Outline
- Introduction
- The Beginning
- Who Was ‘Ammār ibn Yasir
- Ammar ibn Yasir Finds Islam
- Yasir and Sumayyah Accept Islam
- Yāsir and Sumayyah Succumb to Quraysh’ Persecution
- Ammar Survives Quraysh’s Persecution
- Ammar Migrates to Madinah
- Ammar Initiates the First Mosque in Islam
- Sayyidunā ‘Ammar During the Caliphates of the Four Caliphs
- Ammar ibn Yasir’s Passing
- 9 Facts About Sayyidunā ‘Ammar
- The Takeaway…
Introduction
His mother was the first martyr in Islam, while his father shortly followed as the second. He was the first known companion of the Prophet to succeed in getting both his parents to embrace Islam.
He was also the first to initiate a dedicated public praying place in Islam. When he was forced, under the threat of a weapon, to utter insults against Islam and the Prophet, he did, but couldn’t forgive himself until a verse descended to put his heart at ease and peace.
It doesn’t take a long guess to figure out who he is. Right? Yes… He was Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yasir. Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yasir is our Shining Star in this episode of The Shining Stars Series brought to you by GSalam.Net and Al-Bushra by GSalam.
The Beginning
Approximately 44 years before the arrival of Islam, three siblings from Yemen went out of their home, in search for another brother of theirs, who had gone missing. While searching for the missing brother, they ended up in Makkah.
These brothers were al-Ḥārith, Mālik, and Yāsir. While in Makkah, without having found their missing brother, al-Ḥārith and Mālik decided to return to Yemen. But Yāsir decided to stay in Makkah for good. It seems he liked the life and the people of Makkah.
It’s part of the Arab culture (even until today), that in order for you to stay among them, you must be under someone or some family or tribe’s guarantee and protection. So Yāsir sought the protection of Abū Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Mughīrah, who was a member of the Makhzūm clan. The Makhzūm is the same Abu Jahl belonged to.
Abū Ḥudhayfah gave one of his female slaves to Yāsir in marriage. This lady was Sayyidatunā Sumayyah bint al-Khayyāṭ. In this union, Yāsir and Sumayyah were blessed with a baby boy they named ‘Ammār. And thus, ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir.
Because his mother was a slave lady, ‘Ammār remained under slavery, under the protection of Abū Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Mughīrah. The good news is Abū Ḥudhayfah freed ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir. Yet still, he and his family remained under the guarantee and protection of Abū Ḥudhayfah.
So, the family of Yāsir continued to stay in Makkah, until the arrival of Islam. It’s worth adding, that Yāsir and Sumayyah also had another child named ‘Abdullāh ibn Yāsir. But there’s not much information known about him.
So, who was Ammār ibn Yāsir?
Who Was ‘Ammār ibn Yasir
Although he was a free man, his alliance remained for the masters of his mother’s. In addition to that, Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yasir grew up in materially poverty. Although they stayed in Makkah, his father, Sayyidunā Yāsir could only be recognized as the Yemeni, while his mother Sayyidatunā Sumayyah was always identified as the black slave woman. At the same time, you can imagine their son, Sayyidunā ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir having that creamy chocolate colour of complexion.
His long name goes as
عَمَّارُ بنُ ياسِرٍ بنُ عامرٍ بنُ مالكٍ بنُ كِنَانة بنُ قيسٍ بنُ الحُصَيْنِ بنُ الوَذِيمِ بنُ ثَعْلَبَةَ بنُ عَوْفٍ بنُ حَارِثَةَ بنُ عامرٍ المِذْحَجِيٍّ العَنْسِيّ
‘Ammar ibn Yasir ibn ‘Āmir ibn Mālik ibn Kinānah ibn Qays ibn al-Ḥuṣayn, ibn al-Wadhīm ibn Tha’labah ibn ‘Awf ibn Ḥārithah ibn ‘Āmir al-Midhḥajī al-‘Ansī.
This much is what was known about Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yāsir before the arrival of Islam. Any other information about Sayyidunā ‘Ammar evolved after his Islam.
Ammar ibn Yasir Finds Islam
Fast forward to 43 years after Sayyidunā Yāsir settled down in Makkah and started a family, The Prophet Muhammad was sent to mankind as the Final Messenger and the Seal of all Prophets. Among those who heard of him at the beginning of his message was Sayyidunā ‘Ammar raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.
Sayyidunā ‘Ammar heard about the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam after he (the Prophet) had already started gathering with his followers and guiding them about Islam in Dar al-Arqam. This confirms that he was among the first batches to believe, submit to Islam, and embrace the message. It also means, he accepted Islam after Al-Arqam, ‘Uthmān ibn Maẓ’ūn and Abū Salamah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhum. Here, in The Shining Stars Series, we classify him among the second 10 to accept Islam. In fact, he comes at number 20, and his parents are 21 and 22.
This also means that Sayyidunā ‘Ammār embraced Islam, first-hand before the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. He was not invited or convinced by others who embraced before him.
