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Hudhayfah
ibn al-Yaman
"If you wish you may consider
yourself among the Muhajirin or, if you wish, you may
consider yourself one of the Ansar. Choose whichever is
dearer to you."
With these words, the Prophet, peace be
upon him, addressed Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman when he met him
for the first time in Makkah. How did Hudhayfah come to
have this choice'?
His father, al-Yaman was a Makkan from
the tribe of Abs. He had killed someone and had been
forced to leave Makkah. He had settled down in Yathrib,
becoming an ally (halif) of the Banu al-Ash-hal and
marrying into the tribe. A son named Hudhayfah was born to
him. The restrictions on his returning to Makkah were
eventually lifted and he divided his time between Makkah
and Yathrib but stayed more in Yathrib and was more
attached to it.
This was how Hudhayfah had a Makkan
origin but a Yathribite upbringing. When the rays of Islam
began to radiate over the Arabian peninsula, a delegation
from the Abs tribe, which included al-Yaman, went to the
Prophet and announced their acceptance of Islam. That was
before the Prophet migrated to Yathrib.
Hudhayfah grew up in a Muslim household
and was taught by both his mother and father who were
among the first persons from Yathrib to enter the religion
of God. He therefore became a Muslim before meeting the
Prophet, peace be upon him.
Hudhayfah longed to meet the Prophet.
From an early age, he was keen on following whatever news
there was about him. The more he heard, the more his
affection for the Prophet grew and the more he longed to
meet him.
He eventually journeyed to Makkah, met
the Prophet and put the question to him, "Am I a
muhajir or am I an Ansari, O Rasulullah?"
"If you wish you may consider
yourself among the muhajirin, or if you wish you may
consider yourself one of the Ansar. Choose whichever is
dearer to you," replied the Prophet. "Well, I am
an Ansari. O Rasulullah," decided Hudhayfah.
At Madinah, after the Hijrah, Hudhayfah
became closely attached to the Prophet. He participated in
all the military engagements except Badr. Explaining why
he missed the Battle of Badr, he said: "I would not
have missed Badr if my father and I had not been outside
Madinah. The disbelieving Quraysh met us and asked where
we were going. We told them we were going to Madinah and
they asked whether we intended to meet Muhammad. We
insisted that we only wanted to go to Madinah. They
allowed us to go only after they extracted from us an
undertaking not to help Muhammad against them and not to
fight along with them.
"When we came to the Prophet we
told him about our undertaking to the Quraysh and asked
him what should we do. He said that we should ignore the
undertaking and seek God's help against them."
Hudhayfah participated in the Battle of
Uhud with his father. The pressure on Hudhayfah during the
battle was great but he acquitted himself well and emerged
safe and sound. A rather different fate, however, awaited
his father.
Before the battle, the Prophet, peace be
on him, left alYaman, Hudhayfah's father, and Thabit ibn
Waqsh with the other non-combatants including women and
children. This was because they were both quite old. As
the fighting grew fiercer, al-Yaman said to his friend:
"You have no father (meaning you have no cares). What
are we waiting for? We both have only a short time to
live. Why don't we take our swords and join the Messenger
of God, peace be on him? Maybe, God will bless us with
martyrdom beside His Prophet."
They quickly prepared for battle and
were soon in the thick of the fighting. Thabit ibn Waqsh
was blessed with shahdah at the hands of the mushrikin.
The father of Hudhayfah, however was set upon by some
Muslims who did not recognize who he was. As they flayed
him, Hudhayfah cried out: "My father! My father! It's
my father!"
No one heard him. The old man fell,
killed in error by the swords of his own brothers in
faith. They were filled with pain and remorse. Grieved as
he was, Hudhayfah said to them: "May God forgive you
for He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy."
The Prophet, peace be on him, wanted
diyah (compensation) to be paid to Hudhayfah for the death
of his father but Hudhayfah said: "He was simply
seeking shahadah and he attained it. O Lord, bear witness
that I donate the compensation for him to the
Muslims."
Because of this attitude, Hudhayfah's
stature grew in the eyes of the Prophet, peace be on him.
Hudhayfah had three qualities which particularly impressed
the Prophet: his unique intelligence which he employed in
dealing with difficult situations; his quick wittedness
and spontaneous response to the call of action, and his
ability to keep a secret even under persistent
questioning.
A noticeable policy of the Prophet was
to bring out and use the special qualities and strengths
of each individual companion of his. In deploying his
companions, he was careful to choose the right man for the
right task. This he did to excellent advantage in the case
of Hudhayfah.
One of the gravest problems the Muslims
of Madinah had to face was the existence in their midst of
hypocrites (munafiqun) particularly from among the Jews
and their allies. Although many of them had declared their
acceptance of Islam, the change was only superficial and
they continued to plot and intrigue against the Prophet
and the Muslims.
