Exemplary Life of Sayyidunā Ḥāritha b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ

Sayyidunā Ḥāritha b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ 

Sayyidunā Ḥārithah b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ 

In 2 AH, Sayyidatunā Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا married Sayyidunā ꜤAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. Their home was far from the blessed home of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said to Lady Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, “I would like to move you closer.” She replied, “Speak to Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ about vacating a house. If you want, he will vacate his house for me.” The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ has emptied his home for us ˹many times˺, and now I feel shy ˹to ask him again˺.”

This matter reached Sayyidunā Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, and he readily emptied his house for Sayyidatunā Fāṭima. Then he went to the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and said, “Dear Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Bring Sayyidatunā Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا closer to your home. My houses are closer to you than the houses of Banū Najjār. My wealth and I are for Allah Almighty and His Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. I swear by Allah! That which you accept from me is dearer to me than that which you do not accept.” Hearing this, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “You have spoken the truth. May Allah bless you.” Then Sayyidatunā Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا resided in Sayyidunā Hāritha’s رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ home.^[1]

The Companion of the Prophet, Sayyidunā Hāritha’s رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ name was Abū ʿAbdullāh Hāritha b. NuꜤmān.^[2]

Virtues

He is a great Companion of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم who is from the jurists amongst the Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ.^[3] 

Some scholars include him amongst the Ahl al Ṣuffa.^[4]

Gifting his home

He is the first individual to gift a house and land to the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and the Prophetic Household رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْھُم.^[5] The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم arranged for the noble women who migrated from Makka to stay in his home. From amongst these esteemed women was Sayyidatunā Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, Sayyidatunā Umm Kulthūm, Sayyidatunā Umm Ayman the foster mother of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyidatunā Asmāˈ b. Abū Bakr, the Mothers of the believers: Sayyidatunā Sawdah b. ZamꜤah, and Sayyidatunā ꜤĀˈishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُّنَّ.^[6]

In the year 7 AH, after the Battle of Khaybar, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم married Sayyidatunā Ṣafiyya رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا. When she arrived in Madina, she resided in the home of Sayyidunā Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.^[7] Whenever the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم married, Sayyidunā Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ would empty his home for the beloved Prophet. This continued to occur until all his (nearby) houses were given to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and his pure wives رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنہُنَّ.^[8]

Bread made from the same oven

For a month or more than a year, bread was made for his family and the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم from the same oven. Another narration mentions that this happened for two years.^[9]

Military Achievements

Sayyidunā Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ participated in the Expeditions of Badr, Uḥud, Khandaq, and all other battles alongside the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.^[10]

Replying to Abū Jahl

When some of the Anṣār accepted Islam during the Pledge of al-ꜤAqabah, this news spread to the leaders of the Quraysh. They approached the Ansar, and Abū Jahl said: “People of Aws and Khazraj! You are our brothers, but you have erred. You desire to conspire with someone from our tribe (i.e. the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) and be dominant over us.” Hearing this, Sayyidunā Hāritha b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ said, “May your nose be rubbed in dirt! If we received a command from the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to remove you from this land, we would have done so.”^[11]

Humility is an adornment

He had a habit of not being hasty in performing worldly actions. During the Expedition of Ḥunayn, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Who will keep watch during the night?” Sayyidunā Hāritha b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ gradually stood. Someone said, “Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Humility has impeded Sayyidunā Hāritha b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.” The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Humility does not impede anyone. If you said, ‘Humility has adorned him’, you would have told the truth.”^[12]

Serving his mother

According to one narration, Sayyidunā Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ treated his mother better than he treated anyone else.^[13] He رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ would feed her with his hand. When his mother told him to do something, if he did not understand (due to her old age), then once outside, he would ask someone who had been there to clarify what she said.^[14]

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “When I slept, I found myself in Paradise, and I heard the recitation of the Quran. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ It was said, ‘This is Hāritha b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.’” The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Goodness is like this.”^[15]

Giving charity with his hand

When he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ lost his vision during old age, he tied a piece of cord from his place of prayer to the door of his room. He kept a box made of date leaves with him. Whenever a poor person came and asked for something, he would take dates out of the box, hold onto the end of the cord and distribute the dates. His family would insist on doing this themselves, but he replied, “My beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Giving [charity] to the needy protects you from a bad death.’”^[16]

Remaining steadfast

During the Expedition of Ḥunayn, the disbelievers launched a surprise attack against the Muslims. As confusion and chaos ensued in the Muslim forces, Sayyidunā Hāritha stood firmly by the Prophet’s side, ready to protect and obey him.^[17]

Beholding Sayyidunā Jibril عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام 

He saw Sayyidunā Jibril عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام on two occasions.^[18] According to one narration, he did not greet Sayyidunā Jibrīl عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام. However, according to another narration he did, and Sayyidunā Jibril عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام replied to the greeting.^[19]

Death

Sayyidunā Hāritha b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ passed away in the year 51 AH during the reign of Sayyidunā Amīr MuꜤāwiyah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.^[20]