Biography of Ammar bin Yasir

Hadrat Yasir, father of Hadrat Ammar, belonged to Yemen. He had many brothers. One of them was once lost and nobody ever heard of him thereafter. Yasir, along with his two brothers, went to search of him. During this search he reached Mecca. The two brothers returned home from Mecca but Yasir did not go back and made Mecca his home town. He developed friendly relations with Abu Hudaifa, a dignitary of Mecca. He gave him in marriage one of his very talented and intelligent maid servants, Samiyyah. This lady gave birth to Hadrat Ammar (Allah be pleased with him).

Hadrat Ammar was one of those fortunate and dauntless companions of the Holy Prophet (Allah be pleased with him) who preceded others in embracing Islam Hadrat Ammar embraced Islam when the Holy Prophet (Allah be pleased with him) had taken refuge in the house of Hadrat Arqam bin Abi Arqam along with his thirty or thirty two followers owing to the unbearable tortures and persecution of the infidels of Mecca. It was under these circumstances that his father Yasir, his Mother Samiyyah, his brother Abdullah and the rest of his family accepted Islam.

Hadrat Ammar and his family had no family links with the people of Mecca. Neither had they any wealth or high position to win for them any support from the people of Mecca. Only Abu Hudaifa patronized them but he died before the dawn of Islam.

Finding them helpless, and having no voice or support in the city, the infields of Mecca subjected them to miserable torture as a reprisal against their embracing Islam. They were forced to lie down on the extremely hot sand right at noon. They made to walk over burning cinders. They kept them immersed in the water for hour’s together but could not succeed in wining over any one of those lovers of Islam.

Hadrat Samiyyah, mother of Hadrat Ammar. Although a woman, was a staunch and enthusiastic worker of the Islamic movement. Abu Jahl could not tolerate anybody’s enthusiasm for Islam. One day, in an fit a rage, he struck her below the navel with his spear with such a force that the poor lady died on the spot. His father, Yasir and his brother Abdullah were also torture to death by the infields.

The Holy Prophet (Allah be pleased with him) often shed tears on the helplessness and the miserable condition of this family. Whenever he passed by them and found them holding firm to their faith under severe torture and harsh treatment, he would say:

“O family of ‘Ammar! I congratulate you. The eternal Gardens are waiting for you.”

Once the Holy Prophet (Allah be pleased with him) saw that the infields of Mecca had made Hadrat Ammar lie down on the burning cinders and he was quite helpless. Seeing this, the Holy Prophet (Allah be pleased with him) prayed for him:

“O fire! Cool down for Ammar as thou didst for Hadrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him).”

When Ammar spoke of his helplessness and misery to the Holy Prophet (Allah be pleased with him), he advised’ him to remain calm and prayed for him:

“O Allah! Forgive Yasir’s family.”

They endue untold hardships for a long time. At last Allah helped them out of their misfortune. The Muslims were ordered to migrate. Hadrat Ammar first went to Abyssinia and they migrated to Medina. Seeing his firm belief, faithfulness and truthfulness, the Holy Prophet (Allah be pleased with him) prayed for him to be safe from the Devil and acclaimed him as a test of good and evil. Whenever he saw Ammar, the Holy Prophet (Allah be pleased with him) said, “Faith and conviction run as blood into the veins of Ammar.” Many time he would say, “Alas Ammar! You will be killed by a group of rebels.”