Zaid bin Khalid was a famous companion of Muhammad. He died in Medina, some say in Kufa in 68 AH or 78 AH when he was 85 years old.
Zaid bin Khalid narrated a hadith from Muhammad about the best witness. The hadith is as follows:
"From Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani r.a the Prophet SAW said, "Shall I inform you about the best witness? That is the one who comes to testify before being asked." (Hadith narrated by Muslim)
Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani was a companion (Sahabi) of the Prophet Muhammad. His name is most famously associated with narrating several hadiths, or reports of the Prophet's sayings and actions. He was a member of the Juhaynah tribe, who lived near Medina.
Some specific narrations from Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani include:
- The reward for feeding a fasting person: He reported that the Prophet Muhammad said, "Whoever provides food for a fasting person to break his fast with, then for him is the same reward as his (the fasting person's), without anything being diminished from the reward of the fasting person".
- A case of adultery: Along with Abu Huraira, he narrated a hadith about a dispute between two men, one of whom committed adultery with the other's wife. This narration details the Prophet's judgment in the case, including the sentence of stoning for the married woman who confessed.
- Praying for rain: One hadith from him describes the Prophet's prayer for rain (Istisqa) during a drought and his later prayer to stop the rain when it became excessive.
Zaid bin Khalid passed away in Medina, though some accounts suggest he died in Kufa. He is believed to have been 85 years old at the time of his death, which occurred either in 68 AH or 78 AH.
Narrated: Abu Huraira and Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani From Sahih Bukhari
Hadith No: 873
Narrated/Authority of Abu Huraira and Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani
Listed in: Peacemaking (Reconciliation)
A bedouin came and said, "O Allah's Apostle (SAW)! Judge between us according to Allah's Laws." His opponent got up and said, "He is right. Judge between us according to Allah's Laws." The bedouin said, "My son was a labourer working for this man, and he committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife. The people told me that my son should be stoned to death; so, in lieu of that, I paid a ransom of one hundred sheep and a slave girl to save my son. Then I asked the learned scholars who said, "Your son has to be lashed one-hundred lashes and has to be exiled for one year." The Prophet (SAW) said, "No doubt I will judge between you according to Allah's Laws. The slave-girl and the sheep are to go back to you, and your son will get a hundred lashes and one year exile." He then addressed somebody, "O Unais! go to the wife of this (man) and stone her to death" So, Unais went and stoned her to death.
A bedouin came to Allah's Apostle (SAW) and said, "O Allah's apostle! I ask you by Allah to judge My case according to Allah's Laws." His opponent, who was more learned than he, said, "Yes, judge between us according to Allah's Laws, and allow me to speak." Allah's Apostle (SAW) said, "Speak." He (i .e. the bedouin or the other man) said, "My son was working as a labourer for this (man) and he committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife. The people told me that my son needed to be stoned to death, so in lieu of that I ransomed my son by paying one hundred sheep and a slave girl. Then I asked the religious scholars about it, and they informed me that my son must be lashed one hundred lashes, and be exiled for one year, and the wife of this (man) must be stoned to death." Allah's Apostle (SAW) said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, I will judge between you according to Allah's Laws. The slave-girl and the sheep are to be returned to you, your son is to receive a hundred lashes and be exiled for one year. You, Unais, go to the wife of this (man) and if she confesses her guilt, stone her to death." Unais went to that woman next morning and she confessed. Allah's Apostle (SAW) ordered that she be stoned to death.
Narrated: Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani From Imam Malik's Muwatta
Yahya related to me from Malik from Salih ibn Kaysan from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud that Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took the subh prayer with us at Hudaybiyya after it had rained in the night. When he had finished he went up to the people and said, 'Do you know what your Lord has said?' They said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'Some of my slaves have begun the morning believing in Me, and others have begun it rejecting Me. As for those who say, 'We were rained on by the overflowing favour of Allah and His mercy,' they believe in Me and reject the stars. But as for those who say, 'We were rained on by such and such a star, they reject Me and believe in the stars.' "
Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban from Ibn Abi Amra that Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani said, "A man died on the day of Hunayn, and they mentioned him to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." Zayd claimed that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You pray over your companion." (i.e. he would not pray himself). The people's faces dropped at that. Zayd claimed that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Your companion stole from the spoils taken in the way of Allah." Zayd said, "So we opened up his baggage and found some Jews' beads worth about two dirhams."
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm from his father from Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Uthman from Abu Amra al-Ansari from Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shall I not tell you who is the best of witnesses? The one who brings his testimony before he is asked for it, or tells his testimony before he is asked for it."
