(Friday Sermon - July 6, 2018 )
Recently I have been describing some of the Companions of the Holy Prophet(sa), who took part in the Battle of Badr. Some of them are well described in history while many get only a brief reference. Nonetheless, they all occupy a great stature for having taken part in the Battle of Badr. Thus, they should be mentioned, even if only in a few lines. Many of the companions I will mention today will only be described very briefly.
There is a companion by the name Hazrat Abu Marsad bin Qannas bin Al-Hussain Ghanwi. He passed away in the twelfth year of Hijra [migration to Medina]. According to some people, his title was Abu Hisn. He was a resident of Syria. He accepted Islam in its very early stages and migrated to Medina after seeking permission to do so. The Holy Prophet(sa) formed a bond of brotherhood between him and Hazrat ‘Ibada bin Samit. (Sira Al-Sahaba, Shah Muin-ul-din Ahmad Nadwi, Vol. 2, pt. 2, p. 581, Dar-ul-Isha’at, Karachi), (Al-Asaba Fi Tameez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 7, p. 305, Abu Marsad Ghanwi, Da-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, 1995, Beirut)
When Abu Marsad, may Allah be pleased with him, and his son, Marsad migrated to Medina, both stayed with Hazrat Kulthum bin Al-Hadam. According to some, both of them stayed with Hazrat Sa‘d bin Haitham. Hazrat Abu Marsad was with the Holy Prophet(sa) in all the battles. (At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 35, Abu Marsad, Da-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, 1990, Beirut)
He has a status in history for the following incident:
Hazrat Hatib bin Abi Baltah sent a letter to the Meccans to secretly inform them [of the Holy Prophet’s(sa) plan] with the thought of protecting his children there. God Almighty informed the Holy Prophet(sa) about this so he sent three riders after the woman who was taking this letter and they took it from her. Hazrat Abu Marsad was one of the three riders. It is narrated from Hazrat Ali(ra), “The Holy Prophet(sa) sent Abu Marsad Ghanwi, Zubair and I as we were able to ride a horse and the Holy Prophet(sa) said, ‘Go until you reach the place called Roza-e-Khaakh, there you will find a woman from amongst the idol-worshippers who has the letter from Hatib bin Abi Baltah intended for the Idol worshippers.’” This is mentioned in Bukhari. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghaazi, Baab Fazl Man Shahda Badran, Hadith. 3983)
Hazrat Abu Marsad has narrated a hadith [tradition] from the Holy Prophet(sa) which is mentioned in Muslim and Baghwi. He states: “I heard the Holy Prophet(sa) saying: ‘Do no sit on graves and do not pray in their direction.’” (Al-Asaba Fi Tameez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 7, p. 305, Abu Marsad Ghanwi, Da-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, 1995, Beirut)
He passed away during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(ra) in the 12th Hijri at the age of sixty-six. (Sira Al-Sahaba, Shah Muin-ul-din Ahmad Nadwi, Vol. 2, pt. 2, p. 581, Dar-ul-Isha’at, Karachi)