Tulayb bin Umayr (r.a.)

Hz, Tulayb (r.a.) was an active, fiery and brave young man. His spirit was not blemished by polytheism. When he was 14-15 years old, his common sense helped him and he believed in the Prophet.

During the first years of Islam, the Prophet invited people to Islam secretly in the house of Hz. Arkam. Hz. Tulayb went to the house where the Messenger of Allah stayed without fearing anyone. He surrendered himself to the Prophet and became a believer.

Hz. Tulayb was excited. His heart became enlightened with the holy light of belief. The vast compassion of the Prophet illuminated his heart. He became very impatient and wanted to give this glad tiding to his mother. However, he did not know how his mother would react. Was she going to get angry with him? For, he became a Muslim without informing her about it.

He arrived home. As soon as he saw his mother, he said, “O Mum! I have become a Muslim. I accepted the religion of Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) and became subjected to him.

His mother Arwa, who belonged to a noble family and who was an aunt of the Prophet, shared his joy. After congratulating her son, Arwa spoke as follows:

“O my son! There is no doubt that your cousin deserves your help more than anybody else does. If we, women, had the power to protect him from men, we would definitely resist all kinds of attacks and protect him.”

When Hz. Tulayb saw that his mother understood him, his courage increased. His mother had not become a Muslim yet but she did not want her nephew to be harmed. Making use of this nice atmosphere, Hz. Tulayb wanted his mother to be a Muslim, too. He said, “Mum! What prevents you from being a Muslim? Look! Your brother, Hamza, became a Muslim too.”

When she heard this offer, she softened a bit but it was not easy to abandon one’s previous belief. She said, “I will wait a bit. I will do what my sisters do; I will be one of them.”

When Tulayb saw that his mother hesitated, he had nothing to do but to pray for her. Then, he said,

“O Mum! In that case, I will pray Allah for you until you accept Islam and utter witnessing by saying, ‘There is no god but Al­lah’.”

Arwa bint Abdulmuttalib did not want to disappoint his son and she acted in accordance with his wish; she uttered kalima ash-shahada and became a Muslim.

Hz. Tulayb struggled against the polytheists bravely though he was very young. He tried to silence the polytheists who defamed and talked against the Messenger of Allah. Once, he went to Abu Jahl, who resorted to anything to harm and trouble the Prophet, and gave him a blow that wounded his head. The polytheists who were theregrabbed hold of Hz. Tulayb. Abu Lahab, who was his maternal uncle, freed him.

After that, some people went Hz. Arwa and complained to her about her son’s behavior: “Do you not see what your son, Tulayb, does? He devoted himself to the way of Muhammad.”

Hz. Arwa gave them the following answer:

“His best days are the days when he helps Muhammad (pbuh) because Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a prophet by Allah.”

The polytheists were astonished. In order to be sure, they asked her, “Did you believe in Muham­mad, too?” She said, “Yes, I did.”

They went to Abu Lahab and told him that his sister had become a Muslim.

When Abu Lahab was told that his sister had accepted Islam, he went to her house. He reproached her and condemned her for leaving her ancestors’ religion.

Thereupon, Arwa said to him, “Stop reproaching me and go to your nephew. Help him and support him. Accept his religion.”

Thereupon ,Abu Lahab said, “Do we have the power to oppose all Arab tribes because of the religion he introduced?” He insisted on being an unbeliever and went away.

Hz. Arwa answered those who spoke against the Prophet and tried to prevent him from possible dangers. She also encouraged her son to do so. She told her not to leave the Messenger of Allah. Both the mother and the son struggled against polytheism as much as they could.

Once, Hz. Tulayb heard that Awf bin Sabra, one of the polytheists, uttered bad words about the Prophet. He found a jawbone of a camel and hit Awf on the head, wounding him. When they went to his mother to complain, she said, “Tulayb helps his cousin. He sacrifices his life and property for him.” Thus, she rejected the polytheists.

Once, Hz. Tulayb, who walked around Makkah freely since he was very young, heard from the polytheists that Abu Ihab bin Uzayr would organize an assassination to kill the Prophet by making a deal with Qurayshis. When he found out that Abu Ihab set off to kill the Prophet, he confronted Abu Ihab and wounded him on the head by throwing a stone at him. When Abu Ihab understood that his intention was heard, he gave up the idea of the assassination.”

Hz. Tulayb’s heroic acts broke the resistance of the polytheists. The polytheists, who could not resist the expansion of Islam through their ideas, were astonished when they encountered such physical resistance.

Hz. Tulayb, who was taken under custody by Qurayshis, migrated to Abyssinia with the first caravan of muhajirs. He stayed there for three months. When they heard the rumor that Makkan polytheists had become Muslims, they returned to Makkah. However, the news they heard was not true. When migration to Madinah started, Hz. Tulayb migrated to Madinah. He stayed as a guest in the house of Abdul­lah bin Salama in Madinah. Then, the Prophet established brotherhood between Tulayb and Mundhir bin Amr.

When the order to make jihad against the polytheists was given, Hz. Tulayb joined the army of the Prophet. He fought heroically at the Battle of Badr and protected the religion of Allah from His enemies. He took part in many battles after that.

After the death of the Prophet, Hz. Tulayb was among the mujahids in the War of Ajnadin against the Byzantines. The Muslims won a victory but about three thousand Muslims were martyred. Hz. Tulayb was among the martyrs, too. It was the month of Jumadal-Awwal in 13th year of the Migration. Hz. Tulayb was 35 years old then.

May Allah be pleased with him!