Introduction:
ibn Malik was the servant of prophet Mohammad who accompanied him since he migrated to al-Madina. Therefore, he was a good scholar of Islam and an authentic reference for all Muslims till his death. Anas was the last companion to die. He was ibn Malik ibn al-Nadhr al-Ansari. His mother was called al-Ghumaidha’ umm Seleem ibn Malhan ibn Khalid al-Ansaria. She embraced Islam and was the pioneer of the Ansari Muslim women. Her husband refused to embrace Islam and left for Syria. On his way, some highway men assaulted and killed him. When Umm-Anas heard the news, she vowed to go on suckling the child, and not get married again till the boy allowed her.he used to talk about his mother well and thank her for her good upbringing.
A good mother to a good son:
Ibn Malik lived with his mother who went on teaching him the holy Quran and how to read and write. He was eight and began to sit with the elderly people and talk to them. A suitor, Abu Talha, saw him and proposed to his mother. Umm Anas told Abu Talha that he was not a Muslim. Abu Talha said that he would think about it. Then, the man went to prophet Mohammad and converted to Islam. After that, Abu Talha went to Umm Anas who asked for her son’s consent to get married.lbn Malik wed her and her dowry was Abu Talha’s conversion to Islam.
Anas, the servant of prophet Mohammed:
Umm Anas wanted him to teach him Islam. Therefore she decided that her son would be the servant of prophet Mohammad. This way, lbn Malik accompanied prophet Mohammad everywhere. She went to prophet Mohammad and said that all the Ansar had given gifts to him. So, she gave her son Anas to serve prophet Mohammed as a gift. Anas said that he served prophet Mohammad for ten years, during which prophet Mohammad treated him very well.The Prophet advised him to keep the prophet’s secrets. The Prophet of Allah taught him purity and cleanliness. The mesenger of Allah taught him the good etiquette of a Muslim. Whenever young Anas made a mistake, prophet Mohammad would gently draw his attention. Anas served prophet Mohammad well.
Umm Anas asks the prophet to make dua:
Umm Anas was happy about Anas‘ obedience to prophet Mohammad. Therefore, she asked prophet Mohammad to make dua for Anas. She knew very well that the supplication of prophet Mohammad was certainly answered by Allah. Prophet Mohammad prayed saying: “Allahumma make his money and children abundant, let him live for long and admit him into paradise.” Allah truly answered the prophet’s dua. The money, wealth and the fruits of Anas’s gardens were too much. Anas had more than a hundred children. Fruit would appear twice on the trees at Anas’s gardens a year. Once, the gardens of Anas needed water badly. There was no rain. There was a drought. Anas made a supplication and it rained heavily on his gardens only.
The worship and asceticism of Anas:
Ibn Malik was a real pioneer concerning his worship and asceticism. lbn Malik used to worship and pray for long times. He used to pray in the best way. He imitated the prophet’s worship perfectly. Because of his asceticism, Anas used to keep silent most of his time. When Anas spoke, he would only mention Allah alone. Moreover, lbn Malik used to weep a lot out of his piety. He participated in the battle of Badr, witnessed the battles of Khaibar, al-Hudaibia, the conquest of Makkah, Hunain, the prophet’s Umra and pilgrimage and twenty-seven battles. Once, He was about to be killed, but his brother, al-Bara’ rescued him.
Anas intercedes for his aunt:
Anas’s aunt, al-Rabie bint al-Nadhr, was a tough woman. Once, she slapped a maid of hers on the face. She broke the maid’s tooth. The maid’s relatives demanded compensation. Prophet Mohammad ruled that there had to be retribution; a tooth for a tooth. Anas came to prophet Mohammad to intercede. However, the prophet refused. He went to the maid’s folk and offered compensation and asked for their forgiveness. Eventually, prophet Mohammad accepted it. Prophet Mohammad died. He was sadder than all. Anas would see prophet Mohammad in his dreams every night. When Abu Bakr took over as the Khalifa of Muslims, he asked him to go to al-Bahrain to monitor their water supply.
What Anas used to wear at al-Basra:
After the prophet’s death, lbn Malik couldn’t live in al-Madina without him. Therefore, Anas went to live in al-Basra. Whenever prophet Mohammad’s name was mentioned, ibn Malik would weep hard. Anas owned four houses in al-Basra. Anas would wear colorful fine clothes. when people objected to it, he would say that it was allah’s favor. lbn Malik narrated about 2286 of the prophet’s hadith. He narrated these hadith over the ten years during which he was the prophet’s servant. A lot of Muslim scholars benefited from the wide knowledge of ibn Malik. He gave a detailed account of some important incidents in Islam.
Between al-Walid ibn Abdelmalik and Anas:
Ibn Malik lived in al-Basra, Iraq. He often went to Syria. The Umayad Khalifa used to invite ibn Malik to visit him in Damascus. This shows us that Anas was on good terms with all the governors at that time. He didn’t ask for any worldly benefit. He only lived with his memories with prophet Mohammad. He was interested only in teaching people what he had learnt from prophet Mohammad. Once, ibn Malik went to Syria and met Khalifa al-Walid who asked Anas to tell him something he had learnt from prophet Mohammad about the Doom’s Day. He said that prophet Mohammad was sent just before the Doom’s Day.
Anas ibn Malik dies:
Ibn Malik grew very old. He exceeded one hundred years of age. He couldn’t go fasting in Ramadan. He fed thirty poor Muslims instead. Someone told Anas that he was the only survivor of the prophet’s companions. They wanted to call a doctor to see him . He refused and asked them to help him say the testimony. When he felt that it was the end, Anas asked that Mohammad ibn Sereen would wash him, wrap him in his death cloth (coffin) and perform the funeral prayer on his dead body. They put musk and a few hair of the prophet’s and a cane. It was after the year ninety H in the caliphate of al-Walid ibn Abdel-Malik.
