The Noble Companion Ruwaifi' bin Thabit al-Ansari: An Imam and a Narrator." The Islamic conquests during the reign of the Umayyad Caliphate (41-132 AH / 662-750 AD) began with organized campaigns, starting from the era of Muawiyah bin AbiSufyan, with a gr

Abstract

The Noble Companion Ruwaifi' bin Thabit al-Ansari: An Imam and a Narrator." The Islamic conquests during the reign of the Umayyad Caliphate (41-132 AH / 662-750 AD) began with organized campaigns, starting from the era of Muawiyah bin AbiSufyan, with a great deal of determination and insistence on raising the banner of monotheism in Africa and further west. Successive military campaigns were launched towards the Maghreb countries, involving some of the finest Islamic figures whose feet honored the Libyan lands. Among these distinguished warriors was the valiant knight "Ruwaifi' bin Thabit al-Ansari" (the subject of the research).

Libya, in this region, was the gateway to that glory because it served as the connecting link between the Levant, Egypt, and the Maghreb countries. During this critical period, Barqa and Tripoli saw the succession of several governors, some of whom were companions and followers. Among them was "Muawiyah bin Hudayj al-Sakuni," who, in turn, appointed the noble companion "Ruwaifi' bin Thabit al-Ansari" as the governor of Tripoli in the year 46 AH (667 AD). He became a model in leadership and guidance, credited – after Allah – with raising the banner of Islam for the first time on the island of Jerba in the year 47 AH (667-668 AD). During this time, he taught his knights and soldiers lessons in wise leadership, guiding, advising, warning, and commanding them, in accordance with what he directly heard from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) due to his companionship with him.

This noble companion was confirmed to have narrated numerous prophetic hadiths, addressing important topics related to a Muslim’s faith and creed, including the ethics of warfare in Islam. This reflects the noble values of our pure religion and refutes the biased views that aim to distort the image of Islam and Muslims, depicting them as Arabs thirsty for killing, loot, and enslavement!

Additionally, the research will cover other hadiths concerning the economy and financial transactions, scrutinizing them in terms of subject matter, chain of narration, and variations in the narrations.

The study relies on texts from historical and legal sources, highlighting the overlooked historical achievements of this companion and the profound implications of his hadith narrations, along with some appendices related to the research, conclusions, and recommendations. And Allah is the grantor of success.