There are many outstanding Companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who come to mind throughout Islamic history. Some are huge in stature, and others are humble, yet highly respectable or brilliant in some way. Julaybib (may Allah be pleased with him) was a beloved Companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). However, he is not a likely figure to make it in the ranks of celebrated heroes of Islam.

Julaybib's life and deeds were not sung nor recounted with reverence as they should be. However, by considering the meager facts available about him, one can see hope for many humble souls.

His story is significant and many lessons can be learnt from it. It shows us a lot about how a human being can be devalued based on superficial things. His life is an example and hope for souls filled with despondency because they do not measure up to the norms set by society. His story touches the hearts of many, even today.

RA was one of the less known companions of Muhammad SAW in the early Muslim community. His name was acquired prior to his acceptance of Islam and is considered unusual and incomplete. Before the advent of Islam, he was not known to be a gallant warrior on the battlefield. His personal attributes appeared so contrary to the normal heroes of old.

In the Arabic language Julaybib means "small grown" being the diminutive form of the word jalbab, indicating that Julaybib was small and short, even dwarf-like. He was also described as being damim , meaning ugly, deformed, or repulsive. He was brutally rejected by society, because people at that time were more concerned with physical appearance and status than with integrity.

In addition to his physical appearance, another important factor in the mistreatment Julaybib received had to do with his lineage.

Lineage was an essential part in the Arab society he lived in, just as it is still important today in many cases. One's lineage determined one's status in the society. His physical appearance and unknown lineage made people shun and spurn him. He was an outcast, which caused him much public humiliation and disgrace. Facing such disdainful treatment, Julaybib was apparently a lonely soul yearning for love and compassion. As he was carrying the burden of prejudice on his shoulder from the time he was born, companionship, love, and compassion became alien to him.

Julaybib could not expect any compassion or help, any protection or support from a society that placed a great deal of importance on family and tribal connections. In this regard, all that was known of him was that he was an Arab and that, as far as the new community of Islam was concerned, he was one of the Ansar. Perhaps he belonged to one of the outlying tribes beyond Madinah and had drifted into the city or he could even have been from among the Ansar of the city itself.

He survived as best he could in the lonely night in Madinah. He spent wondering the streets in despair, tears of desperation would run down his cheeks, there was no one willing to offer him love or compassion, he had no family and not a single friend in the world.Life for him was a lonely struggle.

The disabilities under which Julaybib RA lived would have been enough to have him ridiculed and shunned in any society and in fact he was prohibited by one person, a certain Abu Barzah of the Aslam tribe, from entering his home. He once told his wife:

"Do not let Julaybib enter among you. If he does, I shall certainly do (something terrible to him)."

Was there any hope of Julaybib being treated with respect and consideration? Was there any hope of his finding emotional satisfaction as an individual and as a man? Was there any hope of his enjoying the relationships which others take for granted?

After the arrival of the Prophet of ALLAH SAW to Madinah,he used to go and sit in the company of the Prophet SAW and listen intently, rarely speaking .He would out of shyness keep his gaze lowered. He became a devoted servant of Almighty Allah and beloved Companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). He gained respect and affection from the noble Prophet for his sincerity, integrity, and strong belief.

Julaybib earned the honor he had long yearned for. Prophet Muhammad cared deeply for him and was sensitive of his needs. He now, had the best of friends in the Prophet of Allah Muhammad SAW .One day as he was sitting in the Company of the Prophet ﷺ , The Messenger of ALLAH ﷺ asked him:

"O Julay'beeb ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻬﻢ ask for something... is there anything you desire?"

He raised his head slowly and said in a shy voice;

"O Messenger of ALLAH ﷺ , ALLAH has blessed me with your companionship, I get to sit at your blessed feet and hear your blessed words, what more could I desire".

Just as he was aware of the great issues of life and destiny, the Prophet of Mercy (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) was also aware of the needs and sensibilities of his most humble companions. With Julaybib in mind, the Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) went to one of the Ansar and said:

"I want to have your daughter married." "How wonderful and blessed, O Messenger of Allah and what a delight to the eye (this would be)," replied the Ansari man with obvious joy and happiness. "I do not want her for myself," added the Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam). "Then for whom, O Messenger of Allah?" asked the man, obviously somewhat let down. " For Julaybib," said the Prophet. The Ansari must have been too shocked to give his own reaction and he merely said: "I will consult with her mother."

