I) ‘Amr bin Al-Jamooh, may Allah be pleased with him.
‘Amr bin Al-Jamooh, may Allah be pleased with him, was lame, and he had four sons as strong as lions, who attended the battles with the Messenger of Allah . They were Khallaad, Mu‘awwith, Mu‘aath and Abu Ayman, may Allah be pleased with them. When it was the Day of Uhud, they wanted to convince him to sit at home, saying, “Allah The Almighty has excused you [since you are disabled].” He came to the Messenger of Allah and said, “My sons want to hinder me from the duty [of Jihaad], but to set out with you in it [is very dear to me]. By Allah, I hope to walk on [the ground of] Paradise with this lameness of mine.” The Messenger of Allah said to him: “There is no doubt that Allah The Almighty has excused you, and thus, no Jihaad is due upon you.” Addressing his sons, he said: “Why do you prevent him [from going out for Jihaad], perhaps Allah would bestow upon him [the honor of] martyrdom.” He set out saying, while facing the Qiblah (direction of prayer), “O Allah, do not return me to my family with failure [of attaining martyrdom].” He was killed as a martyr.
According to another narration of this incident, ‘Amr bin Al-Jamooh, may Allah be pleased with him, came to the Messenger of Allah and said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me: if I fight [the disbelievers] until I am killed [in the Cause of Allah], would I walk in Paradise having my leg sound?” He was referring to his leg which was lame. The Messenger of Allah said: “Yes.” On the Day of Uhud, he, his nephew and a freed slave belonging to them were martyred. The Messenger of Allah came to them, and they were buried in one grave. [Ahmad in his Musnad]
This narration makes it permissible for anyone to set out for Jihaad, even if it is not due upon him and even though he has legal excuses like an ailment or lameness, to remain behind and leave it, just as ‘Amr bin Al-Jamooh, may Allah be pleased with him, set out even though he was lame. It also shows the extent to which ‘Amr bin Al-Jamooh, may Allah be pleased with him, was brave and desired martyrdom. Because he was true in his hope for it, he was honored by Allah The Almighty with it.
J) The father of Huthayfah bin Al-Yamaan and Thaabit bin Waqsh, may Allah be pleased with them.
When the Prophet went out to the Battle of Uhud, he left Husayl bin Jaabir (Al-Yamaan, Huthayfah's father) and Thaabit bin Waqsh, may Allah be pleased with them, in the forts with the women and children. One of them said to his companion, “You have no father [meaning, you have no responsibility]. What are we waiting for? We both have only a short time to live anyway. Why don't we take our swords and join the Messenger of Allah? Perhaps Allah The Almighty will bless us with martyrdom while fighting alongside His Prophet,”
They quickly prepared for battle and were soon fighting, but no one knew about this. Thaabit bin Waqsh, may Allah be pleased with him, was killed by the disbelievers. The father of Huthayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, however, was killed by some Muslims who did not recognize who he was. As they flayed him, Huthayfah cried out, “[It's my] father!” No one heard him. The old man fell, killed in error by the swords of his own brothers in faith who truthfully said that they did not recognize him. Grieved as he was, Huthayfah said to them, “May Allah forgive you for He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy.” The Prophet wanted to pay Huthayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, blood money but he refused to take it and left it as charity for the Muslims. This raised his status in the sight of the Prophet .
In this tradition, the effect of faith on the souls of the elders who are excused from Jihaad appears. They left the forts and went to the battlefields seeking martyrdom out of their love and longing to meet Allah The Almighty.
This tradition also includes a great incident of Huthayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, who gave the blood money of his father in charity, and asked Allah The Almighty to forgive his companions as they had killed his father mistakenly.
This story also proves that if Muslims killed one of their own during Jihaad, believing that he was a disbeliever, then the ruler must pay his blood money from the Bayt Al-Maal (public treasury). This is because the Prophet wanted to pay the blood money of Al-Yamaan, may Allah be pleased with him, but his son Huthayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, refused to take it and left it as charity for the Muslims.
Among the Martyrs of Uhud - II
Among the Martyrs of Uhud - III