Sayidina Abdullah
ibn Suhayl رضي الله عنه is an early
companion of Rasulullahﷺ who emigrated to Madinah using
a clever tactic at the Battle of Badr. Sayidina Abdullah ibn Suhayl رضي
الله عنه is also the son of the famous Qurayshite statesmen, Suhayl
ibn Amr and brother of Abu Jandal ibn Suhayl.
Sayidina Abdullah ibn Suhayl رضي الله عنه was born in approximately 594 and was the son of Suhayl ibn Amr from Banu Amir branch. His mother is Fakhita bint Amir ibn Nawfal.
The Story of the Martyrdom of Waghidz (Sayidina Abdullah ibn
Suhayl رضي الله عنه ) and His Father- His full name is Abdullah bin
Suhail Umar he was one of the companions who migrated to Abyssinia
Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه became a Muslim in the first years of Islam. Sayidina Abdullah ibn Suhayl رضي الله عنه was subjected to unbearable tortures of the polytheists. Upon the permission of Rasulullahﷺ, Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه migrated to Abyssinia. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه stayed there for a while.
Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه was fine there. Nobody prevented him from worshipping. However, like all muhajirs, Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه experienced the agony of being separated from Rasulullahﷺ. Sayidina Abdullah ibn Suhayl رضي الله عنه could not put up with it anymore. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه returned to Makkah risking all sorts of suffering and torture. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه’s father, who was a polytheist then, became very offended and angry when his son became a Muslim and especially when he migrated.
At the time of Sayidina Abu Bakr As Sidique رضي الله عنه performing Hajj during his leadership, Suhail bin Umar came to him and then he
fought Sayidina Abu Bakr As Sidique رضي الله عنه and Sayidina Abdullah
ibn Suhayl رضي الله عنه.
Suhail said:
"I have been told that the Muhammad said: A
martyr in the way of Allah will intercede for 70 members of his family"
(Authentic hadith
narrated by Abu Daud 2522, tirmizi 1712 states this hadith is hasan sahih and
baihaqi 9/165, 166 in his book Sunan Al-Kubra)
"And I hope that my son will not intercede except against me first"
(See the book
Shafwah As-Shafwah by ibn Jauzi; 1/145,145)
Suhail ibn Umar became very happy when his son returned. Now, he had the opportunity. Suhail ibn Umar planned to punish Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه and to make him give up his religion. Suhail ibn Umar took action immediately. First, he beat Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه violently; then, he tied him to a pole. He increased torture so much that Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه had to pretend to be a polytheist though he believed in the heart. Thus, he got rid of his father's cruelty.
Suhail untied his son. He gave his son many things. He became very happy
that he returned to idols. Days passed like that. The polytheists prepared an
army for the Battle of Badr. Suhayl himself joined this army and he took his
son with him. He did not think that he could still be a Muslim. However, Sayidina
Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه was still a Muslim. Sayidina
Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه did not give up his religion; he only said that he was a
polytheist. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه had a strong belief in his heart.
Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه had always looked for an opportunity to rejoint Rasulullahﷺ since
that day but he had not been able to re-join him. Sayidina
Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه thought this would
be a good opportunity for him. On the other hand, he prayed to Allah سبحانه و تعالى and asked for help.
The two armies confronted at Badr. Although Sayidina
Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه was among the
polytheists bodily, he was with the Muslims spiritually. In his inner world, Sayidina
Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه was planning to rejoint Rasulullahﷺ and to fight against
the polytheists. The number of polytheists was much more than that of the
Muslims. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه thought it was necessary to go to the side of the Muslims as
soon as possible. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه finally found an opportunity. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه made a move and joined the mujahids. The dream he had had for
months came true. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه would not be sorry even if he died now.
His father became very angry when he saw his son among the Muslims;
he uttered bad words. However, Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه did not heed them. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه said to his father, " Allah سبحانه و تعالى made it
good for me." Then he attacked the polytheists with all his might. Sayidina
Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه had always waited for this moment. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail
رضي الله عنه fought heroically in this battle. Sayidina
Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه was appreciated by Rasulullahﷺ. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه was 27 years old then.
Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه joined all of the battles with Rasulullahﷺ.
Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي
الله عنه was also present in
the Expedition of Umrah. During this expedition, he experienced an incident
that deeply saddened him: The polytheists did not want to allow Rasulullahﷺ
to enter Makkah. However, they wanted peace. They appointed Suhayl bin Amr to
make peace. Suhayl objected to Bismillah being written at the beginning of the
treaty and Rasulullahﷺ being mentioned as "the Messenger of
Allah". He said, "If we believed that you were the Messenger of Allah,
we would not fight against you!" Rasulullahﷺ
accepted all the terms of Suhayl in this agreement. He showed some of the
Muslims as witnesses. One of the witnesses was Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه.
