The Tragedy of Bi'r Ar Raji'
This chapter will trace the next major incident involving a massacre — a large group of companions were brutally killed; and this is called the Event of al-Raji (الرجيع) and the Event of Bir Ma'unah (بعر معونة).
After the battle of Uhud ended, the polytheists of Quraish persisted until it was thought that they would prepare to attack Madinah. This is felt to complicate the position of Muslims. So, Rasulullahﷺ sent a team to spy on the movements of the Quraysh polytheists.
Among the polytheists themselves, they actually reproached each other and asked Abu Sufyan to prepare an army to attack Rasulullahﷺ and his companions. When this news reached Rasulullahﷺ and his companions, they said a sentence that showed the greatness of their faith and confidence in Allah 'Azza wa Jalla, as the words of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla:
الَّذِيْنَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيْمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ
"(That is) those (who obey Allah and the Messenger) to whom there are those who say: 'Indeed people have gathered an army to attack you, therefore fear them. That word actually increased their faith and they replied: "Allah is enough to be our Helper and Allah is the best Protector."
(Ali 'Imran: 173)
In the month of Shafar, there came a messenger from the community of 'Adhal and Al-Qarah who claimed to have converted to Islam. They asked for people to be sent who could teach Islam and recite the Qur'an for them. Al-Imam Al-Bukhari narrated that Rasulullahﷺ sent ten people led by Martsad bin Abi Martsad Al-Ghanawi رضي الله عنه, accompanied by Khubaib bin 'Adi رضي الله عنه.
Arriving at Ar-Raji', a body of water belonging to the Hudzail tribe, on the outskirts of the Hijaz, the 'Adhal and Al-Qarah even betrayed. They shouted for the Hudzail people who finally came to surround them and then slaughtered most of the messengers of the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace. Khubaib رضي الله عنه and Zaid bin Datsinah رضي الله عنه were left as prisoners. Both were taken to Makkah and sold to the Quraysh whose leaders were killed by both at Badr.
Al-Imam Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih (in Fathul Bari 7/473) from Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه:
بَعَثَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَرِيَّةً عَيْنًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَاصِمَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ وَهُوَ جَدُّ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ فَانْطَلَقُوا حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ بَيْنَ عُسْفَانَ وَمَكَّةَ ذُكِرُوا لِحَيٍّ مِنْ هُذَيْلٍ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ بَنُو لِحْيَانَ فَتَبِعُوْهُمْ بِقَرِيْبٍ مِنْ مِائَةِ رَامٍ فَاقْتَصُّوا آثَارَهُمْ حَتَّى أَتَوْا مَنْزِلاً نَزَلُوْهُ فَوَجَدُوا فِيْهِ نَوَى تَمْرٍ تَزَوَّدُوْهُ مِنْ الْمَدِيْنَةِ فَقَالُوا: هَذَا تَمْرُ يَثْرِبَ. فَتَبِعُوا آثَارَهُمْ حَتَّى لَحِقُوْهُمْ، فَلَمَّا انْتَهَى عَاصِمٌ وَأَصْحَابُهُ لَجَئُوا إِلَى فَدْفَدٍ وَجَاءَ الْقَوْمُ فَأَحَاطُوا بِهِمْ، فَقَالُوا: لَكُمْ الْعَهْدُ وَالْمِيْثَاقُ إِنْ نَزَلْتُمْ إِلَيْنَا أَنْ لاَ نَقْتُلَ مِنْكُمْ رَجُلاً. فَقَالَ عَاصِمٌ: أَمَّا أَنَا فَلاَ أَنْزِلُ فِيْ ذِمَّةِ كَافِرٍ، اللَّهُمَّ أَخْبِرْ عَنَّا نَبِيَّكَ. فَقَاتَلُوْهُمْ حَتَّى قَتَلُوا عَاصِمًا فِي سَبْعَةِ نَفَرٍ بِالنَّبْلِ، وَبَقِيَ خُبَيْبٌ وَزَيْدٌ وَرَجُلٌ آخَرُ، فَأَعْطَوْهُمْ الْعَهْدَ وَالْمِيْثَاقَ. فَلَمَّا