Muslim American Society - New Jersey

I know tomorrow's the big game. I feel like one of the few & proud that couldn't care less about football. Maybe I resent the fact they call it football, and then convinced americans the other famed game is called "soccer". I feel the latter has more right to the name "football" than the former. It's a tragic misnomer.

In any case.

I do appreciate atheleticism. In fact, I believe EVERY muslim man and woman should participate in some sort of physical activity consistently. So when I came across this story below, I appreciated it. Not much is known about the Sahaba when they were in their youth, but it's interesting to see how the greatest generation (from an Islamic point of view) spent their time. It's lifted from a book I'm reading by Lt.-General A.I. Akram. He starts the first page by writing the following:

"Khalid and the tall boy glared at each other. Slowly they began to move in a circle, the

gaze of each fixed intently upon the other, each looking for an opening for his attack and

each wary of the tricks that the other might use. There was no hostility in their eyes-just a

keen rivalry and an unshakeable determination to win. And Khalid found it necessary to

be cautious, for the tall boy was left-handed and thus enjoyed the advantage that all left -

handers have over their opponents in a fight.

Wrestling was a popular pastime among the boys of Arabia, and they frequently fought

each other. There was no malice in these fights. It was a sport, and boys were trained in

wrestling as one of the requirements of Arab manhood. But these two boys were the

strongest of all and the leaders of boys of their age. This match was, so to speak, a fight

for the heavy-weight title. The boys were well matched. Of about the same age, they were

in their early teens. Both were tall and lean, and newly formed muscles rippled on their

shoulders and arms as their sweating bodies glistened in the sun. The tall boy was

perhaps an inch taller than Khalid. And their faces were so alike that one was often

mistaken for the other.

Khalid threw the tall boy; but this was no ordinary fall. As the tall boy fell there was a

distinct crack, and a moment later the grotesquely twisted shape of his leg showed that

the bone had broken. The stricken boy lay motionless on the ground, and Khalid stared in

horror at the broken leg of his friend and nephew. (The tall boy's mother, Hantamah bint

Hisham bin Al Mugheerah, was Khalid's first cousin.)

In course of time the injury healed and the leg of t he tall boy became whole and strong

again. He would wrestle again and be among the best of wrestlers. And the two boys

would remain friends. But while they were both intelligent, strong and forceful by nature,

neither had patience or tact. They were to continue to compete with each other in almost

everything that they did.

The reader should make a mental note of this tall boy for he was to play an important role

in the life of Khalid. He was the son of Al Khattab, and his nam e was Umar."

p.s. Love the book but disagree with some of the authors assessments. In this case, I reject the notion they lacked patience or tact.

All the best

~marwan