Saeed bin Jubayr

Story about the life of a companion of Imam Zain ul Abideen named Saeed bin Jubayr, and his martyrdom by the orders of Al-Hajjaj bin Yousuf al-Thaqafi and the aftermath of his martyrdom...

Saeed bin Jubayr

The Beginning

The people in the palace slept. The guards and the soldiers stayed up. They were walking through the porches. They were carrying torches, swords and spears.

Two guards stood at the door of a big hall. Al-Hajjaj bin Yousif al-Thaqafy, the Iraqi ruler, slept in the hall.

The guards said to his friends:

I've heard that the prince has become crazy.

The other side:

His behaviour shows his madness. He has not slept since he killed Saeed bin Jubayr. He always wakes and shouts with alarm: “Why have I killed him?”

I heard him saying to Dr. Tyyadok:

“I am always dreaming that I see Saeed bin Jubayr pulling my neck. I heard him saying: “Allah's enemy, why have you killed me?”

The Prince has killed over one hundred thousand men and women. There are fifty thousand men and thirty thousand women in his prisons.

In the meantime, they heard a yell of fear. They heard al-Hajjaj saying:

Why have I killed Saeed bin Jubayr?

The guard said to his friend:

I think that Saeed bin Jubayr has appeared again.

The other asked:

Who was that good man?

Saeed bin Jubayr

He was one of the companions of Imam Zaynul Abideen, Ali bin al-Husayn [a].

Saeed loves Prayer

Saeed loved nothing but prayer. He lived a good life with his parents. He obeyed and treated them kindly.

Saeed woke when the rooster crowed. He performed the ritual ablution. He said his morning prayers. Then he read the Qur'an till the sun shone.

One day the rooster did not crow. So, Saeed did not say his morning prayers punctually. He woke after the sunrise. He was sad because he did not say his prayers at the right time. Meanwhile, he was angry at the rooster because it did not crow.

When Saeed looked at the rooster, he said angrily:

Why didn't you crow? May Allah not make you crow again!

The rooster had not crowed since then.

Saeed's mother saw the rooster. She said to her son:

Saeed, Allah accepts your prayer. So, don't invoke Him against anyone.

Saeed obeyed his mother. He did not invoke Allah against anyone but one time. When did he do that? Let's read Saeed's story together!

Abd al-Malik bin Marwan

Abd al-Malik bin Marwan became a Caliph. He closed the Holy Qur'an and said:

I won't read you forever!

Abd al-Malik bin Marwan began practicing a strict policy to continue his government. He appointed unjust people to rule.

For example, he appointed Khalid bin Abdullah al-Qasry over Kufa. Then he appointed him over Makkah. And he appointed al-Hajjaj bin Yousif al-Thaqafy over Hejaz. Then he appointed him over Kufa.

In the meantime, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan ordered his rulers to kill people.

Al-Hajjaj

Al-Hajjaj got to Kufa. He was masked. He went up the pulpit. He kept silent for a while. Then he removed the mask and addressed the Muslims:

Iraqis! Disobedient! Hypocrites!

He abused them and said:

Abd al Malik bin Marwan has given me a whip and a sword! The whip has dropped! The sword has remained!

Namely, Abd al-Malik ordered al-Hajjaj to kill and torture the Iraqis! The whip was used for torturing. The sword was used for killing.

The time of terrorism started. He began killing and imprisoning. He killed many companions. Kumail bin Ziyad was among them.

Along his rule al-Hajjaj killed one hundred and twenty thousand men and thirty thousand women. There were children in his prisons, too.

The Mad Man

Al-Hajjaj persecuted people everywhere. The people in the deserts were afraid of his name.

One day, al-Hajjaj went to a desert. He found a man there.

He said to the man:

What do you think about al-Hajjaj?

The man said:

He's unjust!

Al-Hajjaj said:

What do you think about Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan?

The man said:

He's more unjust than him!

Al-Hajjaj said:

Do you know me?

The man said:

No, I don't! Who are you?

Al-Hajjaj said:

I'm al-Hajjaj.

The man shook with fear and said:

Your Highness, the Prince, do you know me?

Al-Hajjaj said:

No! Who are you?

The man said with fear:

One of the Bani Thour. I get crazy twice a year! This is one of them!

Al-Hajjaj smiled and let the man go.

The man pretended madness. So, al-Hajjaj let him go.

The Revolution

Al-Hajjaj busied the Muslims with fights on the borders. He tried to occupy the nearby countries and robbed them of their possessions. In the meantime, he wanted to kill the Muslims to get rid of them. For this reason, he ordered the Muslims to fight continuously.

