“I dream of becoming a scientist”

When a special knife for cutting flesh and a saw for sawing bones was brought, one of the doctors said to Urwa, “I think that we should give you wine to drink - this way it will be easier for you to endure the pain, because it will be very strong.”

However, Urwa was categorical, “Under no circumstances!” I will not resort to a forbidden remedy for the healing I hope for.”

The doctor continued, “Then we will give you a pain-numbing drug to drink.”

However, Urwa again disagreed, “I do not want to lose one of my body parts without feeling pain. I will endure and hope for a reward from Allah ﷻ.”

As soon as the doctor was about to begin the amputation, several people approached. Urwa asked who they were. The doctor explained, “If necessary, they will hold you. After all, if you feel pain, you can jerk your leg and harm yourself.”

Hearing this, Urwa said, “Let them go away. I do not need them. Truly, I hope that the remembrance and glorification of the Almighty will replace them for me.”

After listening to Urwa, the doctor began the operation. He cut the flesh with a knife right down to the bone, and then began to saw it. And Urwa repeated (meaning), “There is no deity except Allah ﷻ, and Allah ﷻ is Great...”

The doctor did his job and Urwa kept repeating these words. Finally, the doctor removed the leg. Then they boiled oil in an iron vat and dipped what was left of the leg into it to stop the bleeding. Urwa fainted from unbearable pain. He lay unconscious for a long time, which prevented him from reading part of the Koran that day, as usual. This was the only time since his early youth that Urwa missed out on this boon.

Having regained consciousness, Urwa first asked for his severed limb to be brought to him. They handed it to him. Turning his leg in his hands, he said, “I swear by the One who helped me with it (leg) to go to the mosque in the dark, truly, He knows that I never went with it (leg) to the forbidden. Know that the test from Allah ﷻ that befell me also befell others before me...”

Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik was upset that his dear guest had suffered so many misfortunes: he had lost his son and lost his leg, and all this happened in a matter of days. Al-Walid began to think about how to console Urwa and help him patiently endure the trials that befell him.

It so happened that just at that time a group of people from the Banu Abs tribe was in the caliph’s palace. Among them there was a blind man. Al-Walid asked him about the reason for his blindness, and he replied, “O Commander of the Believers! Among the Banu Abs there was no one richer than me, and no one had such a large family as I did. I lived with my family and my fellow tribesmen at the very bottom of the valley. And one day a flashflood came upon us, the likes of which we had never seen before. This flood deprived me of all my property, family and children, leaving me with only a camel and a newborn child. The camel was restive, broke free and ran away from me. I left the child on the ground and ran after the camel. But as soon as I ran away from that place, I heard a scream behind me. I turned around and saw that the wolf was already grabbing the child by the head. I rushed to him, but it was too late. I could not save the child because the wolf had already killed him. I caught up with the camel, but as I approached it, it kicked me right in the face, injuring my forehead, causing me to go blind. So, in one night I was left without a family, without children, without property and without sight...”

Al-Walid ordered his gatekeeper, “Take this man to our guest Urwa ibn az-Zubair. Let him tell him his story so that Urwa will know that there are people who have suffered worse trials than him.”

When Urwa ibn az-Zubayr was taken to Medina and brought to his house, he spoke first, saying, “Do not be afraid of what you see. The Almighty gave me four sons, and then took one from me, leaving three, praise Him for that. He gave me four limbs, and then He took away one of them, leaving three, and for this we praise Him.”

Upon learning of the return of their imam and scholar Urwa ibn az-Zubayr, the people of Medina hurried to his house to console him and offer their condolences. One of the best condolences came from the words of Ibrahim ibn Muhammad bin Talha. He said, “Rejoice, O Abu Abd Allah, because one of your organs and one of your sons preceded you, going to Paradise before you. And the whole will follow its part with the permission of the Almighty. The Lord left us from you what we need and cannot do without: your knowledge, understanding of religion and correct judgments. May Allah ﷻ bring benefit through them to both you and us! And Allah ﷻ is the One who gives you a reward and guarantees you a good settlement.”

Throughout his life, Urwa ibn az-Zubayr remained the minbar of the straight path for Muslims. He pointed out what there was to succeed in and called for good. Urwa paid great attention to raising children, especially his own. He never missed an opportunity to give them useful instruction. He encouraged his sons to acquire knowledge, telling them, “My sons, acquire knowledge and do justice to it, for truly, even if you are the most insignificant of people, perhaps Allah ﷻ will make you great through knowledge.” And then he added, “Shame! Is there anything in this world more disgusting than an ignorant old man?”

Urwa encouraged his sons to consider alms as a gift that they give to the Almighty. He said, “My sons, let none of you give to his Lord what he would be ashamed to give to a noble representative of his fellow tribesmen, for, truly, the Almighty is the Most Majestic and the Most Generous. And He is more worthy to choose the best for Him.”

Urwa also enlightened his sons about people, helping them understand the essence of humanity. So, he told them, “My sons, if you see that a person is doing something good, then hope for good for him, even if people consider him a bad person, because he will have other similar deeds. And if you see that some person is doing something bad, then beware of him, even if people consider him a good person, because he will have other similar things to do.”

Urwa encouraged his sons to be gentle, speak kind words and maintain a friendly and inviting expression. He said, “My sons, it was not for nothing that wise people said, ‘Let your words be good, and let your face be friendly and then people will love you more than those who give them any of the world’s blessings.’”

Seeing that people were inclined towards luxury and indulged in pleasures, Urwa reminded them of how modest and harsh the life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was.

Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said, “Once I met Urwa ibn az-Zubayr. He took me by the hand and said: “Once I went to the mother of the faithful Aisha , and she said: ‘Son...’ I replied: ‘Here I am in front of you.’ She said: ‘By Allah ﷻ, it happened that in the house of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ no fire was lit for 40 nights, neither a lamp nor anything else.’ I asked: ‘What did you eat?’ She replied: ‘Dates and water.’”

Urwa ibn az-Zubayr lived for seventy-one years and all these years were filled with goodness and piety and were crowned with the fear of God. And death came to him, while he was fasting. His family urged him to break his fast. But he refused. He refused because he hoped to break his fast with a sip of water from the heavenly river Kavsar.

“I dream of becoming a scientist”