THE   CONVERSION   OF 


AMR,  SON  OF  AL  AS’


KHALID,  SON  OF  WALEED 





Hayatus Sahabah by Muhadith Kandahlawi (Kandhelvi)


 Rendered into current English


Khadeijah Abdullah Darwish (Anne Stephens)


With extracts from her Millennium Biography of Prophet Muhammad


Praise and peace be upon him, to support the text


Free give away


Acquired from Amazon’s Kindle


Not for sale or resale by any third party


©2013 - www.Muhammad.com





Page 98


$CHAPTER 35  THE COMPANIONS MIGRATE TO ABYSINNIA





It was in the middle of the fifth year that the Companions were subjected to increased persecution, be they well connected or not, that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, who was always concerned for their welfare and security approved the migration to Abyssinia of all those wishing to leave.





The reputation for justice and tolerance of the Nazarene ruler of Abyssinia, As-hamah son of Al-Abjar, the Negus who followed the true teachings of Prophet Jesus of Nazareth, rather than that of Paul, was well known, so in secrecy during the month of Rajab, twelve Companions and their wives set out for Abyssinia (today called Ethiopia).





Amongst the migrants were Lady Rukiyah, the Prophet's daughter who was married to Othman, Affan's son, of whom the Prophet,  praise and peace be upon him,  said, “They are the first people to migrate in the cause of Allah after the time of Abraham and Lot.” Jafar and Amr, two of the sons of Abu Talib. Abu Hudhayfah, whose father Utbah was now one of the principal persecutors of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him,  Abu Sabra, Ruhm's son, a cousin of the Prophet,  praise and peace be upon him,  through his aunt Bara. Abu Salamah Al Makhzumi and his wife Umm Salamah whose given name was Hind daughter of Abi Umayyah, who, upon the death of her husband was destined to marry the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. Othman, the son of Makhzum Humahi, a close Companion of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. Aamir the son of Rabia and his wife Leila – Aamir had been one of the early converts. Zubair, Al Awwam's son, cousin of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and his close Companion who later married Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr; Musab the son of Umair, grandson of Hashim; Abd Al Rahman, the son of Auf from the tribe of Zuhra, another relative and close Companion of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, who was informed by the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him,  that Paradise was assured for him; Abu Hatib, Amr's son, Suhayl, Baida's son; and Abdullah, Masood’s son, who was yet another of the close Companions of the Prophet, salla Allahu alihi wa sallam.





When the migrants reached the coast they found two half-empty ships bound for Abyssinia and the captains agreed to carry them for the sum of five dirhams per passenger.





The language spoken in Abyssinia at that time was very much akin to Arabic and so it wasn't long until the Companions settled down and made friends with their welcoming new neighbors. Allah says referring to those who migrate in His cause,





“And those who after they have been wronged emigrated for the Cause of Allah,


We will lodge them with a good (life) in this world,


but greater still is the wage of the Everlasting Life, if they but knew.” 16:41





@THE KORAYSH LEARN OF THE MIGRATION


So subtle had been the migration of the Companions that the Koraysh remained unaware of their departure until long after they had reached the safety of Abyssinia.





When it suddenly dawned upon the Koraysh that they had not seen several Muslim families for some time they realized something was amiss and became greatly angered as they discovered that not only they, but other families; had migrated to Abyssinia without their knowledge.





Although the Koraysh had made it very clear that the Muslims were unwelcome to practice their religion in Mecca, they now wished they had contained them in the City because they began to fear they would become successful in converting others and so gain strength.





@THE ATTEMPT TO BRING THE MIGRANTS BACK


In an attempt to regain control over the migrant Muslims, the Koraysh called for an urgent meeting to discuss what they should do to remedy the situation. The meeting was concluded when the decision was reached to send two of their trusted tribesmen, Abdullah, Abu Rabia's son and Amr, Al-As' son, to As-hamah, the Negus of Abyssinia bearing gifts of the finest leather, which they knew were highly prized by Abyssinians, with the request that the migrants be returned to Mecca. It was also agreed that Abdullah and Amr should approach the Negus' high-ranking generals behind his back and bribe them individually with a fine hide in return for their support in securing their aim.





