The Secret Keeper

Hudhaifah Ibn Al Yamân

May Allah be pleased with him

Hudhaifah Ibn Al Yamân went to the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, at the mosque with his father Husayl Ibn Jâbir and his brother Safwân to give the pledge of allegiance to him, and announce that they have become Muslims… They were not originally from Al- Madînah, but Husayl Ibn Jâbir had gone to Al-Madînah to support Banî ‘Abdul ’Ashhal, who were originally from Yemen, and so he was called Al Yamân… The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, had given Hudhaifah the choice between the immigration and becoming an immigrant, or to become one of  ’Ansâr (supporters)… He was the only one of the Prophet’s, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, companions who was given that choice… He chose to be from ’Ansâr (supporters), and became one of them…

During the battle of Badr, Hudhaifah went to the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, and told him: We had promised Quraish -before coming to you- that we would not fight them, so by what do you order me, O Prophet of Allah?!.. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “We keep our promise, and by Allah’s support we shall overcome them”.. He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, allowed him to stay back from the battle of Badr. But in the battle of ’Uhud, he joined in while the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, ordered his father to stay back with the women and children in Al- Madînah for he was an old man, but he did not stay back, he carried his sword and went and joined the Muslims to fight with them. He feared that he would die without joining in the Jihâd (Fighting in the Cause of Allah). He slipped himself amongst the lines of the Muslims without anyone’s knowledge, to fight with them, but he was killed -by mistake- by the Muslims… Hudhaifah caught glimpse of him and tried to save him, he screamed at the Muslims: My father… My father. But his screaming was dispersed… He said: May Allah forgive you for he is most merciful… The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, offered Hudhaifah Dîyya[1], but he gave it away as Sadaqah (charity) to the Muslims… That made the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, love him even more…

Hudhaifah Ibn Al Yamân was very cautious to know evil and avoid it… He said: The people used to ask the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, about the good, but I used to ask him about the evil lest I should be overtaken by them… So I said: O Prophet of Allah… We were living in ignorance and in an (extremely) worst atmosphere, then Allah brought to us this good (i.e. Islam); will there be any evil after this good?!… The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Yes”, I said: O Prophet of Allah… Will there be any good after that evil?.. He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, replied: “Yes, but it will be tainted (not pure)”… I asked: O Prophet of Allah… What is its taint?!… He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, replied: “(There will be) some people who will guide others not according to my tradition; you will approve of some of their deeds and disapprove of some others”. … I asked: O Prophet of Allah, will there be any evil after that good?!… He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, replied: “Yes, (there will be) some people calling at the gates of the (Hell) Fire, and whoever will respond to their  call, will be thrown by them into the (Hell) Fire”… I said: O Prophet of Allah… Will you describe them to us?… The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “They will be from our own people and will speak our language”… I said: What do you order me to do if such a state should take place in my life?.. He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Stick to the group of Muslims and their Imâm (ruler)”… I said: If there is neither a group of Muslims nor an Imâm (ruler)?!”… The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Then turn away from all those sects even if you were to bite (eat) the roots of a tree till death overtakes you  while you are in that state”[2]…

Because of Hudhaifah’s great eagerness to learn about evil, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, told him the names of the Munâfiqîn (Hypocrites)… He was the only one of the Prophet’s, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, companions to know the hypocrites by their names, and family names… For that he was called: The keeper of the Prophet’s, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, secret.

‘Umar Ibn Al Khattâb was keen on searching for Hudhaifah in funerals… If he saw him praying in the funeral prayer, he would too… If not, he would not.. One day, when ‘Umar was Khalîfah (Caliph), he called Hudhaifah and told him: By Allah Hudhaifah… Is there amongst my working men any hypocrites?!… Hudhaifah said: Yes… Just one… ‘Umar said: And who is he?!… But Hudhaifah refused to tell him so that he would not let out the secret… The next day, ‘Umar had dismissed that man from his post, it was as if Allah had led him to know him.

One day, ‘Umar asks the men around him, and amongst them was Hudhaifah Ibn Al Yamân: who among you remembers the statement of the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, about the afflictions?!… Hudhaifah said: I do, ruler of the believers, and as it was said by the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,… ‘Umar said: You are daring to say that… So what is it?!… Hudhaifah said: The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “The affliction of a man in his family, his property, his children and his neighbours are expiated by his prayers, Zakat (and alms).”… ‘Umar said: I do not ask you about these afflictions, but about those afflictions which will wave like the waves of the sea… So Hudhaifah said: Do not worry about it, O chief of the believers… for there is a closed door between you and them... ‘Umar said: will that door be broken or opened?… I said: No it will be broken.. ‘Umar said: Then it will never be closed..

