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Stories Of The Companions ::
قصص الصحابة رضوان الله عليهم
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'Abbaad Ibn Bishr |
‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbaas |
‘Abdullah Ibn 'Amr Ibn Al-'Aas |
'Abdullah ibn Hudhafah as-Sahmi |
'Abdullah ibn Jahsh |
'Abdullah Ibn Mas'uud |
'Abdullah Ibn Rawaahah |
'Abdullah Ibn Sailam |
'Abdallah Ibn 'Umar |
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum |
'Abdullah Ibn Az-Zubair |
'Abd Ar- Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr |
'Abd Ar-Rahman Ibn 'Awf |
Abu Ad-Dardaa |
Abu Ayuub Al-Ansaariy |
Abu Dhar Al-Ghifaariy |
Abu Jabir Abdallah bin
Amr bin Hiram |
Abu Hurairah |
Abu-l Aas ibn ar-Rabiah |
Abu Muusaa Al-Ash'ariy |
Abu Sufyaan Ibn Al-Haarith |
Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah |
'Adiyy ibn Hatim |
'Aishah bint Abi Bakr |
Al-'Abbaas Ibn 'Abd Al-Muttalib |
Al-Baraa' Ibn Maalik |
Al-Miqdaad Ibn 'Amr |
'Ammaar Ibn Yaasir |
'Amr Ibn Al -'Aas |
'Amr Ibn Al-Jamuuh |
An-Nuayman ibn Amr |
An-Numan ibn Muqarrin |
Asmaa bint Abu Bakr |
At-Tufail Ibn 'Amr Ad-Dawsiy |
Az-Zubair Ibn Al-'Awaam |
Barakah |
Bilaal Ibn Rabaah |
Fatimah bint Muhammad |
Fayruz ad-Daylami |
Hakim ibn Hazm |
Hamzah Ibn 'Abd Al-Muttalib |
Hudhaifah Ibn Al-Yamaan |
Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl |
Ja'far Ibn Abi Taalib |
Julaybib |
Habib Ibn Zaid |
Khabbab ibn al-Arat |
Khaalid Ibn Al-Waliid |
Khaalid Ibn Sa'iid |
Khubaib Ibn 'Adiy |
Mi'aadh Ibn Jabal |
Muhammad ibn Maslamah |
Mus'ab Ibn 'Umair |
Nuaym ibn Masud |
Rabiah ibn Kab |
Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan |
Rumaysa bint Milhan |
Qais Ibn Sad Ibn Ubaadah |
Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqaas |
Sa'd Ibn Mitaadh |
Sa'd Ibn 'Ubaadah |
Sa'iid Ibn Aamir |
Sa'iid ibn Zayd |
Saalim Mawlaa Abi Hudhaifah |
Salamah Ibn Al-Akwa' |
Salmaan Al-Faarisiy |
Suhayb ar-Rumi |
Suhayb Ibn Sinaan |
Suhayl Ibn'Amr |
Talhah Ibn - Ubaid Allah |
Thaabit Ibn Qais |
Thumamah ibn Uthal |
'Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit |
Ubaiy Ibn Ka'b |
Umair Ibn Sa'd |
Umair Ibn Wahb |
'Umraan Ibn Husain |
Umm Salamah |
Uqbah ibn Aamir |
Usaamah Ibn Zaid |
Usaid Ibn Hudair |
'Utbah Ibn Ghazwaan |
'Uthmaan Ibn Madh'uun |
Zayd al-Khayr |
Zayd Ibn Al-Khattaab |
Zayd Ibn Haarithah |
Zayd Ibn Thaabit
'Abdullah ibn Hudhafah as-Sahmi
A Recognized Companion
History would have by-passed this man as it had bypassed
thousands of Arabs before him. He, like them, would have had no claim to
attention or fame. The greatness of Islam, however, gave to Abdullah ibn
Hudhafah the opportunity to meet two world potentates of his time--Khusraw
Parvez the King of Persia and Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor.
The story of his encounter with Khusraw Parvez began in
the sixth year of the hijrah when the Prophet decided to send some of his
Companions with letters to rulers outside the Arabian peninsula inviting
them to Islam.
The Prophet attached great importance to this initiative.
These messengers were going to distant lands with whom there was no
agreement or treaty. They did not know the languages of these lands nor
anything about the ways and disposition of their rulers. They were to invite
these rulers to give up their religion and forsake their power and glory and
enter the religion of a people who shortly before were almost their
subjects. The mission was undoubtedly hazardous.
