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Abu Abdullah Khabbab bin Aratt belonged to the famous Arab tribe, Banu Tameem,
He is known in history among those great companions of the Prophet (S.A.W.) who
gave up their everything for the cause of Islam and were treated most
tyrannically by the enemies of Allah.
It is not known how he was enslaved and sold in Mecca before Islam. Umm-el-Anmar,
the daughter of Sabaa had purchased him. But according to some others, he was
purchased by Utba-bin-hazwan, This, however, seems incorrect because it was
another Khabbab who was purchased by Utba and not Khabbab bin Arratt. So some of
the historians are confused because of the two Khabbabs and they have taken the
two as one.
While in Mecca, Khabbab bin Aratt used to work as a blacksmith. He would produce
swords and by selling them would get good earnings, Thus he was passing life
peacefully before coming into the fold of Islam, During those days, once by some
way or other he heard the Call of the Holy Prophet and presenting himself to the
Prophet (S.A.W.) accepted Islam without hesitation. Before him only five
personalities had accepted Islam and they were Khadijatul Kubra, Abu Bakr Siddiq,
Ali, Zaid bin-Harisa and Abu Zar Ghifari (R.A.A.). So Khabbab was the sixth
person who was fortunate enough to enter into the fold of Islam. By virtue of
this he was called "Sadisul-Islam" or the Sixth Muslim, Thus Khabbab is also
counted among the Sabeqoon Awwaloon or those who took lead in accepting the
faith of Allah.
But, as we have already seen, it was not an easy task to accept Islam in those
days. To accept Islam in those days was in fect to invite for oneself untold
miseries and tyrannies, Khabbab, however, did not care for any trouble in the
path of Allah, The situation in Mecca, those day was very tense and dangerous
even for those who had supporters and relatives. But Khabbab, being an outsider
and slave in Mecca had none who could support at the hour of need and
difficulties. There was none to save him from the imminent dangers and troubles
after accepting the faith of Allah. In spite of this, he did not think it fit to
conceal his acceptance of Islam. But as soon as he declared that he had become a
Muslim, the infidels broke in upon him from all sides. They attacked the poor
Khabbab (R.A.A.) in such a way that its instances are rare in human history. It
is recorded in history that he was tortured most cruelly by the Quraish. Making
his body naked they would lay him on burning fire and keep on his breast a heavy
stone, or sometimes a full grown up man would sit on his breast so that he may
not turn side to save his back from the fire. Khabbab (R.A.A.) lying on fire
helplessly would say nothing but keep patience and utter the Name of Allah, His
back would remain burning till the melted fat of his body extinguished the fire.
This sort of inhuman torture continued for a long time. One day he came to the
Prophet (S.A.W.) who was at that time resting in the Kaba keeping his head on
his right hand, end said," 0 Messenger of Allah, why dont you pray for me to
Allah?"
Hearing this the Prophet (S,A.W.) got up and sitting 5rmly said, "Before you, in
the past, there were also people whose flesh was scratched from their bodies and
nothing was left except bone, veins and muscles, yet their belief in Faith 0aa
not shaken, They were tormented mercilessly, were cut into pieces through saw
but they never left the faith of Allah. The faith of Allah must survive and you
will see one day, people turning and going from Sanaa (Yemen) ho HadarMaut
fearlessly. They will have no cause of being afraid of but Allah."
Hearing these words from the Prophet (S.A.W.), Khabbabs morale raised twofold
and he went back to his house fully satisfied.
Khabbabs mistress Umm-el-Anmar too, was a very cruel women. She also would
torment him because of his accepting Islam. She would make him wear armors and
sometimes put him into chains and would cause him to lie down on the burning
sand at noon and then would mark on his head with a red hot iron, Hearing about
these torments of Umm-el-Anmar to Khabbab, the Prophet (S.A.W.) would be much
aggrieved and would try to console him, When the heartless woman would come to
know about the -consolations of the Prophet (S.A.W.) to Khabbab, she would
victimize him more mercilessly. Her torments exceeded the limits, so one day
Khabbab came to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and requested him to pray for his
emancipation. The Prophet prayed to Allah.
"O Allah, help Khabbab."
