بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُّبِينًا
Al-Ahzab (The Confederates) - 33:36
Now whenever God and His Apostle have decided a matter, it is not for a believing man or a believing woman to claim freedom of choice insofar as they themselves are concerned: for he who [thus] rebels against God and His Apostle has already, most obviously, gone astray.
Julaybib (رضي الله عنه) was companion of the Prophet(ﷺ) who, unfortunately, is not as well known as he deserves to be. Same goes for his wife. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal mentions him in his masnad as being one from the Ansar, but not from a noble family. On top of that he was of short stature, and is described in books of history as being “damim” which means ugly, deformed, or of repulsive appearance. Even in the Medinan period of so many pious people, Julaybib was often ridiculed due to his appearance, as well as his lineage.
Once, with Julaybib(رضي الله عنه) in mind, the Prophet (ﷺ) went to one of the Ansar and said: “Give me your daughter's hand in marriage”
“How wonderful and blessed, O Messenger of Allah and what a delight to the eye (this would be),” replied the Ansari man with obvious joy and happiness.
“I do not want her for myself,” added the Prophet (ﷺ) .
“Then for whom, O Messenger of Allah?” asked the man, obviously somewhat let down.
“For Julaybib,” said the Prophet(ﷺ).
The Ansari was visibly perturbed at this, and could only muster a feeble reply: “Let me consult with her mother.”
He began with his wife like this: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wants to ask for your daughter's hand.”
She replied happily, “What a wonderful idea and what a delight to the eye (this would be).”
“Not for himself, but for Julaybib,” he added. She was dumbstruck, and then dismayed.
“To Julaybib! No, never to Julaybib! No, by the Living Allah, we shall not marry (her) to him,” she protested.
His daughter, overhearing this conversation, was greatly perturbed:
“Do you refuse the request of the Messenger of Allah? Send me to him for he shall certainly not bring harm to me.”
Then she quoted Al-Ahzab (33:36), and insisted that she will marry Julaybib (رضي الله عنه) .
“I am satisfied and submit myself to whatever the Messenger of Allah deems good for me.”
The Prophet(ﷺ) upon hearing her response prayed for her a prayer that he (ﷺ) never prayed for anyone else:
اللهُمَّ صُبَّ عَلَيْهَا الْخَيْرَ صَبًّا، وَلَا تَجْعَلْ عَيْشَهَا كَدًّا كَدًّا
“O Lord, bestow good on her in abundance and make not her life one of toil and trouble.”
And they lived a blessed life, good fortune greeting them at every turn, until her husband was martyred, after valiantly fighting alongside the Prophet(ﷺ).
The expedition in which Julaybib (رضي الله عنه) was martyred was not compulsory for everyone.
On the day of the expedition his father in law, pleaded with him: "'O Julaybib this is not a compulsory jihad, it is voluntary. You are newly wed, stay at home with your wife."
Julaybib (رضي الله عنه), replied: "O my father you say a strange thing, my Rasulullah is in the battlefield facing the enemies of Islam and you want me to sit at home with my wife, nay I will sacrifice my blood and my soul rather than bear to see my Rasul facing hardships while I sit at home in comfort".
It is reported that the Prophet(ﷺ) said of him:
“He is of me and I am of him.”
