Treachery of the Disbelievers and the Incident of Rajī‘ - Ṣafar 4 A.H.

These were days of grave danger for the Muslims and the Holy Prophet(sa) was receiving horrific news from all four ends. However, the greatest danger posed to the Holy Prophet(sa) was from the Quraish of Makkah, who had grown very bold and daring due to the battle of Uḥud. Perceiving this threat, in the month of Ṣafar 4 A.H., the Holy Prophet(sa) assembled a party of ten Companions, appointed ‘Āṣim bin Thābit(ra) as their Amīr and ordered them to secretly go towards Makkah and obtain intelligence with regards to the Quraish, and then inform him about their plans and motives.1 However, this party had not yet departed, when a few people from the tribes of ‘Aḍal and Qārah presented themselves before the Holy Prophet(sa), and said that many people from among their tribes were inclined towards Islām and that the Holy Prophet(sa) should send a few men with them, who could convert them to Islām and educate them.2 The Holy Prophet(sa) was happy to hear their request and the same party which had been assembled for the reconnaissance mission was sent off with them instead.3 However, in actuality, as was later discovered, these people were liars and had come to Madīnah upon the incitement of the Banū Laḥyān, who sought revenge for the execution of their chief, Sufyān bin Khālid, and had thus contrived the plan that when the Muslims come out of Madīnah on this pretense, they would attack them. In lieu of this service, the Banū Laḥyān promised the people of ‘Aḍal and Qārah a hefty reward of many camels.4 When the treacherous people of ‘Adal and Qarah reached between ‘Asfān and Makkah, they secretly sent word to the Banū Laḥyān that the Muslims were accompanying them and that they should come as well. Upon this, 200 young men from the Banū Laḥyān, 100 of whom were archers, set forth in pursuit of the Muslims, and subdued them at a place known as Rajī‘. But how could 10 men compete against 200 warriors? The Muslims, however, had not been taught to throw in their arms. The Companions immediately ascended to a nearby hillock and prepared for battle. The disbelievers, who did not consider deception as being reprehensible, called out to them and said, “Come down from the mountain, we give you a firm promise that we shall not kill you.” ‘Āṣim(ra) responded, “We have no confidence whatsoever in your treaties and agreements. We cannot descend on your guarantee.” Then, he raised his head towards the heaven and said, “O God! You are witnessing our state. Do convey knowledge of our condition to Your Messenger.” Hence, ‘Āṣim(ra) and his Companions stood and fought and were finally martyred in battle.

When seven Companions had been put to death, and only Khubaib bin ‘Adiyy(ra), Zaid bin Dathinah(ra), and one other Companion were left, the disbelievers whose actual desire was to capture these people alive, called out again and said, “There is still time. Come down and we promise not to cause you any harm.” This time, these innocent Muslims fell into their trap and descended. However, as soon as they stepped down, the disbelievers tied them with the strings of their arrow bows. Upon this, the Companion of Khubaib(ra) and Zaid(ra), whose name has been recorded in history as being ‘Abdullāh bin Ṭāriq(ra), could not restrain himself and called out, “This is your first breach of agreement and who knows what you shall do hereafter,” and ‘Abdullāh(ra) refused to continue along with them. For some distance, the disbelievers dragged ‘Abdullāh(ra) along, beating and assaulting him, and then killed him and left him for dead. Moreover, now that there revenge had been sought, in order to please the Quraish, and also in the greed of money, they took Khubaib(ra) and Zaid(ra) and made way to Makkah; upon reaching there, they sold both of them to the Quraish.5 As such, Khubaib(ra) was purchased by the sons of Ḥārith bin ‘Āmir bin Naufal, because Khubaib(ra) had slain Ḥārith in the battle of Badr6 and Zaid(ra) was purchased by Ṣafwān bin Umayyah.7

These two Companions were still in a state of captivity when one day Khubaib(ra) asked the daughter of Ḥārith if he could be given a razor for his own personal use, and she gave him one. When Khubaib(ra) was holding this razor, a small child of the daughter of Ḥārith happened to come over to Khubaib(ra) playing here and there; and he placed him on his thigh. When the mother saw that Khubaib(ra) was holding a razor in his hand and her child was sitting on his thigh, she began to tremble and her face turned pale in fear. When Khubaib(ra) saw her, he understood that she was fearful and said, “Do you think that I will kill this child? Do not think this. God-Willing, I shall never commit such an act.” Upon hearing these words, the faded countenance of the mother lit up. This lady was so deeply influenced by the high moral character of Khubaib(ra) that afterwards, she would always say, “I have never seen a prisoner as good as Khubaib.” She would also say, “On one occasion, I saw a bunch of grapes in the hand of Khubaib(ra) and he was picking grapes one by one and eating them, although there was no sign of grapes in Makkah during those days and Khubaib(ra) was shackled in strong iron chains.” She says, “I believe that these were heavenly provisions which would come to Khubaib.”8

