Under this theme, our focus on the Iftaar program during weekdays, will be to take a look at incidents from the lives of the illustrious Sahabah رضي الله عنهم and see how they overcame the trials they faced whether it was because of family or the absence of it.

Today we take a look at this great Sahabi:

Khabbab ibn al-Aratt

A woman named Umm Anmaar who belonged to the Khuza-a tribe in Makkah went to the slave market in the city. She wanted to buy herself a youth for her domestic chores and to exploit his labour for economic gains. As she scrutinized the faces of those who were displayed for sale, her eyes fell ON a boy who was obviously not yet in his teens. She saw that he was strong and healthy and that there were clear signs of intelligence on his face. She needed no further incentive to purchase him. She paid and walked away with her new acquisition.

On the way home, Umm Anmaar turned to the boy and said:

“What’s your name, boy?”

“Khabbab.”

“And what’s your father’s name’?”

“Al-Aratt”

“Where do you come from?”

“From Najd.”

“Then you are an Arab!”

“Yes, from the Banu Tamim.”

“How then did you come into the hands of the slave dealers in Makkah?”

“One of the Arab tribes raided our territory. They took our cattle and captured women and children. I was among the youths captured. I passed from one hand to another until I ended up in Makkah . . .”

Umm Anmaar placed the youth as an apprentice to one of the blacksmiths in Makkah to learn the art of making swords. The youth learnt quickly and was soon an expert at the profession. When he was strong enough, Umm Anmaar set up a workshop for him with all the necessary tools and equipment for making swords. Before long he was quite famous in Makkah for his excellent craftsmanship. People also liked dealing with him because of his honesty and integrity. Umm Anmaar gained much profit through him and exploited his talents to the full.

In spite of his youthfulness, Khabbab displayed unique intelligence and wisdom. Often, when he had finished work and was left to himself, he would reflect deeply on the state of Arabian society which was so steeped in corruption. He was appalled at the aimless wandering, the ignorance and the tyranny which he saw. He was one of the victims of this tyranny and he would say to himself:

“After this night of darkness, there must be a dawn.” And he hoped that he would live long enough to see the darkness dissipate with the steady glow and brightness of new light.

Khabbab did not have to wait long. He was privileged to be in Makkah when the first rays of the light of Islam penetrated the city. It emanated from the lips of Muhammad ibn Abdullah as he announced that none deserves to be worshipped or adored except the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He called for an end to injustice and oppression and sharply criticized the practices of the rich in accumulating wealth at the expense of the poor and the outcast. He denounced aristocratic privileges and attitudes and called for a new order based on respect for human dignity and compassion for the underprivileged including orphans, wayfarers and the needy.

To Khabbab, the teachings of Muhammad ﷺ were like a powerful light dispelling the darkness of ignorance. He went and listened to these teachings directly from him. Without any hesitation he stretched out his hand to the Prophet ﷺ in allegiance and testified that “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and His messenger.” He was among the first ten persons to accept Islam.

Khabbab RA did not hide his acceptance of Islam from anyone. When the news of his becoming a Muslim reached Umm Anmaar, she became incensed with anger. She went to her brother Sibaa ibn Abd al-Uzza who gathered a gang of youths from the Khuzaa tribe and together they made their way to Khabbab RA. They found him completely engrossed in his work. Sibaa went up to him and said:

“We have heard some news about you which we don’t believe.”

“What is it?” asked Khabbab RA.

“We have been told that you have given up your religion and that you now follow that man from the Banu Hashim.”

“I have not given up my religion” replied Khabbab RA calmly. “I only believe in One Allah Who has no partner. I reject your idols and I believe that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His messenger.”

No sooner had Khabbab RA spoken these words than Sibaa and his gang set upon him. They beat him with their fists and with iron bars and they kicked him until he fell unconscious to the ground, with blood streaming from the wounds he received.

The news of what happened between Khabbab RA and his slave mistress spread throughout Makkah like wild-fire. People were astonished at Khabbab RA’s daring. They had not yet heard of anyone who followed Muhammad ﷺ and who had the audacity to announce the fact with such frankness and deviant confidence.

The Khabbab affair shook the leaders of the Quraysh. They did not expect that a blacksmith, such as belonged to Umm Anmaar and who had no clan in Makkah to protect him and no asabiyyah to prevent him from injury, would be bold enough to go outside her authority, denounce her gods and reject the religion of her forefathers. They realized that this was only the beginning . . .

The Quraysh were not wrong in their expectations. Khabbab RA’s courage impressed many of his friends and encouraged them to announce their acceptance of Islam. One after another, they began to proclaim publicly the message of truth.

Lesson to Learn:

Khabbab RA despite him being a slave and having no family to shield him from the persecutions of the Quraysh, never gave up his firm faith in Allah and remained steadfast on his belief. This shows us that family should actually be there to shield each other in times of difficulty, yet on the other hand, if you don’t have any family, it should not cause us to lose focus!