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HABIB
IBN ZAYD AL-ANSARI Radhia
Allahu Anaha
He
grew up in a home filled with the fragrance of iman, and
in a family where everyone was imbued with the spirit of
sacrifice. Habib's father, Zayd ibn Asim, was one of the
first persons in Yathrib to accept Islam and his mother,
the celebrated Nusaybah bint Kab known as Umm Ammarah, was
the first woman to bear arms in defence of Islam and in
support of the blessed Prophet.
Habib,
still at a tender age, was privileged to go with his
mother, father, maternal aunt and brother to Makkah with
the pioneering group of seventy five who pledged fealty to
the Prophet at Aqabah and played a decisive role in
shaping the early history o f Islam.
At
Aqabah, in the darkness of the night, the young Habib
stretched out his small hand and pledged loyalty to the
Prophet. From that day, the Prophet, peace and blessings
of God on him, became dearer to Habib than his own mother
or father and Islam became more important to him than any
care for his personal safety.
Habib
did not participate in the Battle of Badr because he was
too young. Neither did he have the opportunity to take
part in the battle of Uhud because he was still considered
too young to bear arms. Thereafter, however, he took part
in all the engagemen ts which the Prophet fought and in
all he distinguished himself by his bravery and
willingness to sacrifice. Although each of these battles
had its own importance and was demanding in its own way,
they served to prepare Habib for what was to prove the mos
t terrible encounter of his life, the violence of which is
profoundly soul-shaking.
Let
us follow this awesome story from the beginning. By the
ninth year after the Hijrah, Islam had spread widely and
had become the dominant force in the Arabian peninsula.
Delegations of tribes from all over the land converged on
Makkah to meet the Messe nger of God, peace be upon him,
and announce before him, their acceptance of Islam.
Among
these delegations was one from the highlands of Najd, from
the Banu Hanilab. At the outskirts of Makkah, the members
of the delegation tethered their mounts and appointed
Musaylamah ibn Habib as their spokesman and
representative. Musaylamah went to the Prophet, peace be
upon him. and announced his people's acceptance of Islam.
The Prophet welcomed them and treated them most
generously. Each, including Musaylamah, was presented with
a gift.
On
his return to Najd the ambitious and self-seeking
Musaylamah recanted and gave up his allegiance to the
Prophet. He stood among the people and proclaimed that a
prophet had been sent by God to the Banu Hanifah just as
God had sent Muhammad ibn Abdullah to the Quraysh.
For
various reasons and under a variety of pressures, the Banu
Hanilab began to rally around him. Most followed him out
of tribal loyalty or asabiyyah. Indeed one member of the
tribe declared: "I testify that Muhammad is indeed
truthful and that Musaylama h is indeed an imposter. But
the imposter of Rabiah (the tribal confederation to which
the Banu Hanilab belonged) is dearer to me that the
genuine and truthful person from Mudar (the tribal
confederation to which the Quraysh belonged)."
Before
long, the number of Musaylamah's followers increased and
he felt powerful, powerful enough to write the following
letter to the Prophet, peace be upon him: "From
Musaylamah, the messenger of God to Muhammad, the
messenger of God. Peace be on you. I am prepared to share
this mission with you. I shall have (control over) half
the land and you shall have the other half. But the
Quraysh are an aggressive people."
Musaylamah
despatched two of his men with the letter to the Prophet.
When the letter was read to the Prophet, he asked the two
men: "And what do you yourselves say about this
matter?" "We affirm what the letter says,"
they replied. "By God," said the Prop het,
"were it not for the fact that emissaries are not
killed I would have smitten both your necks." He then
wrote to Musaylamah: "In the name of God, the
Beneficent, the Compassionate. From Muhammad the Messenger
of God, to Musaylamah the imposter.
Peace
be upon whoever follows the guidance. God will bequeath
the earth to whosoever of His servants He wishes and the
final triumph will be for those who are careful of their
duty to God." He sent the letter with the two men.
Musaylamah's
evil and corrupting influence continued to spread and the
Prophet considered it necessary to send another letter to
him inviting him to abandon his misguided ways. The
Prophet chose Habib ibn Zayd to take this letter to
Musaylamah. Habib was by this time in the prime of his
youth and a firm believer in the truth of Islam with every
fibre of his being.
Habib
undertook his mission eagerly and proceeded as quickly as
he could to the highlands of the Najd, the territory of
the Banu Hanilab. He presented the letter to Musaylamah.
Musaylamah
was convulsed with bitter rage. His face was terrible to
behold. He ordered Habib to be put in chains and to be
brought back before him the following day.
On
the following day, Musaylamah presided over his assembly.
On his right and on his left were his senior advisers,
there to further his evil cause. The common people were
allowed to enter. He then ordered Habib, shackled in his
chains, to be brought befo re him.
Habib
stood in the midst of this crowded, hate-filled gathering.
He remained upright, dignified and proud like a sturdy
spear firmly implanted in the ground, unyielding.
Musaylamah
turned to him and asked: "Do you testify that
Muhammad is the Messenger of God?" "Yes,"
Habib replied. "I testify that Muhammad is the
Messenger of God."
Musaylamah
was visibly angry. "And do you testify that I am the
Messenger of God?" He was almost insisting, rather
than questioning. "My ears have been blocked against
hearing what you claim," replied Habib.
Musaylamah's
face changed color, his lips trembled in anger and he
shouted to his executioner, "Cut off a piece of his
body."
With
sword in hand, the menacing executioner advanced towards
Habib and severed one of his limbs.
Musaylamah
then put the same question to him once more and Habib's
answers were the same. He affirmed his belief in Muhammad
as the Messenger of God and at the expense of his own life
he refused to acknowledge the messengership of any other.
Musaylamah th ereupon ordered his henchman to cut off
another part of Habib's body. This fell to the ground
beside the other severed limb. The people looked on in
amazement at Habib's composure and steadfastness.
Faced
with Musaylamah's persistent questioning and the terrible
blows of his henchman, Habib kept on repeating:
"I
testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Habib
could not survive this torture and these inhuman
atrocities much longer and he soon passed away. On his
pure lips, as his life-blood ebbed away, was the name of
the blessed Prophet to whom he had pl edged loyalty on the
night of Aqabah, the name of Muhammad, the Messenger of
God.
News
of Habib's fate reached his mother and her reaction was
simply to say: "It was for such a situation that I
prepared him... He pledged allegiance to the Prophet on
the night of Aqabah as a small child and today as an adult
he has given his life for th e Prophet. If God were to
allow me to get near to Musaylamah, I would certainly make
his daughters smite their cheeks and lament over
him."
The
day that she wished for was not long in coming. After the
death of the Prophet, peace be on him, Abu Bakr declared
war on the imposter. With the Muslim army that went out to
confront the forces of Musaylamah were Habib's mother,
Nusaybah, and another of her courageous sons, Abdullah ibn
Zayd.
At
the Battle of Yamamah which ensued, Nusaybah was seen
cutting through the ranks of fighting men like a lioness
and calling out: "Where is the enemy of God? Show me
the enemy of God ?" When she eventually reached
Musaylamah, he had already perished. She looked at the
body of the vain imposter and cruel tyrant and felt
serene. A grave threat to the Muslims had been removed and
the death of her beloved son, Habib, had been avenged.
At
Habib's death, the noble Prophet had commended him and his
entire family and had prayed: "May God bless this
household. May God have mercy on this household."
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