Tom Facchine – Lessons from the Black Companions – Julaybib

			It's February,
		

			which means that once again, it's black history month.
		

			So we will take a break from our series on solo units to remember and learn from the Companions of
our Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu, ala Amos,
		

			who were black, or who, if they were alive today might be considered black. And I say might be
considered.
		

			Because we have to remember that the racial categories that we think through today that we are asked
to think through today, whenever we filled out a census or a college application, those are
specifically American racial categories. You did not choose them. I did not choose them. They were
handed to us.
		

			They don't necessarily make complete sense, or describe reality exactly.
		

			For example, there are some people from India who have darker skin than some African Americans.
Despite this, they will never be thought of, or treated as black in America. And that is because
historically, the racial hierarchy that exists today was invented, specifically to justify the
kidnapping and enslavement of black Africans under the system of European colonialism. Prejudice has
always existed everywhere. There's no arguing that. But European colonialism took one system of
prejudice, institutionalized it enriched itself off the free labor if provided, and then exported
that system of prejudice all over the world, including the Muslim world,
		

			when your uncle or auntie from Bangladesh, or from Syria, or from Egypt doesn't want you to marry a
spouse who has darker skin than you.
		

			This is not from us that
		

			this is not from a Bengali culture or Syrian culture or Egyptian culture.
		

			This is the inheritance given to us from our former colonizers, the British or the French or whoever
it was.
		

			So when it comes to the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we're talking about a
time before this system was spread worldwide. Yes, there was prejudice then to but the Islamic
scholars who documented their lives didn't always specify the color of their skin. Sometimes you
even find conflicting, conflicting reports about the color of this companion skin or that companion
because that was not their primary concern.
		

			They were more concerned with their deeds. They had achieved the ideal that ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada
laid out and sort of projetos Yeah, Nas in Fela. Kanakuk. vindicating.
		

			Insomma fu in a chroma comprender LA, sparkle in the lava Alima kabhi Oh mankind, indeed we have
created you from male and female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one
another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed,
Allah is Knowing and acquainted. Someone might wonder, okay, if that's the ideal,
		

			then why are we even talking about these companions through the lens of race or through the lens of
color? Why even bring it up at all?
		

			One of the answers to that question is that in response to the oppression that people have
experienced based off the color of their skin, or their racial identity, people have rallied around
those identities in an effort to find purpose,
		

			to find pride, and to pursue justice. Some of this work has been extremely useful and meaningful and
needed. And some of this work has gone too far.
		

			Trying to delegitimize every other approach to justice, including Islam.
		

			Some people actually accused Islam of being anti black.
		

			Or they say that Islam, which is the majority religion on the continent of Africa,
		

			was forced upon black people by Arabs, just like Christianity was forced on them by Europeans. This
is false.
		

			First black people were an integral part of Islam from the very beginning.
		

			Second, Islam was and is more liberating to black people than any black liberation movements
invented by a human being. And that is because it's now recognized and reorganized society away from
ethnic, racial, and tribal associations, all of which we don't get to choose. And it directed
society towards Association based on your chosen faith.
		

			And it did not do that by sweeping prejudice under the rug, or ignoring racial oppression. It
achieved this by confronting it head on, and replacing it with something better.
		

			By talking about the Companions, through the lens of color, we are confronting the existing racial
hierarchy head on, and hoping that one day we can rid ourselves of prejudice and return to the
ideals of the first generation of Muslims. Our first companion is July read, probably a lot more.
		

			Some of the biographers though not all of them mentioned that do they need was black. We do know for
certain that he was poor,
		

			and that he did not have a family or a plan to support him in the city of Medina where he lived.
		

			July B was a righteous young man who loved Islam. But he had a problem.
		

			He also loved women.
		

			He was not married. And given his economic situation, he probably did not think that his marriage
prospects were very good.
		

			But clearly he had the desire, he was known to walk in on other women, without first asking
permission to enter.
		

			He would also go out of his way to pass by the young ladies and even flirts with them. Everyone else
was aware enough of the situation that the men used to tell their wives don't let July deep into
this house swap out or else.
		

			Now our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam knew Jul be situation very well. And it was the
practice of the people of Medina, that if they had a young lady who was ready to get married, they
would ask the prophets permission first solo Gauahar they give us
		

			the prophets of Allah Who are they he was salam would sometimes play the role of matchmaker. And
sometimes he would sit back and let things happen on their own. So one day our Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa salam went to the house of the family that had a young lady who was ready to
get married, he knocked on the door. It was open to him and the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa salam addressed to the young lady's Father, I have a marriage proposal for you.
		