And off he went to his wife. "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wants to have your daughter married," he said to her. She too was thrilled. "What a wonderful idea and what a delight to the eye (this would be)," she said. "He does not want to marry her himself but he wants to marry her to Julaybib," he added. She was flabbergasted.

"To Julaybib! No, never to Julaybib! No, by Allah, we shall not marry (her) to him," she protested. As the Ansari was about to return to the Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) to inform him of what his wife had said, the daughter who had heard her mother's protestations, asked: "Who has asked you to marry me?" Her mother told her of the Prophet's request for her hand in marriage to Julaybib.

When she heard that the request had come from the Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) and that her mother was absolutely opposed to the idea, she was greatly perturbed and said: "Do you refuse the request of the Messenger of Allah? Send me to him for he shall certainly not bring ruin to me." This was the reply of a truly great person who had a clear understanding of what was required of her as a Muslim. What greater satisfaction and fulfillment can a Muslim find than in responding willingly to the requests and commands of the Messenger of Allah! No doubt, this companion of the Prophet, whose name we do not even know had heard the verse of the Quran:

"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error." (The Qur'an, Surah al-Ahzab, 33:36)

This verse was revealed in connection with the marriage of Zaynab bint Jahsh and Zayd ibn al-Harithah which was arranged by the Prophet to show the egalitarian spirit of Islam. Zaynab at first was highly offended at the thought of marrying Zayd a former s lave and refused to do so. The Prophet prevailed upon them both and they were married. The marriage however ended in divorce and Zaynab was eventually married to the Prophet himself. It is said that the Ansari girl read the verse to her parents and said:

"I am satisfied and submit myself to whatever the Messenger of Allah deems good for me." The Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) heard of her reaction and prayed for her: " O Lord, bestow good on her in abundance and make not her life one of toil and trouble ." Among the Ansaar, it is said that there was not a more eligible bride than she.

The attitude of the daughter of the Ansari was that of a true believer. The daughter's attitude shows the confidence of a Muslim woman who could not be influenced by the whims of her society.

Moreover, the fact that her parents did not interfere in her decision explains how Islam does not pressure a woman nor does it disregard her right to choose her husband. Islam gave the happiness Julaybib deserved. He lived happily together with his beautiful wife until he was martyred.

He went on an expedition with the Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam), peace be upon him, and an encounter with some mushrikin (polytheists) ensued. When the battle was over, the Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) asked his companions: "Have you lost anyone?" They replied giving the names of their relatives or close friends who were killed. He put the same questions to other companions and they also named the ones they had lost in the battle. Another group answered that they had lost no close relatives whereupon the Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: " But I have lost Julaybib. Search for him in the battlefield. "

They searched and found him beside seven mushrikin whom he had struck before meeting his end. The Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) stood up and went to the spot where Julaybib, his short and deformed companion, lay. He stood over him and said:

" He killed seven and then was killed? This (man) is of me and I am of him ."

He repeated this two or three times. The Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) then took him in his arms and it is said that he had no better bed besides than the forearms of the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) then dug for him a grave and himself placed him in it. He did not wash him for martyrs are not washed before burial.

Julaybib 'The Lonesome one' had become a beloved of Allah, and his prophet, he was lonely no more. Such is the status of the lovers of the Prophet.

As for his wife it is said that there was no widow whose hand was more sought after in marriage than hers.

The man whose life was filled with challenges and struggles won the hearts and admiration of many through his pure intentions, traits, and love for Islam and the Prophet.

In Julaybib, there is the example of a person who was almost regarded as a social outcast because of his appearance. Given help, confidence and encouragement by the noble Prophet, he was able to perform acts of courage and make the supreme sacrifice and deserve the commendation of the Prophet: "He is of me and I am of him."...

There are so many lessons to be learnt from Julaybib's life. His story is a reflection of Islam — that pure religion which ended his desolate world of disparagement.