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Zayd
al-Khayr
Zayd al-Khayr was known for his
generosity and great courage even before he became a
Muslim. Although he died before he could fight under the
flag of Islam, he was praised for the courage he showed
before his death.
In Jahiliyyah, this Sahabi was known as Zayd al-Khayl.
When he became a Muslim, the Prophet renamed him Zayd
al-Khayr.
In this story we will have glimpse of his life before
embracing Islam and after he did.
One year a sever drought struck the tribe of Aamir, which
killed all the crops and vegetation and destroyed all the
livestock. The situation over there was very bad to the
extent that a man left the tribe with his family and went
to Hira. Over there he left his family with the words,
"Wait for me here till I return to you." He
swore to himself not to return to them until he brought
some money for them or died in the process.
The man took of in search of something he could bring back
to his family.
He kept on walking for seven days until he reached a place
where there was a pasture for camels and near it there was
a huge tent with a leather dome, signs of great riches and
wealth.
He told himself: "Doubtless this pasture has camels
and doubtless this tent has occupants." The sun was
about to set. The man looked inside the tent and spotted a
very old man in the center. He sat down behind the old
man, but the old man did not notice his presence.
At sunset a horseman, imposing and well built, approached.
He rode his mount erect and tall. He was accompanied with
two male servants, one on his right and the other on his
left. He had with him about a hundred she-camels and in
front of them a huge male camel. Obviously he was a
well-endowed man. He said to one of the servants pointing
to a fat camel: “Milk this and give the old man a
drink."
The old man drank one or two mouthfuls from the full
vessel, which was brought to him and left it. The wanderer
went up to it stealthily and drank all the milk in it.
The servant returned, took the vessel and said:
"Master, he has drunk it all."
The horseman was happy and ordered another camel to be
milked. The old man drank only one mouthful and the
wanderer drank half of what was left so as not to arouse
the suspicion of the horseman. The horseman then ordered
his second servant to kill a sheep. Some of it was grilled
and the horseman fed the old man until he was satisfied.
He and the two servants then ate. After this, they all
slept soundly.
The wanderer then went to the he-camel, untied and mounted
it. He rode off and the she camels followed. He rode
throughout the night. At daybreak he looked around in
every direction but did not see anyone following him. He
pushed on until the sun was high in the sky. He suddenly
saw something like an eagle in the distance coming towards
him. It quickly gained on him and soon he saw that it was
the horseman on his horse.
The wanderer dismounted and tied the he-camel. He took out
an arrow and placed it in his bow and stood in front of
the other camels.
The horseman stopped at a distance and shouted:
"Untie the camel." The man refused saying that
his family is starving in Hira and that he sworn not to
return unless he had money or died in the process.
The horseman threatened him and said: "Hold out the
reins of the camel. There are three knots in it. Tell me
in which of them you want me to place my arrow." The
man pointed to the middle knot and the horseman lodged an
arrow right in the center as if he had neatly placed it
there with his hand. He did the same with the second and
third knots. On seeing that, the man returned his arrow to
his quiver and surrendered.
The horseman took away his sword and his bow and said to
him: "Ride behind me."
The man was now under the mercy of the horseman who said:
"Do you think I will cause you harm when you have
shared with Muhalhil (the old man, his father) his drink
and his food last night?"
When the man heard the name Muhalhil, he was astonished
and asked: "Are you Zayd al-Khayl?"
"Yes," said the horseman.
"Be the best captor," said the man.
"Don't worry," replied Zayd al-Khayl calmly.
"If these camels were mine, I would give them to you.
But they belong to one of my sisters. But stay some days
with me. I am about to make a raid."
Three days later he raided the Banu Numayr and captured
about a hundred camels, as booty. He gave them all to the
man and sent some guards with him to Hira.
This story is about Zayd al-Khayl as he was in Jahiliyyah,
as told by the historian ash-Shaybani. The books of Siyar
give another picture of Zayd al-Khayl after he had
embraced Islam . . .
Zayd al-Khayr heard the news about Prophet Mohamed (PBUH),
so he gathered some of his own enquiries and then decided
to go to Madinah to meet the Prophet. With him was a big
delegation of his people among who were Zurr ibn Sudoos,
Malik ibn Jubayr, Aamir ibn Duwayn and others.
When they reached Madinah, they went straight to the
Prophet's Mosque and tethered their horses at its door.
When they entered the mosque the Prophet was on the mimbar
addressing the Muslims. His speech aroused Zayd and his
delegation and they were also astonished by the rapt
attention of the Muslims and the effect of the Prophet's
words on them.
The Prophet was saying: “I am better for you than
al-Uzza (one of the main idols of the Arabs in Jahiliyyah)
and everything else that you worship. I am better for you
than the black camel which you worship besides God."
The Prophet's words had two different effects on Zayd
al-Khayl and those with him. Some of them responded
positively to the Truth and accepted it. Some turned away
and rejected it.
The reaction of Zayd was a positive one. When the Prophet
had finished speaking, Zayd stood up, tall and
impressive-looking in the midst of the Muslims and said in
a loud and clear voice:
"O Muhammad, I testify that there is no god but Allah
and that you are the messenger of Allah."
The Prophet came up to him and asked, "Who are you”
"I am Zayd al-Khayl the son of Muhalhil."
"From now on you are Zayd al-Khayr instead, not Zayd
al-Khayl," said the Prophet.
"Praise be to God Who has brought you from the hills
and dales of your native land and softened your heart
towards Islam." From that day on he was called Zayd
al_khayr.
Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) invited him to his house. Omar ibn
al-Khattab and some other Companions were with them. The
Prophet gave him a cushion to sit on but he felt very
uncomfortable to recline thus in the presence of the
Prophet and he returned the cushion. The Prophet handed it
back to him and he returned it to him. This happened three
times.
Eventually, when they were all seated, the Prophet said to
Zayd al-Khayr: "O Zayd, no man has ever been
described to me and when I see him he does not fit the
description at all except you. You have two
characteristics which are pleasing to God and His
Prophet."
"What are they?" asked Zayd.
"Perseverance and sagacity," replied the
Prophet.
"Praise be to God," said Zayd, "Who has
given me what He and His Prophet like." He then
turned directly to the Prophet and said: "Give me, O
messenger of God, three hundred horsemen and I promise you
that I will secure Byzantine territory with them."
The Prophet praised his fervor and said, "What manner
of man are you!"
During this visit, all those who stayed with Zayd became
Muslims. They then desired to return to their homes in
Najd and the Prophet bade them farewell.
However, The great desire of Zayd to work and fight for
the cause of Islam was beyond any man’s imagination.
In Madinah al-Munawwarah at that time there was an
epidemic of fever and Zayd al-Khayr succumbed to it and
said to those with him: "Take me away from the land
of Qays. I have the fever of small pox. By God, I shall
not fight as a Muslim before I meet Allah, the Mighty, the
Great."
Zayd took the road to his people in Najd in spite of the
fact that the fever became more and more intense and
slowed him down. He hoped at least to get back to his
people and that they would become Muslims, through God's
grace, at his hands.
He struggled to overcome the fever but it got the better
of him and he breathed his last on the way before reaching
Najd. Between his acceptance of Islam and his death,
however, there was no time for him to have fallen into
sin.
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