The people left ‘Umar wondering what is that door that shall be broken.. And did ‘Umar know about it, and that’s why he did not ask more about it?!…  They feared to ask Hudhaifah for, he was highly regarded amongst his friends…  They asked a man called Masrûk to ask him… He went to him and said: O Hudhaifah… What is that door?!… Hudhaifah said: ‘Umar Ibn Al Khattâb is that door… The man said: Does ‘Umar know that he is that door?… Hudhaifah said: Yes, just as you know that yesterday was before that night… It was as if Hudhaifah knew that ‘Umar would get killed and that affliction would start after his death and that the Muslims’ conditions would become unstable after a period of settlement…

‘Umar Ibn Al Khattâb sends the armies to all the countries -to spread Tauhid (Islamic Monotheism)- lead by the knights at the day and the monks at night… One of the leaders is Hudhaifah Ibn Al Yamân in the battle of Hamdhân… ‘Umar sends orders saying: The leader of the armies is Al Nu‘mân Ibn Muqarran, if he is killed, then it is Hudhaifah Ibn Al Yamân… Al Nu‘mân is killed and Hudhaifah Ibn Al Yamân becomes the leader.. Allah grants the Muslims victory through him in the battle of Hamdhân.. He continues his victories in the battle of Ar-Rayy then in the battle of Ad-Deynawer.. Hudhaifah calls aloud amongst the soldiers saying: O Muhammad’s companions, O people of Badr, O people of ’Uhud, O people of Al-Khandaq.. There are the Heavens of Allah, it is longing for you, and ready to meeting you.. So do not let it wait for long.. Allahu-Akbar (Allah is the Most Great), His promise is the truth.. Allahu-Akbar (Allah is the Most Great) He has triumphed his fighters… The Persians who were five times as much in number as the Muslims run away… For they were one hundred and fifty thousand, while the Muslims were only thirty thousand… Hudhaifah continues his victories in Al Jazîrah (Arabian Peninsula) and Nassîbîn…

‘Umar appoints him as a leader to Al Madâ’in… He writes to its people: Listen to him, obey him and give him what he asks for… Contrary to what he used to write to others: I have appointed (a particular person) and have ordered him to do this and that… So obey him as long as he obeys Allah’s rules in treating you… Hudhaifah reaches Al Madâ’in… Its chiefs come down to meet him… They used to see rulers surrounded by guards riding shielded horses…etc. But they found their ruler otherwise… When he read them the words of the ruler of the believers, they said: Ask us what you wish… Hudhaifah said: I ask of you food for myself, and forage for my donkey as long as I am amongst you… He lived with them, following the Prophet’s, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, path and his Sunnah, giving them his knowledge and wisdom… From those wise sayings was: The best of you is not one who gives up this life for the afterlife, or gives up the afterlife for this life; the best of you is one who takes from both (this life and the afterlife)…

A man asks him: Which affliction is the strongest?!.. He says: That good and bad would be offered to you, and you would not know which to choose… He warns the people saying: Beware of affliction situations… They said: And what are the affliction situations?!… He said: At the doors of the rulers… When one of you would go to the ruler, then he would believe his lying and praise him for what he does not deserve…

Hudhaifah explains the kinds of hearts saying: The hearts are four kinds… A sealed heart, and that’s the heart of the non-believer… And a plated or shielded heart, and that’s the hypocrite’s heart… And a plain bare heart that shines and blossoms, and that’s the believers heart… And a heart filled with belief and hypocrisy; the belief in this heart is like a good healthy tree, fed by good water and good wind, while hypocrisy is like a bad tree fed by puss… Whichever, dominates, fills the heart…

Time passes, and ‘Umar sends for Hudhaifah to come from Al Madâ’in… When ‘Umar knew Hudhaifah was coming, he went out to meet him on the road… He found that Hudhaifah seemed just like he had left him… He hugged him and said: You are a brother to me, and I a brother to you… Indeed, the keeper of the Prophet’s, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, secret would not be infatuated by this life, or dedicate himself to it… He would not get out of it more than what he needs just to keep him surviving… He meant what he said in his saying to the people of Al Madâ’in: I ask you food for myself, and forage for my donkey as long as I am amongst you…

Hudhaifah remains cautious in avoiding evil in order not to fall into it, remembering all the Prophet’s, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, commandments and applying them until he falls sick and death is near… His friends go to visit him; they find him weeping… They are bewildered and they say: You are the keeper of the Prophet’s, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, secret, and you have fought in Al ’Ahzâb battle, and crossed Al Khandaq (The Ditch) to bring back the news of the non-believers by slipping amongst them, while the believer’s hearts almost reached their throats… You did not fear or hesitate… How come now you weep!!… Hudhaifah says: How would I not weep when I do not know where I am heading for?.. To Allah’s content or discontent… By Allah I do not cry for leaving this world, for death is more preferable to me…

His time is due… His friends hear him whispering: That is my last hour in this life. O Allah… You know that I love you, so bless my meeting with you… Those were his last words (May Allah be pleased with him)… He died and joined with the Prophet’s, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, previous companions, May Allah be pleased with them,… That was forty nights after ‘Uthmân Ibn ‘Affân’s, may Allah be pleased with them, murder…

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