Before Abdullah and Amr departed, Abu Talib, whose sons Jafar and Amr were among the migrants, sent a short poem he had composed to the Negus asking him to protect his sons. 





The poetic message was subtle. It asked the Negus if his sons remained under his protection, or if they had been delivered into the hands of mischief makers. He told of the happiness the refugees must be enjoying by being permitted to stay in his county. He closed the poem with tender words in praise of the Negus for his hospitality to both friend and stranger alike.





@THE GENERALS


Upon reaching the Negus' palace, Abdullah and Amr first visited and succeeded to bribe the generals saying, "Some foolish people of ours have taken refuge in your country. They have abandoned their religion, yet they have not converted to yours because they have devised one of their own, the like of which is unknown to us and to you. Our noble leaders have sent us to ask the Negus to let them return with us and it is our desire that you advise him so that they might return." 





Abdullah and Amr were quick to add that they thought it preferable that the migrants should not be permitted to speak with the Negus. Like the Koraysh chieftains, Abdullah and Amr were afraid that if the Muslims were given the opportunity to speak to the Negus, he would listen kindly and incline to what they had to say. With this in mind they told the generals that they knew well their people's ways and faults and it was not only their desire that they should return home but those of their close relatives. 


 


As-hamah, the Negus received his visitors courteously, and Abdullah and Amr presented their gifts then asked for the return of their fellow tribesmen. As one might expect the generals were strongly supportive of the request and tried to persuade the Negus to agree.





The Negus, being both wise and fair became outraged at the suggestion that these people who sought refuge in his country should be sent back without a hearing and replied, "No, by Allah, I will not surrender them! On no account will anyone who, having sought my protection, settled in my country, and chosen me rather than their own be betrayed. I will question them about the matter these two men allege, then, if they are as they say I will send them back with their people. On the other hand, if what has been said is false, I will respect them and they will receive both my hospitality and protection."


	


@THE NEGUS AND THE MIGRANTS


The Negus sent for the migrants to come to the palace and at the same time called upon his bishops to attend the meeting and asked them to bring their scriptures with them. When all were assembled, the Negus asked the Companions several direct questions relating to their reasons for leaving their people. Among the questions were: why had they chosen not to adopt his religion, this was then followed by an inquiry about their belief.





Jafar, Abu Talib's son, acted as spokesman for the Muslims. He told the Negus that before Islam they had been ignorant people, worshipping idols, committing the most regrettable things, and showing little or no mercy to those weaker than themselves. Then he told him about Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, who had been sent to them, detailed his lineage and spoke of his reputation for being upright, truthful, and trustworthy. 





Jafar continued to tell As-hamah, the Negus that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, called them to the Oneness of Allah and to worship Him alone. He told them how he had said they must renounce their idols and the false concepts their fathers and ancestors had followed.





Then Jafar told the Negus the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, instructed them to speak truthfully, fulfill their promises, and care for their relatives and neighbors. He said that they must neither kill, nor consume the wealth of orphans, nor should they falsely accuse good women. Jafar also explained how they had been taught to pray each day, to be charitable and to fast.





Nearing the end of the audience, Jafar told the Negus that it was on account of these matters that their people had turned against and persecuted them in an effort to force them revert to their old religion. He also told the Negus that the reason for their migration to his country was because they knew they would be secure under his protection.





The Negus was impressed by Jafar's honorable reply and asked if he was able to recite some of the Revelation to him, so Jafar recited verses from the Chapter Mary:





"And mention in the Book, Mary, 


how she withdrew from her people to an eastern place 


and she took a veil apart from them;


We sent to her Our Spirit (Gabriel) in the resemblance of a perfect human.


(And when she saw him) she said,


'I take refuge in the Merciful from you if you are fearful.'


'I am the Messenger of your Lord,' he replied, 


'and have come to give you a pure boy.'


'How shall I bear a son,' she answered, 


'when I am not touched by a human and not unchaste?'


‘Even so’ he replied, ‘as such your Lord has said, 'Easy it is for Me.


And We shall make him a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us.


It is a matter decreed.'"


Koran 19:16-21





When the Negus and his bishops heard these words they wept and declared that the religion the Companions followed was from the same source as their own. Then the Negus swore an oath that he would never betray the migrants, and asked Abdullah and Amr to leave.





