Hayatus Sahabah - The Lives of the Sahabah - Part 1 of 3

T1fE LIVES OF THE SAIfABAH @G'$$ (Vol-I) 539
The Bravery of Hadhrat Salama bin Akwa %,Ewj
His Bravery During the Fight at Dhu Qarad
Hadhrat Salama bin Akwa 3GW narrates, "It was during the period when the
Peace Treaty of H.udaybiyyah was being abided by that we returned to Madinah
with ~asuluilaah @%%. Rasulullaah @@Is slave Rabaah W%iG arid I then took
the camels of Rasulullaah @@ (to graze and water) and I also took the horse of
Talha bin Ubaydullaah %G&j to water and graze with the camels. It was during
the last vestiges of night that Abdur Rahmaan bin Uyayna (with a band of
Mushrikeen) launched an attack and killed the shepherd tending to Rasulullaah
@@Is camels. He and those with him then started taking the camels away when
I said to Rabaah ?3IGWj, 'Take this horse back to Talha SGW and inform
Rasulullaah @?& that his camels are being stolen.' I then stood on the top a hill
facing towards Madinah and thrice shouted, 'Yaa Sabaahaa!' (This was a call for
help when under attack from an enemy).
I then chased after them with my sword and arrows. I started shooting arrows at
them and hamstringing their animals every time I came by an outcrop of trees.
Whenever any rider turned on me, I sat by the roots of a tree and shot an arrow. ,
In this manner, I managed to injure the horse of every rider that approached me.
As I fired the arrows, I was chanting the following couplet (which meant):
7 am the son ofAkwa
and today is the day of (destroying) the wretches'
When I (on foot) caught up with one of them as he rode, I let fly an arrow. As the
arrow struck his leg, I (was so close that I) could almost strike his shoulder when
I said:
'Take that! For / am the son ofAkwa
and today is the day of (destroying) the wretches'
Whenever I found some trees, I would assault them with my arrows and when a
valley narrowed, I would climb to the top and throw stones at them. This is how I
kept pursuing them and reciting my couplets until I had recaptured and put
behind me every camel of Rasulullaah @@. I then continued shooting arrows at
them until, in an effort to lighten themselves, they had thrown off more than
thirty spears and more than thirty shawls. Whenever they threw anything down, I
placed a stone on it and placed it on the road that Rasulullaah @@ would be
taking. By midmorning, Uyayna bin Badr Fazaari arrived to reinforce them at a
narrow valley. I then climbed to the top of the hill and was high above them.
Uyayna asked them, 'Who is this person 1 see (chasing you)?' They replied, 'He has
given us a difficult time. He has been chasing us from daybreak until now and
had taken everything we had and left it behind him.' Uyayna said, 'If he had
known that a search party was coming up after him, he would certainly have left
you. A few of you will have to get him.' Four of them then stood up and climbed
the hill. As soon as, they came within earshot, I called out, 'Do you know who I
am?' 'Who are you?' they enquired. I responded by saying, 'I am the son of Akwa. 1