When ‘Surah Nasr’ was revealed, the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘O Jibra’eel! Announcement of my demise has been made.’ Jibra’eel-e-Ameen humbly said: ‘Coming moment is better for you than the one that has passed and soon your Lord will grant you so much that you will be pleased.’ The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم commanded Sayyiduna Bilal رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ to call out the Azaan. Therefore, Ansaar and Muhajireen gathered in Masjid-e-Nabawi. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم led their Salah, then sat on the pulpit and delivered such a sermon after praising Allah Almighty that shook the hearts and brought tears to the eyes.
He صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘O people! What kind of Nabi am I for you?’ It was humbly replied: ‘May Allah Almighty bestow good reward upon you! You are a good Nabi. You are compassionate like a father and kind like a sincere brother. You have fulfilled the right of Divine messages and conveyed His revelations to us. You invited us to the path of your Lord through wisdom and good advice. May Allah Almighty reward you even better than the reward that Allah Almighty blessed a Nabi of an Ummah on behalf of his Ummah!’ He صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: O group of Muslims! I say after giving you the oath of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and the Wasta of my Haq [right]: ‘If anything wrong has been done from my side to anyone, (he) should stand up and take revenge on me here instead of taking it on the Day of Judgement.’
Not a single person stood up. He صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم gave the same oath again, but still nobody stood up. For the third time, giving them the oath, he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم repeated: ‘If anything wrong has been done from my side to anyone, [he] should stand up and take revenge on me here instead of taking it on the Day of Judgement.’ Therefore, an elderly aged companion, named ‘Ukashah, رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ stood up and came in front of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم by moving people aside and said: ‘May my parents be sacrificed for you! Had you not given the oath repeatedly, I would not have dared to come in front of you for the revenge of anything.
I participated in a battle along with you. In that battle, Allah Almighty helped His Nabi صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and blessed us with a victory. On our way back, my she-camel came next to your she-camel. I dismounted from my she-camel and got close to you so that I could kiss your blessed foot, but you raised your stick and struck my side. I do not know whether you did it deliberately or you intended to strike the she-camel’. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied: ‘I give you protection from the wrath of Allah Almighty that the Nabi of Allah hit you deliberately.’ O Bilal! Go to Fatima’s house and bring the same thin stick.’
Sayyiduna Bilal رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ placed his hands on his head and left the Masjid saying: ‘He is the Rasool of Allah who is himself giving his Qisaas.’ He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ reached the blessed house of Sayyidatuna Fatimah, knocked at the door and said: ‘O the daughter of the Rasool of Allah! Give me the thin stick.’ Sayyidah Fatima رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهَا said: ‘Bilal! It is neither the day of ‘Arafah today and nor any battle, then what is my beloved father going to do with this stick?’ He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ humbly said: Do you not know what your father is doing today! Undoubtedly, the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has conveyed the religion; he is leaving the world and today he is giving the opportunity himself to take revenge on him.’
Sayyidah Fatimah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهَا became restless and said: ‘O Bilal! After all, who is the one that has accepted to take revenge on the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم? O Bilal! If it is so, then tell Hassan and Husain to stand in front of that person and he may take revenge on them.’ Sayyiduna Bilal رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ arrived in the Masjid and presented that stick to the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم took it from Sayyiduna Bilal رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ and handed it over to ‘Ukashah. Seeing this, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Umar رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُمَا moved forward and said: ‘O ‘Ukashah! Here, we are in front of you. Take revenge on us, but do not take it on the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.’ The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘O Abu Bakr! Move aside.
O Umar! You too move away. Undoubtedly, Allah Almighty knows your ranks and status.’ In the meanwhile, Sayyiduna Ali-ul-Murtada کَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ تَعٰالٰی وَجھَہُ الکَرِیَم stood up and said: ‘O ‘Ukashah! I cannot tolerate it at all that you hit this stick to the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in front of me in my life. Here is my back and here is my belly. Whip me hundred times with your hands and take revenge on me, but do not take revenge on the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.’ The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘O Ali! Sit at your place. Undoubtedly, Allah Almighty knows your rank and intention.’
In the meanwhile, chiefs of the youth of Paradise, flowers of the garden of Fatima-tuz-Zahra, Sayyiduna Imam Hasan and Imam Husain رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم stood up and said: ‘O ‘Ukashah! Do you not know that we are the [maternal] grandsons of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and taking revenge on us is like taking revenge on the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Therefore, take revenge on us.’ The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘O the coolness of my eyes! Sit down. Undoubtedly, Allah Almighty knows your status.’ Then he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said to ‘Ukashah: ‘O ‘Ukashah! If you want to hit so hit.’ Sayyiduna ‘Ukashah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ humbly said: ‘The time you hit me, I had no clothes on my belly.’ Therefore, he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم removed clothes from his blessed belly.
Having seen this Muslims screamed and started saying: ‘O! See ‘Ukashah, he will hit the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم on his belly.’ When Sayyiduna ‘Ukashah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ saw the whiteness of the blessed belly that was like a small lump of crystallized sugar, he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ immediately clung to the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and humbly said kissing the blessed belly: ‘May my parents be sacrificed for you! Of course, no one can even think of taking revenge on you’ He صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘If you wish, you may take revenge and if you wish, you may forgive.’ Sayyiduna ‘Ukashah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُhumbly said: ‘I have forgiven you with the hope that Allah Almighty will forgive me on the Day of Judgement.’ The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘The one who wants to see my companion of Paradise should see this elderly person.’ People stood up and said kissing the forehead of Sayyiduna ‘Ukashah
رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ: ‘Congratulations to you. Congratulations to you. You have attained high ranks and the privilege of the companionship of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.’ (Hilya-tul-Awliya, vol. 4, pp. 67)
May Allah Almighty enable us to fulfil His as well as His bondmen’s rights, and also enable us to make an apology to those whose rights we have violated! May Allah Almighty bless us with the true love for the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and also bless us with his neighbourhood in the Hereafter!