However, before the heartfelt enmity of the Quraish, emotions of mercy and justice were out of the question. As such, it had not been many days when the people of the Banū Al-Ḥārith and other chieftains of the Quraish took Khubaib(ra) to an open field in order to execute him and celebrate his death. When Khubaib(ra) perceived the fragrance of martyrdom, he implored the Quraish to allow him an opportunity to offer two Rak‘āt of Ṣalāt before his death. The Quraish, who perhaps desired to make the Islāmic worship a part of this spectacle, granted him permission. Khubaib(ra) offerred two Rak‘āt of Ṣalāt with great attention and concentration. After completing his Ṣalāt, he said to the Quraish, “I desired to prolong my Ṣalāt even more, but then I thought that you may assume that I am prolonging my Ṣalāt with the intention of deferring death.” Then, reciting the following couplets, Khubaib(ra) leaned forward:

“When I am being martyred in the cause of Islām as a Muslim, I care not as to which flank I fall upon after being martyred, all of this is for the sake of God; And if my God so wills, He shall bless my every severed limb.”

The last words of these couplets were perhaps still echoing from the tongue of Khubaib(ra) when ‘Uqbah bin Ḥārith stepped forward and this lover of the Holy Prophet(sa) was mixed to dust.9 In another narration it is related that the Quraish hung Khubaib to the branch of a tree and then murdered him by repeatedly piercing him with lances. An individual by the name of Sa‘īd bin ‘Āmir was also among the crowd. Afterwards, he become Muslim and even until the reign of the Khilāfat of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar(ra), whenever he would remember the incident of Khubaib(ra), he would be overtaken by a state of swoon.10

To the other side, Ṣafwān bin Umayyah took his prisoner Zaid bin Dathinah(ra) outside the Ḥaram. A crowd consisting of the chieftains of Makkah accompanied him. Upon reaching outside the Ḥaram, Ṣafwān ordered his slave Nasṭās to execute Zaid(ra). Nasṭās stepped forward and raised his sword. At this instance, Abū Sufyān bin Ḥarb, the chieftain of Makkah who was also among the spectators stepped forward and addressed Zaid(ra) saying, “Tell the truth, does your heart not desire that on this instance, in your stead Muḥammad[sa] was in our hands, and we would execute him while you would be spared to spend days of joy with your family?” The eyes of Zaid(ra) began to gorge with blood in rage and he furiously retorted, “Abu Sufyān! What nonsense do you utter? By God! I would not even prefer that in lieu of me being spared a thorn were to prick the foot of the Messenger of Allāh!” Abū Sufyān uncontrollably proclaimed, “By God, I have never seen any individual love another person as much as the Companions of Muḥammad[sa] love Muḥammad[sa].” After this, Nasṭās martyred Zaid(ra).11

In the context of this very incident of Rajī‘, a narration has been related that when the Quraish received news that ‘Āṣim bin Thābit(ra) was also among those who had been martyred at Rajī‘ at the hands of the Banū Laḥyān, since ‘Āṣim(ra) had slain a principal chieftain of the Quraish, they especially sent some men towards Rajī‘, and emphatically instructed them to return with the head of ‘Āṣim(ra) or another part of his body, so that they could be put to rest and their thirst for revenge could be quenched.12 It is related in another narration that the mother of the person whom ‘Āṣim(ra) had slain had vowed that she would drink alcohol in the skull of her son’s killer.13 However, the power of God was such that when these people arrived there, lo and behold, they found swarms of hornets and male honey bees resting upon the body of ‘Āṣim(ra) and they just would not budge. These people tried their level best to send off these hornets and bees, but no attempt proved successful. Finally, with no other choice, they returned frustrated and unsuccessful.14 Soon after, a storm of rain came and took the body of ‘Āṣim(ra) elsewhere. It is written that upon accepting Islām, ‘Āṣim(ra) vowed that he would completely abstain from anything that was polytheistic, to the extent that he would not even touch an idolator. When Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar(ra) was informed of his martyrdom and of this occurrence in particular, he said, “Look how beautifully Allāh guards the emotions of His beloved servants. He fulfilled the vow of ‘Āṣim(ra) even after his demise and safeguarded him from the touch of idolators.”15

The grief which the Holy Prophet(sa) and his Companions would have felt as a result of the incident of Rajī‘ is obvious. However, before this tragic news could reach Madīnah, another incident took place. Hence, before we comment on the incident of Rajī‘, it is necessary to mention this incident, because both these occurrences were similar in nature, and the Holy Prophet(sa) received news of them at the same time as well.16