Lives Of The Sahaba 56 - Anas Ibn Malik

Anas Ibn Malik RA is next in the topic of discussion by Shaykh Yasir Qadhi where we extract details and important elucidations on the life and times of this great Sahaba. He has narrated over 2000 hadiths and is aptly considered to be the third most magnanimous narrator of Hadith after Abu Hurayrah RA and Ibn Umar RA. Anas RA was an Ansari belonging to the Khazraj tribe and was born 10 years before the Hijrah. His mother was the famous and prolific Umm Sulaym RA and his step father was the great Abu Talha RA. Explicit details and numerous facts and anecdotes are shared relating to this great man and deserve a commendable section of thought. Amongst them, some have been listed below: Abu Talha Ra was blessed with enormous amounts of wealth and he valued his garden named Beruha the most which was attached close to the mosque of the Prophet ﷺ. Allah’s Divine revelation: 'you will not attain righteousness till you spend in charity of the things you love' (3.93), brought Abu Talha in front of Muhammad ﷺ and said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Allah says in His Book, 'You will not attain righteousness unless you spend (in charity) that which you love,' and verily, the most beloved to me of my property is Beeruha, so I give it in charity and hope for its reward from Allah. O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Spend it wherever you like." Allah's Messenger ﷺ appreciated this endowment . Abu Talha and Umm Sulaym had a child of their own who was named Abu Umair RA. This child did not attain longevity of live and died at the tender age of approximately 5. It is narrated in al-Bukhari that the brother of Anas ibn Malik RA called Abu Umayr had a bird who was called al-nughayr. The bird died suddenly and he mourned its loss heavily which brought the Prophet ﷺ to him and trying to lift his spirits asked him, “O Abu ‘Umayr, what happened to al-nughayr?” This hadith highlights the nobility, humility nad great character of the Prophet ﷺ. Anas ibn Malik once said: The Prophet ﷺ used to enter Umm Sulaym RA house and sleep on her mattress and one day her sister Umm Haram said to her, “The Prophet ﷺ is sleeping in your house on your bed.” She came and saw that his sweat had soaked a piece of cloth that was on the mattress. So she started collecting that sweat and squeezing it into bottles. The Prophet ﷺ woke up startled and said, “What are you doing, O Umm Sulaym?” She said, “O Messenger of Allah, we hope for the Barakah (blessing) of this sweat for our children.” He said, “You are right.” The Prophet ﷺ had made Dua for Anas Ibn Malik RA in his lifetime which bore fruit till and after his last breath "Allahumma Urzuqu Maalan Wa Waladan Wa Barik Lahu” (O Allah, give him a wealth and offspring and bless his life)." At the end of his life, Anas Ibn Malik became blind . He died in Basra in 93H at the age of 103 years.