Suhayb ar-Rumi
Encyclopedia
Suhayb ar-Rumi also known as Suhayb ibn Sinan, was a former slave
in the Byzantine Empire
who went on to become an esteemed companion
of Muhammad
and revered member of the early Muslim
community.
emperor. The city, which is now part of Basra
, lay on the banks of the Euphrates
. He had several children and was particularly fond of one of them who was then barely five years old with blond hair and a fair-complexion named Sohaib. One day Sohaib's mother took him to a village called ath-Thani for a picnic. That day ath-Thani was attacked by Byzantine soldiers who took a large number of prisoners, including Sohaib ibn Sinan.
Sohaib was taken to one of the slave markets of the Byzantine Empire, thereafter he passed from one master to another, remaining for about twenty years in Byzantine lands as a slave. He grew up speaking Greek
, the language of the Byzantine Empire and practically forgot Arabic
. At the first opportunity Sohaib escaped from bondage and headed for Mecca
which was considered a place of asylum. There people called him Sohaib ar-Rumi or "the Roman" because of his peculiarly heavy speech and blond hair. He became the representative of an aristocrat in Mecca, Abdullah ibn Judan, engaging in trade and becoming quite wealthy.
and began harassing him. When Muhammad gave permission for his followers to migrate to Medina
in 622, Sohaib resolved to accompany Muhammad and Abu Bakr
, but the Quraish discovered his intentions and placed guards over him to prevent him from leaving Mecca and taking the wealth he had acquired through trade. After the departure of Muhammad and Abu Bakr, Sohaib continued to bide his time, unsuccessfully attempting to escape several times.
One night, Sohaib feigned stomach problems and went out repeatedly as if responding to calls of nature. His captors became relaxed and Sohaib quietly armed himself, readied a mount and headed for Medina
. When his captors realized Sohaib was gone they left in pursuit and eventually caught up with him. Seeing them approach, Sohaib clambered up a hill and holding his bow and arrow, he shouted:
"Men of Quraish! You know, by God, that I am one of the best archers and my aim is unerring. By God, if you come near me, with each arrow I have, I shall kill one of you. Then I shall strike with my sword."
The men responded "By God, we shall not let you escape from us with your life and money. You came to Mecca weak and poor and you have acquired what you have acquired.."
"What would you say if I leave you my wealth?" interrupted Sohaib. "Would you get out of my way?" "Yes," they answered.
Sohaib described the place in his house in Mecca where he had left the money, and they allowed him to go. When Sohaib reached Quba, just outside Medina, Muhammad saw him approaching and said, "Your transaction has been fruitful, O Abu Yahya. Your transaction has been fruitful." He repeated this three times. Sohaib's face beamed with happiness as he said: "By God, no one has come before me to you, Messenger of God, and only Jibril
could have told you about this."
Umar
ibn al-Khattab to lead the Muslims in the period between his death and the choosing of his successor.
As Umar lay dying after being stabbed by Abu-Lu'lu'ah on November 1, 644, he summoned Uthman ibn Affan, Ali
, Talhah, Zubayr ibn al-Awam, Abdur Rahman bin Awf, and Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas
and instructed them to consult among themselves and with the Muslims for three days and choose a successor.
In this brief intermediate period before Uthman’s appointment, Sohaib was responsible for leading prayers and of being the head of the Muslim community
.
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
who went on to become an esteemed companion
Sahabah
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
and revered member of the early Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community.
Early life
Around the year 591, about twenty years before the commencement of Muhammad's mission, an Arab named Sinan ibn Malik governed the city of al-Uballah on behalf of the PersianAchaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
emperor. The city, which is now part of Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, lay on the banks of the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
. He had several children and was particularly fond of one of them who was then barely five years old with blond hair and a fair-complexion named Sohaib. One day Sohaib's mother took him to a village called ath-Thani for a picnic. That day ath-Thani was attacked by Byzantine soldiers who took a large number of prisoners, including Sohaib ibn Sinan.
