Ammar bin Yasir - Part 3

The Word of Truth

There were jewels in the Muslim public treasury. Uthman divided the jewels among his daughters and wives. The Muslims became angry. They began talking against Uthman's bad behaviour.

Uthman went on with his corrupt policy. One day, he went up the pulpit and addressed the people:

We'll take whatever we need from the Public Treasury in spite of all people.

Imam Ali bin Abu Talib became sad when he heard Uthman's words.

bin Yasir aged 90 stood up and said the word of truth:

By Allah, I'm the first man to prevent you from that.

The Caliph became annoyed and said:

Bin Yasir, how dare you say these words before me!

Uthman ordered his guards to arrest Ammar. The guards respected neither Ammar's old age nor his friendship to Allah's Apostle [s]. They drew him into Uthman's room. They chained his hands and legs.

Then the Caliph came and began hitting Ammar on the belly till he became unconscious. Some Muslims came and carried him to our Master Muhammad's wife, Umm Salama's house.

Ammar remembered the days of torture in Makkah. He could endure as many times as what Uthman did because he was a young man. But today he was unable to endure Uthman's torture because he became an old man.

Umm Salama felt pain when she saw Ammar in that bad condition. Yet Ammar said:

This is not the first day when we suffer from torture for Allah.

Uthman Banishes Abu Dhar

Uthman banished Abu Dhar to al-Rabatha Desert which is uninhabited because of its bad climate.

Besides Uthman prevented the Muslims from seeing off Abu Dhar. Any how, some Companions of the Prophet went out to see off the great companion Abu-Dhar.

Ali Bin Abu-Talib, our Master Muhammad's grandsons, al-Hasan and al-Husain, and Ammar went out to see off Abu-Dhar.

Then Imam Ali [a] said:

May not Allah amuse those who annoy you. And He may not make safe those who have dismayed you. By Allah, if you want their world, they'll make you safe. And if you are pleased with their actions, they'll love you.

Abu Dhar, his wife, and his daughter went to al-Rabatha Desert. He remembered the tradition of our our Master Muhammad [s]:

Abu-Dhar, you'll live alone, and die alone!

The Revolution

The Muslims' anger increased because of Uthman's and his rulers' behaviour. The Prophet's Companion's in Madina wrote to people every where:

If you want Jihad, then come to it. Because your Caliph has corrupted Muhammad's religion.

For this reason, the delegates from Kufa, Egypt, Basra, and the like came to Madina and went to the Caliph to ask him to change his based policy. But he dismissed them. So, they went to Ali Bin Abu-Talib, our Master Muhammad's cousin and his successor.

Imam Ali [a] hoped that Uthman would come back to the laws of Islam. Thus he went to advise him:

Don't be a tool in Marwan's hand. Don't let him direct you to whatever he likes. Don't forget your position with respect to Allah's Apostle [s].

Uthman agreed to announce his repentance before people. So, he went out and apologized to people for his bad behaviour. Besides he promised them to follow a new policy Allah and his Apostle accepted. But Marwan, who was cunning, said to him:

Don't be weak before people. Threaten them!

Nayylah, Uthman's wife, knew that Marwan was a bad man and that he disliked Muslims. For this reason, she said to her husband:

Listen to Ali because people love and obey him: don't listen to Marwan because people hate him.

Uthman did not listen to those who advised him. So, people revolted and killed him in his palace.

Imam Ali [A]

The Muslim masses headed for Imam Ali's house. They asked him to be the Caliph. The Imam refused that and said:

Look for another man.

But people realized that the Imam was the only man who deserved the Caliphate. Therefore, they insisted on their attitude. Finally, the Imam agreed to shoulder this responsibility to deprive the ambitious of it.

Justice

The Muslims revolted for justice. They were angry at persecution. Imam Ali [a] was the symbol of justice.

The Imam did not sadden the Muslims. On the first day, he dismissed all the bad rulers Uthman had appointed. Then he appointed good rulers.

The Imam dismissed Mu'awiyah from Sham. But Mu'awiyah was always planning to control Sham first. Then he planned to control the Muslim lands in general. So, he rebelled and announced that he would get revenge on Uthman's killers. For this reason, the Battle of Siffeen took place on the borders between Syria and Iraq.

