Hayatus Sahabah - The Lives of the Sahabah - Part 3

258 THE LlVES OF THE SflHABflH @,gh%3 (Vol-3)
However, they always parted ways most amicably (as if nothing had transpired
between them)." (')
For a Person to Forsake Attending a gathering of Knowledge so that a Group
of People may Acquire Knowledge
The Incident of Hadhrat Uqba bin Aamir %%=j
and his Tribe when they Came to Rasulullaah @@
Hadhrat Uqba bin Aamir relates, "I arrived riding with twelve members of
my tribe to see Rasulullaah @&. When we had tied our camels, Mustahab
companions said, 'Who will tend to the camels so that the rest of us could go and
receive enlightenment from Rasulullaah m? When we return, we will then
convey to him what we heard from Rasulullaah m.' 1 assumed the
responsibility for a few days until the thought occurred to me that I may be
duping myself because my companions were hearing from Nabi @@ what I was
not hearing and they were learning from him what I was not learning.
1 therefore presented myself one day (leaving the others to tend to the camels).
There I heard someone say that Nabi @@ said, 'The person who performs a
complete wudhu shall be free of sins as he was on the day his mother gave
birth to him.' This impressed me tremendously. Hadhrat Umar bin Khattaab
9UU5 then said, 'If you think that is impressive, you will be even more
impressed if you had heard what was said before that.' 'Repeat if for me,' 1
pleaded, 'May I be sacrificed for you!' He said, 'Rasulullaah s&$ said that if a
person dies without ascribing partners to Allaah, Allaah shall open for him all
eight gates of Jannah so that he may enter from whichever gate he pleases.'
Rasulullaah then came out to us and I sat in front of him. He however
turned his face away from me several times. When he did it for the fourth time, I
asked, '0 Nabi of Allaah m! May my parents be sacrificed for you! Why do you
turn your face away from me?' Rasulullaah then turned to me saying, 'Do
you,prefer one or twelve?' Understanding what he meant, I returned to my
companions." (2)
The Incident of Hadhrat Uthmaan bin Abul Aas
%GW and his Tribe when they Came to Nabi @@
Hadhrat Uthmaan bin Abul Aas %J,W% reports, "1 arrived with the delegation of
the Thaqeef tribe when they came to see Rasulullaah @@. We were changing our
clothes at Rasulullaah @@?s door when it was asked, 'Who will hold our animals
for us?' Each one of us wanted to go to Rasulullaah @& and did not want to stay
behind. Because I was the youngest of them all, I said, 'If it pleases you, I-shall
hold your camels for you on condition that you make a promise to Allaah that
you will wait here for me when you come out.' They made the promise and then
went in to see Rasulullaah $&.
(I) ~hateeb, as quoted in Kanzul Ummaal(Vol.5 Pg.241).
(2) Ibn Asaakir, as quoted in Kanzul Ummaal(Vo1.l Pg.77). Abu Nu'aym has also reported the
narration in his Hilya (Vo1.9 Pg.307).