The Originator of the Term “Amma Ba`d” used in Khutbah of Yaumul Jumu’ah

During the days of Jahiliyyah, there was a righteous preacher by the name of Qus bin Sa`ida al-Iyadi.

Qus was the chief of his tribe, and he was either a Christian or a Haneef. He was the first Arab to use the phrase “amma ba`d” (as for what comes after this), which became enshrined in our Friday sermons.

Qus gave a memorable speech in the `Ukath Market near Ta’if, which was the largest Arab souq at that time. A young Muhammad b. `Abdullah (s) heard the speech, which was recorded by Ibn Kathir, Bayhaqi, Haythami, and Saduq. It reads:

“O people,
Assemble, listen, and understand.
Whosoever lives shall die,
and whosoever dies has gone,
and whosoever is gone shall never return.
Verily, in the heavens there are news (khibra) and in the Earth there are lessons
– an elevated ceiling, and a spanned cradle.
The stars pass and the night turns.
The seas of water subside.
Qus swears that this is not play, but rather, there is something astonishing behind it.
I see people leave and not return.
Are they satisfied with the place they have gone to;
or left to and slept in?
Qus swears by his right hand and is not lying
– for Allah there is a religion,
and it is better than the religion that you are upon.”

ﻳﺎ ﺃﻳﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﺍﺟﺘﻤﻌﻮﺍ ﻭﺍﺳﺘﻤﻌﻮﺍ ﻭﻋﻮﺍ ، ﻣﻦ ﻋﺎﺵ ﻣﺎﺕ ، ﻭﻣﻦ ﻣﺎﺕ ﻓﺎﺕ ، ﻭﻛﻞ ﻣﺎ ﻫﻮ ﺁﺕ ﺁﺕ ، ﺇﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﻤﺎﺀ ﻟﺨﺒﺮﺍ ، ﻭﺇﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻷﺭﺽ ﻟﻌﺒﺮﺍ ، ﻣﻬﺎﺩ ﻣﻮﺿﻮﻉ ، ﻭﺳﻘﻒ ﻣﺮﻓﻮﻉ ، ﻭﻧﺠﻮﻡ ﺗﻤﻮﺭ ، ﻭﺑﺤﺎﺭ ﻻ ﺗﻐﻮﺭ ، ﻭﺃﻗﺴﻢ ﻗﺲ ﻗﺴﻤﺎ ﺣﻘﺎ ﻟﺌﻦ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻷﻣﺮ ‏[ ﺹ : 301 ‏] ﺭﺿﻰ ﻟﻴﻜﻮﻧﻦ ﺑﻌﺪﻩ ﺳﺨﻂ ، ﺇﻥ ﻟﻠﻪ ﻟﺪﻳﻨﺎ ﻫﻮ ﺃﺣﺐ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺩﻳﻨﻜﻢ ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﺃﻧﺘﻢ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ، ﻣﺎ ﻟﻲ ﺃﺭﻯ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻳﺬﻫﺒﻮﻥ ﻭﻻ ﻳﺮﺟﻌﻮﻥ ﺃﺭﺿﻮﺍ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻘﺎﻡ ﻓﺄﻗﺎﻣﻮﺍ ، ﺃﻡ ﺗﺮﻛﻮﺍ ﻓﻨﺎﻣﻮﺍ

Qus foretold the coming of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). Unfortunately, he died [around] 10 years before the first revelation. But his tribe accepted the Prophet unanimously.

In Ibn Kathir, it is reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said that he will be raised as his own nation on the Day of Resurrection.