			The man was overjoyed. He thought the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself wanted to
marry his daughter.
		

			The prophets of Allah hottie Who said I'm realized the misunderstanding and said, it's not for me.
It's for Judah Habib.
		

			Immediately the man's face changed. Judah Habib. This was not a moment of prejudice. This was
because of jewelry, beads behavior, and his economic situation. And the man being a very, very wise
man responded to the prophets of Allah Akbar. He was salam saying, let me go ask my wife.
		

			The man tells his wife the situation, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came with a marriage
proposal for our daughter. His wife has the same reaction. She's overjoyed. She's praising Allah,
she's happy as can be.
		

			Wait a second. It's not for the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa Salam is for July indeed. His
wife's face changed immediately. July be
		

			Julia beam, no, never. He couldn't find anyone else.
		

			And so the husband stood up. He now had the unenviable job of saying no to the greatest of mankind.
So long ago, I think he was something I would imagine that he walked very slowly towards the door.
But before he could get there, his daughter, who had overheard the entire conversation
		

			Asian stocks and wait, she said,
		

			Is this proposal jewelry beads idea? Or is it the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam, because if it's
truly bebes idea, then it's perfectly fine to reject it. But if this is from the prophets of Allah
who Allah He was Sunday, then it has to be the best.
		

			Her mother told her and I imagined that it was reluctant. It's from the Prophet.
		

			The daughter said to her parents, are you going to reject the wishes of the Prophet Muhammad
Sallallahu Rani who said
		

			marry me to July be
		

			the prophets Allah Allahu alayhi wa sallam will not ever let me down.
		

			So the parents agreed they accepted the proposal and their daughter was married to July Vive and the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made a beautiful dua, he made a beautiful prayer on their
wedding day Allah humma sub de la Hellfire sub one and Tatiana Ayesha can then can Oh ALLAH pour
your blessing upon her and don't make her life full of toil and difficulty. Just a few days later,
the call for jihad went forth, do they be answered? Immediately? He attended the battle with the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi salam. And once the battle was over, and the dust had settled,
the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked his companions who's missing?
		

			The Companions started naming people one by one. Who else he asked so Lovato Ali he was said that
finally, they noticed that do they be was missing?
		

			Go find him, said the prophets of Allah body.
		

			After searching, they found his body. It was surrounded by seven enemy soldiers, all of them dead.
		

			The Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam said he killed seven people, and then was slain himself. Then the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said about you they've even had many. Well, no, I mean,
		

			he said it three times. He is from me and I am from him. He is from me and I am from him. He is from
me, and I am from him.
		

			They buried him as a martyr without washing him and returned to Medina.
		

			That's not the end of the story. When the army returned to Medina and July beam's wife was informed
that he was a martyr she cried, not out of sadness, but she cried tears of joy that ALLAH SubhanA wa
Tada had chosen him for such an honor. And despite marrying a poor man, and despite becoming a
widow, Allah subhanahu wata other answered the prayer of the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam that he
had made on her wedding day, Allah azza wa jal opened the doors of his provision to her and many
companions reported that she became the wealthiest woman in Medina. According to Cali ha That was
tough Allah Hollywood The company said I'm just
		

			a stone's throw in the hole for rocking.
		

			Alhamdulillah he
		

			was shopping, topia, he wants to serve Allah. Allah watchdog Nash Anika Chao li Manisha shadow.
Vienna was Mohammed Abdul rasuluh at Dairy sallallahu alayhi wa ala alihi wa sahbihi was when he was
certainly going to Stephen's Cathedral.
		

			The story of July Eve is remarkable and full of lessons for us today. One of the things we learned
is that the Companions Radi Allahu Anhu imaginary were people to
		

			they had problems that they struggled with. Some struggled with greed, some struggled with
cowardice, still others with lust. This does not lessen their status or their honor at all. In fact,
it adds to their status because despite their
		

			of chronic struggles, and their occasional mistakes they possessed inside them. Such an immense
potential for goodness and righteousness, look at through the bead. He had a problem with lust. He
was flirting with women. It was wrong, but that did not mean that he was damned. That did not mean
that he was worthless. Despite his sins he was capable of greatness. When he was called to the
battlefield he responded right away despite just getting married a few days before and finally
having a legitimate outlets for his desires.