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KHUB'AB
IBN AL-ARATT Radhia
Allahu Anaha
A
woman named Umm Anmaar who belonged to the Khuza'a tribe
in Makkah went to the slave market in the city. She wanted
to buy herself a youth for her domestic chores and to
exploit his labour for economic gains. As she scrutinized
the faces of those who were displayed for sale, her eyes
fell on a boy who was obviously not yet in his teens. She
saw that he was strong and healthy and that there were
clear signs of intelligence on his face. She needed no
further incentive to purchase him. She paid and walked
away with her new acquisition.
On
the way home, Umm Anmaar turned to the boy and said:
"What's
your name, boy?"
"Khabbab."
"And
what's your father's name?"
"Al-Aratt."
"Where
do you come from?"
"From
Najd."
"Then
you are an Arab!"
"Yes,
from the Banu Tamim."
"How
then did you come into the hands of the slave dealers in
Makkah?"
"One
of the Arab tribes raided our territory. They took our
cattle and captured women and children. I was among the
youths captured. I passed from one hand to another until I
ended up in Makkah . . ."
Umm
Anmaar placed the youth as an apprentice to one of the
blacksmiths in Makkah to learn the art of making swords.
The youth learnt quickly and was soon an expert at the
profession. When he was strong enough, Umm Anmaar set up a
workshop for him with all the necessary tools and
equipment for making swords. Before long he was quite
famous in Makkah for his excellent craftsmanship. People
also liked dealing with him because of his honesty and
integrity. Umm Anmaar gained much profit through him and
exploited his talents to the full.
In
spite of his youthfulness, Khabbab displayed unique
intelligence and wisdom. Often, when he had finished work
and was left to himself, he would reflect deeply on the
state of Arabian society which was so steeped in
corruption. He was appalled at the aimless wandering, the
ignorance and the tyranny which he saw. He was one of the
victims of this tyranny and he would say to himself:
"After
this night of darkness, there must be a dawn." And he
hoped that he would live long enough to see the darkness
dissipate with the steady glow and brightness of new
light.
Khabbab
did not have to wait long. He was privileged to be in
Makkah when the first rays of the light of Islam
penetrated the city. It emanated from the lips of Muhammad
ibn Abdullah as he announced that none deserves to be
worshipped or adored except the Creator and Sustainer of
the universe. He called for an end to injustice and
oppression and sharply criticised the practices of the
rich in accumulating wealth at the expense of the poor and
the outcast. He denounced aristocratic privileges and
attitudes and called for a new order based on respect for
human dignity and compassion for the underprivileged
including orphans, wayfarers and the needy.
To
Khabbab, the teachings of Muhammad were like a powerful
light dispelling the darkness of ignorance. He went and
listened to these teachings directly from him. Without any
hesitation he stretched out his hand to the Prophet in
allegiance and testified that "There is no god but
Allah and Muhammad is His servant and His messenger."
He was among the first ten persons to accept Islam.
Khabbab
did not hide his acceptance of Islam from anyone. When the
news of his becoming a Muslim reached Umm Anmaar, she
became incensed with anger. She went to her brother Siba'a
ibn Abd al-Uzza who gathered a gang of youths from the
Khuza'a tribe and together they made their way to Khabbab.
They found him completely engrossed in his work. Siba'a
went up to him and said:
"We
have heard some news from you which we don't
believe."
"What
is it?" asked Khabbab.
"We
have been told that you have given up your religion and
that you now follow that man from the Banu Hashim ."
"I
have not given up my religion," replied Khabbab
calmly. "I only believe in One God Who has no
partner. I reject your idols and I believe that Muhammad
is the servant of God and His messenger."
No
sooner had Khabbab spoken these words than Siba'a and his
gang set upon him. They beat him with their fists and with
iron bars and they kicked him until he fell unconscious to
the ground, with blood streaming from the wounds he
received.
The
news of what happened between Khabbab and his slave
mistress spread throughout Makkah like wild-fire. People
were astonished at Khabbab's daring. They had not yet
heard of anyone who followed Muhammad and who had had the
audacity to announce the fact with such frankness and
defiant confidence.
The
Khabbab affair shook the leaders of the Quraysh. They did
not expect that a blacksmith, such as belonged to Umm
Anmaar and who had no clan in Makkah to protect him and no
asabEyyah to prevent him from injury, would be bold enough
to go outside her authority, denounce her gods and reject
the religion of her forefathers. They realized that this
was only the beginning . . .
The
Quraysh were not wrong in their expectations. Khabbab's
courage impressed many of his friends and encouraged them
to announce their acceptance of Islam. One after another,
they began to proclaim publicly the message of truth.
