Young Companions

Virtues of Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. JaꜤfar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما

Mawlana Awais Yameen Attari

Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. JaꜤfar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما

In this edition of “The childhood of the noble Companions,” we will read about the childhood of Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. JaꜤfar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما.

Introduction

He was the son of Sayyidunā JaꜤfar and Sayyidatunā Asmāˈ bint ꜤUmays رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما, the nephew of Sayyidunā ꜤAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, and the first child to be born to those believers who undertook the first emigration to Ethiopia.[1]

Taking the pledge of allegiance at the age of seven

He states, “I and ꜤAbdullāh b. Zubayr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما went to the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم at the age of seven. Seeing us, he smiled and extended his hand. Then, we both took the pledge of allegiance with him.”[2]

Sitting behind the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم on a mount

The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم once returned to Madinah after a journey, and he was welcomed by Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. JaꜤfar and Imam Ḥusayn رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما, so the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم placed the elder of the two (Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. JaꜤfar) behind himself and the younger of them (Imam Ḥusayn) in front of himself.[3]

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم wiped his hand over his head

On one occasion, the noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم wiped his blessed hand over his head three times.[4]

Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم took his hand and made duꜤāˈ

He رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ states that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “ꜤAbdullāh resembles me in appearance and character,” then he took his hand and raised it whilst making duꜤāˈ with these words:

اَللّٰهُمَّ اخْلُفْ جَعْفَرًا فِي اَهْلِهٖ وَبَارِكْ لِعَبْدِ اللهِ فِي صَفْقَةِ يَمِينِهٖ

“Dear Allah! Appoint ꜤAbdullāh as the successor of JaꜤfar in his family, and bless the transaction of his hand.”[5]

We should also adopt this practice of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم by being compassionate towards children, by lovingly wiping our hand over their heads, seating them next to us, and by bringing joy to their tender hearts.

Seeing the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم eating dates

25 blessed hadith have been narrated from him.[6] In one narration, he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ mentions that he saw the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم eating fresh dates with cucumber.[7]

Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khan NaꜤīmī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه comments:

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم occasionally combined cucumber and dates during his meals. He would either alternate between eating dates and cucumber or mix them ˹in his mouth˺ by placing a date in his mouth, followed by a piece of cucumber, and then chewing them simultaneously. He also ate watermelon and dates together. Combining dates and cucumber is very beneficial for a person’s health.[8]

His passing

At the time of the beloved Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم veiling from this world, he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was ten years old.[9] He breathed his last in Madinah, in 80 AH.[10]

May Allah Almighty have mercy upon him, and may we be forgiven without accountability for his sake.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم