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A
Fighter of the Foremost Muslims
Khaalid Ibn Sa’iid was born into a
highly wealthy and power-oriented
family. His family lived in luxury and
abundance, and his father was proud of
his influential high status among the
Quraish. Khaalid descended from Ibn
Umaiyah, Ibn ‘Abd Shams and Ibn ‘Abd
Manaaf.
When the first rays of Islam crept in,
slowly but surely, over Makkah to
announce in whispers that revelation had
descended upon Muhammad the Trustworthy
in the Cave of Hiraa’ with a message
from Allah to proclaim to His slaves,
Khaalid’s heart was revived and he
gave an ear to the hispering which was
like a wonderful light, and he was also
heedful to it. He was thrilled with joy
as if he had been waiting for this news
all his life. He kept on following these
rays of light wherever they went.
Whenever he heard his people talking
about the new religion, he would join
them and listen carefully with repressed
joy. Every now and then, he would
participate in the conversation with a
word or two that gave impetus to the new
religion to achieve publicity, effect,
and guidance.
If you had seen him in those days, you
would have the impression that he was a
quiet young man who kept discrete
silence. Yet beyond this calm appearance
lurked a commotion of human feeling that
was full of movement and joy. You could
almost hear sounds of drums, trumpets,
prayers, and glorifications. You could
almost see the hoisted flags. His
inner-self was feasting in the full
meaning of the world. You could feel the
joy, thrill, and even the clamor and
clatter of the feast day.
This young man kept this big feast to
himself and cit from all people. He knew
that if his father found out that he
harbored all this love, enthusiasm, and
support for Muhammad’s invitation to
Allah’s way, he would offer him as a
sacrifice to the gods of Abd Manaaf. But
when our innerselves are full and
saturated with a certain feeling, it is
not long before we lose control over it
and it overflows freely and excessively.
One day. . . No, it was not yet
daybreak, and Khaalid was in a state of
alert sleepiness when he saw a vision
that was highly impressionistic,
effective, and telling.
To be more precise, one night, Khaalid
Ibn Sa’iid saw in his sleep a vision
of himself standing on the brink of a
great fire. His father stood right
behind him. Strangely enough, his father
was incessantly pushing him towards the
brink. He wanted to throw him right into
the burning fire. Then Khaalid saw
Allah’s Prophet rush to him and pull
him with his blessed right hand away
from the burning fire.
When Khaalid woke up he knew what he had
to do. He hastened to Abu Bakr’s house
and told him about his vision which was
undoubtedly as clear as broad daylight.
Abu Bakr said, “Allah chose you for
His Mercy. This is the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam). Follow him closely,
for Islam will keep you away from
hell.”
Khaalid rushed looking for the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) until he found him.
Then he asked the Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam) about his message. He (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) answered him saying,
“Worship Allah alone and join none
with Him in worship. Believe in
Muhammad, His slave and Prophet; and,
finally, abandon the worship of idols
which do not hear, see, or have power to
either harm or benefit you.”
The Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) expressed his heartiest welcome
as he shook Khaalid’s hand. Khaalid
instantly said, “I bear witness that
there is no god but Allah and I bear
witness that Muhammad is His
Messenger.” Simultaneously, the
repressed joyful songs within him were
set free. In fact, his celebration burst
forth, and his father found out about
his Islam.
Now, on the day of Khaalid’s Islam,
only four or five people had already
preceded him in embracing Islam.
Sa’iid thought that his son’s early
Islam would expose him to the
humiliation and ridicule of the Quraish
people. The Islam of one of
Sa’iids’s sons, had sufficed to
shake the ground under Sa’iid’s feet
and throw doubts upon the credibility of
his leadership.
Hence, he summoned Khaalid and asked
him, “Is it true that you have
followed Muhammad, despite his blasphemy
against our gods?” Khaalid
courageously answered, “By Allah, he
speaks the truth. I do believe in him
and I will follow and obey him.”
No sooner had he finished these words
than his father leaped on him and beat
him ruthlessly. Then he threw him into a
pitch dark room in his house, where he
was imprisoned. He tortured him with
thirst, hunger, and exhausation. Yet
Khaalid kept on crying out from behind
his bars, “By Allah, he speaks the
truth and I do believe in him.”
Sa’iid realized that this torture was
not enough; therefore, he dragged him to
the sun-baked ground and dug a ditch for
him between its heavy burning rocks and
kept him there for three days without
shade or cover. He had absolutely
nothing to drink during those three
days. His father gave up all hope that
his son would turn back from his faith,
so he dragged him back home and kept on
luring him to apostatize from the new
religion, then threatened him.
This maneuver of promising and
threatening went on for a while, yet
Khaalid was solid as a rock as he said
to his father, “I will not turn
apostate even if you promise me the
world. I will live and die as a Muslim,
so help me Allah.” Sa'iid lost his
temper and shouted fiercely, “Get out
of my sight, you fool! By Al-Laat, I
will not sustain you from now on.”
Khaalid answered, “Allah is the best
of those who make provision.”
Thus, he left the luxurious house that
was full of food, clothes, and comfort.
He left it to experience need and
deprivation. But why should he worry
when he had his faith by his side? Was
he not in full control over his
conscience and destiny? Then why should
he be bothered by hunger, deprivation,
or even torture? If a man found all he
was looking for in the great truth that
Muhammad was inviting people to believe
in, there should be nothing in the whole
world that could prove to be more
important to him than his inner self,
which he would then sell to Allah in a
bargain in which Allah was both the
owner and purchaser!
Thus, Khaalid Ibn Sa’iid subdued
torture with sacrifice and overcame
deprivation with faith. When the Prophet
(sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) ordered
his believing Companions to embark on
the second emigration to Abyssinia,
Khaalid Ibn Sa’iid was one of the
muhaajiiruun.
Khaalid settled there for the time
destined by Allah. Then he returned to
his house with his brethren in A.H. 7.
When they arrived, the Muslims had just
finished the conquest of Khaibar.
Khaalid settled in Al-Madinah amidst the
new Muslim society whose nucleus he was
a part of, being one of the five first
Muslims who had witnessed its birth and
established its foundations.
Khaalid did not miss a war or a battle.
He was always the first to go forth
during war time.
As one of the foremost Muslims, and
highly conscientious and disciplined,
Khaalid was always loved and honored.
He respected his conviction. Hence, he
refused to hide or bargain with it. For
instance, before the Prophet (sollallahu
'alayhi wa sallam) died, he assigned
Khaalid to the post of Governor of
Yemen. When he heard the news concerning
Abu Bakr’s nomination as caliph and
the consensus of allegiance given to
him, he left his work and set out for
Al-Madinah. He knew that Abu Bakr was an
unmatched, righteous, and pious
believer. However, he thought that the
caliphate was Bani Haashim’s right. He
believed that Al-Abbaas or Ali Ibn Abi
Taalib (radhi Allahu 'anhu) should have
been the caliph. He clung to his belief
and did not take the oath of allegiance
to Abu Bakr. Notwithstanding that, Abu
Bakr held no grudge against him. On the
contrary, he kept his love and
appreciation for him. He did not compel
him to give the oath nor hate him for
refusing. He was hardly mentioned among
the Muslims without the great caliph
justly praising him. In time, Khaalid
Ibn Sa’iid changed his viewpoint, and
one day he broke through the lines of
the Muslims in the mosque while Abu Bakr
was standing on the pulpit and gave the
oath of allegiance to him. It was a true
and confident pledge to Abu Bakr.
Abu Bakr marched with his armies to
Syria and assigned the command of a
regiment to Khaalid Ibn Sa’iid. Thus,
he became one of the commanders of the
armies. But before the troops left Al-Madinah,
‘Umar objected to Khaalid Ibn
Sa’iid’s command and prevailed on
the caliph until he changed his previous
order. Khaalid heard what had happened,
yet his only response was, “By Allah,
I was not overjoyed with being a
commander, nor was I broken-hearted for
being dismissed.”
As-Siddiiq (radhi Allahu anhu) hastened
to Khaalid’s house to offer him his
sincere apology and to explain his new
decision. Then he asked Khaalid which of
the commanders of the army he would like
to accompany to Syria. He asked him if
he would like to be with his cousin, Amr
or with Shurahbiil Ibn Hasanah?
Khaalid’s answered was highly
revealing of his greatness and inner
piety, for he answered, “My cousin is
closer to me due to the relation of
blood and Shurahbiil is closer to me due
to his excellent piety.” Then he chose
to be a soldier in Shurahbiil Ibn
Hasanah’s regiment.
Abu Bakr summoned Shurahbiil before the
outbreak of the war and told him,
“Take care of Khaalid Ibn Sa’iid.
Treat him as you would like to be
treated if you were in his position. You
well know his high rank in Islam. You
know that when the Prophet died, he was
already his governor in Yemen. I myself
assigned him as a commander, then I
rescinded my decision. I hope that this
revoked order will make him even more
pious and righteous, for I think that
command is a trial. I gave him the
chance to choose his commander and he
preferred you to his cousin. If you need
the opinion of a pious and true adviser,
you must resort to Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarraah
first; second, Mu’aadh Ibn Jabal; and
third, Khaalid Ibn Sa’iid. You will
find good advice with them. I warn you
against acting upon your viewpoint alone
and without consulting them first.”
The pioneer of those martyred and
rewarded in the Battle of Marj As-Sufar,
where the Muslims and Romans met in
terrible and deadly combat, was a
glorious martyr who took a course in his
life, from his early youth to the moment
of his martyrdom, characterized by true
belief and courageous action.
When the Muslims were examining their
wounded and martyred on the battlefield,
he lay there as he always was, a quiet
young man with a dicrete silence and
strong determination. They all cried
out, “May Allah be pleased with
Khaalid Ibn Sa’iid.”
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