It is stated by historians that after these words of the Prophet (S.A.W.),
Umm-el-Anmar felt severe headache which became so acute that she began to bark
like a bitch, The physicians suggested as the only treatment for her to be
marked on her head with a red hot iron. Being helpless she told Khabbab to do
that. But this treatment could not do any good to her and at last she died
restlessly,
The infidels were not contented only to torture him. physically but they also
caused him pecuniary losses, An idolater Aas-Bin-Wyle had to pay a loan taken
from Khabbab. When Khabbab would ask him to pay the loan he would say, "Unless
you give up the faith of Muhammad (S.A.W.), I wont pay anything to you."
Khabbab, in reply would say, "I wont give up the faith of Muhammad (S.A.W.)
unless you die and come back again to this World,"
Aas would say, "Then wait so long I die and come again to this world to enjoy my
wealth and issues."
This statement of Aas was a critical remark against the belief of the Muslims in
next world so according to Saheeh Bukhari, the following verses of the Holy
Quran were revealed against the above mentioned remark of Aas:
" Hast thou seen him who disbelieveth in Our revelations and saith. Assuredly I
shall be given wealth and children?
Hath he perused the Unseen, or hath he made a pact with Beneficent?
Nay, but we shall record that which he saith and prolong for him a span of
torment.
And We shall inherit from him that whereof he spoke., and he will come unto Us,
alone (without his wealth and children)," (19 :77-80)
Khabbab (R.A.A.) had learnt the Holy Quran just from the very beginning of the
revelations. Some of the historians have mentioned his name in the event of the
acceptance of Islam by Umar (R.A.A.).
According to them during the days when the Prophet (S.A.W.) had taken refuge
with his thirty nine companions, in the house or Arqam (R.A.A.), Khabbab would
go to teach the Holy Quran to Saïd bin Zaid (R.A.A.) and his wife
Fatemah-bint-Khattab (the sister of Umar). One the day when Umar hearing the
news of his sister and brother-in law being converted to Islam, went to admonish
them, Khabbab too was present in their house. Hearing about the arrival of Umar,
Khabbab hid himself into a room Umar, when after beating and injuring his sister
and brother-in-law was a bit calm, told them to recite before him some verses of
the Holy Quran. They recited to him some verses of the Sura of Taha, This
changed the heart of Umar and he cried out, "Undoubtedly these cannot be but the
words of the Creator so let me go to Muhammad (S.A.W.). I will accept Islam."
"O Umar, I give you a good news that last night being the night of Friday
(Thursday), the Prophet (S.A.W.) had prayed to Allah0 Allah, strengthen Islam
by either of the two Umars, whom Thou liketh, so now, I think Allah has chosen
you for that purpose,"
After this, Umar went to the house of Arqam, where the Prophet was present, and
accepted Islam.
The helpless, Khabbab had to face oppressions and distress for years in Mecca,
so long the order for Hijra was not given. When this order was revealed by
Allah, he migrated to Madina, But as it was stated by him, he did not migrate
being afraid of the torments and tortures of the infidels but it was only for
the Will of Allah, In Madina the Prophet (S.A.W.) made him the Islamic brother
of Tameem, but according to some others, he was made the Islamic brother of
Jubair-bin-Ateek.
When the Holy wars for Islam started, Khabbab (R.A.A.) took part with the
Prophet (S.A.W.), in all the battles and fought bravely for the cause of Islam,
He also took part in Jehad during the reigns of the four caliphs.
Khabbab would often go to learn teachings of the Prophet (S.A.W.). One night
when he went to the Prophet (S.A.W.), he saw him performing Salat (Prayer),
Khabbab waited till the prayers of the Prophet (S.A.W.) be finished. But the
Prophets Salat was not finished unless it was dawn. Khabbab also waited there
whole night. When the Prophet (S.A.W.) finished the prayers Khabbab said, "0
Messenger of Allah, may my parents be sacrificed upon you, I had never seen you
before saying prayer for such a long time,"
The Prophet said, "This was the prayer of Fear and Hope, I asked for three
things to Allah for my Ummah, two of which have been granted and the third one
rejected. As for those two things" granted, "the Prophet (S.A.W.) said, "one was
that the enemy should not over come me and the other was that my Ummah should
not be destroyed by any heavenly torment, as the other nations in the past had
been."