One can hardly bypass the parents of ‘Ammar ibn Yasir, when he wants to talk about Sayyidunā ‘Ammar. This child-parents affair in the life story of ‘Ammar makes us assume and imagine ‘Ammar to be that teenage boy when Islam arrived. However the truth is that Sayyidunā Ammār was already 43 years old at the time of his Islam. This means, in addition to the fact, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam was born three years after the birth of ‘Ammār, Sayyidunā ‘Ammar was:
- 6 years alder that Sayyidunā ‘Abū Bakr (he was 37).
- 9 years older than ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān (he was 34).
- 10 years older than Zayd ibn Ḥārithah (he was 33).
- 14 years older than ‘Abdul-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf (He was 29).
- 25 years older than Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Ubaydillah (he was 18)
With that, he was automatically set to be subject to the persecution of the tyrants of Makkah, who spared no form of hostility unless they practiced it on Muslims, especially on the helpless among them.
Yasir and Sumayyah Accept Islam
Here, I must indicate, that unlike many, Sayyidunā ‘Ammar didn’t accept Islam alone. Instead of being invited by others to Islam, it’s he who was inviting others to Islam. And he started with his immediate family members.
After finding Islam, he introduced his parents, Yāsir and Sumayyah to it, as well as his younger brother ‘Abdullāh ibn Yāsir. And it didn’t take them long to also embrace Islam.
With that, the family of Yāsir became among the first known households to fully accept and embrace Islam. As a matter of fact, these are the only blooded relatives Sayyidunā ‘Ammar had, at this point.
Giving the fact that Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yasir was estimated to be 42 years at the point of his Islam, we can rightly estimate his parents were above 50 years if not in their 60s.
Yāsir and Sumayyah Succumb to Quraysh’ Persecution
The likes of Abū Jahl and Abū Lahab were angered by the arrival of Islam. So they did all they could to turn people away from Islam, and to force Muslims to abandon their faith. They couldn’t cause harm to individuals who had family affiliation or clan protection. Therefore, all their waves of anger were doubled and channeled onto those with low social ranks and had none to protect them.
It so happened, that at the point of the arrival of Islam, Abū Ḥudhayfah, under whose protection Yāsir and his family were, was no more. Thus, Yāsir and his family became vulnerable. Abū Jahl, who could argue that Yāsir and his family were under the guarantee of his tribe (Banī Makhzūm) took the lead in torturing Sumayyah and her husband and child. This torture continued and led to the death of Sumayyah right before the eyes of her husband and son. The husband, Yāsir also died shortly under persecution, with his son looking on helplessly.
With that, Sayyidatunā Sumayyah bint Khayyāṭ became the first martyr in Islam and her husband was the second. In other words, both Sayyidatunā Sumayyah and her husband were the first Muslim couple to be martyred in Islam.
There was nothing the Prophet and the Muslims could do. As they were powerless. Plus, there was no divine permission yet for them, that allowed them to defend themselves. So, whenever the Prophet passed by Sayyidunā Yāsir and his family and see them been tortured, he would say to them:
صَبْراً آلَ يَاسِرْ، فَإِنَ مَوْعِدَكُمُ الجَنَّة
“Patience, O family of Yasir! Your meeting-place will be Paradise.”
What the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said to them was also an indication that they would be martyred. So, Sayyidunā Yāsir and Sayyidatunā Sumayyah were martyred right there, while Sayyidunā ‘Ammār was martyred 49 years later.
Ammar Survives Quraysh’s Persecution
After the tyrants of Quraysh killed both his parents right before his own eyes, they continued torturing ‘Ammār until he uttered praises for their idols and insults about Islam and about the Prophet. It was only then that they released him.
After his release, he quickened to the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam weeping. He remorsefully apologized to the Prophet, that they didn’t release him until he said and uttered what they wanted to hear. The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam asked him, “but what do you believe and feel, deep down in your heart?” ‘Ammar said, my heart is still full in firmness with Iman and Islam…” The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam consoled him and said, as long as you still believe in Allah and Islam, you don’t have to worry.
To put Sayyidunā ‘Ammar’s heart at ease, Allah revealed the verse of Sūrah al-Naḥl to explain how one doesn’t become sinful when he’s forced, against his will and power, to utter words that contradict with Islam. The verse says:
مَن كَفَرَ بِٱللَّـهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ إِيمَـٰنِهِۦٓ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُۥ مُطْمَئِنٌّۢ بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ وَلَـٰكِن مَّن شَرَحَ بِٱلْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّـهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٠٦﴾ـ
“Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief… except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart rests securely in faith, but those who [willingly] open their hearts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment” (Sūrah al-Naḥl, 16:106).
It’s important to note, that this verse emphasized that one is not sinful when he’s forced, and his heart detests what’s been forced to utter or do. Not when his heart is excited about it, even when he’s forced.
