Bismillah.
Read up on Mus`ab ibn `Umair before we move on to today's Hadith.
Mus‘ab was a child of a very rich family. From his childhood, he lived in luxuries of life. Especially as a handsome young man, he was lavished with special love and attention. In fact, he was unique in his luxurious tastes. He wore the most costly clothes and changed them twice a day. His shoes used to be the costliest available at that time. He was also fond of wearing fragrance. A whiff of his fragrance was enough for the people to know that Mus‘ab is passing by. With all that luxurious lifestyle, he was very intelligent and had an elegant personality with keen mind and mastery in eloquent speech. Because of these qualities, he was moving about among the influential circles of chiefs of Quraish at a young age.
All of this changed when he accepted Islam..
Mus‘ab had to sacrifice his life of luxury for the sake of the truth of Islam. For his love for Islam, he was deprived of all his wealth, every penny of it. After losing everything he had, he himself devoted all his time and energies in acquiring Islamic knowledge and in the service of Allaah. Neither he had time or energy to venture any viable economic activity nor did Makkan hostility and persecution afford any chance for Muslims to do so. This resulted in abject poverty. So much so that the young man who was famous for elegant dresses, costly shoes and the best fragrance was seen in the same streets of Makkah in tattered coarse clothes. But he did not even complain. He had found the greatest wealth of all, the love of Allaah and the truth of Islam. He knew that the temporary life of the world would quickly pass, then, he would have all the wealth, better luxuries and everything he would desire forever in the eternal life of the Hereafter. His keen, intelligent mind had spotted and sealed a real deal by trading in the temporary pleasures of this world for the permanent luxuries of the Hereafter. And the greatest luxury of all, he will enjoy the Pleasure of Allaah, His Lord and Master.
Read more on it here.
Narrated Sad from his father:
Once the meal of 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf was brought in front of him, and he said, "Mustab bin 'Umair was martyred and he was better than I, and he had nothing except his Burd (a black square narrow dress) to be shrouded in. Hamza or another person was martyred and he was also better than I and he had nothing to be shrouded in except his Burd. No doubt, I fear that the rewards of my deeds might have been given early in this world." Then he started weeping.
Narrated Ibrahim:
Once a meal was brought to 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf and he was fasting. He said, "Mustab bin 'Umair was martyred and he was better than I and was shrouded in his Burd and when his head was covered with it, his legs became bare, and when his legs were covered his head got uncovered. Hamza was martyred and was better than I. Now the worldly wealth have been bestowed upon us (or said a similar thing). No doubt, I fear that the rewards of my deeds might have been given earlier in this world." Then he started weeping and left his food.
Narrated Khabbab:
We emigrated with the Prophet (p.b.u.h) in Allah's cause, and so our reward was then surely incumbent on Allah. Some of us died and they did not take anything from their rewards in this world, and amongst them was Mustab bin 'Umar; and the others were those who got their rewards. Mustab bin 'Umair was martyred on the day of the Battle of Uhud and we could get nothing except his Burd to shroud him in. And when we covered his head his feet became bare and vice versa. So the Prophet ordered us to cover his head only and to put idhkhir (a kind of shrub) over his feet.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) addressed the dead body of Mus`ab ibn `Umair thus:
When I saw you for the first time in Mecca there was nobody more handsome and well-dressed than you. But, I see that today your hair is uncombed and only a sheet of cloth covers your body!
The dead of Uhud could not get proper shrouds because in those days Muslims were poor and lacked money. Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair had only a sheet of cloth over his body; if the head was covered, the feet were bare and when the feet were covered the head was left bare. In the end, his head was covered and his feet were covered with grass. Such was the shroud of Mus ‘ab bin ‘Umair (Allah be pleased with him) - the great martyr of the Muslim nation.
Read more on his life here.
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Wassalam.
