The incident of Hadhrat Umm Aiman and Hadhrat Sa’ad (May Allah be well pleased with them)

 
 

It is mentioned in Seerat Un Nabawiyya that among the idolaters, Hibbaan Ibn Ul ‘Urfa and Abu Salma Haithami were masters in archery.  They would rarely miss their targets.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) ordered Hadhrat Sa’ad bin Abi Waqas to fight them.  Hadhrat Sa’ad (May Allah be well pleased with him) felt very glad on this command.  He stood up and started shooting arrows at them.

 

Hibbaan’s arrow stuck Hadhrat Umm Aiman (May Allah be well pleased with her) on the right side.  She was giving water to those who were injured on the battlefields.  Because of that arrow, her garments opened up so much that her ankle and shin were revealed.  Ibn ‘Urfa laughed at this.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was severely displeased by this.  He gave Hadhrat Sa’ad an arrow without a tip (i.e. a mere shaft) and asked him to kill Hibbaan with it.  Hadhrat Sa’ad fulfilled the command.  That arrow stuck Hibbaan full in his chest and he fell denuded.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) smiled on seeing this and said a prayer for Hadhrat Sa’ad (May Allah be well pleased with him):  O Lord!  You please never reject anything which Sa’ad asks for!

 

From this time, Hadhrat Sa’ad (May Allah be well pleased with him) became Mustajaab Ud Da’awaat (i.e. all his supplications were answered).  Whenever anyone in Madina faced some difficulty, they would ask Hadhrat Sa’ad (May Allah be well pleased with him) to supplicate for them.  Their objectives would be gained immediately.

 

That a mere shaft worked like an arrow is only due to the effect of the blessed hand of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  In fact, the sense of honor of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) also had a part to play in it.  As Ibn ‘Urfa had laughed on the shin getting exposed, punishing him in the same manner was also intended.  That’s why the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) smiled when he was denuded.

 

Also Hadhrat Sa’ad (May Allah be well pleased with him) had fulfilled the order of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) without any hesitation and didn’t object that what would be the effect of shooting a tip-less arrow.  In lieu of this, he was granted this great bounty that whatever, he would ask for would be granted.  This shows that Almighty Allah liked his obeying the command of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) without any hesitation of any kind and it is if the Lord Almighty made a promise that whatever Sa’ad asks of Us, We will surely grant it.

 

[Excerpted from Maqasid Ul Islam, Vol. 9]