[For Illustration Only]
He embraced Islam through the invitation of Abu Bakrرضي الله عنه in the early days, that is "Before Rasulullahﷺ began preaching at the house of Al-Arqam".
Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه participated in the second migration to Abyssinia in 616, along with two brothers, seven cousins, and four other members of Bani Sahm. Khunais was among those who returned to Makkah in 619 "under the guarantee of the protection of a city dweller, or secretly". Immediately after that, he married Hafshah bint Umar رضي الله عنه , who was probably fourteen years old at the time.
When Umar migrated to Madinah in 622, Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه and Hafshahرضي الله عنه were also in his entourage. Initially, they stayed at the house of Rifa'ah bin Abdul Mundzirرضي الله عنه. When Rasulullahﷺ fraternized between the Muhajirin and Ansar, he paired Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه with Abu Abs bin Jabarرضي الله عنه , the brother-in-law of Muhammad bin Maslamah.
Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه was the only member of Bani Sahm who also fought in the Battle of Badr in - March 624.
Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه died "at the beginning of the twenty-fifth month after the event of Rasulullahﷺ's migration to Madinah", which is the end of August 624. Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه was buried in Jannatul Baqi, Madinah. Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه has no children. His widow Hafshahرضي الله عنه, then married Rasulullahﷺ.
A man who is responsible for so much good and who was so early on in Islam and held a prominent position clearly with Rasulullahﷺ and the early companions. And his name is Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه As-Sahmi. He's from the Sahm clan of Quraysh. And Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه was the older brother of Abdullah and Qais. Abdullah Ibn Hudhafahرضي الله عنه, who we'll be speaking about next time inshallah ta'ala, and Qaisرضي الله عنه. So his younger brothers were very young and he was also a young man in his teens at the time of Rasulullahﷺ. His nickname growing up was Abu Hudhafah رضي الله عنه. The idea was that he would one day have a son, which is of course very common and name his son after his father.
So Abu Hudhafah Khunaisرضي الله عنه, even though he never had Hudhafah, a son, this is his name in the days of ignorance and in Islam as well. So what we know about him is that he was a young man when he heard the da'wah of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq رضي الله عنه. along with some of his friends. Remember, you know, most of those that accepted Islam early on accepted Islam through the direct da'wah of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq رضي الله عنه.. And what we know also is that most of them were very young and he is no exception. But what's very interesting and what's noteworthy about him in this regard is that he is amongst those who embraced Islam before Dar Al-Arqam started. And so he is considered perhaps one of the first 20 people to accept Islam.
Imagine being one of the first 20 people to embrace this religion and your name being completely unknown to the Muslims. Right. How many people have you met named Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه and how many times have you heard about Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه? So he embraces Islam and then he goes home and sort of being the elder of his family, he also brings along his two younger brothers who were very young children at the time, Abdullahرضي الله عنه and Qaisرضي الله عنه to embrace Islam with him. He also brings with him seven of his cousins and four other members of Banu Sahm, of the Sahm clan to embrace Islam. And he takes all of them.
Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه is seen as their head, as their most senior person, at least amongst the Muslims. Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه takes all of them and he makes hijrah to Abyssinia. So he's from that noble group of people that made hijrah to Abyssinia to escape persecution and to preserve their religion through that migration. Now, when they go to Abyssinia, Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه is one of those who returns to Makkah after the migration to Abyssinia, and he's offered protection by one of the citizens of Makkah. Now, the person who would offer the hand of his daughter to him is a man who subhanAllah would see through weak character very easily.
Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه was a man who was divinely inspired by the angels, a man who had a deep sense of perception, and a man who sought great religion and character. And that was Umar bin Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه who offered him the hand of his daughter Hafsahرضي الله عنه., his one daughter at the time Hafsah رضي الله عنه. Umar رضي الله عنه had other daughters later on, way later on in Islam. And in fact, he would name them after the daughters of Rasulullahﷺ. Zaynabرضي الله عنه in Ruqayyaرضي الله عنه and Fatimahرضي الله عنه. May Allah be pleased with them all. But Hafsah رضي الله عنه was his oldest daughter and someone that Umar bin Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه wanted to have a proper suitor to.
And at that point, Umar bin Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه is a Muslim, a strong Muslim, and Umar bin Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه wants his daughter to be married to one of the first Muslims, one of the earliest batch of those who converted to Islam, someone who demonstrated great faith and great character. And so Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه marries Hafsah. Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه himself probably in his late teens or at this point in his early 20s, Hafsah رضي الله عنه being about 14 years of age at this time. And of course, at that time, you know, people would get married very young. So this couple is formed in Makkah under the persecution of the Makkans. And when Umar bin Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه makes the hijrah to Al-Madinah, Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه, and Hafsahرضي الله عنه, may Allah be pleased with them both. And with Umar bin Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه , they join him for the hijrah.