To make known his plan, the Prophet called his companions
together and addressed them. He started by praising God and thanking Him. He
then recited the Shahadah and went on:
"I want to send some of you to the rulers of foreign lands
but don't dispute with me as the Israelites disputed with Jesus, the son of
Mary. "O Prophet of God, we shall carry out whatever you wish," they
responded. "Send us wherever you desire."
The Prophet commissioned six of his Sahabah to carry his
letters to Arab and foreign rulers. One of these was Abdullah ibn Hudhafah.
He was chosen to take the Prophet's letter to Khusraw Parvez, the Persian
king.
Abdullah got his camel ready and bade farewell to his wife
and son. He set out, alone, and traversed mountains and valleys until he
reached the land of the Persian.
He sought permission to enter into the king's presence
informing the guards of the letter he was carrying. Khusraw Parvez thereupon
ordered his audience chamber to be made ready and summoned his prominent
aides. When they had assembled he gave permission for Abdullah to enter.
Abdullah entered and saw the Persian potentate dressed in
delicate, flowing robes and wearing a great, neatly arranged turban. On
Abdullah was the plain, coarse clothes of the bedouin. His head though was
held high and his feet were firm. The honor of Islam burned fiercely in his
breast and the power of faith pulsated in his heart.
As soon as Khusraw Parvez saw him approaching he signal
led to one of his men to take the letter from his hand.
"No," said Abdullah. 'The Prophet commanded me to hand
over this letter to you directly and I shall not go against a command of the
Messenger of God."
"Let him come near to me," Khusraw said to his guards and
Abdullah went forward and handed over the letter. Khusraw then called an
Arab clerk who originally came from Hira and ordered him to open the letter
in his presence and read its contents. He began reading:
"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful. From
Muhammad, the Messenger of God, to Khusraw the ruler of Persia. Peace on
whoever follows the guidance . . ."
Khusraw only heard this much of the letter when the fire
of anger burst within him. His face became red and he began to perspire
around the neck. He snatched the letter from the clerk's hand and began
tearing it to pieces without knowing what else it contained and shouted,
"Does he dare to write to me like this, he who is my slave". He was angry
that the Prophet had not given him precedence in his letter. He then
commanded Abdullah to be expelled from his assembly.
Abdullah was taken away, not knowing what would happen to
him. Would he be killed or would he be set free? But he did not want to wait
to find out. He said, "By God, I don't care what happens to me after the
letter of the Prophet has been so badly treated." He managed to get to his
camel and rode off.
When Khusraw's anger had subsided he commanded that
Abdullah be brought before him. But Abdullah was nowhere to be found. They
searched for him all the way to the Arabian peninsula but found that he had
gone ahead.
Back in Madinah, Abdullah told the Prophet how Khusraw had
torn his letter to pieces and the Prophet's only reply was, "May God tear up
his kingdom".
Meanwhile, Khusraw wrote to Badhan, his deputy in the
Yemen, to send two strong men to "that man who has appeared in the Hijaz"
with orders to bring him to Persia.
Badhan dispatched two of his strongest men to the Prophet
and gave them a letter to him in which he was ordered to go with the two men
to meet Khusraw without delay. Badhan also asked the two men to get whatever
information they could on the Prophet and to study his message closely.
The men set out, moving very quickly. At Taif they met
some Quraysh traders and asked them about Muhammad. "He is in Yathrib," they
said and they went on to Makkah feeling extremely happy. This was good news
for them and they went around telling other Quraysh, "You will be pleased.
Khusraw is out to get Muhammad and you will be rid of his evil."
The two men meanwhile made straight for Madinah where they
met the Prophet, handed him the letter of Badhan and said to him, "The king
of kings, Khusraw, has written to our ruler Badhan to send his men to get
you. We have come to take you with us. If you come willingly, Khusraw has
said that it will be good for you and he will spare you any punishment. If
you refuse, you will know the power of his punishment. He has power to
destroy you and your people."
The Prophet smiled and said to them, "Go back to your
mounts today and return tomorrow."
On the following day, they came to the Prophet and said to
him, "Are you prepared to go with us to meet Khusraw?"
"You shall not meet Khusraw after today," replied the
Prophet. "God has killed him and his son Shirwaih has taken his place on
such a night and on such a month."
The two men stared in the face of the Prophet. They were
completely dumbfounded.
"Do you know what you are saying?" they asked. "Shall we
write about this to Badhan?"
"Yes," replied the Prophet, "and say to him that my
religion has informed me about what has happened to the Kingdom of Khusraw
and that if he should become Muslim, I would appoint him ruler over what he
now controls".