Because of Hudhayfah's ability to keep a
secret, the Prophet, peace be on him, confided in him the
names of the munafiqin. It was a weighty secret which the
Prophet did not disclose to any other off his companions.
He gave Hudhayfah the task of watching the movements of
the munafiqin, following their activities, and shielding
the Muslims from the sinister danger they represented. It
was a tremendous responsibility. The munafiqin, because
they acted in secrecy and because they knew all the
developments and plans of the Muslims from within
presented a greater threat to the community than the
outright hostility of the kuffar.
From this time onwards. Hudhayfah was
called "The Keeper of the Secret of the Messenger of
Allah". Throughout his life he remained faithful to
his pledge not to disclose the names of the hypocrites.
After the death of the Prophet, the Khalifah often came-to
him to seek his advice concerning their movements and
activities but he remained tight-lipped and cautious.
Umar was only able to find out
indirectly who the hypocrites were. If anyone among the
Muslims died, Umar would ask:
"Has Hudhayfah attended his funeral
prayer?"
If the reply was 'yes', he would perform
the prayer. If the reply was 'no', he became doubtful
about the person and refrained from performing the funeral
prayer for him.
Once Umar asked Hudhayfah: "Is any
of my governors a munafiq?" "One," replied
Hudhayfah. "Point him out to me," ordered Umar.
"That I shall not do," insisted Hudhayfah who
later said that shortly after their conversation Umar
dismissed the person just as if he had been guided to him.
Hudhayfah's special qualities were made
use of by the Prophet, peace be on him, at various times.
One of the most testing of such occasions, which required
the use of Hudhayfah's intelligence and his presence of
mind, was during the Battle of the Ditch. The Muslims on
that occasion were surrounded by enemies. The seige they
had been placed under had dragged on. The Muslims were
undergoing severe hardship and difficulties. They had
expended practically all their effort and were utterly
exhausted. So intense was the strain that some even began
to despair.
The Quraysh and their allies, meanwhile,
were not much better off. Their strength and determination
had been sapped. A violent wind overturned their tents,
extinguished their fires and pelted their faces and eyes
with gusts of sand and dust.
In such decisive moments in the history
of warfare, the side that loses is the one that despairs
first and the one that wins is the one that holds out
longer. The role of army intelligence in such situations
often proves to be a crucial factor in determining the
outcome of the battle.
At this stage of the confrontation the
Prophet, peace be on him, felt he could use the special
talents and experience of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman. He
decided to send Hudhayfah into the midst of the enemy's
positions under cover of darkness to bring him the latest
information on their situation and morale before he
decided on his next move.
Let us now leave Hudhayfah to relate
what happened on this mission fraught with danger and even
death.
"That night, we were all seated in
rows. Abu Sufyan and his men - the mushrikun of Makkah -
were in front of us. The Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayzah
were at our rear and we were afraid of them because of our
wives and children. The night was stygian dark. Never
before was there a darker night nor a wind so strong. So
dark was the night that no one could see his fingers and
the blast of the wind was like the peel of thunder.
"The hypocrites began to ask the
Prophet for permission to leave, saying, 'Our houses are
exposed to the enemy.' Anyone who asked the Prophet's
permission to leave was allowed to go. Many thus sneaked
away until we were left with about three hundred men.
"The Prophet then began a round of
inspection passing us one by one until he reached me. I
had nothing to protect me from the cold except a blanket
belonging to my wife which scarcely reached my knees. He
came nearer to
me as I lay crouching on the ground and
asked: 'Who is this?' 'Hudhayfah,' replied. 'Hudhayfah?'
he queried as I huddled myself closer to the ground too
afraid to stand up because of the intense hunger and cold.
'Yes, O Messenger of God,' I replied. 'Something is
happening among the people (meaning the forces of Abu
Sufyan). Infiltrate their encampment and bring me news of
what's happening,' instructed the Prophet.
"I set out. At that moment I was
the most terrified person of all and felt terribly cold.
The Prophet, peace be on him, prayed: 'O Lord, protect him
from in front and from behind, from his right and from his
left, from above and from below.'
"By God, no sooner had the Prophet,
peace be on him, completed his supplication than God
removed from my stomach all traces of fear and from my
body all the punishing cold. As I turned to go, the
Prophet called me back to him and said: 'Hudhayfah, on no
account do anything among the people (of the opposing
forces) until you come back to me.'
'Yes,' I replied.
"I went on, inching my way under
cover of darkness until I penetrated deep into the
mushrikin camp and became just like one of them. Shortly
afterwards, Abu Sufyan got up and began to address his
men:
'O people of the Quraysh, I am about to
make a statement to you which I fear would reach Muhammad.
Therefore, let every man among you look and make sure who
is sitting next to him...'
