Episode Summary
In the early months of the 4th year of Hijra, the Muslim community faced strategic threats and heartbreaking treachery. Following a successful pre-emptive campaign led by Abu Salama to Banu Asad, the Prophet (saw) sent six teachers to the tribes of Abal and Qara. These Sahaba were betrayed at Al-Raji’, leading to the martyrdom of four on the spot and the subsequent public execution of Khubayb and Zayd in Makkah. The episode highlights the unwavering love of the Sahaba for the Messenger and the divine protection granted to believers even in death.
Key Highlights
- Abu Salama led a 150-man expedition to **Banu Asad** to stop an impending attack on Madinah; he later died when a wound from Uhud re-opened.
- Six Sahaba—**Marthaad, Khalid, Aseem, Khubayb, Zayd, and Abdullah**—were sent as teachers but were ambushed by their guides at Al-Raji’.
- Aseem ibn Thabit’s body was miraculously protected from desecration by a cloud of hornets and then washed away by a flood.
- Zayd ibnu Dathina famously declared he would not trade his life even for the Prophet (saw) to be **"pricked by a thorn"**.
- Khubayb ibnu Adi established the practice of praying **two rakaat before execution** and was seen eating grapes out of season while in captivity.
- The Prophet (saw) miraculously received and returned the final **salaams** of the martyrs while in Madinah.
- Sa’id ibn Amir was so traumatized by witnessing the execution of Khubayb that he would occasionally faint during his later years as a governor.
Comprehensive Analysis
1. Pre-empting Banu Asad: Abu Salama’s Last Mission
In the first month of the 4th year of Hijra, the Prophet (saw) sent 150 Sahaba under Abu Salama to intercept the Banu Asad tribe. Intelligence revealed that two brothers, Tulayha and Salama al-Asadi, were training an army to attack Madinah. Abu Salama, a seasoned veteran and milk-brother of the Prophet (saw), successfully dispersed the enemy without bloodshed, though the physical strain caused a previous injury from Uhud to re-open. He passed away four months later, and the Prophet (saw) subsequently married his widow, Ummu Salama.
2. The Deception of Abal and Qara
In the month of Safar, five months after Uhud, the tribes of Abal and Qara requested teachers to help their people understand Islam. The Prophet (saw) sent a delegation of six Sahaba: Marthaad, Khalid, Aseem ibn Thabit, Khubayb, Zayd ibnu Dathina, and Abdullah ibnu Tariq. At a rest stop called Al-Raji’, the guides betrayed them, surrounding the teachers with an armed mob intending to sell them to the Quraysh for reward money.
3. The Protection of Aseem ibn Thabit
Three of the Sahaba—Marthaad, Khalid, and Aseem—refused to surrender to liars and died fighting. A woman in Makkah had specifically sworn to drink wine out of Aseem’s skull because he had killed her relatives in battle. When Makkans tried to retrieve his head, a dense cloud of hornets protected the body, followed by a massive flood that washed it away, preventing any desecration. Umar ibn al-Khattab later remarked that Allah protects the believer in both life and death.
4. The Martyrdom of Abdullah ibn Tariq
The remaining three Sahaba were tied up and taken toward Makkah. During the journey, Abdullah ibn Tariq managed to loosen his ropes and grabbed a sword to fight for his freedom. However, his captors struck him over the head with a large rock, killing him and making him the fourth martyr of the delegation.
5. Zayd’s Ultimate Love and Execution
Zayd ibnu Dathina was purchased by Safwan ibn Umayyah to avenge his father, Umayyah ibn Khalaf. Before his execution at Tan’im, Abu Sufyan asked Zayd if he would trade places with the Prophet (saw) so he could be home safe with his family. Zayd replied that he would not even want the Prophet (saw) to be “pricked by a thorn” in exchange for his own life. Stunned, Abu Sufyan admitted he had never seen anyone love another person as much as the Sahaba loved Muhammad (saw).
6. Khubayb’s Miracles and the Two Rakaat
Khubayb ibnu Adi was held captive by a family seeking revenge for a relative killed at Badr. A slave woman in the house witnessed him eating a massive bunch of grapes—a delicacy unavailable in Makkah at the time—which she believed was provision from Allah. Before his execution, Khubayb requested to pray two rakaat, establishing a tradition the Prophet (saw) later approved as a Sunnah for those facing death. He noted he would have prayed longer if he didn’t fear the Makkans would think he was trying to delay his death out of cowardice.
7. The Legacy of the Martyrs
As the martyrs were executed, they asked Allah to deliver their final news to the Messenger. In Madinah, the Prophet (saw) was heard saying, “Wa alaykum as salaam” to both Zayd and Khubayb, informing his companions of their deaths. Years later, Sa’id ibn Amir, who had witnessed the execution as a young man in Makkah, would occasionally faint from the overwhelming memory of Khubayb’s devotion and his own guilt for having cheered for his death before accepting Islam.