Bravery of the companions
Monday, 12 September 2011
Written by Islamstory
One of the most remarkable duels in history took place
during the Battle of the Ditch between Ali bin Abi Taalib and Amr bin Abdu Wud.
Amr (We shall call him the Giant!) was a huge man of a tremendous height and
bulk, and while on his feet would tower above his fellow men. Sitting on his
great horse, he looked positively unreal. Big, strong and fearless, he had a
fierce countenance--an aspect which thrilled his comrades and dismayed his
enemies.
Amr
stood motionless as he let his gaze wander scornfully over the ranks of the
Muslims. Suddenly the Giant raised his head and roared, "I am Amr bin Abdu
Wud. I am the greatest warrior in Arabia. I am invincible. Is there anyone
among you who has the courage to meet me in personal combat?" The
challenge was received by the Muslims in silence. They looked at one another.
They looked at the Holy Prophet. But no one moved, for the Giant was famous for
his strength and skill, and though wounded several times, had never yet lost a
duel, nor spared an opponent. It was said that he was equal to 500 horsemen;
that he could lift a horse bodily and hurl it to the ground; that he could pick
up a calf with his left hand and use it as a shield in combat. The vivid Arab
imagination had created around this formidable warrior a legend of
invincibility. So the Muslims remained silent, and the Giant laughed with
contempt--a laugh in which the Quraish also joined, for they stood quite close
to the ditch and could see and hear all that went on. "So is there none
among you who has the courage of a man? And what of your Islam? And your
Prophet?" At this blasphemous taunt, Ali left his position in the front
rank of the Muslims, approached the Holy Prophet and sought permission to
engage the challenger and silence his insolent tongue once and for all. The
Prophet replied, "Sit down. This is Amr!" Ali returned to his
position. There was another burst of scornful laughter, more taunts, another
challenge. Again Ali went up to the Prophet. Again the Prophet declined
permission. More laughter, more taunts. Again the challenge from Amr, and this
time more insulting than before. "Where is your paradise?" He
shouted, "Of which you say that those who lose in battle will enter it?
Can you not send a man to fight me?" When for the third time Ali moved
towards the Prophet, the Prophet saw in Ali's eyes a look which he knew well;
and he knew that Ali could no longer be restrained. He looked at Ali fondly,
for Ali was dearer to him than any other man. He took off his turban and wound
it around Ali's head. He next took off his sword and girded it at Ali's waist.
And he prayed: "O Lord! Help him!? Now in Ali's hand, was the sword to
become the most famous in Islam, killing more men in fair combat than any sword
in history. This was the Zulfiqar. Ali hastily collected a small group of
Muslims and strode out towards the unbelievers. The group stopped at some
distance from the Giant, and Ali stepped forward and got to within duelling
distance of the challenger. The Giant knew Ali well. He had been a friend of
Ali's father, Abu Taalib. He now smiled indulgently at Ali as a man might smile
at a boy. "O Amr!" called Ali. "It is believed that if any man
of the Quraish offers you two proposals, you always accept at least one of
them." "True." "Then I have two proposals to offer you. The
first is: accept Allah and His Messenger and Islam." "I have no need
of them." "Then dismount from your horse and fight me."
"Why, O son of my brother? I have no desire to kill you." "But
I", replied Ali, "Have a great desire to kill you!" The Giant's
face flushed with anger. With a cry of rage he sprang off his horse, displaying
a degree of agility surprising in so huge a monster. He hamstrung his horse,
drew his sword and rushed at Ali. The fight was on. Amr struck at Ali many
times, but Ali remained unharmed. He would parry the blow with his sword or
shield or nimbly step aside to let the Giant's sword whistle past him
harmlessly. At last the Giant stood back, panting and baffled. He wondered how
this could be. Never before had any man survived so long in personal combat
against him. And now this boy was looking at him as if he was playing a game!
Then things happened so fast that no one could quite follow the sequence. Ali
dropped his sword and shield to the ground; his body shot through the air like
a missile and his hands grasped the Giant's throat; with a wrestler's kick he
knocked the Giant off balance, and the Giant came crashing to the ground-all in
a matter of seconds. Now the Giant lay on his back with Ali sitting astride his
chest. The two armies gasped and murmured, then held their breath. The bewilderment
on the Giant's face changed to fury. At last he had been thrown, and by this
young upstart who was less than half his size! But although he was down, he was
not finished. He would still win the battle and re-establish his position as
the greatest warrior in Arabia. He would toss this youngster into the air as a
leaf is tossed by the wind. The Giant's face went purple, the veins stood out
on his neck and his huge biceps and forearms trembled as he strained to break
Ali's grip. But he could not move it an inch. There was the quality of steel in
the muscles of Ali. "Know, O Amr", said Ali gently, "that
victory and defeat depend upon the will of Allah. Accept Islam! Thus not only
will your life be spared, but you will also enjoy the blessings of Allah in this
life and the next." Ali drew a sharp dagger from his waistband and held it
close to Amr's throat. But this was more than the Giant could take. Was he whom
Arabia considered her greatest champion to live the rest of his life under the
shadow of defeat and disgrace? Was it to be said of him that he saved his life
in personal combat by submitting to the conditions of his opponent? No! He, Amr
bin Abdu Wud, had lived by the sword. He would perish by the sword. A life
spent in violence must end with violence. He gathered the spittle in his mouth
and spat into the face of Ali! He knew what would happen. He knew that there
would be a sharp intake of breath, that Ali's right arm would shoot into the
air and then plunge the dagger into his throat. Amr was a brave man and could
face death without flinching. He arched his back and raised his chin to offer
his throat to Ali, for he knew what was to come. But what happened next left
him even more bewildered. Ali rose calmly from Amr's chest, wiped his face, and
stood a few paces away, gazing solemnly at his adversary. "Know, O Amr, I
only kill in the way of Allah and not for any private motive. Since you spat in
my face, my killing you now may be from a desire for personal vengeance. So I
spare your life. Rise and return to your people!" The Giant rose. But
there was no question of his returning to his people a loser. He would live a
victor, or not at all. Intending to make one last attempt at victory, he picked
up his sword and rushed at Ali. Perhaps he would catch Ali unaware. 
Ali had just enough time to pick up his sword and
shield and prepare for the fresh assault. The blow which the Giant now
delivered in furious desperation was the most savage blow of the encounter. His
sword shattered Ali's shield, but in doing so lost its force and impetus, and
could then do no more than inflict a shallow cut on Ali's temple. The wound was
too slight to worry Ali. Before the Giant could raise his sword again, the
Zulfiqar flashed in the sunlight, and it's tip slashed open the Giant's throat.
The blood of the Giant gushed forth like a fountain. For a moment the Giant
stood motionless. Then his body began to sway as if he was drunk. And then he
fell on his face with a crash and lay still. The earth did not shake with the
impact of that colossal body. The earth is too big. But the hill of Sil'a shook
with the cry of Allah-o-Akbar that thundered from 2,000 Muslim throats. The
triumphant cry echoed through the length and breadth of the valley before it
faded away into the stillness of the desert.
Source: Taken from "The Sword of Allah: Khalid bin Al-Waleed: His Life and Campaigns." by Lieutenant-General A.I. Akram, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The complete online book can be found at www.swordofallah.com
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