Said ibn Aamir al-Jumahi
Encyclopedia
Said ibn Aamir al-Jumahi was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
and Governor of Homs
in Syria
during the caliphate
of Umar
.
As a youth he was among the thousands who left for Tanim on the outskirts of Mecca
at the invitation of the Quraish to witness the killing of Khubayb ibn Adiy, a companion of Muhammad whom they had captured and whose death was to be in revenge for Quraish losses in the battle of Badr
. After accepting Islam
shortly following Khubayb’s death Said ibn Aamir migrated to Medina
and attached himself to Muhammad, participating in the battle of Khaybar
and other engagements thereafter. After Muhammad’s death in 632 he continued active service under his two successors, Abu Bakr
and Umar, who both knew Said for his honesty and piety and listened to his advice.
Umar appointed him as governor of Homs (Emessa) in Syria, which was then called little Kufa because, like Kufa
, its inhabitants complained a lot about their leaders. During a visit to Syria, Umar asked the people of Homs if they had any complaints against their governor, to which they mentioned four. Umar summoned Said ibn Aamir, and in his presence asked the representatives of Homs to state their complaints.
The first complaint was the he left his home late every morning, to which Said replied that he had no servants, and that following prayers, reading the Quran and assisting his wife in preparing meals took some time. The second complaint was that he did not attend to anyone at night, which he explained was due to his practice of reserving the night for prayer. The third complaint was that once a month he left his house late in the afternoon, which he explained was a result of washing and drying his one change of clothes. The fourth complaint was that he occasionally fell into fits of unconsciousness. Said said that in Mecca he had witnessed Khubayb ibn Adiy’s torture and death by the Quraish. The Quraish offered him safety and protection of his wealth if he disowned Muhammad and he spurned the offer. Said added, that being an infidel at the time he did nothing to aid Khubayb and whenever he recalls the event he becomes overwhelmed with remorse and passes out. Umar dismissed the complaints and said:
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 Governor of Homs
Homs
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
during the caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
of 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....
.
As a youth he was among the thousands who left for Tanim on the outskirts of 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...
at the invitation of the Quraish to witness the killing of Khubayb ibn Adiy, a companion of Muhammad whom they had captured and whose death was to be in revenge for Quraish losses in the battle of Badr
Battle of Badr
The Battle of Badr , fought Saturday, March 13, 624 AD in the Hejaz region of western Arabia , was a key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point in Muhammad's struggle with his opponents among the Quraish in Mecca...
. After accepting Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
shortly following Khubayb’s death Said ibn Aamir migrated to 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...
and attached himself to Muhammad, participating in the battle of Khaybar
Battle of Khaybar
The Battle of Khaybar was fought in the year 629 between Muhammad and his followers against the Jews living in the oasis of Khaybar, located from Medina in the north-western part of the Arabian peninsula, in modern-day Saudi Arabia....
and other engagements thereafter. After Muhammad’s death in 632 he continued active service under his two successors, 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...
and Umar, who both knew Said for his honesty and piety and listened to his advice.
Umar appointed him as governor of Homs (Emessa) in Syria, which was then called little Kufa because, like Kufa
Kufa
Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....
, its inhabitants complained a lot about their leaders. During a visit to Syria, Umar asked the people of Homs if they had any complaints against their governor, to which they mentioned four. Umar summoned Said ibn Aamir, and in his presence asked the representatives of Homs to state their complaints.
The first complaint was the he left his home late every morning, to which Said replied that he had no servants, and that following prayers, reading the Quran and assisting his wife in preparing meals took some time. The second complaint was that he did not attend to anyone at night, which he explained was due to his practice of reserving the night for prayer. The third complaint was that once a month he left his house late in the afternoon, which he explained was a result of washing and drying his one change of clothes. The fourth complaint was that he occasionally fell into fits of unconsciousness. Said said that in Mecca he had witnessed Khubayb ibn Adiy’s torture and death by the Quraish. The Quraish offered him safety and protection of his wealth if he disowned Muhammad and he spurned the offer. Said added, that being an infidel at the time he did nothing to aid Khubayb and whenever he recalls the event he becomes overwhelmed with remorse and passes out. Umar dismissed the complaints and said:
See also
- Battle of KhaybarBattle of KhaybarThe Battle of Khaybar was fought in the year 629 between Muhammad and his followers against the Jews living in the oasis of Khaybar, located from Medina in the north-western part of the Arabian peninsula, in modern-day Saudi Arabia....
- List of Sahaba