As you read, try to find the information you listed above in the text.

II. Reading.

Look at the title of this unit and answer the questions.

I. Pre-Reading Tasks.

Unit 12 ABU UBAIDAH bin Al-JARRAH (RAA).

Fill the gaps in the passage below.

(1)…………. Ali was a very kind man, many people loved him, but (2) ……….. of this, some people actually hated him. When he bought an Abyssinian slave, he treated him very well (3) ……….. the slave loved Ali, and did not want to leave when he was set free. When the king of Abyssinia died, no one could find his son (4) ……….. he had been kidnapped by slave traders and taken to Makkah. (5) ………. they searched in Makkah and found their king’s son at Ali’s house. However, (6)……….. he preferred to stay with Ali and become a Muslim, he refused to return to Abyssinia, (7) ………..the messengers had to go back empty-handed. This story shows Ali's kindness(8)…………he was also wrongly accused of arrogance (9) ……….. he did not stop and show his respect to the Prophet (SAAS). (10) ………. Az-Zubair claimed that Ali was arrogant. However, the Prophet (SAAS) disagreed with him.

V. Critical Thinking. 1.In groups, make sure you understand the meaning of the personal qualities below.

Intelligent

envious

outspoken

arrogant

pure

faithful

friendly

tolerant

trustworthy

obedient

2. Which of these words could be used to describe Ali bin Abu Talib?

3. Next, decide whether these qualities are good, bad, or both good and bad (depending on the situation). Agree on the lists with your group.

4. Agree on an example for each of the qualities, which clearly show that it is good or bad. For qualities which are both good and bad, given one example to show the good and one to show the bad side. Try to give examples from your own experiences.

5. One member of each group will tell the class how you have ranked the qualities. Be prepared to defend your decisions and question those of other groups.

6. After your class discussions, prepare lists, which all groups find acceptable.

1. You will read about a man referred to by the Prophet (SAAS) as the "Trustee of the Ummah." What do you know about this person? What people or events do you think of when you hear this person's name?

2. Work in groups. List your pieces of information about Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah in order of importance.

3. Compare your list with other groups. How are they similar or different?

Abu Ubaidah’s (RAA) name is unusual for two reasons. First, it means "father of Ubaidah." Ubaidah was his eldest daughter. Usually, it was used a name of the eldest son. Second, he put his grandfather’s name in the place where his father’s name should go.

Abu Ubaidah was persuaded to become a Muslim by Abu Bakr (RAA). He was among the first ten Muslims. He was a modest and gentle man but a very tough soldier. When he became a Muslim he dedicated himself completely to the cause of Allah (SWT). The Prophet (SAAS) loved him very much. He called him "the Trustee of the Ummah." ‘A’ishah (RAA), the Prophet’s (SAAS) wife, was once asked who the Prophet’s (SAAS) favorite companions were. She said, "Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Abu Ubaidah."

Abu Ubaidah was a real gentleman. He did not seem to have any faults. The Prophet (SAAS) once said, "Each and every one of my companions has a fault or weakness except Abu Ubaidah." One day, some people from Nejran in Yemen came to the Prophet (SAAS) to ask for a judge. The Prophet (SAAS) said, "I will send you someone who is trustworthy, truly trustworthy, truly, truly trustworthy." The Prophet's (SAAS) companions wondered which person the Prophet (SAAS) would choose to go to Nejran. Secretly, each companion wanted to be chosen.

At noon prayers, the Prophet (SAAS) went to the mosque. All the companions were there. The Prophet (SAAS) looked around. He kept looking until he saw Abu Ubaidah. He walked over to him and said simply, "Go and be their judge."

The Great General.

Abu Ubaidah fought in all the great battles for Islam. He was a very strong and determined fighter. At Uhud, he saw that the Prophet (SAAS) was in trouble. An unbeliever had thrown a weapon at him. The weapon had two hooks. Both hooks had stuck in the Prophet's (SAAS) face. Abu Ubaidah rushed to the Prophet’s (SAAS) side. He said to Abu Bakr, "Let me take thehooks out of the Prophet’s (SAAS) face." He grabbed the end of one hook with his teeth and pulled. Suddenly, the hook came out of the Prophet's (SAAS) face. Abu Ubaidah fell to the ground. Also on the ground was one of his teeth. Quickly he stood up and grabbed the other hook with his teeth. He pulled once again and the hook came out. Abu Ubaidah fell to the ground and next to him there was another tooth!From then on he was known as Al-Athram, the Toothless One.

Later, Abu Bakr could see that Abu Ubaidah was a great soldier. He asked him to lead the Muslim army into Greater Syria. Abu Ubaidah refused. Abu Bakr was disappointed because he knew Abu Ubaidah would be a great leader. He believed that a good leader should be understanding and helpful. He should be able to forgive if somebody does wrong or makes a mistake. If there is disagreement, he should be able to find a way to get people to agree. He should be merciful to the faithful and merciless to the enemies of Islam.

At the Battle of That Al-Salasil, Abu Ubaidah was sent to help Amr's army. When he arrived, everybody was unhappy. Amr wanted to be the leader. However, the general in charge of the Ansar also wanted to be the leader. Somebody suggested that there should be three leaders. Abu Ubaidah reminded everyone of what the Prophet (SAAS) had said. He said that when there was a dispute, they should all decide to obey only one person in order to have unity. Abu Ubaidah then said that he would obey Amr. He asked the Ansar to do the same. They agreed. The next day, they won the battle.

When Umar became caliph, he appointed Abu Ubaidah as major general of the Muslim armies that conquered Greater Syria. He replaced another great general, Khalid bin Al-Walid. When Abu Ubaidah arrived at the army camp, Khalid said to his soldiers, "Umar has sent you the Trustee of the Ummah." Abu Ubaidah also praised Khalid. He said, "I once heard the Prophet (SAAS) say, "Khalid is one of the swords of Allah (SWT). "

The Simple Man.

Abu Ubaidah was a simple man. He did not like luxury or expensive things. If he had money, he gave it away to the needy. On one occasion, the caliph Umar wrote to Abu Ubaidah to say he wanted to visit the Amir of the Muslim army. Abu Ubaidah wrote back saying, "Why do you want to visit us here? You will only shed tears."

Nevertheless, Umar visited Abu Ubaidah and his army. When he arrived, he went straightto Abu Ubaidah’s tent. He looked around and asked, "Where is the furniture? I see nothing but a small stove and a plate. Do you have anything to eat?" Abu Ubaidah found him some small trusts of bread. Suddenly, Umar realized the hardships and difficulties faced by this great general and his army. He began to cry.

When Umar returned to Makkah he sent 4000 dinars to Abu Ubaidah. He asked the envoy he sent to see what Abu Ubaidah did with the money. The envoy returned and told the caliph that Abu Ubaidah had given the money to the poor people. When Umar heard this he said, "Thank God we still have people like him among us."

The Caliph's Right Hand Man.

Umar was a great admirer of Abu Ubaidah. He once said, "I wish God would give me a house full of Abu Ubaidahs." When the Prophet (SAAS) passed away, Umar approached Abu Ubaidah and pledged his loyalty to him. Abu Ubaidah immediately sent him to Abu Bakr. Later when Umar was caliph he said, “If I nominated a caliph to follow me, it would be Abu Ubaidah, and if Allah (SWT) questioned me about my decision, I would say 'I have selected the Trustee of the Ummah.”

Дата добавления: 2017-02-01; Просмотров: 62; Нарушение авторских прав?; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы!