Hazrat Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) was a brave and loving companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and his life teaches us how to be patient, kind, and strong in faith, and he was born in the city of Makkah many years ago, in a time when people worshipped idols and lived in darkness of wrong beliefs, and his father’s name was Yasir and his mother’s name was Sumayyah; they belonged to a poor family, but they had rich hearts, and when they heard about the beautiful message of Islam from Prophet Muhammad(sallal laho alaihi wasalam), they listened with love and hope in their hearts, and they accepted that there is only one God (Allah), and they believed that Muhammad was Allah’s final messenger to teach people goodness.
But the rich and powerful people of Makkah did not like Islam; they wanted to stop the new message, because it taught kindness and fairness and it said all people are equal, rich or poor, black or white, and some mean men in Makkah began to hurt them; they beat Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu)r, his brother Hārith, and even his parents very cruelly, but Sumayyah (radiyallāhu anha) stayed strong and became the first woman to be martyred for Islam, and her heart went straight to Jannah, and Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) watched his mother become a hero of bravery and faith.
Childhood of Patience and Strength
Little Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) was a kind boy, always smiling even when people were mean, and he was only around seven or eight years old when he saw the bad people hit his dear father Yasir and say hurtful words; still, Ammar did not cry loudly, but looked to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) for help and safe words.
The Prophet (sallal laho alaihi wasalam) held his little hand and prayed for him and his family, and made that beautiful supplication, “Allah, bless Ammar’s ibn Yasir (Radiy allahu Anhu) family,” and every time Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) heard that prayer, he felt warm inside and felt that he was loved by Allah; even in pain, Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiy allahu Anhu) would say “Lā ilāha illallāh” with his soft voice, meaning “There is no god but Allah,” and that small phrase made him stronger than all the iron and pain in the world.
Growing into a Devoted Companion
As he grew, Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) became a tall and handsome young man, with kind eyes and a pure heart, so many Muslims looked up to him, and he became one of the best helpers of the Prophet (sallal laho alaihi wasalam) in Makkah and later in Madinah.
When the Prophet (sallal laho alaihi wasalam) performed Hijrah to Madinah, Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) went with him, carrying some dates in his bag, sharing with hungry believers along the journey, and later he joined the Muslims in all the important moments—he was at Badr, he was at Uhud, and he stood strong even when others were scared; at the Battle of Uhud, Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) was injured, but he did not leave the field because he loved the Prophet (sallal laho alaihi wasalam) and he loved Islam; injuries were many, but faith in his heart was more—for Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) knew if he had to be brave, he would stay on the path of goodness.
A Life of Learning and Kindness
Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) loved to learn from the Prophet(sallal laho alaihi wasalam), and he learned how to pray five times, how to fast in Ramadan, how to give zakāt, and how to speak kind words; he remembered the Prophet’s (sallal laho alaihi wasalam) sayings (hadith) very well and would tell others with clarity: “The Prophet (sallal laho alaihi wasalam) said…,” and people trusted him because he never lied.
Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) also liked to help poor people. He would give his own food to children who were hungry, and he would smile and say, “Eat, little brother,” and they would smile back, because Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) made them feel loved and safe; he said, “We are a family,” and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Ammar is my beloved son.”
Strong in Faith, Gentle in Heart
When people spoke unkind words about Ammar’s family or tried to stop him from praying, Ammar ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) would stand tall and recite his prayer like a strong mountain of faith; even when he lost his dear mother Sumayyah, who became a martyr, Ammar ibn Yasir (Radi yallahu Anhu) remembered her words: “Fear Allah, Ammar,” and he kept that as his strength.
Ammar ibn Yasir (Radi yallahu Anhu) was gentle with animals too. Once he saved a small bird whose wing was hurt. He gently held the bird and set it free, saying, “Fly, little one.” He taught children that all creatures are gifts from Allah, and we should be kind to them; when he saw ants on the ground, he would move them off the path kindly and say softly, “Little ants have the right to live.”
His Role After the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him)
After the Prophet’s (sallal laho alaihi wasalam) death, when the community needed leaders, Ammar ibn Yasir (Radi yallahu Anhu) was chosen to be a teacher and guide, and he helped in the time of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and he spoke truth to the leaders because he loved Allah more than any throne; later, when a long night of trials came, Ammar ibn Yasir (Radi yallahu Anhu) stood for justice and truth, even when some people were confused, and he reminded them: “Follow what the Prophet (sallal laho alaihi wasalam) taught us”—and that helped many return to the right path again.
Lessons from Ammar’s ibn Yasir (Radiyallahu Anhu) Life
Ammar’s life reminds us that even if people hurt us, we must keep our faith, and even if we lose someone dear, we pray for them and stay strong, and even if we are small, kindness and truth can shine bigger than giants; from his story we learn to always say the simple words, “Lā ilāha illallāh,” to pray on time even if we feel afraid, to speak kindly, to help the hungry, to say sorry when we make mistakes, to stand up against unfairness, and to love our families like Ammar ibn Yasir (Radi yallahu Anhu) loved his mother Sumayyah, who stood by the Prophet’s (sallal laho alaihi wasalam) side bravely and taught him to fear Allah and love goodness.
A Bedtime Reminder
Children, when you go to sleep tonight, remember Hazrat Ammar ibn Yasir (Radi yallahu Anhu) and the light in his heart, and when you wake up, pray to Allah five times, help your friends, share your food, speak only kind words at home, and always say, “Thank You, Allah,” because there is no bigger gift than Imaan (faith) which Allah gives us, and let us say: “Radiyallāhu ‘anhu” when we hear his name—this means “May Allah be pleased with him” because he showed all of us the way of patience, trust, honesty, and love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).