So they were amongst that group that actually went with Umar bin Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه to Al-Madinah at the time for the hijrah. And they stayed with a man by the name of Rifaa'ah ibn Abdul Mundhir رضي الله عنه. And Rasulullahﷺ paired Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه off with a man from the Ansar by the name of Abu Abs ibn Jabr Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه, who was a brother-in-law of Muhammad ibn Maslamah رضي الله عنه. So Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه and Hafsahرضي الله عنه settle into their new life in Al-Madinah, this young couple. And Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه becomes one of those who is near to Rasulullahﷺ, of course, by virtue as well of his own father-in-law who embraced Islam after him, Umar bin Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه.
Now, what do we know about him after that? When the Battle of Badr took place in the year 624, Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه was the only member of Banu Sahm who fought in the Battle of Badr, who is considered from the Badriyun. Now, why is that significant? Obviously, Islam did away with the evils of tribalism. But in the wake of a battle, you know, when people would account for the members of the army, they would look for the members of their tribe.
And that's something that continued even after Islam, where people looked for their families and their extended families. The fact that he was the only member from Banu Sahm to fight in Badr is actually one of the noble firsts because that is very rare. Everyone else has someone there who is with them from their family or their extended family. And the implication is that his younger brothers were too young to fight at the time, whereas Khunais رضي الله عنه was amongst those that bravely would go forward.
He comes back from Badr and he
earns the distinction of not just being one of the first Muslims to embrace
Islam prior to Dar al-Arqam and to make the hijrah to Abyssinia and to Madinah,
but also to be from the Badriyun, from those that are the veterans of Badr.
Those are the stripes that you want to meet Allah
. with.
Those are the greatest firsts that you could have in terms of categories when
you're meeting Allah.. Then Uhud takes place, and he was
among those who fought in Uhud. Now, while his name will not be officially
counted amongst the martyrs of Uhud when you're typically looking through the syuhada of Uhud, what we read about him رضي الله عنه is that he
suffered a wound in Uhud that caused him to die sometime later.
So he is technically considered from the shuhada of Uhud as well. So a person who embraced Islam before the establishment of Dar al-Arqam, a person who made the hijrah to Abyssinia, a person who made the hijrah to Madinah, a person who fought in Badr, the first son-in-law of Umar al-Khattab رضي الله عنه,, and also now one of the syuhada of Uhud, one of the martyrs of Uhud. And Rasulullahﷺ personally took the body of Khunais رضي الله عنه,, and he performed the Janazah of Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه, and he buried Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه right next to the famous companion Uthman ibn Mad'un رضي الله عنه,.
And if you go back to the episode about Uthman ibn Mad'un رضي الله عنه,, you know how much Rasulullahﷺ loved Uthman ibn Mad'un رضي الله عنه,. So he buries Khunais رضي الله عنه, till today in Al-Baqi' right next to Uthman ibn Mad'un رضي الله عنه,. And he and Hafsah رضي الله عنه were never blessed with that son Hudhafa whom he was named after, Abu Hudhafa رضي الله عنه,. Hafsah رضي الله عنه, at this point now is a young widow. Okay, so she's also probably not past her late teens at this point when her husband passes away.
And that is where you start to see the story of Umar رضي الله عنه, doing his due diligence and seeking a spouse, a righteous spouse for his daughter Hafsah رضي الله عنه,. And it was at that time, SubhanAllah, that Uthman ibn Affan رضي الله عنه, had lost his wife Ruqaiya رضي الله عنه,, the daughter of Rasulullahﷺ. And Umar رضي الله عنه, looking to the best two people in society at the time, Abu Bakrرضي الله عنه, and Uthmanرضي الله عنه, and see if either one of them will marry his daughter Hafsah رضي الله عنه,. And instead, of course, the one who was better than all of them, Rasulullahﷺ, would marry Hafsah رضي الله عنه,.
And Uthman رضي الله عنه, would marry Um Kulthumرضي الله عنه,, may Allah be pleased with her, the daughter of Rasulullahﷺ. So this is a man by the name of Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه, and this is a great companion, a person who has all of the stripes, all of the categories, but subhanAllah, who is barely known to Muslim memory. And inshAllah ta'ala that will change. And on top of that, subhanAllah, it is also important to point out, that Ad-Dalu al-Khayr, the one who guides to good, is like the one who commits it. And what we will find from his brother, Abdullah bin Hudhafa رضي الله عنه,, is a great legacy in Islam.
And that started off with this
man, Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه, bringing his younger brother to embrace Islam
with Rasulullahﷺas a child. And then he would
dedicate himself to Rasulullahﷺ and to the spread
of Islam. And Allah, we will talk about Abdullah bin Hudhafah رضي الله عنه, , one of my favorite stories. Next time, may Allah be pleased
with Khunais ibn Huzafahرضي الله عنه and may Allah be pleased with Hafsahرضي الله عنه, , our mother رضي الله عنه,
who one day we will do a long biography of. May Allah. be pleased with all
of those who Rasulullahﷺ was pleased with.
Allahumma Ameen.