Imam Ali's army included many companions of Allah's Apostle [s]. Ammar bin Yasir, Malik al-Ashter, Abdullah bin Abbas, and others were among them.

Mu'awiyah's army included the enemies of Islam such as Marwan bin Al-Hakam, Amru bin al-Ass, bin Abi-Maayad, and those who escaped from Ali's Justice to Mu'awiyah's world.

The Unjust Group will kill You

The Muslims in both armies were always repeating our Master Muhammad [s] tradition:

Ammar, the unjust group will kill you.

Ammar was in Imam Ali's Army. He was over ninety years old. Nevertheless, he fought as bravely as the believing young man did.

He looked at the sky and said:

Allah, if I know that you are pleased with throwing myself into the Euphrates, I'll do! Allah, I know that you are pleased to see me striving those corrupt people!

Ammar was with truth, and truth was always with him. So, he said:

By Allah, if they (Mu'awiyah's Army) defeat and chase us to the Hajar date-palms, I'll say that we're right and they're wrong.

When the battle broke out, Ammar addressed the fighters:

Who wants Allah's satisfaction?

Some believers accepted his words. So, Ammar led them towards the enemy. When the companions saw him passing through the enemy army, they followed him.

Although Ammar was fasting, he was fighting with great enthusiasm. In the middle of the battle, Ammar saw Amru bin al-Ass and said to him:

Amru, Woe on you! You've sold your religion for Egypt!

Namely, Mu'awiyah promised to give Egypt to Amru bin Al-Ass if the latter stood by him.

Amru bin al-Ass said with trick:

No, I'm requesting Uthman's blood!

Ammar said:

I firmly believe that your action is not for Allah.

Then Ammar advised him:

If you won't be killed today, you'll die tomorrow. And actions are according to intentions. So, correct your intentions because Allah will reward people according to their intentions.

The Trial

The Muslims were in a fix. They did not distinguish right from wrong. Their guide was Ammar because our Master Muhammad [s] said:

The unjust group will kill Ammar.

Amru bin al-Ass deceived the people of Sham when he said to them:

Be patient! Ammar will come to your front!

The days of the war passed, but Ammar was fighting at the front of right. He was always standing by Ali.

One day, Ammar and a believing group launched an attack. Ammar was fighting bravely. He remembered the days when he fought beside our Master Muhammad [s] . He remembered the Battles of Badr, Uhud and the other Muslims battles.

Though Ammar was fasting, he went on fighting. When the sun set, Ammar asked some water because he was thirsty. A fighter brought him a cup full of yogurt. Ammar smiled. Then he cheerfully said:

Tonight, I may die a martyr.

Some fighters asked him about the secret. He said:

My dear Allah's Apostle [a] has told me:

The unjust group will kill you. And your final food in this world will be a cup of yogurt.

Ammar (May Allah be pleased with him) drank the cup of yoghurt. Then he continued fighting till he fell over the ground and became a martyr.

Mu'awiyah was about to fly because of happiness. Imam Ali [a] was full of sadness and sorrow. During those moments all Muslims knew the unjust group.

Some soldiers in Mu'awiyah's Army were waiting for Ammar's coming to their front. But they saw him fighting bravely beside Imam Ali [a] till he became a martyr. So, they sneered at Amru bin al-Ass' claim. In the meantime, they took advantage of the dark and began coming to join the Imam's Army. They knew that it was the front of right.

The End

Ammar's martyrdom sounded at both fronts. Imam Ali's Army was in high spirits, but Mu'awiyah's Army was in low spirits.

At that night, the Imam's Army launched a wide attack against Mu'awiyah's Army. The Imam's Army was about to win victory. But Amru bin al-Ass created a new trick. He ordered the army of Sham to raise the Koran. They were demanding the Imam's Army to turn to Allah's Book.

The fights stopped. Both armies withdrew from the Valley of Siffeen. The martyrs' bodies stayed on the battlefield. The body of Ammar, aged ninety six, stayed there too.

Nowadays, when the Muslims visit that area, they can see the big shrine of that great companion, who spent all his life in striving for Islam. When Ammar became a martyr, the Muslims knew the right front during that bitter war.

Adapted from the book: "The Companions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w)"