@THE PLOT OF AMR AND ABDULLAH


Angrily, Amr and Abdullah left the palace and as they did Amr said, "Tomorrow, I will go to the Negus and tell him something I know will destroy their newly found prosperity and its roots! I will tell him that they believe Jesus, the son of Mary, is just the worshiper of Allah!" 





The following morning, Amr went to the Negus saying, "Your majesty, you must also be informed that they adhere to an enormous lie about Jesus, the son of Mary, send for them and ask what they say about him!"





The Negus sent for the Companions and asked what they believed about Jesus. Once again Jafar acted as their spokesman and told him, “We say what has been sent down to our Prophet, praise and peace be upon him:





‘Indeed, the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary,


is only a Messenger (and Prophet) of Allah.


And His Word (Be) which He gave to Mary,


and a (created) spirit by Him.’" Koran, Ch.19:171





The Negus bent down, picked up a stick and said, "Jesus, the son of Mary does not exceed that which you have said by the length of this stick." Upon hearing this, his generals and bishops started to mutter among themselves. Then he turned to Jafar and his companions telling them that they might go wherever they pleased and to know they would never be harmed, not even if he were to be offered a mountain of gold in exchange.





The Negus instructed the gifts Abdullah and Amr had brought to be returned to them and so Abdullah and Amr left rebuked without achieving their aim.





@REACTION


News of the Negus' statement about Jesus spread rapidly; many were troubled and demanded an explanation, accusing him of abandoning their religion.





The Negus now feared for the safety of Jafar and his companions so he gave him enough ships to carry them to safety in the event of him being overthrown. Now that the Negus had made provisions for their safety, he sat down and wrote on a piece of parchment, "I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and that Muhammad is His worshiper and His Messenger." Then, he tucked it under his cloak near his right shoulder and went out to face his people.





He addressed them saying, "My people, do I not have the best claim among you?" The crowd agreed he did. Next he asked, "Then, what is your opinion of the way in which I deal with you?" "Excellent!" came the reply. Then he asked, "What troubles you?" The crowd replied, "You have left our religion, and now say that Jesus is the worshiper of Allah." "What do you say of Jesus?" asked the Negus. "We say that he is the son of Allah," they answered. Then the Negus, putting his hand over the place in his cloak under which he concealed his testimony said, "This!"





The crowd were satisfied and thought he had reaffirmed their belief and dispersed. Now that the crisis had been averted the Negus sent word to Jafar that all was well and they could return to their new homes where they could live in peace and harmony for as long as they wished.





Page 308





Almost a year had passed since the signing of the Treaty at Hudaybiyah so two thousand pilgrims busied themselves with their preparations to offer the lesser pilgrimage at their beloved Ka’bah.





Neither Khalid nor Amr wished to be in Mecca when the Muslims arrived to offer their pilgrimage as they both held the opinion that the treaty had been a moral victory for the Muslims and signaled the beginning of the end of the Koraysh resistance. However, they had kept their opinion to themselves and had, unknown to one another, left Mecca well in advance to avoid their arrival.





@A TIME FOR REFLECTION


There was, however, a difference between the two. Amr remained adamant in his resistance whereas Khalid, although it was hard for him, started to examine his motives. Traditional pride, no matter whether it could be proved to be sound or baseless, had always been a matter he considered too blasphemous to even question. However, he could not help but think that the encounters at Uhud and the Trench had been futile, and when the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, eluded him before the treaty of Hudaybiyah he was heard to exclaim, "That man is protected!" Then there was Khaybar, Khalid could not help but wonder in amazement at its fall; the band of Muslims had been so small against the large, well armed Jewish army. It was time for self-examination, and soul searching. 





Page 311


Khalid, had for some time, respected the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, but his pride and position in the Koraysh tribe prevented him from entertaining the promptings of his heart. However, after each encounter, no matter whether it had been a victory or defeat, reason started to erode his resistance and the light of truth began to prevail as he accepted the fact that his values pivoted on nothing other than baseless, traditional pride.





He remembered the letter his younger, convert brother Waleed had written to him just before he died and how it had mentioned that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, had inquired about his welfare and spoken of his regard for him; then there was his brother's last wish which urged him to embrace Islam.





