Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman radiya Llahu ‘anhu

Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman

He is Sayyidina Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman al ‘Abasi radiya Llahu ‘anhu, one of the senior Sahabah. His father’s name is Husayl, in diminutive form, and it is said Hasil, ibn Jabir ibn ‘Abas, commonly known as al Yaman, al ‘Abasi.

His father killed someone so he absconded to Madinah and became an ally of the Banu ‘Abdul Ash-hal. Due to this, his tribe called him al Yaman because he entered into an alliance with al Yamaniyyah. He married the mother of Hudhayfah and she bore him a child in Madinah. Hudhayfah and his father accepted Islam and desired to participate in Badr, but were prevented by the mushrikin. They however attended Uhud where al Yaman was martyred. Hudhayfah radiya Llahu ‘anhu reports many ahadith from the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Al ‘Ijli says, “‘Umar appointed him governor of Mada’in. He remained there until he passed away 40 days after Sayyidina ‘Uthman’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu assassination. This happened in the year 36 A.H.”[1]

Sayyidina Hudhayfah radiya Llahu ‘anhu participated in the conquests of Iraq and has popular reports about it.[2] He is one of the eminent Sahabah of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He is the man Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam sent on the Day of Khandaq to spy on the Quraysh and he brought him news of their departure. Sayyidina ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu would ask him about the hypocrites.

He is well-known among the Sahabah as the confidant of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. When any of the hypocrites passed away, Sayyidina ‘Umar would ascertain whether Sayyidina Hudhayfah radiya Llahu ‘anhuma attended. If the latter failed to attend, the former would do the same.

He is the ally of the Ansar, the Banu ‘Abdul Ash-hal.

Sayyidina Hudhayfah radiya Llahu ‘anhu participated in the Battle of Nahawand and took hold of the flag after Nu’man ibn Muqarrin fell. The Conquests of Hamdhan, al Rayy, and al Dinur took place at his hands. All of his conquests occurred in the year 22 A.H.[3]

Sayyidina ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu told his friends:

تمنووا فتمنوا ملء البيت الذي هم فيه جوهرا لينفقوه في سبيل الله فقال عمر لكني أتمنى رجالا مثل أبي عبيدة و معاذ بن جبل و حذيفة و أستعملهم في طاعة الله تعالى

“Desire.”

So they desired that the house they were in be filled with jewels so they may spend it in the path of Allah.

‘Umar said, “However, I desire men like Abu ‘Ubaidah, Muaz ibn Jabal, and Hudhayfah so I may use them in the obedience of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala.”[4]

He would ask Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam a number of questions regarding trials and evil, in order to avoid them. A man once asked him, “Which fitnah is the severest?” He replied:

أن يعرض عليك الخير و الشر و لا تدري أيهما تترك

That good and evil is presented before you and you do not know which to abandon.[5]

His assurance of entry into Jannat appears in a hadith recorded by Muslim in his Sahih from the chain of Ibrahim al Taymi from his father who reports:

كنا عند حذيفة فقال رجل لو أدركت رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قاتلت معه و أبليت فقال حذيفة أنت كنت تفعل ذلك لقد رأيتنا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ليلة الأحزاب و أخذتنا ريح شديدة و قر فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ألا رجل يأتينا بخبر القوم جعله الله معي يوم القيامة فسكتنا فلم يجبه منا أحد ثم قال ألا رجل يأتينا بخبر القوم جعله الله معي يوم القيامة فسكتنا فلم يجبه منا أحد ثم قال ألا رجل يأتيني بخبر القوم جعله الله معي يوم القيامة فسكتنا فلم يجبه منا أحد فقال قم يا حذيفة فأتنا بخبر القوم فلم أجد بدا إذا دعاني باسمي أن أقوم قال اذهب فأتني بخبر القوم و لا تذعرهم علي فلما وليت من عنده جعلت كأنما أمشي في حمام حتى أتيتهم فرأيت أبا سفيان يصلي ظهره بالنار فوضعت سهما في كبد القوس فأردت أن أرميه فذكرت قول رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم و لا تذعرهم علي و لو رميته لأصبته فرجعت و أنا أمشي في مثل الحمام فلما أتيته فأخبرته بخبر القوم و فرغت قررت فألبسني رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم من فضل عباءة كانت عليه يصلي فيها فلم أزل نائما حتى أصبحت فلما أصبحت قال قم يا نومان

We were sitting by Hudhayfah when a man said, “Had I been with Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, I would have fought on his side and inured.”

Hudhayfah said, “You would do that? I picture us with Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam on the night of the Battle of Ahzab. We were being thumped with heavy cold winds. Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam announced, ‘Will anyone bring me intelligence of the enemy; Allah will make him my companion on the Day of Qiyamah?’ We remained silent and none of us answered him.

He announced again, ‘Will anyone bring us information of the enemy; Allah will unite him with me on the Day of Qiyamah?’ Again, we remained silent and none of us answered him.

He announced for a third time, ‘Will anyone bring me intelligence of the enemy; Allah will unite him with me on the Day of Qiyamah?’ We still kept silent and none of us answered his call.

He then commanded, ‘Stand up, O Hudhayfah and bring us intelligence of the enemy.’

I found no excuse, since he called me by name, but to stand up. He instructed, ‘Proceed and bring me news of the enemy. But do not alarm them of your presence.’

As I left his presence, I felt as if I was walking in a hot spa. When I reached them, I saw Abu Sufyan warming his back by a fire. I placed an arrow in the centre of the bow and intended to shoot at him, when I remembered Rasulullah’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam instruction, ‘Do not alarm them of your presence.’ Had I shot at him, I would have hit the target. I returned and felt I was walking in hot spa. I reached him and informed him of the enemy’s intelligence. As I finished, I felt cold again.

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam threw upon me the extra portion of a shawl he was wearing, performing salah in. I continued sleeping until morning. As morning came, he shouted, ‘Get up, sleepyhead.’”[6]

NEXT⇒ Hassan ibn ‘Ali, the grandson of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam

[1] Al Thiqat, vol. 1 pg. 289.

[2] Al Isabah, vol. 2 pg. 44 with slight brevity.

[3] Al Isti’ab, vol. 1 pg. 99.

[4] Usd al Ghabah, vol. 1 pg. 248.

[5] Al Isti’ab fi Ma’rifat al Ashab, vol. 1 pg. 99; Tahdhib al Asma’, vol. 1 pg. 215; al Isabah, vol. 2 pg. 44; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 7 pg. 503.

[6] Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 1788.

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