Abdullah ibn Hudhafah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ

Shining Stars

ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ

Adnan Ahmad Attari Madani

During his Farewell Hajj in Mina, Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ordered Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ to relay a message to the people. From place to place, the latter made the following announcement, “Do not fast these days,[1] for indeed, these are days of eating, drinking and dhikrullāh.”[2]

Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah al-Sahmī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُis an early Companion.[3] He accompanied his brother Qays in the second migration to Abyssinia.[4] Although a difference of opinion exists regarding his participation in the Battle of Badr,[5] he took part in all other ghazawāt, such as the Battle of Uḥud and the Battle of the Trench.[6]

He also carried the Prophet’s blessed letter and conveyed it to the king of Persia, Khusro Pervez.[7] He was from amongst those who participated in the conquest of Egypt,[8] and Sayyidunā ꜤAmr b. al-ꜤĀṣ رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ then appointed him as his deputy in Alexandria, Egypt.[9]

Learning from the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

He once stood to offer prayer and began reciting the Quran aloud. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, “O son of Ḥudhāfah! Recite to Allah, not to me.”[10]

Imprisonment in Rome

He was imprisoned by the Romans in 19 AH.[11] In the events leading to this, the second Caliph of Islam, ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ sent an army to Rome.[12] During the ensuing battle, Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ killed a Roman commander and sat atop the latter’s horse. He then came face to face with another commander who recognised the horse of his slain contemporary. He was very strong and charged towards the Companion. He grabbed hold of him tight and dragged him back towards the Roman army. Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ was then shackled.[13]

He was physically tortured to the point of unconsciousness and sent to the king of Constantinople (modern day Istanbul), with a message explaining he was a Companion of the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.[14]

The king ordered for him to be subjected to severe hardship, upon which he remained patient. After this, he was locked in a room with alcohol and pork inside. Three days passed, yet he did not eat or drink them. When soldiers informed the king of this, he ordered, “Take him out, or he will pass away in that room.”[15]

Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ wrote a letter to the Roman emperor for Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah’s release. This highlighted the rank and importance of the latter, causing the emperor to call him to the royal court.

Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ himself explains:

When I arrived, I saw the emperor wearing a crown and surrounded by soldiers. I stood directly in front of him.

He asked me, “Who are you?”

I said, “I am a Muslim from the Quraysh.”

He then asked, “Do you come from the family of your Prophet?”

I replied, “No.”

“Then come to our religion, and I will marry you to one of my commanders’ daughters,” he offered.

I rejected his offer and affirmed, “By Allah, I will never leave Islam.”

“Accept our religion, and I will give you a huge amount of wealth, slave-girls, servants, and diamonds if you do,” he further pushed. He then called for some jewels and showed them to me. “These are yours if you come to our religion,” he insisted.

“Never,” I said, “even if you were to give everything you and your nation own, even if you were to give me your kingdom, I will never leave Islam no matter what.”

He threatened, “I will kill you in a despicable manner.”

I replied, “Even if you cut me to pieces or burn me alive, I still will not leave Islam.”

He was incensed by this and said, “Now, I will kill you!"

I responded, “This is all you can do.”[16]

The emperor had Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ taken to a platform and quietly ordered for an archer to fire arrows around him, but not directly at his body. Despite this, he showed not an inkling of fear. The emperor then tried to make Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ Christian, but when this failed, the latter was taken off the platform.[17]

A narration then tells of how the emperor called for a bronze bull (a torture device used in the Roman Empire). This was made from copper, filled with oil, and brought to boiling point by flame. The emperor called for a Muslim prisoner and told him to become Christian, but he flatly denied. The Muslim was then thrown into the brazen bull, his flesh burnt away instantly, and his bones were all that remained.

“Become Christian or this will happen to you too,” the emperor said to Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ. Yet again, the Companion staunchly rejected any offer to leave Islam. The emperor ordered for him to be cast into the brazen bull. When soldiers took hold of him and brought him near, he began to cry. A soldier remarked, “Now you panic and begin to cry.” The emperor ordered for him to be taken away from the bull.

“I am not crying out of fear. I cry because I only have one soul, which shall leave my body when I sacrifice it in Allah’s way. What I want is to have a soul for each of the hairs on my body, be captured by you, and sacrifice each of them in this very manner.”

The emperor was speechless at this and suddenly felt compelled to free the Companion. He offered to free him in return for his forehead being kissed, however he refused. He then offered his daughter in marriage and half his kingdom to Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ in return for accepting Christianity. Yet again, these offers were flatly declined. Finally, the emperor said, “If you kiss my forehead, I will free you and 80 other Muslim prisoners.” The Companion agreed and did so. The emperor held true to his word and freed them.[18]

Select narrations say 100 or 300 prisoners were released alongside him. He was also gifted 30,000 dinars and 60 servants. He and the freed prisoners went to Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ and related the entire incident. The latter declared, “It is now a right upon every Muslim for them to kiss Ibn Ḥudhāfah’s forehead. I shall do this before anybody.” The second Caliph of Islam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ then kissed the forehead of Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Ḥudhāfah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ.[19] The Muslims then stood and began kissing his head.[20]

Some would wrongly make fun of the fact that he kissed the forehead of a disbeliever. In reply he would say, “For that one action, Allah gave freedom to 80 Muslims.”[21]

Observe the unshakable faith of those who accompanied Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Wealth, land, assets, resources, kingship, and beautiful women could not tempt them away from Islam in the slightest. For the sake of the Companions رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُم, may Allah give us strong faith!

His passing away

In approximately 33 AH, he passed away during the caliphate of Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān b. ꜤAffān رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ and was laid to rest in Egypt.[22]