The Amazing Story of Uwais Ibn ʿĀmir Al-Qaranī from Yemen and the Prophet’s (ﷺ) Praise of him for his Good Treatment of his Mother.

The Amazing Story of Uwais Ibn ʿĀmir Al-Qaranī from Yemen and the Prophet’s (ﷺ) Praise of him for his Good Treatment of his Mother

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Uwais Al-Qarani (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) was alive during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) but he was not able to meet him because he lived in Yemen and remained there caring for his mother, and did not leave her side. He is considered to be from the Tābiʿeen, a worshipper, unconcerned with the world (zāhid), a beloved waliyy of Allah – he was honoured by the Sahābah due to the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ) concerning him. He died in 37 AH at the Battle of Siffeen on the side of ʿAlī Ibn Abī Tālib (radiyallāhu ʿanhu).

The Hadeeth

Usayr Ibn Jābir narrated that when the delegation of support from Yemen arrived ʿUmar Ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) asked them: “Is Uwais Ibn ʿĀmir among you?” He continued asking until he came upon Uwais.

So, he said: “Are you Uwais Ibn ʿĀmir?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Are you from the people of Murād, and then Qaran?” He said: “Yes.” ʿUmar asked him: “Did you suffer from leprosy and then you were cured from it except for the size of a dirham?” He said: “Yes.”

ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: “You have a mother?” He said: “Yes.”

ʿUmar said: “I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) say:

‘There will come to you Uwais Ibn ʿĀmir with reinforcements from the people of Yemen. He is from the people of Murād, and his branch is the Qaran tribe. He had been suffering from leprosy from which he was cured except for the size of a dirham. He was good and dutiful to his mother. If he were to take an oath in the name of Allah, Allah would fulfil it. So if you are able to ask him to seek forgiveness for you from Allah, then you should do so.’ ʿUmar (radiyallāhu ʿanhu) said to him: ‘So seek forgiveness for me.’ So Uwais supplicated for forgiveness for ʿUmar.

ʿUmar (radiyallāhu ʿanhu) said to him: “Where do you intend to go?” Uwais said: “To Kufah.” ʿUmar said: “Let me write a letter for you to the governor of Kufah.” Uwais (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “I prefer to live amongst the poorest of people.”

The next year, a person from the nobles of Kufah performed Hajj and he met ʿUmar (radiyallāhu ʿanhu). He asked him about Uwais (rahimahullāh). He said: “I saw that he was living in a tattered old house with little means of sustenance.” Upon that, ʿUmar said: “I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying: ‘There will come to you Uwais Ibn ʿĀmir with reinforcements from the people of Yemen. He is from the people of Murād, and his branch is the Qaran tribe. He had been suffering from leprosy from which he was cured except for the size of a dirham. He was good and dutiful to his mother. If he were to take an oath in the name of Allah, Allah would fulfil it. So if you are able to ask him to seek forgiveness for you [from Allah], then you should certainly do so.'”

So the nobleman came to Uwais in Kufah and said: “Seek forgiveness for me.” Uwais (rahimahullāh) replied: “You have just come from a righteous journey (of Hajj), so you should seek forgiveness for me.” The nobleman said: “Seek forgiveness [from Allah] for me.” Uwais (may Allah show him mercy) repeated: “You have just come from a righteous journey (of Hajj), so you should ask Allah to forgive me.”

Then Uwais said: “Did you meet ʿUmar?” He said: “Yes.” So, Uwais supplicated to Allah for forgiveness for him. Then the people came to know about Uwais and his status – so he left and went away from that town. Usayr (rahimahullāh) said: “His clothing consisted of a cloak, and whosoever saw him said: ‘From where did Uwais get this cloak?’“

The hadeeth was reported by Muslim, no. 2542.

Arabic text:

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، – قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا – وَاللَّفْظُ، لاِبْنِ الْمُثَنَّى – حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ أَوْفَى، عَنْ أُسَيْرِ بْنِ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ كَانَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ إِذَا أَتَى عَلَيْهِ أَمْدَادُ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ سَأَلَهُمْ أَفِيكُمْ أُوَيْسُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ حَتَّى أَتَى عَلَى أُوَيْسٍ فَقَالَ أَنْتَ أُوَيْسُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ مِنْ مُرَادٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ قَرَنٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَكَانَ بِكَ بَرَصٌ فَبَرَأْتَ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ مَوْضِعَ دِرْهَمٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ لَكَ وَالِدَةٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏”‏ يَأْتِي عَلَيْكُمْ أُوَيْسُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ مَعَ أَمْدَادِ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ مِنْ مُرَادٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ قَرَنٍ كَانَ بِهِ بَرَصٌ فَبَرَأَ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ مَوْضِعَ دِرْهَمٍ لَهُ وَالِدَةٌ هُوَ بِهَا بَرٌّ لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لأَبَرَّهُ فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرَ لَكَ فَافْعَلْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِي ‏.‏ فَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ أَيْنَ تُرِيدُ قَالَ الْكُوفَةَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَلاَ أَكْتُبُ لَكَ إِلَى عَامِلِهَا قَالَ أَكُونُ فِي غَبْرَاءِ النَّاسِ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ الْعَامِ الْمُقْبِلِ حَجَّ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ فَوَافَقَ عُمَرَ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ أُوَيْسٍ قَالَ تَرَكْتُهُ رَثَّ الْبَيْتِ قَلِيلَ الْمَتَاعِ ‏.‏ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏”‏ يَأْتِي عَلَيْكُمْ أُوَيْسُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ مَعَ أَمْدَادِ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ مِنْ مُرَادٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ قَرَنٍ كَانَ بِهِ بَرَصٌ فَبَرَأَ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ مَوْضِعَ دِرْهَمٍ لَهُ وَالِدَةٌ هُوَ بِهَا بَرٌّ لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لأَبَرَّهُ فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرَ لَكَ فَافْعَلْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَأَتَى أُوَيْسًا فَقَالَ اسْتَغْفِرْ لِي ‏.‏ قَالَ أَنْتَ أَحْدَثُ عَهْدًا بِسَفَرٍ صَالِحٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِي ‏.‏ قَالَ اسْتَغْفِرْ لِي ‏.‏ قَالَ أَنْتَ أَحْدَثُ عَهْدًا بِسَفَرٍ صَالِحٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِي ‏.‏ قَالَ لَقِيتَ عُمَرَ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ فَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُ ‏.‏ فَفَطِنَ لَهُ النَّاسُ فَانْطَلَقَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أُسَيْرٌ وَكَسَوْتُهُ بُرْدَةً فَكَانَ كُلَّمَا رَآهُ إِنْسَانٌ قَالَ مِنْ أَيْنَ لأُوَيْسٍ هَذِهِ الْبُرْدَةُ