Waleed, Khalid’s younger brother was not the only one in his family to convert to Islam, there was his aunt, now Lady Maymunah, the wife of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and more recently his own mother, Asma.





@THE VISION OF KHALID


The matter weighed heavily on Khalid's heart, then, one night he saw a vision in which he first found himself in a barren land, closed in from all side. Then, he saw himself in a land lush with vegetation, with seemingly never-ending green fields. It was a vision he could not dismiss and he felt a compelling urge to go to Medina. He wanted to share his vision with Amr but he had not yet returned to Mecca so he went to his friends Ikrimah and Safwan to tell them.





Both the fathers of Safwan and Ikrimah whose father was the infamous Abu Jahl had been killed at Badr, and Safwan had also lost his brother, so, in reflection, their replies were not surprising. Safwan was so adamant that he declared, "If every man of the Koraysh decided to follow Muhammad, I would not follow him!" so Khalid did not pursue the matter further and set off for Medina alone.





@KHALID AND OTHMAN


Shortly after leaving home Khalid met Othman, another friend, who was closer to him than the other two. The two rode in silence for several miles, then, Khalid spoke in a tone that prompted a reply, "Our situation is no better than a fox in his lair -- pour a bucket of water into it and it must come out!" Othman was quick to understand Khalid's point, so Khalid ventured further and told him where he was going and the reason. Othman was of the same mind as Khalid and decided to accompany him to Medina. However, Othman was unprepared for the journey so Khalid agreed to wait for him while he returned home to gather some clothes and provisions. Early, the next morning Othman joined Khalid again and together they set off for Medina.





@AMR AL-AS’S SON


Amr Al-As’s son held the same opinion as Safwan and Ikrimah, but viewed the situation in a different light than his friends. Amr did not let emotions sway his reason, he was shrewd and known to analyze a situation then act accordingly.





In the early days of Islam when Muslims sought refuge in Abyssinia, it was he who attempted to bribe the court of the Negus to ensure support for the Muslims return. His efforts had failed miserably and he left Abyssinia without achieving his goal, however, over the years he fostered a friendship between himself and the Negus. Occasionally Amr would send gifts together with his greetings, however he never mentioned the matter of the Muslims to him again.





@AMR AND THE NEGUS


Amr decided to visit the Negus, and together with several of his companions from the tribe of Sahm set out across the sea to Abyssinia taking with them much prized gifts of leather. When Amr reached the court of the Negus he was courteously given an audience whereupon Amr presented the leather gifts. After having surmised his presence was acceptable Amr wasted no time asking the Negus for permission to stay in his country. However, Amr's tongue slipped when he ventured to speak about the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, in an unacceptable manner. The Negus held the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, in great esteem and would not tolerate a word said against him and warned Amr that the best way for him in his court would be to become a follower of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, rather than bringing him gifts.





Amr was shaken by his reply and asked, referring to the prophethood, "Do you bear witness to this, O king?" Without hesitation the Negus replied, "Indeed, I bear witness to this before Allah." The Negus continued, "Do what I advise Amr and follow him. He is the truth and by Allah he will triumph over any unbeliever who sets himself against him; in the same way that Moses triumphed over Pharaoh and his army."





Amr took his leave from the Negus and set off for the sea. As he journeyed he pondered deeply upon the issue of the prophethood and could no longer push aside the truth the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, brought that Allah is One and has no associates, and that idolatry was worthless. He reflected upon the Prophet’s character, his exemplary life style and his just dealings with everyone, no matter whether they believed in his message or opposed him. He could neither find any blemish nor accuse the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, of any wrongdoing.





Days later Amr came across a boat destined for Yemen so he boarded and set sail. As for Amr’s companions, it is unknown whether they accompanied him or remained in Abyssinia.





When Amr reached Yemen he bought a camel together with some provisions and rode northwards with the intention of going to Medina. At a place called Haddah -- which was one of the stops on the coastal route from Mecca to Medina -- he met Khalid. After a while they confided their intention to one another, however, both expressed deep concern whether or not they would be accepted into Islam, for they had both been responsible for the persecution and martyrdom of many Muslims. 





