Source:
- Companions of the Prophet by: Abdul Wahid Hamid
- Al-Isaabah fee Tameez as-Sahaabah by: Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalani
- Siyar ‘Alaam an-Nubala’ by: Adh-Dhahabi
His Islam
In the ninth year of the Hijrah, an Arab king made the first positive move to Islam after years of feeling hatred for it. He drew closer to faith (Imaan) after opposing and combating it. And he finally pledged allegiance to the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) after his adamant refusal to do so.
He was ‘Adiyy, son of the famous Haatim at-Taa’iy who was known far and wide for his chivalry and generosity. ‘Adiyy inherited the domain of his father and was confirmed in the position by the Taa’iy people. Part of his strength lay in the fact that a quarter of any amount they obtained as booty from raiding expeditions had to be given to him.
When the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) openly announced his call to guidance and truth and Arabs from one region after another accepted his teachings, ‘Adiyy saw in his mission, a threat to his position and leadership. Although he did not know the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) personally, and had never seen him, he developed strong feelings of enmity towards him. He remained opposed and hostile to Islam for close to twenty years, until at last Allaah opened his heart to the religion of truth and guidance.
The way in which ‘Adiyy became a Muslim is a remarkable story and he is perhaps the best person to relate it. He said:
“There was no man among the Arabs who detested Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) more than I, when I heard about him. I was a Christian and a man of status and nobility. From my people, I took a fourth of their booty as was the practice of other Arab kings.
When I heard of the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), I hated him. When his mission grew in strength and when his power increased and his armies and expeditionary forces dominated east and west of the land of Arabs, I said to a servant of mine who looked after my camels:
‘Get a fat camel ready for me that is easy to ride and tie it close to me. If you hear of an army or an expeditionary force of Muhammad coming towards this land, let me know.’
One evening, my servant came to me and said: ‘Yaa Mawlaaya (master)! What you intended to do on the approach of Muhammad’s cavalry to your land, do it now.’
‘Why? May your mother lose you!’
‘I have seen scouts searching close to the habitations. I asked about them and was told that they belonged to the army of Muhammad,’ he said.
‘Bring the camel which I ordered you to get ready,’ I said to him. I got up then and there, summoned my household (including) my children, and ordered them to evacuate the land we loved. We headed in the direction of Syria to join people of our own Christian faith and settle in among them.
We left in too much haste for me to gather together our entire household. When I took stock of our situation, I discovered that part of my family was missing. I had left my own sister in our Najd homeland together with the rest of the Taa’iy people. I did not have any means to return to fetch her. So I went on with those who were with me until I reached Syria and took up residence there among people of my own religion. As for my sister, what I feared for her happened.
News reached me while I was in Syria that the forces of Muhammad entered our habitations and took my sister together with a number of other captives to Yathrib (Madinah). There she was placed with other captives in a compound near the door of the Masjid.
The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) passed by her. She stood up before him and said: ‘Yaa Rasulullaah! My father is dead and my guardian is not here. Be gracious to me and Allaah will be gracious to you!’
‘And who is your guardian?’ asked the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
‘Adiyy ibn Haatim.’ she said.
‘The one who fled from Allaah and His Prophet?’ he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked. He then left her and walked on.
On the following day, the same thing happened. She spoke to him just as she did the day before and he replied in the same manner. The next day, the same thing happened and she despaired of getting any concession from him for he did not say anything. Then a man from behind him indicated that she should stand up and talk to him. She therefore stood up and said:
‘O Messenger of Allaah! My father is dead and my guardian is absent. Be gracious to me and Allaah will be gracious to you.’
‘I have agreed,’ he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said. Turning to those around him, he instructed:
`Let her go, for her father loved noble ways and Allaah loves them.’
‘I want to join my family in Syria,’ she said.
‘But don’t leave in a hurry,’ said the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu‘alayhi wa sallam), ‘until you find someone you can trust from your people who can accompany you to Syria. If you find a trustworthy person, let me know.’
When the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) left, she asked about the man who had suggested that she speak to the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and was told that he was ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (Radia-Allaahu anhu). She stayed in Yathrib until a group arrived, among whom was someone she could trust. So she went to the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu‘alayhi wa sallam), and said:
‘O Messenger of Allaah! A group of (my) people have come to me and among them is one I can trust who could take me to my family.’
