Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
16. The Companions of the Prophet
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history. For us to fail to acknowledge Abu Bakr and
‘Umar would be to defy history. For the
Companions to acknowledge these two amounted
to abnegation of their own selves—an infinitely
more difficult task, which the Companions
accomplished in exemplary fashion.
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY UPON ONESELF
Dhat al-Salasil was a place in the Syrian desert,
occupied by the Ghassanid and Kalb tribes to which
the Prophet sent an expedition under the leadership
of ‘Amr ibn al-’As. When the latter reached there,
and saw the preparations being made by the enemy,
he realized that his own force was too weak to do
battle with them. He thereupon set up camp, and
sent a message to the Prophet asking for
reinforcements. The Prophet then prepared an
additional force of 200
Muhajirs,
which was
despatched under the leadership of Abu ‘Ubaydah
ibn al-Jarrah.
When Abu ‘Ubaydah’s force joined with that of
‘Amr ibn al-’As, the question arose as to who would
be leader of the combined army. ‘Amr ibn al-’As
was in no doubt that he should be, as the