This impudent act of his father’s saddened Sayidina Abdullah bin
Suhail رضي الله عنه a lot. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه lowered his head out of embarrassment.
However, a little later something that saddened Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه more than this occurred: Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه’s brother, Sayidina Abu Jandal رضي الله عنه, had been chained by the polytheists because he was a Muslim. However, he managed to escape and took refuge in Rasulullahﷺ. Suhail bin Amr was surprised to see his son suddenly. He held Sayidina Abu Jandal’s neck. The branch with thorns in in his hand hit Sayidina Abu Jandal’s face. Suhail bin Amr said, "O Muhammad! This is the first person you have to return to me in accordance with our treaty." Rasulullahﷺ did not want to accept this demand first. However,
Suhayl insisted, "I will not
sign the treaty!" Rasulullahﷺ had to accept it. Rasulullahﷺ
handed Abu Jandal to his father. Rasulullahﷺ
said to Abu Jandal, “Be patient. Ask Allah سبحانه و تعالى for a thawab
for this. Allah سبحانه و تعالى will soon show you a way.” Sayidina Abu
Jandal accepted the request of Rasulullahﷺ willingly. Sayidina Abu
Jandal رضي الله عنه , returned to Makkah
with his father, taking the risk of all kinds of difficulties. This incident
saddened all of the Companions deeply there. However, Sayidina Abdullah bin
Suhail رضي الله عنه’s was even more distressed but he was patient. Sayidina
Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه’ believed that Allah سبحانه و تعالى would create a
solution.
Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه’ was also present in the Conquest of Makkah. Like some ferocious polytheists, his father, Suhayl, was among the polytheists to be killed when captured. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه asked Rasulullahﷺ to forgive his father. Rasulullahﷺ forgave him for the sake of Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه and his brother Sayidina Abu Jandal رضي الله عنه. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه became very happy about it.
Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه immediately rushed and found his father in the place where he
was hiding; he gave his father the good news. Suhayl bin Amr did not even think
that he would be forgiven despite all of his hostility against the Muslims. Due
to this kindness of Rasulullahﷺ, he became a
Muslim by uttering kalima ash-shahadah. After that, he started to work for
Islam with might and main. From time to time, he cried, remembering his
previous life
Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه made great efforts to suppress the movements of apostasy that
occurred after the death of Rasulullahﷺ. Sayidina Abdullah bin Suhail رضي الله عنه made jihad heroically. Finally, he attained the rank of
martyrdom. At that time, he was 38 years old.
During hajj, Sayidina Abu Bakr expressed his condolences to
Abdullah's father, Suhayl bin Amr. Suhayl, who had tortured his sons years ago
because they were Muslims, said, "I wish I had been martyred too!"
Then, he said:
" Rasulullahﷺ
informed me that a martyr would intercede for 70 of his relatives. I hope that
my son will not intercede for anyone before me."
Then, when they heard that the Muslims had migrated, did the Quraysh
infidels just let it go?
The answer is no. After hearing about the migration of the Muslims
to Madinah, the Quraysh infidels tried to restrain him. So many of the Muslims
who carry out hijrah in the middle of the night. Of course, there were economic
and political reasons, one of which was because a large number of Muslims at
that time greatly influenced the economic condition of Makkah which was
controlled by the Quraysh. Not to mention the impact on the influence of their
power within their respective tribes. As a result, not a few imprisoned
their children until their people converted to Islam so as not to join the
hijrah with Rasulullahﷺ.
Call it, Abu Jandal bin Suhail and his brother Abdullah bin Suhail
whose legs were chained by his own father, Suhail bin Amr. The reason is so
that they do not migrate with the Prophet. Even Abdullah bin Suhail could only
be free when before the battle of Badr he lied to his father that he would
defend his father in the battle of Badr. Until finally, when Abdullah bin
Suhail was on the battlefield he rode his horse and headed for the ranks of the
Muslims. While his brother, Abu Jandal bin Suhail did not want to do that. In
addition to the two friends, another name is Walid bin Walid who is Khalid bin
Walid's brother (different mother) who was detained by his own brother and many
others.
At that time, Abu Jahal and some of the infidels of Quraish
intended to kill Rasulullahﷺ by waiting at the Rasulullahﷺ 's
house from midnight. Abu Jahal's real name was Amr bin Hisham, which was the leader
of the Quraysh who came from Bani Makhzum. Don't get me wrong, if Abu Lahab is
different from Abu Jahal. Abu Lahab was the uncle of Rasulullahﷺ who
came from Bani Hashim. While Abu Jahal was not a relative of Rasulullahﷺ.
But both are equally hostile to Rasulullahﷺ.
Video:Sayyidina Abdullah bin Suhail RA