The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave her some fine clothes and an adequate sum of money. He also gave her a camel and she left with the group.
Thereafter, we followed her gradual progress and waited for her return. We could hardly believe what we heard about Muhammad’s generosity towards her in spite of my attitude to him. By Allaah, I am a leader of my people. When I beheld a woman in her Hawdaj coming towards us, I said:
‘The daughter of Haatim! It is she! It is she!’
When she stood before us, she snapped sharply at me and said:
‘The one who severs the tie of kinship is a wrongdoer. You took your family and your children and left the rest of your relatives and those whom you ought to have protected.’
‘Yes, my sister’ I said, ‘don’t say anything but good.’ I calmed her until she was satisfied. She told me what had happened to her and it was as I had heard. Then I asked her, for she was an intelligent and judicious person:
‘What do you think of the mission of this man [meaning Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)]?’
‘I think, by Allaah, that you should join him quickly,’ she said. “If he is a Prophet, the one who hastens towards him would enjoy his grace. And if he is a king, you would not be disgraced in his sight while you are as you are.’
I immediately prepared myself for travel and set off to meet the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in Madinah without any security and without any letter. I had heard that he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had said: ‘I certainly wish that Allaah will place the hand of ‘Adiyy in my hand.’
I went up to him in the Masjid and greeted him. He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
‘Who is this man?’
‘Adiyy ibn Haatim,’ I said.
He stood up for me, took me by the hand and set off towards his home.
By Allaah, as he was walking with me towards his house, a weak old woman met him. With her was a young child. She stopped him and began talking to him about a problem. I was standing (all the while). I said to myself, ‘By Allaah, this is no king.’
He then took me by the hand and went with me until we reached his home. There he got a leather cushion filled with palm fiber, gave it to me and said:
‘Sit on this!’
I felt embarrassed before him and said:
‘Rather, you sit on it.’
‘No, you,’ he said.
I deferred and sat on it. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sat on the floor because there was no other cushion. I said to myself, ‘By Allaah, this is not the manner of a king!’
He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Do you know a god other than Allaah worthy of worship?”
I said: “No.” Then he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Do you know of anything greater than Allaah?”
I said: “No.”
He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Verily, the Jews are those who earned Allaah’s anger, and the Christians are those who went astray.”
I proclaimed my Islam and I saw his face radiate with pleasure. [Reported by Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi]
In another narration reported by Ahmad and al-Baghawi: “He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘O ‘Adiyy! Embrace Islam and you will be saved.’
I said: ‘I already have a religion.’
He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘I know about your religion more than you. Are you not the head of your people?’
I said: ‘Yes.’
He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Haven’t you been a “Rukusi” professing a religion between Christianity and Sabeanism?’
‘Yes,’ I replied.
‘Did you not operate among your people on the principle of extracting from them a fourth, taking from them what your religion does not allow you?’
‘Yes,’ I said, and I knew from that, that he was a Prophet sent (by Allaah). Then he said to me:
‘Perhaps, O ‘Adiyy, the only thing that prevents you from entering this religion is what you see of the destitution of the Muslims and their poverty. By Allaah, the time is near when wealth will flow among them until no one can be found to take it.’
‘Perhaps, O ‘Adiyy, the only thing that prevents you from entering this religion is what you see of the small number of Muslims and their numerous foes. By Allaah, the time is near when you will hear of the woman setting out from Qaadisiyyah on her camel, not fearing anyone except Allaah until she reaches this house.’
‘Perhaps what prevents you from entering this religion is that you only see that sovereignty and power rest in the hands of those who are not Muslims. By Allaah, you will soon hear of the white palaces of the land of Babylon opening up for them and the treasures of Chosroes, the son of Hormuz, fall to their lot.’
‘The treasures of Chosroes, the son of Hormuz?’ I asked (incredulously).
‘Yes, the treasures of Chosroes the son of Hormuz,’ he said.
Thereupon, I professed the testimony of truth, and declared my acceptance of Islam.”
One report says that when ‘Adiyy saw the simplicity of the Prophet’s life-style, he said to him:
“I testify that you do not seek high office in this world nor corruption,” and he announced his acceptance of Islam. Some people observed the Prophet’s treatment of ‘Adiyy and said to him:
“O Prophet of Allaah! We have seen you do something which you have not done to any other.”
“Yes,” replied the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). “This is a man of stature among his people. If such a person comes to you, treat him honorably.”