One day, al-Hajjaj sent a big army to fight Ratbil, the Turkish King. Abd al-Rahman bin al-Ashath headed the army.

Abd al-Rahman defeated Ratbil. Then he sent a man to al-Hajjaj. The man said to him:

Abd al-Rahman wants to see the conquered lands. He has ceased fighting to refresh the fighters.

Still al-Hajjaj sent Abd al-Rahman a letter. In the letter, he condemned him. And he ordered him to go on fighting.

Abd al-Rahman understood al-Hajjaj's bad aims. So, he told his fighters about him.

The Muslims hated al-Hajjaj because he was unjust. Besides they hated Abd al-Malik bin Marwan because he appointed him ruler over them.

Abd al-Rahman revolted against al-Hajjaj. The fighters stood by him.

Abd al-Rahman came back to Iraq to topple the unjust ruler. The Muslims supported him.

The Qur'an Readers Battalion

The Qur'an Readers were the most knowledgeable at the explanation of the Qur'an and other Qur'anic sciences. Many of them joined Abd al-Rahman. So, they formed a special battalion called the Qur'an readers Battalion. Kumail bin Ziyad headed the battalion.

The revolutionaries freed vast lands from al-Hajjaj's and Abd al-Malik's persecution. They freed Afghanistan, Kirman and Fars (in Iran), Basrah and Kufa (in Iraq). Abd al-Rahman's Army took part in several fights. It won victories at them.

The Battle of Deer al-Jamajum

Abd al-Malik was afraid of that great revolution. He tried to cheat the Muslims. He said:

If the revolutionaries hand over their weapons, I'll dismiss al-Hajjaj.

Abd al-Malik appointed al-Hajjaj and other unjust rulers. He was the cause for all those disasters. So, the Muslims refused his suggestion. And they ordered him to resign. Abd al-Malik sent a big army to help al-Hajjaj.

The two armies met at a place near Kufa called Deer al-Jamajum. A grim foght happened between the two armies. Al-Hajjaj won the the fight. Abd al-Rahman bin al-Ashath escaped to Turkey. Al-Hajjaj's army captured many revolutionaries and executed them.

Kumayl bin Ziyad, the leader of the Qur'an Readers' Battalion, disappeared for a time. He heard about about his people's sufferings. So, he gave himself up to al-Hajjaj. Al-Hajjaj ordered a man to execute him.

To Makkah

Saeed bin Jubayr escaped to Makkah to live there. He chose a valley near Makkah so as no one would know him. Al-Hajjaj's spies looked for him everywhere. Abd al-Malik was even more spiteful than al-Hajjaj with Saeed. So, he sent his private messanger Khalid bin Abdullah al-Qasry to Makkah.

Khalid bin Abdullah al-Qasry arrived in Makkah. The ruler of Makkah was Muhammad bin Salama. Muhammad was addressing the people. Khalid interrupted him and went up the pulpit. He took out a letter. Abd al-Malik had sealed the letter.

Khalid read the Makkans Abd al-Malik's letter. The letter was as follows:

From Abd al-Malik bin Marwan,

To the people of Makkah;

I have appointed Khalid bin Abdullah al-Qasry ruler over you. Hear and obey him. We'll kill the person who aids Saeed bin Jubayr!

After reading Abd al-Malik's letter, Khalid said stormily:

If I see Saeed in a house, I'll demolish the house. And I'll demolish the nearby houses!

In the Valley

Saeed knew that Khalid would kill anyone who would help him. So, he did not ask anyone for help. Therefore, he took his small family and lived in a valley near Makkah.

One day, a spy knew Saeed's place. The spy hurried to Khalid to tell him about Saeed. The Ruler of Makkah ordered his guards to capture Saeed.

Some horsemen with swords set out for the valley. They saw a little tent among the rocks.

Saeed bin Jubayr was saying his prayers. The horsemen dismounted. They approached his tent. Saeed's son knew that the horsemen came to arrest his arrest. The son wept to see his father in that terrible state. The father said:

Son, why are you weeping and I've lived for seventy five years. This is a long age.

The father said good-bye to his son. He asked him to be patient. Saeed advanced bravely towards the horsemen's leader. The leader admired Saeed's personality. He was sad to see him praying in the desert. He was sad to see him saying the final good-bye to his son.

The leader said:

The Prince has ordered me to arrest you. Escape to any country you like. I'll go with you.

Saeed asked the horsemen's leader:

Have you a family?

The leader answered:

Yes.

Saeed said:

Aren't you worried about them?

The leader said:

Allah will save them!

Saeed refused to escape so that the leader would not punish the innocent people. So, he went with the soldiers.