"On hearing this, I immediately
grasped the hand of the man next to me and asked, 'Who are
you?' (thus putting him on the defensive and clearing
myself). "Abu Sufyan went on:
'O people of the Quraysh, by God, you
are not in a safe and secure place. Our horses and camels
have perished. The Banu Qurayzah have deserted us and we
have had unpleasant news about them. We are buffered by
this bitterly cold wind. Our fires do not light and our
uprooted tents offer no protection. So get moving. For
myself, I am leaving.'
"He went to his camel, untethered
and mounted it. He struck it and it stood upright. If the
Messenger of God, peace be on him, had not instructed me
to do nothing until I returned to him, I would have killed
Abu Sufyan then and there with an arrow.
"I returned to the Prophet and
found him standing on a blanket performing Salat. When he
recognized me, he drew me close to his legs and threw one
end of the blanket over me. I informed him of what had
happened. He was extremely happy and joyful and gave
thanks and praise to
Hudhayfah lived in constant dread of
evil and corrupting influences. He felt that goodness and
the sources of good in this life were easy to recognize
for those who desired good. But it was evil that was
deceptive and often difficult to perceive and combat.
He became something of a great moral
philosopher. He always warned people to struggle against
evil with all their faculties, with their heart, hands and
tongue. Those who stood against evil only with their
hearts and tongues, and not with their hands, he
considered as having abandoned a part of truth. Those who
hated evil only in their hearts but did not combat it with
their tongues and hands forsook two parts of truth and
those who neither detested nor confronted evil with their
hearts, tongues or hands he considered as physically alive
but morally dead.
Speaking about 'hearts' and their
relationship to guidance and error, he once said:
"There are four kinds of hearts. The heart that is
encased or atrophied. That is the heart of the kafir or
ungrateful disbeliever. The heart that is shaped into thin
layers. That is the heart of the munafiq or hypocrite. The
heart that is open and bare and on which shines a radiant
light. That is the heart of the mumin or the believer.
Finally there is the heart in which
there is both hypocrisy and faith. Faith is like a tree
which thrives with good water and hypocrisy is like an
abscess which thrives on pus and blood. Whichever
flourishes more, be it the tree of faith or the abscess of
hypocrisy, wins control of the heart."
Hudhayfah's experience with hypocrisy
and his efforts to combat it gave a touch of sharpness and
severity to his tongue. He himself realized this and
admitted it with a noble courage: "I went to the
Prophet, peace be on him and said: 'O Messenger of God, I
have a tongue which is sharp and cutting against my family
and I fear that this would lead me to hell-fire.' And the
Prophet, peace be upon him, said to me: 'Where do you
stand with regard to istighfar - asking forgiveness from
Allah? I ask Allah for forgiveness a hundred times during
the day. "
A pensive man like Hudhayfah, one
devoted to thought, knowledge and reflection may not have
been expected to perform feats of heroism in battlefields.
Yet Hudhayfah was to prove himself one of the foremost
Muslim military commanders in the expansion of Islam into
Iraq. He distinguished himself at Hamadan, ar-Rayy,
ad-Daynawar, and at the famous Battle of Nihawand.
For the encounter at Nihawand against
the Persian forces, Hudhayfah was placed second in command
by Umar over the entire Muslim forces which numbered some
thirty thousand. The Persian forces outnumbered them by
five to one being some one hundred and fifty thousand
strong. The first commander of the Muslim army, an-Numan
ibn Maqran, fell early in the battle. The second in
command, Hudhayfah, immediately took charge of the
situation, giving instructions that the death of the
commander should not be broadcast. Under Hudhayfah's
daring and inspiring leadership, the Muslims won a
decisive victory despite tremendous odds.
Hudhayfah was made governor of important
places like Kufa and Ctesiphon (al-Madain). When the news
of his appointment as governor of Ctesiphon reached its
inhabitants, crowds went out to meet and greet this famous
companion of the Prophet of whose piety and righteousness
they had heard so much. His great role in the conquests of
Persia was already a legend.
As the welcoming party waited, a lean,
somewhat scrawny man with dangling feet astride a donkey
approached. In his hand he held a loaf of bread and some
salt and he ate as he went along. When the rider was
already in their midst they realized that he was
Hudhayfah, the governor for whom they were waiting. They
could not contain their surprise. What manner of man was
this! They could however be excused for not recognizing
him for they were used to the style, the pomp and the
grandeur of Persian rulers.
Hudhayfah carried on and people crowded
around him. He saw they were expecting him to speak and he
cast a searching look at their faces. Eventually, he said:
"Beware of places of fitnah and intrigue."
"And what," they asked, "are places of
intrigue?" He replied: "The doors of rulers
where some people go and try to make the ruler or governor
believe lies and praise him for (qualities) he does not
possess."
With these words, the people were
prepared for what to expect from their new governor. They
knew at once that there was nothing in the world that he
despised more than hypocrisy.
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