‘Adiyy ibn Haatim, (Radia-Allaahu-anhu) lived for a long time. He later said:
“Two of the things (which the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) spoke of) came to pass and there remained a third. By Allaah, it will certainly come to pass.”
“I have seen the woman leaving Qaadisiyyah on her camel, fearing nothing until she arrived at this house (of the Prophet in Madinah).”
“I myself was in the vanguard of the cavalry which descended on the treasures of Chosroes and took them. And I swear by Allaah that the third event will be realized.”
Through the will of Allaah, the third statement of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came to pass during the time of the devout and ascetic Khalifah, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu). Wealth flowed among the Muslims so much so that when the town-criers called on people throughout the Muslim domain to come and collect Zakaat, no one was found in need to respond.
His Character
Ibn al-Mubarak mentioned in his book az-Zuhd on the authority of Ibn ‘Uyaynah that he heard ash-Sha’bi saying that ‘Adiyy ibn Haatim (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) said: “Never did the time of the Salaat (prayer) come but I was longing for it.” And also, he said: “No Salaat has ever commenced since I became Muslim, but I was pure (had performed Wu’du) prior to it.” [Siyar A’laam an-Nubala’]
And ‘Adiyy ibn Haatim (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) was very generous.
During the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs
‘Adiyy (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) stayed firm on his Islam during the apostasy of many tribes who had refused to pay the Zakaat. During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu), he brought the Zakaat of his people to Abu Bakr (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu).
At the time of the Caliphate of ‘Umar (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu), ‘Adiyy (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) came with a group of his people to ‘Umar (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu). ‘Adiyy (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) said: “Do you know me?” ‘Umar (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) said: “Yes, you believed (embraced Islam) when they disbelieved, and you realized when they denied, you fulfilled when they betrayed, and you came when they ran away. The first Sadaqah (charity) that whitened the faces of the Companions of the Prophet was the Sadaqah of the people of Tayy’.” [Reported by Ahmad, Ibn Sa’ad and some parts of it are in Saheeh Muslim 2523]
He (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) settled in Kufah.
Abu ‘Ubaidah said: “’Adiyy (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) was with ‘Ali (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) on the day of the battle of Suffain (against Mu’awiyah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu).”
Jarir reported on the authority of Mughirah that ‘Adiyy, Jarir al-Bajali and Handhalah came out of al-Kufah and settled in Qarqeezia and they used to say: “We don’t want to live in a town (land) in which ‘Uthmaan (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) is abused and defamed.” [Tareekh Bagdaad (History of Bagdaad) and Ibn ‘Asaakir]
He is mentioned in the Saheehain (Bukhaari and Muslim) as regards his understanding of the statement of Allaah in Surat al-Baqarah (2:187) and its apparent meaning.
When the Verse: “And eat and drink, until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of the night), then complete your Saum (fast) till the nightfall” was revealed, ‘Adiyy ibn Haatim (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated: “I took two (hair) strings, one black and the other white, and kept them under my pillow and kept on looking at them throughout the night but could not make anything out of it. So the next morning I went to Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and told him the whole story. He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained to me, that Verse is referring to the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn.” [Al-Bukhaari, kitab of as-Saum]
Also, he is mentioned in the Book of Slaughtering and Hunting in Saheeh al-Bukhaari.
‘Adiyy ibn Haatim (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated: “I asked the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) about the game killed by a Mi’raad, (i.e. a sharp edged piece of wood or a piece of wood provided with a sharp piece of iron used for hunting). He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘If the game is killed with its sharp edge, eat of it, but if it is killed with its shaft, with a hit by its broad side then the game is (unlawful to eat) for it has been beaten to death.’ I asked him about the game killed by a trained hound. He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘If the hound catches the game for you, eat of it, for killing the game by the hound is like it’s slaughtering. But if you see with your hound or hounds, another dog, and you are afraid that it may have shared in hunting the game with your hound and killed it, then you should not eat of it, because you have only mentioned Allaah’s Name on (sending) your hound only, but you have not mentioned it on some other hound.’” [Al-Bukhaari, the Book of Slaughtering and Hunting]
His Death
Ibn al-Kalbiy said: “’Adiyy passed away in the year 67 A.H. and he was 120 years old.” Ibn Sa’ad said: “or the year 68 A.H.” and it was said in the year 66 A.H.
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