FULFILLED COVENANT

Fulfilled Covenant

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Sent by: Student of Light

During the battle of Khyber which took place between the Muslims and Jews, Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and his Companions رضی اللہ عنہم besieged the fort of Khyber wherein the Jews were residing. A poor shepherd who was working for his Jewish master had already heard about Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم , and upon seeing the Muslim army thought that it was a good opportunity to inquire about Islam.
He came out of the fort with the goats and sheep he was looking after and asked the whereabouts of Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم . Upon being directed to him, he inquired about the basic teachings of Islam, and then said, "What will my status be if I accept Islam?" Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم replied: "I will embrace you; you will become my brother and enjoy the same rights as other Muslims."
He said, "I am very poor and in a bad state. I am totally black and have bad odour coming from my body and clothes. How will you embrace me if I am in such a condition?" Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم replied, "I shall embrace you, for all of Allah's servants are equal in His sight." He said, "If I embrace Islam, what will my fate be?" Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said, "I bear witness that if you accept Islam, Allah will change the darkness of your body to light, and the bad odour to good fragrance." These words of Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم had their effect on his heart and he embraced Islam there and then.
After entering into the fold of Islam, he asked Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم what was he obliged to do? Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said that they were at the moment in the midst of war, thus the obligation at this moment and time was to participate in Jihad. However, Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said to him: "The first and foremost thing you need to do is return these animals to their Jewish owner and then engage in Jihad."
These animals belonged to a Jew who was in the opposing army, but Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ordered him to go back and return them. The reason being, that he had taken these goats and sheep on a trust, and it is necessary by Shariah to return the belongings taken on trust back to their owner.
Thereafter, the shepherd participated in jihad and was amongst the martyrs. Rasulullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم recognized his body and thus addressed his Companions, "I see with my own eyes that he has been given a bath in the sacred water of Jannah and Allah has changed his darkness to shining white and his bad foul smell to a refreshing fragrance."