أَعْطَوْهُمْ الْعَهْدَ وَالْمِيثَاقَ نَزَلُوا إِلَيْهِمْ، فَلَمَّا اسْتَمْكَنُوا مِنْهُمْ حَلُّوا أَوْتَارَ قِسِيِّهِمْ فَرَبَطُوهُمْ بِهَا فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ الثَّالِثُ الَّذِي مَعَهُمَا: هَذَا أَوَّلُ الْغَدْرِ. فَأَبَى أَنْ يَصْحَبَهُمْ فَجَرَّرُوْهُ وَعَالَجُوْهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَصْحَبَهُمْ فَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَقَتَلُوهُ، وَانْطَلَقُوا بِخُبَيْبٍ وَزَيْدٍ حَتَّى بَاعُوْهُمَا بِمَكَّةَ فَاشْتَرَى خُبَيْبًا بَنُو الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَامِرِ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ، وَكَانَ خُبَيْبٌ هُوَ قَتَلَ الْحَارِثَ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ فَمَكَثَ عِنْدَهُمْ أَسِيْرًا حَتَّى إِذَا أَجْمَعُوا قَتْلَهُ اسْتَعَارَ مُوسًى مِنْ بَعْضِ بَنَاتِ الْحَارِثِ لِيَسْتَحِدَّ بِهَا فَأَعَارَتْهُ قَالَتْ فَغَفَلْتُ عَنْ صَبِيٍّ لِي فَدَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى أَتَاهُ فَوَضَعَهُ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُ فَزِعْتُ فَزْعَةً عَرَفَ ذَاكَ مِنِّي وَفِي يَدِهِ الْمُوسَى فَقَالَ أَتَخْشَيْنَ أَنْ أَقْتُلَهُ مَا كُنْتُ لأَفْعَلَ ذَاكِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ. وَكَانَتْ تَقُولُ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَسِيْرًا قَطُّ خَيْرًا مِنْ خُبَيْبٍ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ يَأْكُلُ مِنْ قِطْفِ عِنَبٍ وَمَا بِمَكَّةَ يَوْمَئِذٍ ثَمَرَةٌ وَإِنَّهُ لَمُوْثَقٌ فِي الْحَدِيْدِ وَمَا كَانَ إِلاَّ رِزْقٌ رَزَقَهُ اللهُ فَخَرَجُوا بِهِ مِنْ الْحَرَمِ لِيَقْتُلُوْهُ. فَقَالَ: دَعُوْنِي أُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ. ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ: لَوْلاَ أَنْ تَرَوْا أَنَّ مَا بِي جَزَعٌ مِنْ الْمَوْتِ لَزِدْتُ. فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَنَّ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ عِنْدَ الْقَتْلِ هُوَ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ أَحْصِهِمْ عَدَدًا. ثُمَّ قَالَ: مَا أُبَالِي حِيْنَ أُقْتَلُ مُسْلِمًا عَلَى أَيِّ شِقٍّ كَانَ لِلَّهِ مَصْرَعِي وَذَلِكَ فِيْ ذَاتِ اْلإِلَهِ وَإِنْ يَشَأْ يُبَارِكْ عَلَى أَوْصَالِ شِلْوٍ مُمَزَّعِ. ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَيْهِ عُقبَةُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ فَقَتَلَهُ. وَبَعَثَتْ قُرَيْشٌ إِلَى عَاصِمٍ لِيُؤْتَوْا بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ يَعْرِفُوْنَهُ، وَكَانَ عَاصِمٌ قَتَلَ عَظِيْمًا مِنْ عُظَمَائِهِمْ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ فَبَعَثَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ مِثْلَ الظُّلَّةِ مِنْ الدَّبْرِ فَحَمَتْهُ مِنْ رُسُلِهِمْ فَلَمْ يَقْدِرُوا مِنْهُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ
Rasulullahﷺ sent a team of spies and appointed 'Ashim bin Thabit رضي الله عنه as the leader. He was the grandfather of 'Ashim bin 'Umar bin Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه. They set off until they arrived between 'Usfan and Makkah. It turned out that this news was leaked to Bani Lihyan, who then followed them with a hundred arrows. Until when they arrived at a place, they found in the former group of 'Ashim date seeds that were brought from Madinah. They said: "These are the dates of Madinah." They chased until they managed to find 'Ashim's group.
While 'Ashim's group took refuge in Fadfad. Finally, the Bani Lihyan team came to surround them and said: "You have the right to make agreements and agreements. If you follow us then we will not kill any of you."