Ammar Migrates to Madinah
While it’s not confirmed if he migrated to Abyssinia, it’s confirmed that he was among those who migrated to Madinah before the arrival of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam in Madīnah.
After hijrah, Sayyidunā Ammar participated in the Battles of Badr, Uḥud and all the battles the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam participated in.
The Prophet gave him a glad tiding that he would be killed by the wrongful group during The Fitnah that would happen in the future. With his killing during the incident of Ṣaffīn, it became clear that Sayyidunā ‘Ali raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu was right and Sayyidunā Mu’āwiyah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu was wrong in having to clash with ‘Ali. With that, Sayyidunā ‘Ammār and both his parents were martyrs.
Ammar Initiates the First Mosque in Islam
In the suburbs of Madīnah at a place called Qubā’, while waiting for the Prophet to arrive from Makkah for the first time (during hijrah), Sayyidunā ‘Ammār suggested that they allocate a place, as the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam would need a place to rest and to pray. He then started preparing the place which later became Masjid Oubā’.
With that Sayyidunā Ammar ibn Yāsir became the first to initiate a place of prayer in Islam. That was Masjid Qubā’ in the outskirts of Madīnah.
Sayyidunā ‘Ammar During the Caliphates of the Four Caliphs
Just like any companions who participated in the Badr of Badr, Sayyidunā ‘Ammar maintained good conduct after the Prophet’s passing. In fact, he participated in the wars that Sayyidunā Abū Bakr waged against those who denounced Islam after the Prophet’s passing.
During the caliphate of Sayyidunā ‘Umar, he was tasked to be the governor of Kūfa. Unfortunately, perhaps due to his age and probably lack of experience, Sayyidunā ‘Ammar’s mission wasn’t up to expectation. The people of Kūfa complained about incompetency in his leadership style, which led Sayyidunā ‘Umar raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu to relieve him for the job.
After the killing of Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān, Sayyidunā ‘Ammār took side with Sayyidunā ‘Ali in the face of Sayyidunā Mu’āwiyah, during The Fitnah that happened among the companions of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam after his passing.
Ammar ibn Yasir’s Passing
After his Islam, Sayyidunā ‘Ammar lived another 50 years.
He was among those the Prophet mentioned by name that they will be killed in The Fitnah that will occur between two groups of Muslims in his Ummah.
Sayyidunā ‘Ammar was killed during the Battle of Ṣaffīn that happened in 37 hijrah between the camp of Sayyidunā ‘Ali and the camp of Sayyidunā Mu’āwiyah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhumā. Sayyidunā ‘Ammar was in ‘Ali’s camp.
Reports indicate that on the day of the Battle of Ṣaffīn, Sayyidunā ‘Ammar asked for drink, and he was brought some milk. When it was given to him, he said that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said to him, “the last drink you’ll drink in this world will be milk.” He then fought fiercely until he was killed. Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yasir was 93 years old.
9 Facts About Sayyidunā ‘Ammar
Here are eight things you may want to remember about Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yāsir raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.
- Sayyidunā ‘Ammar was among the second 10 to embrace Islam.
- He embraced Islam first-hand before the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.
- He was the first known companion to get both his parents to embrace Islam.
- The parents of Sayyidunā ‘Ammar were the first couple to be martyred in Islam.
- A verse was descended to put Sayyidunā ‘Ammār’s hart to ease and comfort.
- Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yāsir initiated the first mosque in Islam.
- The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam informed him of how and when he will die as a martyr.
- His whole family was giving glad tiding of Paradise (‘Your meeting-place will be Paradise.”)
- Sayyidunā ‘Ammār lived for another 50 years after he became Muslim.
The Takeaway…
Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yasir was happy to accept Islam. But he didn’t want to live this happiness alone. He wanted to go to Paradise with his parents and brother as a family. Thus, he became happier only after he succeeded in inviting them to accept Islam. True enough, together they achieved,
فَإِنَّ مَوْعِدَكُمُ الجَّنَّةَ
“Your meeting-place will be Paradise.”
That was Sayyidunā ‘Ammar ibn Yāsir, the one whose mother was the first martyr in Islam, while his father shortly followed as the second. The one who was the first known companion of the Prophet to have succeeded in getting both his parents as well as his brother to embrace Islam. The one who was also the first to initiate a dedicated public praying place in Islam.
Sayyidunā ‘Ammar didn’t have an extended family nor network of friends. He led a humble and simple life. However, he was successful in this life and the next…
صَبْراً آلَ يَاسِرْ، فَإِنَ مَوْعِدَكُمُ الجَنَّة
“Patience, O family of Yasir! Your meeting-place will be Paradise.”
Sayyidunā ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir was our Shining Star in this episode of The Shining Stars Series brought to you by GSalam.Net and Al-Bushra by GSalam.
Until we meet again in our next episode to look up to another Shing Star, for inspirations and role modeling, I leave you in Allah’s protection.
Wassalamu alaykum warahmatullah…
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