The two men returned to the Yemen and told Badhan what had
happened. Badhan said, "If what Muhammad has said is true, then he is a
Prophet. If not then we shall see what happens to him."
Not long afterwards a letter from Shirwaih came to Badhan
in which he said, "I killed Khusraw because of his tyranny against our
people. He regarded as lawful the killing of leaders, the capturing of their
women and the expropriating of their wealth. When this my letter reaches
you, take the allegiance of whoever is with you on my behalf."
As soon as Badhan had read Shirwaih's letter, he threw it
aside and announced his entry into Islam. The Persians with him in the Yemen
also became Muslim.
That's the story of Abdullah ibn Hudhafah's meeting with
the Persian king. His meeting with the Byzantine emperor took place during
the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab. It too is an astonishing story.
In the nineteenth year after the Hijrah, Umar dispatched
an army to fight against the Byzantine. In it was Abdullah ibn Hudhafah.
News of the Muslim force reached the Byzantine emperor. He had heard of
their sincerity of faith, and their willingness to sacrifice their lives in
the way of God and His Prophet. He gave orders to his men to bring to him
any Muslim captive they might take alive.
God willed that Abdullah ibn Hudhafah should fall captive
to the Byzantines and he was brought before the Emperor. The Emperor looked
at Abdullah for a long time. Suddenly he said, "I shall make a proposal to
you."
"What is it?" asked Abdullah. "I suggest that you become a
Christian. If you do this, you will be set free and I shall grant you a safe
refuge." The prisoner's reaction was furious: "Death is preferable to me a
thousand times to what you ask me to do."
"I see that you are a bold man. However, if you respond
positively to what I propose to you, I will give you a share in my authority
and swear you in as my aide."
The prisoner, shackled in his chains, smiled and said, "By
God, if you give me all that you possess and all that the Arabs have in
exchange for giving up the religion of Muhammad, I shall not do so."
"Then I shall kill you."
"Do what you want," answered Abdullah.
The emperor then had him put on a cross and ordered his
soldiers to throw spears at him, first near his hands and then near his
feet, all the while telling him to accept Christianity or at least give up
his religion. This he refused over and over again to do.
The emperor then had him taken down from the wooden cross.
He called for a great pot to be brought. This was filled with oil which was
then heated under a fierce fire. He then had two other Muslim prisoners
brought and had one of them thrown into the boiling oil. The prisoner's
flesh sizzled and soon his bones could be seen. The emperor turned to
Abdullah and invited him to Christianity.
This was the most terrible test that Abdullah had to face
up till now. But he remained firm and the emperor gave up trying. He then
ordered that Abdullah too be thrown into the pot. As he was being taken away
he began to shed tears. The emperor thought that he had at last been broken
and had him brought back to him. He once more suggested that Abdullah become
a Christian but to his astonishment, Abdullah refused.
"Damn you! Why did you weep then?" shouted the emperor.
"I cried," said Abdullah, "because I said to myself 'You
will now be thrown into this pot and your soul will depart'. What I really
desired then was to have as many souls as the number of hairs on my body and
to have all of them thrown into this pot for the sake of God."
The tyrant then said, "Will you kiss my head? I will then
set you free?"
"And all the Muslim prisoners also?" asked Abdullah.
This the emperor agreed to do and Abdullah said to
himself, "One of the enemies of God! I shall kiss his head and he shall set
me and all other Muslim prisoners free. There can be no blame on me for
doing this." He then went up to the emperor and kissed his forehead. All the
Muslim prisoners were released and handed over to Abdullah.
