The Crucified Who Flew

Khubaib Ibn ‘Adîy

May Allah be pleased with him

Back To Main Page                                  Back To Amongst The Prophets Companions

Khubaib Ibn ‘Adîy was an adornment to the youth of Al ’Aws tribe… He was from the earliest men to become a Muslim… He was from the most courageous of Ansâr (supporters), and the strongest in fighting for truth… When he joined the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, in the battle of Badr, he performs very well in that battle and he killed one of the most powerful men of Quraish called Al Hârith Ibn ‘Amir Ibn Nawfal… The news got to MakkahBanű Al Hârith (Al Hârith people) heard about that… They kept the killer’s name in their mind and were determined to get to him to revenge their father’s murder…

It is Allah’s wish that Allah’s Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, sent out ten spies under the command of ‘Âsim Ibn Thâbit Al-Ansâri, the grand-father of ‘Âsim Ibn ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattâb. When they reached (a place called) Al- Hadah between ‘Usfân and Makkah, their presence was made known to a sub-tribe of Hudhail called Banű Lihyân. So they sent about one-hundred archers after them… The archers traced the footsteps (of the Muslims) till they found the traces of dates which they had eaten at one of their camping places. The archers said: These dates are of Yathrib (i.e. Al Madînah)… And went on tracing the Muslims’ footsteps.…  When ‘Âsim and his companions became aware of them, they look refuge in a (high) place. But the enemy encircled them and said: Come down and surrender. We give you a solemn promise and covenant that we will not kill anyone of you… ‘Âsim Ibn Thâbit the leader of the squadron said: O people! As for myself, I will never get down to be under the protection of an infidel.. O Allah, inform your Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, about us… So the archers threw their arrows at them and martyred ‘Âsim Ibn Thâbit. Three of them came down and surrendered to them, accepting their promise and covenant and they were: Khubaib Ibn ‘Adîy, Zaid Ibn Ad-Dathinah and ‘Abdullah Ibn Tariq… When the archers   got hold of them, they untied the strings of arrowbows and  tied their captives with them … ‘Abdullah Ibn Tariq said: That is the first proof of treachery!… By Allah, I will not go with you for I follow the example of these (he meant the martyred companions). The archers dragged him and struggled with him (till they martyred him)… Then Khubaib Ibn ‘Adîy and Zaid Ibn Ad-Dathinah were taken away by them and later on they sold them as slaves in Makkah… They sold Khubaib to Banî Al Hârith to take their revenge… And sold Zaid Ibn Ad-Dathinah to the people of ‘Uqbah Ibn ’Abî Moa‘ît

People of Banű Al Hârith took Khubaib, tied him down, and put him in prison… They tortured him severely trying to persuade him to give up his religion, but they did not succeed… They told him that his companion Zaid Ibn Ad-Dathinah was murdered, so he would stop resisting… That which made him only more persistent and keen on his religion and his belief… Finally, they decided to kill him and get rid of him… One day Khubaib borrowed  from a daughter of Al Hârith a razor for shaving his pubic hair, and she lent it to him… By chance, while she was inattentive, a little son of hers went to him (i.e. Khubaib) and she saw that Khubaib had  seated him on his thigh while the razor was in his hand.… She was so much terrified that Khubaib noticed her fear and said: Are you afraid that I will kill him?!… Never would I do such a thing!!…

Glory be to Allah, indeed Khubaib could have never done that, for he was Allah’s Prophet’s, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, companion; the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, who was a perfect example to his companions of faithfulness, good manners, who would never betray anybody or frighten women and children… If Khubaib wanted, he would have taken revenge for himself by killing the boy, or even keeping him as a hostage in return for asking for his freedom, and for a horse and a sword to escape to Al Madînah, and save himself… But if he had done that, he would have been a murderer or a terrorist, unworthy of being a companion to the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, who was sent for the purpose of accomplishing good morals and manners… Indeed, the greatness of Islam is in what it invites to concerning justice, forgiveness, and not punishing anyone for anyone else’s sin… It is worth knowing what the boy’s mother said: By Allah, I had never seen a better captive than Khubaib… By Allah… One day, I saw him eating from a bunch of grapes in his hand while he was fettered with iron chains and (at that time) there was no fruit in Makkah. She used to say: It was food Allah had provided Khubaib with.

When they took him to Al-Hil (Al Tan‘îm) out of Makkah sanctuary to martyr him, Khubaib requested them: Allow me to offer a two Rak‘âs prayer. They allowed him and he prayed two Rak‘âs and then said: By Allah… Had I not been afraid that you would think I were worried, I would have prayed more… By that, Khubaib was the first man to introduce the Sunnah of a man praying two Rak‘âs while he is waiting to be executed for a good cause…

’Abű Sufyân goes to Khubaib and tells him: O Khubaib… Wouldn’t you like to be safe amongst your family and children, and Muhammad would be in your place?!… Khubaib shivered to these words replying: By Allah, no… I would not choose to be safe in my home, even if I possessed the whole world, while Muhammad would be hurt, even by a little thorn..

’Abű Sufyân wonders, and says: By Allah… I have never seen anyone loving another, as much as Muhammad’s companions love Muhammad!!…

Banű Al Hârith prepare a cross made out of a palm tree trunk to crucify Khubaib on… He looks at them and says: O Allah… Count them one by one, and kill them all of them, till the last man of them… He then says in verse (meaning):

All those tribes have united against me,

And put their forces together to hurt me…

They have even been helped by their children and women…

To prepare a long tree trunk as a cross to crucify me…

I could feel their hatred, but I am in a helpless situation…

Being tied down as I am…

To Allah I express my humility and my pain… After what they have done to me, and decided to kill me…

Allah I pray you grant me the patience, for my body has been tormented…

And all I seek is Allah’s acceptance…

If Allah wishes, he could compensate me…

For every hurt in my flesh by his mercy and acceptance…

They let me choose between dying, or living… As a non-believer, but I have chosen death..

My eyes wept, but they did not see my tears…

For I do not fear death, for I must die someday…

What I fear is hell’s burning fire…

That burns the skin and the bodies…

Khubaib was killed by ‘Uqbah Ibn Al Hârith who killed him by throwing his arrow at him.. ‘Âsim Ibn Thâbit’s (the leader of the squadron) wish was accepted, for Allah sent Jibrîl to the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, with the news… Allah’s Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, sent Az-Zubair Ibn Al ‘Awwâm and Al Miqdâd Ibn ‘Amr on their horses to bury ‘Âsim Ibn Thâbit where he was killed… He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, also sent ‘Amr Ibn ’Ummayah Ad-Damary to where Khubaib Ibn ‘Adîy was crucified to bury him, so he would not be left crucified on a cross… ‘Amr goes disguised, and tries to carry out Allah’s Prophet’s Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, order… He relates what happened: I approached the wooden cross where Khubaib was crucified… I read Qur’ân upon his soul, and I feared to be seen… I let him down, and he fell on the ground… When I reached to him, I looked around and back again, but it was as if the ground had swallowed him up… There was no sign of Khubaib body anymore…

And so, Khubaib Ibn ‘Adîy was the first man to be crucified in Islam, In the Cause of Allah … Nobody knows where his pure dead body is… It is as if the ground has cracked, and swallowed him up, or he had flown to the sky…

 Back To Main Page                                  Back To Amongst The Prophets Companions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hit Counter