@KHALID EMBRACES ISLAM


When Khalid, Othman and Amr reached Medina Khalid and Othman went straight to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and embraced Islam. 





@AMR’S CONCERN


Amr was unaware that when a person embraces Islam all his or her previous sins, no matter whether they are major or minor are completely wiped out so the convert starts his/her life absolutely anew, clean and sinless.





Coupled to this he was also completely unaware that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, had informed his Companions that every sin committed before Islam is automatically exchanged for merits that await them in Paradise.


 


@AMR’S HESITATION


When it came time for Amr to give his covenant he was very apprehensive, but finally he asked the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, "Give me your right hand so that I may swear allegiance to you." As the Prophet , praise and peace be upon him , reached out to take his hand, Amr quickly withdrew his whereupon the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, inquired, "What is the matter Amr?" Amr replied that he had a condition to make, which was, that all his past sins would be forgiven. Much to Amr's relief, the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, gently told him, "Don't you know that (embracing) Islam wipes out all the sins that have gone before?" Amr's heart leapt with joy and he embraced Islam. From that time onward no one was dearer to him than the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him.


…..





Sah 22





AMR,   SON   OF   ‘AS’   PATH   TO   ISLAM


Amr, son of Al ‘As spoke of his path to Islam. Shortly after the Battle of the Trench (Ahzab) he gathered some of the Koraysh who held similar opinions as himself and said, “As you know, I am of the opinion that the religion of Muhammad will dominate all other religions in a very unpleasant manner. However, I have a remedy, so tell me what you think.” Amr’s companions asked what was on his mind whereupon he replied, “It is that we join together with the Negus (of Abyssinia) and live there. Being under his rule is better than being under the rule of Muhammad. Yet on the other hand, if our people are victorious, they will still know us and we can expect good from them.” His companions were in agreement, so Amr told them to choose suitable gifts for the Negus. Leather from his country was a much sought after item, so Amr and his companions thought such a gift would be very acceptable and so they took with them a large quantity of leather. 





Amr, son of Al As narrates that they arrived in the court of the Negus at the same time as Amr, son of Umayah Damri arrived. Amr, son of Umayah Damri had been sent to the Negus by the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, to inquire about Jafar and his companions who had migrated there earlier to Abyssinia.





Amr, son of Umayah entered the court of the Negus but then came out, whereupon Amr, son of Al As said to his companions in surprise, “It is Amr, son of Ummayh. If I go to the Negus and request that he hand him over to us and so that I may kill him, the Koraysh will feel I have avenged them by killing the envoy of the Muhammad.” Amr, son of Al As entered the court of the Negus, As-hamah son of Al-Abjar and as was his custom bowed before him whereupon the Negus welcomed them and saying, said, “You are most welcome my friend, have you brought me gifts from your country?” Amr, son of Al As, told him that he had brought him a large quantity of leather and gave it to the Negus. The Negus was delighted, whereupon Amr, son of Al As thought this was the right time to ask him to hand Amr, son of Umayah to him and said, “Your majesty, I happened to see someone leaving your presence who is the envoy of our enemy. Hand him over to me so that I may kill him, because of the harm he has caused to our leaders and nobles.” Upon hearing that, the Negus became exceedingly outraged and hit his hand on his nose so hard that Amr, son of Al As thought he had broken it. Amr said that if the ground had opened up right then, he would have undoubtedly dived into it out of fear. Amr said, “Your  majesty, I would never have mentioned this had I known it would cause your displeasure.” The outraged Negus replied, “You are asking me to hand over to you the envoy of that person who is visited by the great spirit (Gabriel) who visited Moses, so that you could kill him!” Amr said, “Your majesty, is he really such?” The Negus retorted, “Shame on you Amr! Listen to me, follow him because I swear by Allah that he is without doubt on the truth. He will assuredly conquer those who oppose him, just as Moses, the son of Imran defeated Pharaoh and his army!” Amr, son of Al As then asked the Negus, “Will you accept my pledge of allegiance?” The Negus replied. “Indeed”. Whereupon he stretched out his hands to Amr, son of Al As and accepted his pledged to allegiance to Islam.





Amr, son of Al As left the court of the Negus and met his companions and told them that his requested had been denied but kept secret his conversion. 