Umar Farooq (R.A.A.) and the other great companions of the Prophet would respect
Khabbab much. During the days of Umars caliphate whenever he would go to the
Caliph he would let him sit beside him. It is stated by Allama Bin Aseer that
one day when he came to Umar, the Caliph as usual let him sit beside him and
asked to narrate some of the tortures he had to hear at the hands of the
idolaters. Khabbab by raising his shirt showed the caliph his back and Umar was
amazed to see that the whole back was white like that of a leper, although it
was not leprosy but the signs of the burning of those flames on which the
idolaters would lay him in early days of Islam, Showing those signs he narrated
the pitiful events of those days, and all the people present there began to
weep.
In spite of his all greatness and having a respectable place in Islam, Khabbab
was a man of meek temperament, Once while he was sitting among a group of the
Holy Prophets companions, some of them asked him to order for doing something
but he said politely, Who am I to order for any thing? It may he that 1 order
you for doing such acts which I myself do not perform"
Khabbab sometimes would weep and say
"We migrated with the Prophet (S.A.W ) for the sake of Allah and our reward for
that remained with Allah. After that, some of us expired and could not get the
fruits of their sacrifices; Musab was martyred in the battle of Uhud in a
condition that there was nothing more than a sheet of cloth for his shroud. That
too was so small that his feet would remain uncovered when his head was covered
and if his feet would be covered then his head remained uncovered. So we had to
cover his feet with grass, according to the direction of the Prophet (S.A.W.).
But today, our condition is quite different. Today the blessings of Allah are
coming to us like rain, so I am afraid if He is not paying us the remuneration
of our miseries in this very life."
In the last days of his life Khabbab (R.A.A.) had gone to Kufa and settled
there, In the 37th year of Hijra he fell ill in Kufa, He had some stomach
trouble, Being fed up with the trouble one day he said, "If the Prophet would
not have forbidden, I would have asked Allah for my death in such a condition."
During the days of his illness some people visited him to enquire about his
health and said, "Abu Abdullah, you should he happy that you are about to meet
your those companions, on the Kausar Fountain, who have left this world
earlier."
Hearing this, he began to weep and said, "By Allah, l am not afraid of death,
You have mentioned of those companions who passed away from this world without
getting my remuneration here, so they must get their remuneration in the next
world. But we remained here after them and have got so much that I am afraid our
remuneration may be deducted for the pleasures we have already enjoyed,"
His shroud was brought sometime earlier to his death. Seeing the shroud he said
with tears in his eyes.
This is the complete shroud but when Hamza (R.A.A.) was martyred there was no
shroud sufficient to cover his whole body, so his feet where covered with
grass."
Then he made his last will that he should not be buried within the limits of the
city as it was done in Kufa, but his grave. should be made in an open space, in
the outskirts of the city. And it was done according to his will. After that
other people of Kufa also began to bury the bodies of their relatives in that
very field. Khabbab (R.A.A.)passed away at the age of 72 years.
According to Mustadrak Hakim, Ali (R.A.A.) was present at the burial of Kbabbab
(R.A.A.) and he had led the Funeral prayer. But Ibn-el-Aseer does not agree with
Hakim .According to Allama-Ibn-Aseer, Ali (R.A.A.)had been to the battle of
Siffain while Khabbab died in Kufa, So, when he came back to Kufa (the capital
of Alis Caliphate), he saw seven new graves in the suburbs of the city. So he
asked, "Whose graves are these? There was none when I was going from here,"
People said, "0 Ameerul-Momineen, the first grave is of Khabbab bin Aratt, who
was buried here according to his own will. And the other graves are of other
people who are buried here because of Khabbab."
Hearing this Ali (R.A.A.) began to weep and said:
"May Allahs blessings and mercy be upon Khabbab, He accepted Islam of his own
accord; migrated for the sake of Allah, according to his own will and passed his
life in Jihad and difficulties in the path of Allah. Allah never lets go in vain
the virtues of the virtuous people."
After this Ali (R.A.A.)remained standing for a long while beside his grave and
prayed for him and for the others who were buried there.
The light of sacrifices and virtues lit by Khabbab (R.A.A.) shall remain shining
forever,
May Allah be pleased with him.
