Zayd al-Khayr - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

People are made up of basic"metals" or qualities. The best ofthem in
Jahiliyyah are the best ofthem in Islam, according to a hadith of the
Prophet.
Here are two pictures of a noble companion--one during his life in
Jahiliyyah and the other after he became a Muslim .
In Jahiliyyah, this Sahabi was known as Zayd al-Khayl. When he became
a Muslim, the Prophet renamed him Zayd al-Khayr.
The tribe of Aamir were afflicted one year by a severe drought which
destroyed crops and vegetation and caused livestock to perish. So bad
was it that oneman left the tribe with his familyand went to Hira.
There he left his family with the words, "Wait for me here till I
return to you." He swore to himself not to return to them until he
earned some money for them or died in the process.
The man took some provisions with him and walked all day in search of
something for his family. At nightfall, he found himself in front of a
tent. Nearbya horse was tethered and he said to himself:
"This is the first booty." He wentto the horse, untied it and was
about to mount it when a voice called out to him:
"Leave it and take your life as booty." He hastily abandoned the horse.
For seven days he walked until he reached a place where there was a
pasture for camels. Nearby was an enormous tent with a leather dome,
signs of great riches and wealth.
The man said to himself:"Doubtless this pasture has camels and
doubtless this tent has occupants." The sun was about to set. The man
looked inside the tent and saw a very old man in the center. He sat
down behind the old man without the latter realizing his presence.
The sun soon set. A horseman, imposing and well built, approached. He
rode his mount erect and tall. Two male servants accompanied him, one
on his right and the other on hisleft. With him were almost a hundred
she-camels and in frontof them a huge male camel. Clearly he was a
well endowed man. To one of the servants he said, pointing to a fat
camel:
"Milk this and give the old man adrink." The shaykh drank one or two
mouthfuls from the full vessel which was brought to him and left it.
The wanderer went up to it stealthily and drank all the milk in it.
The servant returned, took the vesseland said:
"Master, he has drunk it all." Thehorseman was happy and ordered
another camel to be milked. The old man drank only one mouthful and
the wanderer drank half of what was left so asnot to arouse the
suspicion of the horseman. The horseman then ordered his second
servant to kill a sheep. Some of it was grilled and the horseman fed
theshaykh until he was satisfied. He and the two servants then ate.
After this, they all slept soundly; their snoring filled the tent.
The wanderer then went to the he-camel, untied and mounted it. He rode
off and the she camels followed. He rode throughout the night. At
daybreak he looked around in every direction but did not see anyone
following him. He pushed on until the sun was high in the sky. He
looked around and suddenly saw something like an eagle or a big bird
in the distance coming towards him. It quickly gained on him and soon
he saw that it was the horseman on his horse.
The wanderer dismounted and tied the he-camel. He took out an arrow
and placed it in his bow and stood in front of the other camels. The
horseman stopped at a distance and shouted:
"Untie the camel." The man refused saying how he had left behind him a
hungry family in Hira and how he had sworn not to return unless he had
money or died in the process
"You are dead if you do not untie the camel," said the horseman. The
wanderer again refused to do so. The horseman threatened him once more
and said:
"Hold out the reins of the camel.There are three knots in it. Tell me
in which of them you want me to place my arrow." The manpointed to the
middle knot and the horseman lodged an arrow right in the center as if
he had neatly placed it there with his hand. He did the same with the
second and third knots. At that, the man quietly returned his own
arrow to his quiver and gave himself up. The horseman took away his
sword and his bow and said to him:
"Ride behind me." The man expected the worst fate to befallhim now. He
was at the complete mercy of the horseman who said:
"Do you think I will cause you harm when you have shared with Muhalhil
(the old man, his father) his drink and his food last night?"
When the man heard the name Muhalhil, he was astonished andasked: "Are
you Zayd al-Khayl?"
"Yes," said the horseman.
"Be the best captor," pleaded the man.
"Don't worry," replied Zayd al-Khayl calmly. "If these camels were
mine, I would give them toyou. But they belong to one of my sisters.
But stay some days with me. I am about to make a raid."