As Amr was returning to Medina, he met Khalid and asked him, “O Abu Salman, where are you going?” Khalid replied, “By Allah, things have now become very clear to me and I am going to embrace Islam that man is certainly the Prophet of Allah, praise and peace be upon him.” Amr told him that this was the same reason for his going to Mecca. 





They arrived in Medina, and Khalid presented himself to embrace Islam under the hand of the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, and accepted Islam. Thereafter Amr presented himself, but as he was about to embrace Islam, he was worried and said, “O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, I pledge my allegiance to you on condition that all my past sins be forgiven.” The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, spoke gently to him saying, “O Amr, pledge allegiance to Islam. Islam wipes out all your past sins, and as does migration.”  Amr hesitated no long and pledged his allegiance.





Bayhaqi adds further details reported from Waqidi. The report tells that Amr, son of As


Said, “I traveled (from Abyssinia) until I reached a place called Hada when I noticed two men not far ahead of me pitching their tents. One went inside the tent while the other remained outside holding the reins of their mounts. As I drew nearer I saw that the man was Khalid, son of Waleed. When I reached him I asked were he was heading. He replied, “To Muhammad, everyone is accepting Islam and there are none that have not. By Allah, if I were to remain an unbeliever, our necks would be grabbed just as a fox is grabbed from its den by its neck.” Amr told Khalid, “By Allah, I also intend meeting Muhammad and accepting Islam”. Just then Othman, son of Talha came out of the tent and welcomed me and we joined each other and traveled together until we reached Medina. I will never forget the words of a person calling for his slave that we met at the well of Abu Utba, he called out, ‘Rabaah, O Rabaah, O Rabaah! (meaning success). From his calling we perceived this to be a good omen and this made us very happy. Then he looked at us and I heard him say, ‘Go after these two, Mecca has already given us her leadership!’ I thought he referred to myself and Khalid, but instead he turned and made haste to take the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, news of our pending arrival. We settled our camels at a place called Harra and put on our best clothes. The call to prayer rang out for the Asr prayer, and we went to meet the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him. When we met him, his face was resplendent, like the full moon, and the Muslims around him were delighted that we had come to embrace Islam.” 





Khalid, son of Waleed went forward and pledged his allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, and thereafter Othman, son of Talha. Then I went forward and sat down before him. By Allah, I was unable to raise my gaze out of respect for him. Before pledging my allegiance I told him that I had a condition to make which was that all my past sins be forgiven and future sins. The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said, “Indeed embracing Islam, wipes out all your past sins and migration also wipes out all a person’s past sins.’ Concerning military matters, by Allah, after embracing Islam, the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, never compared any of the other Companion’s opinions to those of mine and Khalid.”





Khalid, son of Waleed spoke of the time he embraced Islam and says that when Allah decided goodness for him, He created the desire within his heart to accept Islam and opened many paths for him. He said, “I said to myself, that I fought in every battle against the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, but after each battle I had the feeling that all this was futile, because there was no doubt that the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, would emerge victorious. When the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, arrived at Hudaybiyah I led an unbelieving party of cavalry to a place called Usfan where we intended to lay in wait for him and attack. When we saw the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, lead the Companions in the Zuhr prayer, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to attack, but we were hesitant and did not do so. The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, was aware of our intention (through a revelation) and when he led the Asr prayer he also performed the fear prayer. This had an impact on us and we were left saying, ‘this man is indeed protected (by Allah)’. Then he made a detour and took a path towards the right that led away from the path of our horses.





Thereafter at Hudaybiyah the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, entered into a treaty with the Koraysh. I said to myself, ‘What now, where shall I go? To As-hamah son of Al-Abjar, the Negus although he is already a follower of Muhammad and the Companions are living there in peace. Perhaps I should go to Heraclius, but then I would have to forsake my religion for either Christianity of Judaism and live with foreigners. I asked myself whether or not I should remain at home with those left there. I remained in this dilemma until the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, came to Mecca to perform the Lesser Pilgrimage he and the Companions had missed the previous year. I vacated Mecca before his arrival and did not see them enter Mecca. My brother Waleed, son of Waleed also arrived in Mecca with the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,  and looked for me but was unable to find me so he left a letter which read:





In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful


I have never seen anything more staggering than the fact that someone as intelligent as yourself has not yet decided to accept Islam. How can anyone remain in the dark about a religion as great as Islam? When the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, asked where you were, I told him that Allah would soon bring him to you. He said, “How can a person such as Khalid remain immune to a religion like Islam? It would be best for him to spend his effort and energy with the Muslims, and if he did we would favor him over other Muslims. O my brother, you have missed a tremendous opportunity so please put matters right.”





