The Tortures of Khabbab ibn al-Aratt

The Tortures of Khabbab ibn al-Aratt

Khabbab (radiyallahu anhu) is also one of those fortunate persons who offered themselves for sacrifice and suffering for the cause of Allah ta'ala. He was the sixth or seventh person to embrace Islam and, therefore, he suffered long. He was made to put on steel armour and lie in the sun to sweat. Very often he was made to lie flat on burning sand, which caused the flesh on his back to dissolve. He was the slave of a woman. When she came to know that he was visiting Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), she used to brand his head with a hot iron rod. Umar (radiyallahu anhu) during his caliphate once asked him about the details of his sufferings after embracing Islam. He showed him his back, seeing which Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said, "I have never seen such a back before." He said, "My body was dragged over heaps of burning coal, and the blood and fat coming out of my back put out the fire."

It is said that, when Islam spread and the Muslims conquered all the surrounding territory, he used to weep and say: "Allah ta'ala seems to be compensating us in this world for all our sufferings, and perhaps nothing would be left for us as reward in the akhirah."

Khabab (radiyallahu anhu) narrates: "Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) once performed an unusually long rak'ah while leading a salah. When the sahabah asked him about it, he said, "This was a salah of hope and fear." I begged three favours from Allah ta'ala. I besought Him: "O Allah! Let not my ummah perish by famine; let not my ummah be destroyed by an enemy gaining the upper hand on them; let not my ummah fight among themselves." Allah ta'ala granted the first two du'a, but not the third one.

Khabbab (radiyallahu anhu) died in 37 hijri. He was the first of the sahabah to be buried at Kufa. Ali (radiyallahu anhu) once passing by his grave said: "May Allah ta'ala bless and show mercy on Khabbab (radiyallahu anhu). He embraced Islam willingly. He migrated with great pleasure in Allah ta'ala's path, and spent his whole life in striving and suffering for Islam. Blessed is the person who is mindful of the day of qiyamah, prepares for presenting all his deeds before Allah ta'ala, remains contented with very little of this world, and is able to please his Allah."

Note: To be able to please Allah ta'ala was really the sahabah's greatest achievement, for this was the sole purpose of their lives.

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(Fadail-e-A'mal - Translated by Abdul Rasheed Arshad)