In
the precincts of the Haram, near the Ka'bah, the Quraysh
leaders gathered to discuss the problem of Muhammad. Among
them were Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, al- Walid ibn al-Mughira
and Abu Jahl ibn Hisham. They noted that Muhammad was
getting stronger and that hi sfollowing was increasing day
by day, indeed hour by hour. To them this was like a
terrible disease and they made up their minds to stop it
before it got out of control. They decided that each tribe
should get hold of any follower of Muhammad among them and
punish him until he either recants his faith or dies.
On
Siba'a ibn Abd al-Uzza and his people fell the task of
punishing Khabbab even further. Regularly they began
taking him to an open area in the city when the sun was at
its zenith and the ground was scorching hot. They would
take off his clothes and dress him in iron armour and lay
him on the ground. In the intense heat his skin would be
seared and his body would become inert. When it appeared
that all strength had left him, they would come up and
challenge him:
"What
do you say about Muhammad?"
"He
is the servant of God and His messenger. He has come with
the religion of guidance and truth, to lead us from
darkness into light."
They
would become more furious and intensify their beating.
They would ask about al-Laat and al-Uzza and he would
reply firmly:
"Two
idols, deaf and dumb, that cannot cause harm or bring any
benefit..."
This
enraged them even more and they would take a big hot stone
and place it on his back. Khabbab's pain and anguish would
be excruciating but he did not recant.
The
inhumanity of Umm Anmaar towards Khabbab was not less than
that of her brother. Once she saw the Prophet speaking to
Khabbab at his workshop and she flew into a blind rage.
Every day after that, for several days, she went to
Khabbab's workshop and punished him by placing a red hot
iron from the furnace on his head. The agony was
unbearable and he often fainted.
Khabbab
suffered long and his only recourse was to prayer. He
prayed for the punishment of Umm Anmaar and her brother.
His release from pain and suffering only came when the
Prophet, peace be upon him, gave permission to his
companions to emigrate to Madinah. Umm Anmaar by then
could not prevent him from going. She herself became
afflicted with a tertible illness which no one had heard
of before. She behaved as if she had suffered a rabid
attack. The headaches she had were especially
nerve-racking. Her children sought everywhere for medical
help until finally they were told that the only cure was
to cauterize her head. This was done. The treatment, with
a ret hot iron, was more terrible than all the headaches
she suffered.
At
Madinah, among the generous and hospitable Ansar, Khabbab
experienced a state of ease and restfulness which he had
not known for a long time. He was delighted to be near the
Prophet, peace be upon him, with no one to molest him or
disturb his happiness.
He
fought alongside the noble Prophet at the battle of Badr.
He participated in the battle of Uhud where he had the
satisfaction of seeing Siba'a ibn Abd al-Uzza meet his end
at the hands of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of
the Prophet.
Khabbab
lived long enough to witness the great expansiOn of Islam
under the four Khulafaa ar- RashidunÑAbu Bakr,
Umar, Uthman and Ali. He once visited Umar during his
caliphate. Umar stood upÑhe was in a meetingÑand
greeted Khabbab with the words:
"No
one is more deserving than you to be in this assembly
other than Bilal."
He
asked Khabbab about the torture and the persecution he had
received at the hands of the mushrikeen. Khabbab described
this in some detail since it was still very vivid in his
mind. He then exposed his back and even Umar was aghast at
what he saw.
In
the last phase of his life, Khabbab was blessed with
wealth such as he had never before dreamed of. He was,
however, well-known for his generosity. It is even said
that he placed his dirhams and his dinars in a part of his
house that was known to the poor and the needy. He did not
secure this money in any way and those in need would come
and take what they needed without seeking any permission
or asking any questions.
In
spite of this, he was always afraid of his accountability
to God for the way he disposed of this wealth. A group of
companions related that they visited Khabbab when he was
sick and he said:
"In
this place there are eighty thousand dirhams. By God, I
have never secured it any way and I have not barred anyone
in need from it."
He
wept and they asked why he was weeping.
"I
weep," he said, "because my companions have
passed away and they did not obtain any such reward in
this world. I have lived on and have acquired this wealth
and I fear that this will be the only reward for my
deeds."
Soon
after he passed away. The Khalifah Ali ibn abi Talib, may
God be pleased with him, stood at his grave and said:
"May
God have mercy on Khabbab. He accepted Islam
wholeheartedly. He performed hijrah willingly. He lived as
a mujahid and God shall not withhold the reward of one who
has done good."
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