The Ka'aba

The Prince of Makkah was sitting by the Holy Ka'aba waiting for the horsemen's coming.

The horsemen brought Saeed bin Jubayr. Khalid bin Abdullah al-Qasry, the Prince of Makkah, ordered the guards to tie Saeed's legs to his neck.

A man from Shaam said:

Your Highness, the Prince, release Saeed, release him. Don't send him to al-Hajjaj. He'll kill him. Saeed is a good man. May Allah be pleased with you.

The Prince said:

If Abd al-Malik ordered me to demolish the Ka'aba thoroughly, I would do to please him.

Abd al-Malik appointed unjust rulers over the Muslims. They did not think about Allah's satisfaction. They thought about Abd al-Malik's.

Wasit

Al-Hajjaj built a new town between Kufa and Basrah. The town was Wasit. He built a big palace in its center. Besides he built he big prison to torture innocent people.

There were thousands of men, women and children in his prison.

Al-Hajjaj was sitting in his palace. There was a Christian doctor with him. The doctor's name was Tyyadok. The headsman was standing. He was waiting for Saeed.

Saeed came into the palace full of the smell of blood.

Al-Hajjaj said:

What's your name?

Saeed answered:

Saeed bin Jubayr.

(Saeed = happy, Jubayr = unbroken)

No! You're Shaqy bin Kusair.

(Shaqy = unhappy, Kusair = broken)

My mother knows my and my father's name.

May you and your mother be unhappy!

No one knows the unseen but Allah.

Al-Hajjaj kept silent. Then he clapped. Some bad men came and made funny movements.

Al-Hajjaj and his guards laughed loudly. Saeed kept silent.

Al-Hajjaj asked him:

Why don't you laugh?

Saeed said:

There's nothing to laugh at.

Al-Hajjaj said:

I laugh!

Thus Allah has created us to be different..

Al-Hajjaj ordered his guards to bring him a big jewel box. Al-Hajjaj began piling the jewels before Saeed. Then he asked him:

What do you think about those jewels?

To teach him a lesson, Saeed said:

They are good if you spend them for Allah!

Why?

To be safe on the Judgement Day.

Again al-Hajjaj kept silent.

Al-Hajjaj beckoned the headman to kill him. The headsman advanced towards the great companion.

Saeed turned towards the Ka'aba with a certain heart. He asked the headsman permission to say two Raka'as. He turned towards the Ka'aba and said:

Surely, I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to Him who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists.

Al-Hajjaj shouted:

Turn him away from Ka'aba!

The headsman changed his direction. Saeed said:

And Allah's is the East and the West, therefore, whither you turn, thither is Allah's purpose.

Al-Hajjaj shouted:

Lay on your belly on the ground!

Saeed said:

From it We have originated You. And in it We will bring you back. And from it We will take you out again.

Al-Hajjaj said with spite:

Behead him!

At that moment, Saeed looked at the sky and said:

Allah, don't forgive him for persecuting me! Punish him for my blood! And make me the last person he kills of Muhammad's nation!

Immediately, the headsman beheaded him. The head fell to the ground and said:

There's no god but Allah!

Al-Hajjaj began looking at the continuous flowing of the blood. He was astonished to see the plentiful blood. So, he asked Dr. Tyyadok about the secret.

The doctor said:

All those you killed were afraid. Their blood stopped in their veins. So, there was no bleeding. But Saeed was not afraid. His heart was beating normally.

Saeed's heart was full of faith. He was not afraid of death. So, he passed away a martyr.

Al-Hajjaj's End

After that time, al-Hajjaj got crazy. When he slept he saw nightmares. He woke with alarm and said:

Why have I killed Saeed bin Jubayr?

Fifteen days passed after that crime, al-Hajjaj died.

Allah accepted Saeed's prayers. So, he was the last person al-Hajjaj killed during his life full of crimes and persecution.

When the Muslims opened the door of the prisons, they found fifty thousand men, women and children.

Saeed and al-Hajjaj died in the same year. Their story became a lesson for generations. History praises Saeed and dispraises al-Hajjaj!

Topic Tags:

Biography [6]

Sahaba (Companions) [7]

Author(s):

Kamal al-Sayyid [3]

Publisher(s):

Ansariyan Publications - Qum [4]

Category:

Companions [5]

Person Tags:

Saeed bin Jubayr [8]

Source URL: https://www.al-islam.org/saeed-bin-jubayr-kamal-al-sayyid

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[5] https://www.al-islam.org/library/companions
[6] https://www.al-islam.org/tags/biography
[7] https://www.al-islam.org/tags/companions
[8] https://www.al-islam.org/person/saeed-bin-jubayr