them bidding them farewell and giving instructions to his commander, Utbah. He said:
"Utbah, I am sending you to the land of al-Ubullah. It is one of the major fortresses of the enemy and I pray that Allah helps you to take it. When you reach the city, invite its inhabitants to the worship of God. If they respond to you, accept them (as Muslims). If they refuse, then take from them the jizyah... If they refuse to pay the jizyah, then fight them" And fear Allah, O 'Utbah, in the discharge of your duties. Beware of letting yourself become too haughty or arrogant for this will corrupt your hereafter. Know that you were a companion of the Messenger of Allah; Allah honored you through him after your being insignificant. He strengthened you through him after you were weak. You have become a commander with authority and a leader who must be obeyed. What a great blessing if this does not make you vain and deceive you and lead you to Jahannam. May Allah protect you and me from it."
With this virtuous advice and prayer, Utbah and his army began their journey. A lot of women were in the army including his wife and the wives and sisters of other men. Eventually, they reached a place called Qasba not very far from al-Ubullah. It was called Qasba' because of the abundance of reed-like stalks that grew there.
By the time the Army reached this spot they were suffering from extreme hunger. Utbah ordered some of his men to go and search the land for something to eat. While they were searching for something to eat, they entered a thicket and, lo and behold, there were two large baskets. One of them was full of dates, and in the other small white grains covered with a yellow husk.
After The army of' Utbah finished eating they went on to the fortified city of al-Ubullah on the banks of the Euphrates River. The Persians used al-Ubullah as a massive arms depot. There were several fortresses in the city from which towers sprang. These were used as observation posts to detect any hostile movements outside the city.
The city appeared to be impregnable. What chance had Utbah of taking it with such a small force armed with only swords and spears? A direct assault was obviously futile and so Utbah had to resort to some stratagem.
Utbah hung some flags on spears and then gave them to the women and ordered them to march behind the army. His instructions to them then were:
"When we get near to the city, raise the dust behind us so that the entire atmosphere is filled with it."
As they neared al-Ubullah, a Persian force came out to confront them. They saw the Muslims boldly advancing, the flags fluttering behind them and the dust that was being churned up and that filled the air around. They thought that the Muslims in front of the flags were merely the vanguard of the advancing army, a strong and huge Army. They felt that they could not confront them. They lost heart and prepared to evacuate the city. Picking up whatever valuables they could, they rushed to boats anchored on the river and escaped from their well-fortified city.
Utbah took over al-Ubullah without losing any of his men. From this base he was able to bring surrounding towns and villages under Muslim control. When news spread of Utbah's successes, and of the richness of the land he had occupied, a lot of people flocked to the region in search of wealth and easy living.
Utbah noticed that many Muslims now inclined towards a soft life and followed the ways and customs of the region and that this weakened their determination to continue struggling.
He wrote to Omar ibn al-Khattab asking for permission to build the garrison town of Basra. He described the locations he had chosen for the city and Omar gave his assent. Basra lay between the desert and the ports of the Gulf. From this base expeditions were launched further east. The positioning of the town was for maximum military effectiveness (not merely to support an army of occupation).
Utbah himself planned the city and built its first great mosque, which was a simple enclosure, roofed over at one end and suitable for mass assemblies. From the mosque, Utbah and his men went out on military campaigns. These men eventually settled on the land and built houses.
However, Utbah did not build a house for himself but continued to live in a tent of cloth. He had seen how preoccupation with worldly possessions had caused many people to forget their real purpose in life. He had seen men, who not long ago knew no food better than rice boiled in their husks, getting accustomed to sophisticated Persian patisserie like fasludhanj and lawzinaj made with refined flour, butter, honey and nuts of various kinds to the point where they hankered after these things.
Utbah was afraid that his faith might be affected by the pleasures of life and he was concerned about his hereafter. He called men to the Mosque of Basra and addressed them thus:
"O People! Life will come to an end and you will be carried from it to an abode that will not wane nor disappear. Go to it with the best of your deeds. I look back and see myself among the early Muslims with the Messenger of Allah. We had no food then apart from the leaves of trees and our lips would fester. One day I found a burdah. I tore it in two and shared it with Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. I made an azar with one half and he did the same with the other half. Here we are today. There is not one of us but he is a head of one of the garrison towns. I seek Allah's protection lest I become great in my own estimation and little in the sight of Allah'."
With these words, Utbah appointed someone else to stand in his place, and bade farewell to the people of Basra.
It was the season of pilgrimage and he left to perform the Hajj. He then traveled to Madinah and there he asked Omar to relieve him of the responsibility of governing the city. Omar refused. He could not easily dispense with a governor of the quality of Utbah and said to him:
"You place your trusts and your responsibilities on my neck and then you abandon me to myself. No, by Allah, I shall never relieve you."
So Omar prevailed upon him and commanded him to return to Basra. Utbah knew that he had to obey the Amir al-Mu'minin but he did so with a heavy heart. Before he mounted on his camel he prayed God saying:
"O Lord, do not send me back to Basra. O Lord, do not send me back to Basra."
One his way back to Basra God answered his prayers. He fell of his camel and died, he died and after leading a great life full of worship and fighting to spread the light of Islam.
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