Abdullah Ibn Zubayr (ra)
A rumour ran rife through the streets of Madinah. Whispers of foes who said, those who migrated from Makkah were bewitched; no children were being born to them. So when Asma bint Abu Bakr (ra) entered Madina carrying her baby son, Abdullah Ibn Zubair (ra), the first child born in Islam after hijrah, his birth dispelled the rumours and lifted the spirits of a community arriving in a new land. They rejoiced glorifying Allah, for every life is decreed by Allah alone.
Asma (ra) took him to the Prophet ﷺ who performed the thanik (the Islamic tradition of putting juice of a chewed date in a child’s mouth and pronouncing the adhan in its ears.) Heﷺ named him, supplicated to Allah and invoked blessings on him.
Like his father Az-Zubair Ibn Awwam (one amongst those promised jannah), Abdullah grew to be brave, confident and eloquent in speech.
One day Umar ibn Al Khattab (ra) was walking along a side road in Madinah. On seeing him, some children playing there scattered from fear, but not Abdullah Ibn Zubair, who quietly stood his ground. When Umar asked why he did not flee like the others, Abdullah replied; “I did not do anything wrong that I should run away from you. The path is not narrow either, that I need to make way for you.”
Later as a young man, Abdullah climbed the pulpit by invitation of Caliph Uthman (ra) to announce news he brought of the victory of the Muslims over the Berbers. Abdullah said; “I looked around and saw Abu Az-Zubair, my voice began to shake, but his eyes fixed on me and encouraged me and I continued on with the sermon. Afterwards he said; “By Allah, it is as if I were listening to Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) when I heard you, my son.”
The early Muslims encouraged their young to be articulate and confident and we need these qualities in today’s world now more than ever. We too have our own sets of challenges and rumours around our faith to address. If our children are raised self-assured to speak up, a Muslim girl grows up being able to explain the hijab to others inviting them to reflect and a Muslim boy grows up a man ready to lead the prayer and act with full confidence and integrity in dealing with others.🌙
𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 of S. N Jalali ✍🏼 (𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗯𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 , Islamic chapter books for kids📚)