Sohaib was taken to one of the slave markets of the Byzantine Empire, thereafter he passed from one master to another, remaining for about twenty years in Byzantine lands as a slave. He grew up speaking Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, the language of the Byzantine Empire and practically forgot Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. At the first opportunity Sohaib escaped from bondage and headed for Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
which was considered a place of asylum. There people called him Sohaib ar-Rumi or "the Roman" because of his peculiarly heavy speech and blond hair. He became the representative of an aristocrat in Mecca, Abdullah ibn Judan, engaging in trade and becoming quite wealthy.
Acceptance of Islam and Escape to Medina
One day he was told that Muhammad was calling people to a new religion in the house or' al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam. After meeting with him, he was convinced of the truth of his message and pledged fealty to Muhammad. The ruling tribe of Quraish soon learned of Sohaib's acceptance of IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and began harassing him. When Muhammad gave permission for his followers to migrate to Medina
Hijra (Islam)
The Hijra is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word are Hijrah, Hijrat or Hegira, the latter following the spelling rules of Latin.- Hijra of Muhammad :In September 622, warned of a plot to...
in 622, Sohaib resolved to accompany Muhammad and Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death...
, but the Quraish discovered his intentions and placed guards over him to prevent him from leaving Mecca and taking the wealth he had acquired through trade. After the departure of Muhammad and Abu Bakr, Sohaib continued to bide his time, unsuccessfully attempting to escape several times.
One night, Sohaib feigned stomach problems and went out repeatedly as if responding to calls of nature. His captors became relaxed and Sohaib quietly armed himself, readied a mount and headed for Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
. When his captors realized Sohaib was gone they left in pursuit and eventually caught up with him. Seeing them approach, Sohaib clambered up a hill and holding his bow and arrow, he shouted:
"Men of Quraish! You know, by God, that I am one of the best archers and my aim is unerring. By God, if you come near me, with each arrow I have, I shall kill one of you. Then I shall strike with my sword."
The men responded "By God, we shall not let you escape from us with your life and money. You came to Mecca weak and poor and you have acquired what you have acquired.."
"What would you say if I leave you my wealth?" interrupted Sohaib. "Would you get out of my way?" "Yes," they answered.
Sohaib described the place in his house in Mecca where he had left the money, and they allowed him to go. When Sohaib reached Quba, just outside Medina, Muhammad saw him approaching and said, "Your transaction has been fruitful, O Abu Yahya. Your transaction has been fruitful." He repeated this three times. Sohaib's face beamed with happiness as he said: "By God, no one has come before me to you, Messenger of God, and only Jibril
Holy Spirit (Islam)
The Holy Spirit in Islam is mentioned several times in the Quran, and is interpreted by many muslims as referring to the angel Gabriel.-The Holy Spirit, al-Ruh al-Quds, in the Quran:...
could have told you about this."
Following the death of Umar
Sohaib's standing in the Muslim community was so high that he was nominated by the caliphCaliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Umar
Umar
`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....
ibn al-Khattab to lead the Muslims in the period between his death and the choosing of his successor.
As Umar lay dying after being stabbed by Abu-Lu'lu'ah on November 1, 644, he summoned Uthman ibn Affan, Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
, Talhah, Zubayr ibn al-Awam, Abdur Rahman bin Awf, and Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas
Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas
Saad ibn Abī Waqqās was an early convert to Islam in 610-11 and one of the important companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Sa'd was the seventeenth person to embrace Islam at the age of seventeen...
and instructed them to consult among themselves and with the Muslims for three days and choose a successor.
In this brief intermediate period before Uthman’s appointment, Sohaib was responsible for leading prayers and of being the head of the Muslim community
Ummah
Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
.
Sources
- Fazail-e-Amaal by Muhammad Zakariya al-Kandahlawi, Sh. Muhammad Ashraf Publishers LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
See also
- SalafSalafA Salaf is an early Muslim of the first three generations of proponents of the religion.-First generation:* See: List of SahabaThe Salaf are the first generation of Muslims, which included Muhammad's companions and followers at the time....
- Sunni view of the Sahaba
- List of Sahaba