[Photo Illustration Only]
There was a Companion of the Holy Prophet Prophet (sa), whose name was Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه].
Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه] was a dedicated Companion (Sahabi) of the Prophet Muhammad from the Ansar (the helpers of Medina). He belonged to the prominent Banu Zurayq clan, a branch of the Khazraj tribe.
Brief Biography
Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه] was the son of Rafe' (Rafi') bin Malik, an influential early Muslim leader in Medina who was present at the Pledge of Aqabah. Blessed with a large family, Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه] raised many children within the faith.
Contributions to Early Islam
Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه was a Badri companion, a title of immense honor reserved for those who fought alongside the Prophet Muhammad in the pivotal Battle of Badr.
• The Weak Camel Incident: Before reaching Badr, a famous narration recounts that Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه and his brother were traveling on a very weak, frail camel that completely collapsed at a place called Bareed. The brothers vowed to sacrifice it if they could safely return home. When the Prophet Muhammad passed by, he supplicated over the camel and applied his blessed saliva to it. Miraculously, the camel was instantly revitalized and sprinted ahead of the entire Muslim vanguard.
• The Battle of Uhud: Khallad also steadfastly defended the Muslim community by fighting in the Battle of Uhud.
A Unique and Pious Manner: The "Misprayer" (Al-Musi' Salatahu)
In Islamic jurisprudence and Hadith literature, Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه is most famously tied to a crucial educational moment in Islam known as the Hadith of "The Man Who Prayed Badly" (Musi' al-Salah).
Although deeply pious, Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه entered the Prophet's Mosque one day and performed his prayer very rapidly. When he went to greet the Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet replied:
"Go back and pray, for you have not prayed."
Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه went back, repeated his prayer the same way, and returned to greet the Prophet, only to receive the exact same response. After this happened three times, Khallad humbly said: "By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I cannot do anything better than this. Please teach me!"
The Prophet Muhammad then used Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه's teachable moment to instruct the entire Muslim Ummah on the foundational requirements of prayer (Salah), emphasizing calmness and tranquility (Tuma'ninah). He taught Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه to stand straight, recite the Quran beautifully, and pause mindfully in every bow (Ruku) and prostration (Sujud).
Through Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه humility and willingness to be corrected, millions of Muslims to this day know exactly how to perfect their daily prayers.
He was from among the Ansar [inhabitants of Medina] and those fortunate people, who participated in the Battles of Uhud and Badr. God Almighty granted him many children. He and his brother travelled to take part in the Battle of Badr and when we reached a place called Bareed, their camel gave up and sat down.
Upon this, Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه prayed, ‘O Allah we make this vow to you that if you return us to Medina, we will sacrifice this camel.’ At that time, the Holy Prophet (sa) was passing by and when he found out about the camel, he prayed for the animal and mixed his saliva in some water. This water was poured into the camel’s mouth and then some upon its neck, its shoulders, its hump, its back and its tail. Then the Holy Prophet supplicated, ‘O Allah make it possible for Rafe and Khallad to ride on it and to reach their destination.’ Then the Holy Prophet (sa) left.
Khallad bin Rafe' Zurqi [ رضي الله عنه says that we caught up with the Holy Prophet (sa) at Mansaf, while our camel was at the forefront of the caravan. When the Messenger of Allah (sa) saw us, he smiled. (Due to the prayer of the Holy Prophet (sa), the camel’s weakness had completely vanished.) We continued travelling until we reached Badr.
While returning from Badr, when we reached Musalla, the camel sat down again, upon which my brother slaughtered it and distributed its meat, which we gave out as sadaqah [charity].” They had made a vow that once they reach a certain place, they will slaughter it. Thus, they acted accordingly.
alfakir albakr allatifi