Abdullah ibn Hudhafah eventually came to Umar ibn al-Khattab
and told him what had happened. Umar was greatly pleased and when he looked
at the prisoners he said, "Every Muslim has a duty to kiss the head of
Abdullah ibn Khudhafah and I shall start." Umar then got up and kissed the
head of Abdullah ibn Hudhafah
©
EsinIslam.Com
Links To Sahabah The Companions Of Prophet Muhammad
(SAW):
Stories Of The Companions ::
قصص الصحابة رضوان الله عليهم
--
'Abbaad Ibn Bishr |
‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbaas |
‘Abdullah Ibn 'Amr Ibn Al-'Aas |
'Abdullah ibn Hudhafah as-Sahmi |
'Abdullah ibn Jahsh |
'Abdullah Ibn Mas'uud |
'Abdullah Ibn Rawaahah |
'Abdullah Ibn Sailam |
'Abdallah Ibn 'Umar |
'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum |
'Abdullah Ibn Az-Zubair |
'Abd Ar- Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr |
'Abd Ar-Rahman Ibn 'Awf |
Abu Ad-Dardaa |
Abu Ayuub Al-Ansaariy |
Abu Dhar Al-Ghifaariy |
Abu Jabir Abdallah bin
Amr bin Hiram |
Abu Hurairah |
Abu-l Aas ibn ar-Rabiah |
Abu Muusaa Al-Ash'ariy |
Abu Sufyaan Ibn Al-Haarith |
Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah |
'Adiyy ibn Hatim |
'Aishah bint Abi Bakr |
Al-'Abbaas Ibn 'Abd Al-Muttalib |
Al-Baraa' Ibn Maalik |
Al-Miqdaad Ibn 'Amr |
'Ammaar Ibn Yaasir |
'Amr Ibn Al -'Aas |
'Amr Ibn Al-Jamuuh |
An-Nuayman ibn Amr |
An-Numan ibn Muqarrin |
Asmaa bint Abu Bakr |
At-Tufail Ibn 'Amr Ad-Dawsiy |
Az-Zubair Ibn Al-'Awaam |
Barakah |
Bilaal Ibn Rabaah |
Fatimah bint Muhammad |
Fayruz ad-Daylami |
Hakim ibn Hazm |
Hamzah Ibn 'Abd Al-Muttalib |
Hudhaifah Ibn Al-Yamaan |
Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl |
Ja'far Ibn Abi Taalib |
Julaybib |
Habib Ibn Zaid |
Khabbab ibn al-Arat |
Khaalid Ibn Al-Waliid |
Khaalid Ibn Sa'iid |
Khubaib Ibn 'Adiy |
Mi'aadh Ibn Jabal |
Muhammad ibn Maslamah |
Mus'ab Ibn 'Umair |
Nuaym ibn Masud |
Rabiah ibn Kab |
Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan |
Rumaysa bint Milhan |
Qais Ibn Sad Ibn Ubaadah |
Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqaas |
Sa'd Ibn Mitaadh |
Sa'd Ibn 'Ubaadah |
Sa'iid Ibn Aamir |
Sa'iid ibn Zayd |
Saalim Mawlaa Abi Hudhaifah |
Salamah Ibn Al-Akwa' |
Salmaan Al-Faarisiy |
Suhayb ar-Rumi |
Suhayb Ibn Sinaan |
Suhayl Ibn'Amr |
Talhah Ibn - Ubaid Allah |
Thaabit Ibn Qais |
Thumamah ibn Uthal |
'Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit |
Ubaiy Ibn Ka'b |
Umair Ibn Sa'd |
Umair Ibn Wahb |
'Umraan Ibn Husain |
Umm Salamah |
Uqbah ibn Aamir |
Usaamah Ibn Zaid |
Usaid Ibn Hudair |
'Utbah Ibn Ghazwaan |
'Uthmaan Ibn Madh'uun |
Zayd al-Khayr |
Zayd Ibn Al-Khattaab |
Zayd Ibn Haarithah |
Zayd Ibn Thaabit |
Muhammad The Messenger Of Allah ::
محمّد رسول الله صلى الله عليه
وسلّم --
Biography by a Muslim, Muhammad Hamidullah |
Biography by a non-Muslim, K. Rao |
The Prophet (s.a.w.) as a blessing to mankind |
Description Of The Prophet (s.a.w.) |
Finality of Prophethood |
Last Sermon Of The Prophets (s.a.w.) |
What other scholars say about the Prophet (s.a.w.) and
additional sayings |
The Rightly Guided Caliphs ::
الخلفاء الراشدون رضوان عليهم |
The First Caliph, Abu Bakr (632-634 A.C.)
|
The Second Caliph, Umar (634-644 A.C.) |
The Third Caliph, Uthman (644-656 A.C.) |
The Fourth Caliph, Ali (656-661 A.C.)
|
Muslim Profiles --
Imam Abu Hanifa |
Imam Ibn Hanbal |
Imam Malik |
Imam Al Shafi’i |
Al Ayoubi |
Al Battani |
Al Biruni |
Al Buzjani |
Al Farghani |
Al Kindi |
Al Idrisi |
Al Khayyam |
Al Khawarizmi |
Al Tusi |
Al Zahrawi |
Dan Fodio |
Ibn Al-Baitar |
Ibn Al Nafis |
Ibn Batuta |
Ibn Haiyan |
Ibn Khaldun |
Ibn Rushd |
Ibn Qurra |
Ibn Sina |
Ibn Ziyad |
Ibn Zuhr |
Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas)
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