Said 'Ashim: "As for me, I will not accept the protection of the infidels. Ya Allah, tell your Prophet about us."
So they fought 'Ashim's group until he was killed out of the seven casualties, as a result of an arrow attack. Khubaib رضي الله عنه and Zaid رضي الله عنه and one other person remained. Then they accepted the agreement and agreement, and after that, they went with the Bani Lihyan team.
After the army had mastered Khubaib رضي الله عنه and his companions, they untied their bowstrings, binding Khubaibرضي الله عنه, and his two companions. The third companion said: "This is the first betrayal." And he refused to follow them. Finally, the team dragged him but he still refused. So they killed him.
The team eventually took Khubaibرضي الله عنه and Zaid رضي الله عنه and then sold them in Makkah. Khubaib was bought by Bani Al-Harith bin 'Amir bin Naufal where Khubaib once killed Al-Harith during the battle of Badr. In the end, he stayed with them as a prisoner, until they agreed to kill him. (When captured), Khubaib borrowed a razor from one of Al-Harith's daughters to clean himself. The woman also lent it.
The woman said: "I forgot about my young son. He (the woman's son, ed.) came close to Khubaib رضي الله عنه and was placed on his thigh by Khubaib رضي الله عنه. When I saw him, I was very scared and this was known to Khubaib رضي الله عنه, while he was holding the razor in his hand. He said: "Are you afraid that I will kill this child? It's impossible for me to do it, God willing."
The woman after that always said: "I have never seen a better prisoner than Khubaibرضي الله عنه. I once saw him eat a handful of grapes, even though there were no fruits in Makkah at that time, while he was shackled with iron chains. It turned out that it was nothing but the provision that God gave him.
Then they went out of the Al-Haram area (Makkah) to kill Khubaib رضي الله عنه.
Khubaib رضي الله عنه said: "Let me pray two rak'ahs." After that, he turned to them, and said: "If it wasn't for fear that you thought I was afraid of death, I would have added more." He was the first to give an example (sunnah) of praying two rak'ahs before being killed. Then he said: "O Allah, count their number." Then he said again:
I never cared when I was killed as a Muslim
Any part of my body fell down and was killed because of God
That is to defend God's Being, and if He wills
Surely He blessed one of my severed limbs
Then 'Uqbah bin Al-Harith got up and killed him. Then the Quraysh sent messengers to find a part of Ashim's body which they knew was the one who killed their chief at Badr. Then Allah sent a group of flies or bees like a shade that protected 'Ashim رضي الله عنه from the messengers so that they could not approach him."
And he also quoted from the narration of Abil Aswad that Gabriel came to Rasulullahﷺ to tell them about their situation. Then he conveyed it to his companions.
Ibnul Qayyim narrated that at that time Abu Sufyan offered to Khubaib, and he said: "How, would you be happy if Muhammad we captured and had his neck cut while you lived in the middle of your family?" Khubaib said: "No, for God's sake. I am not happy even though I am with my family but Muhammad (Rasulullahﷺ) is in another place and he is pierced by a thorn."
Some Benefits of This Story
Ibnu Hajar explains some of the benefits of the story in this hadith, among them:
- Is it possible to comply with the agreement with the polytheists
- Refrain from killing their children
- The presence of saints
- It is permissible to pray for bad things for the polytheists in general
- Is it permissible to pray when about to be killed
- Can he sing poetry when he is about to be killed.
And this shows the strength of Khubaib's conviction and his steadfastness towards Islam.
From here we also see how the polytheists respect and glorify the forbidden land (Makkah), may God continue to protect and glorify it. God bless you.
1 Thus Ibnul Qayyim mentioned that the one who was appointed as the leader was Martsad bin Abi Martsad Al-Ghanawi رضي الله عنه the more accurate one is as mentioned in the next hadith.
2 Ibnu Qayyim Al-Jauziyyah explained in Bada`i'ul Fawa`id (2/7-8) that the context of the meaning is, that is, I travel in the way of God (in obedience and His pleasure).
Likewise Al-'Allamah Ibnu 'Utsaimin said in the Bulughul Maram Lecture when explaining the hadith of 'Aishah (no. 6770) from Kitabush Shiyam, lafadz. (ed)