Three days later he raided the Banu Numayr and captured about a
hundred camels, as booty. He gave them all to the man and sent some
men with him as guards until he reached his family in Hira.
The above is a story of Zayd al-Khayl as he was in Jahiliyyah
recounted by the historian ash-Shaybani. The books of Siyar give
another picture of Zayd al-Khayl as he was in Islam . . .
When Zayd al-Khayr heard the news of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
he made some of his own enquiries and then decided to go to Madinah to
meet the Prophet. With him was a big delegation of his people among
whom were Zurr ibn Sudoos, Malik ibn Jubayr, Aamir ibn Duwayn and
others.
When they reached Madinah, they went straight to the Prophet's Mosque
and tethered their mounts at its door. It happened that as they
entered, the Prophet was on the mimbar addressing the Muslims. His
speech aroused Zayd and his delegation and they were also astonished
by the rapt attentionof the Muslims and the effect of the Prophet's
words on them. The Prophet was saying:
"I am better for you than al-Uzza(one of the main idols of the Arabs
in Jahiliyyah) and everything else that you worship. I am better for
you than the black camel which you worship besides God."
The Prophet's words had two different effects on Zayd al-Khayland
those with him. Some of them responded positively to the Truth and
accepted it. Some turned away and rejected it. Oneof the latter was
Zurr ibn Sudoos. When he saw the devotion of the believers to
Muhammad, both envy and fear filled his heart and he said to those
with him:
"I see a man who shall certainly captivate all Arabs and bring them
under his sway. I shall not let him control me ever." He then headed
towards Syria where it is said he shaved his head (as was the practice
of some monks) and became a Christian.
The reaction of Zayd and others was different. When the Prophethad
finished speaking, Zayd stood up, tall and impressive-looking in the
midst of the Muslims and said in a loud and clear voice:
"O Muhammad, I testify that there is no god but Allah and that you are
the messenger of Allah."
The Prophet came up to him andasked, "Who are you"
"I am Zayd al-Khayl the son of Muhalhil."
"From now on you are Zayd al-Khayr instead, not Zayd al-Khayl," said
the Prophet."Praise be to God Who has brought you from the hills and
dales of your native land and softened your heart towards Islam."
Thereafter he was known as Zayd al-Khayr (Zayd the Good).
The Prophet then took him to his house. With them were Umaribn
al-Khattab and some other Companions. The Prophet gave him a cushion
to sit on but he felt very uncomfortable to recline thus in the
presence of the Prophet and he returned thecushion. The Prophet handed
it back to him and he returned it to him. This happened three times.
Eventually, when they were all seated, the Prophet saidto Zayd
al-Khayr:
"O Zayd, no man has ever been described to me and when I see him he
does not fit the description at all except you. You have two
characteristics which are pleasing to God and His Prophet."
"What are they?" asked Zayd.
"Perseverance and sagacity," replied the Prophet.
"Praise be to God," said Zayd,"Who has given me what He andHis Prophet
like." He then turneddirectly to the Prophet and said:"Give me, O
messenger of God, three hundred horsemen and I promise you that I will
secure Byzantine territory with them." The Prophet praised his fervor
and said, "What manner of man are you!"
During this visit, all those who stayed with Zayd became Muslims. They
then desired to return to their homes in Najd and the Prophet bade
them farewell. The great desire of Zayd al-Khayr to work and fight for
the cause of Islam, however was not to be realized.
In Madinah al-Munawwarah at that time there was an epidemicof fever
and Zayd al-Khayr succumbed to it and said to those with him: "Take me
away from the land of Qays. I have the fever of small pox. By God, I
shallnot fight as a Muslim before I meet Allah, the Mighty the Great."
Zayd took the road to his people in Najd in spite of the fact that the
fever became more and more intense and slowed him down. He hoped at
least to get back to his people and that they would become Muslims,
throughGod's grace, at his hands. He struggled to overcome the fever
but it got the better of him and he breathed his last on the way
before reaching Najd. Between his acceptance of Islam and his death,
however, there was no time for him to have fallen into sin.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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