“After having read the letter, my heart prompted me to leave for Medina, and my inclination toward Islam increased. It pleased me that the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, had asked about me. Soon after, I had a vision in which I was confined and the land was drought-stricken, after that I went to a land which was vast and fertile. This I thought is indeed a true vision. I thought that I should relate the vision to Abu Bakr to interpretate when I reached Medina. When I reached Medina I told Abu Bakr about my vision. He told me, ‘Your leaving the place was guidance from Allah to Islam, and your confinement was the disbelief to which you had adhered.”





”When I decided to leave to go to the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, I wondered who would accompany me. I approached Safwan, son of Umayah and said to him, ‘O Abu Wahab!  Don’t you see the situation we find ourselves in? We are as few as the molar teeth. Muhammad has dominated the Arabs and non-Arabs. I feel that we should meet him and follow him then his honor will be ours.’ Safwan rejected the offer most vehemently and said, ‘I shall never follow him even though I am the last person left!’ Upon leaving him, I said to myself, ‘Both his brother and father were killed in the Battle of Badr (because of this he is reluctant to embrace Islam).’ I then met Ikrimah, son of Abu Jahl and repeated what I had said to Safwan. His response was similar to that of Safwan. Nevertheless, I told him not to divulge it to anyone.”





“Then I went home and had my mount prepared. As I was riding out I met Othman, son of Talha and said to myself. ‘He is a good friend of mine, perhaps I should tell him what I intend to do.’ Then I remember that many of his relatives had been killed (in conflict with the Muslims) and perhaps it would not be appropriate to mention it to him. However, it occurred to me that there was no harm in telling him since I was already on my way. With that in mind I spoke to him about the results of our efforts (to subdue the Muslims) and said, ‘We are just like a fox in his hole that will have to emerge as soon as a bucket of water is thrown down the hole.’ I also told him what I had mentioned earlier to my two friends. Without hesitation he accepted what I said so I told him I was leaving that day and that my mount was ready and waiting for me at a place called Faj. We decided to meet at a place called Yajuj and I told him I would wait for him there, and if he arrived first to wait for me. We left our homes early the next morning and met at Yajuj just before the break of dawn, and from there we rode together until we reached Hada where we met Amr, son of Al As. After exchanging greetings, he asked us where we were heading and we asked him what had caused him to leave his home and he asked us the same question. We told him, ‘We intend to embrace Islam and follow Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him.’ He responded saying, ‘That is exactly what brought me here.’ So we joined together and upon reaching Medina we left our mounts at a place called Harra.





News had already reached the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, of our arrival and he had expressed his great pleasure. I put on my best clothes and headed for the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, and met my brother who said to me, ‘Hurry, the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, has been informed about you and is pleased about your arrival, and eagerly awaits you.’ We quickened our pace and as we arrived, the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, smiled at me as I came before him. I greeted him as the Prophet of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, and he responded to my greeting with a smiling face. I then said, ‘I bear witness there is no god except Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah.’ He called me to come nearer and said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah who has guided you. When I observed your intelligence, I hoped that it would inspire you only to do good.’ I replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, I keep thinking of the battles I fought against you in opposition to the truth. Pray to Allah to forgive me.’ The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, replied, ‘Accepting Islam wipes out all previous sins.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, despite that (still pray for me).’ Whereupon he supplicated, ‘O Allah, forgive Khalid, son of Waleed for all his attempts to prevent people from Your Path.’ Thereafter, Othman, son of Talha and Amr, son of Al As’ came forward and pledged their allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him. 





We arrived in Medina in the month of Safar in the 8th year after the Migration. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, never compared (the opinion of) any other of the Companions to me in (military) matters.”


May Allah be pleased with all the Companions.