Summary
Highlights
Abu Qudamah, a man dedicated to Allah, recalls a young man who asked to join him in battle. Initially, Abu Qudamah dismissed him due to his youth, but the boy, Muhammad, insisted, revealing his father had died for the same cause and his mother had sent him.
Abu Qudamah begins his story, detailing a historical event from the 10th century when enemies attacked Muslims in Iraq. He recounts a night when a woman, covered head to toe, visited his room. She gave him a wrapped cloth containing a lock of her hair and a message, stating it was all she had to contribute to the cause, hoping Allah would recognize her sacrifice.
The next morning, as Abu Qudamah's army prepared for battle, a young man on horseback pleaded to join them. This young man, revealed to be Muhammad, was the son of the woman who gave the lock of hair. He insisted on fighting, telling Abu Qudamah that he had memorized the Quran and that his mother had explicitly sent him to join.
Due to Muhammad's persistence, Abu Qudamah allowed him to join, instructing him to prepare food for the soldiers. While preparing food, Muhammad fell asleep and dreamt of Jannah. In his dream, he was taken to Paradise by a handsome man and met beautiful women, including his promised wife, who told him they would break fast together tomorrow in Jannah.
The next day, during the battle, Muhammad defied instructions and fought heroically on the front lines. Abu Qudamah eventually lost sight of him in the chaos. After the victory, Abu Qudamah searched for Muhammad and found him critically wounded. Muhammad, on his deathbed, expressed his joy of seeing his palaces in Jannah.
With his last breaths, Muhammad asked Abu Qudamah to deliver a piece of his blood-stained shirt to his mother as proof of his martyrdom, assuring her they would reunite in Jannah. He also expressed concern for his younger sister, Fatima, asking Abu Qudamah to comfort her, as she was very attached to him.
Upon returning, Abu Qudamah met Muhammad's mother, who, upon seeing the shirt, rejoiced in her son's martyrdom. Suddenly, Muhammad's young sister, Fatima, raced towards them, looking for her brother. When Abu Qudamah tearfully told her Muhammad was in Jannah, Fatima took a deep breath and collapsed, joining her brother and father in the afterlife. The mother, despite her immense loss, found solace in their sacrifices for Allah.