Zayd Al-Khayr

Zayd al-Khayr

Zayd al-Khayr was known for his generosity and great courage even before he became a Muslim. Although he died before he could fight under the flag of Islam, he was praised for the courage he showed before his death.

In Jahiliyyah, this Sahabi was known as Zayd al-Khayl. When he became a Muslim, the Prophet renamed him Zayd al-Khayr.

In this story we will have glimpse of his life before embracing Islam and after he did.

One year a sever drought struck the tribe of Aamir, which killed all the crops and vegetation and destroyed all the livestock. The situation over there was very bad to the extent that a man left the tribe with his family and went to Hira. Over there he left his family with the words, "Wait for me here till I return to you." He swore to himself not to return to them until he brought some money for them or died in the process.

The man took of in search of something he could bring back to his family.

He kept on walking for seven days until he reached a place where there was a pasture for camels and near it there was a huge tent with a leather dome, signs of great riches and wealth.

He told himself: "Doubtless this pasture has camels and doubtless this tent has occupants." The sun was about to set. The man looked inside the tent and spotted a very old man in the center. He sat down behind the old man, but the old man did not notice his presence.

At sunset a horseman, imposing and well built, approached. He rode his mount erect and tall. He was accompanied with two male servants, one on his right and the other on his left. He had with him about a hundred she-camels and in front of them a huge male camel. Obviously he was a well-endowed man. He said to one of the servants pointing to a fat camel: “Milk this and give the old man a drink."

The old man drank one or two mouthfuls from the full vessel, which was brought to him and left it. The wanderer went up to it stealthily and drank all the milk in it.

The servant returned, took the vessel and said: "Master, he has drunk it all."

The horseman was happy and ordered another camel to be milked. The old man drank only one mouthful and the wanderer drank half of what was left so as not to arouse the suspicion of the horseman. The horseman then ordered his second servant to kill a sheep. Some of it was grilled and the horseman fed the old man until he was satisfied. He and the two servants then ate. After this, they all slept soundly.

The wanderer then went to the he-camel, untied and mounted it. He rode off and the she camels followed. He rode throughout the night. At daybreak he looked around in every direction but did not see anyone following him. He pushed on until the sun was high in the sky. He suddenly saw something like an eagle in the distance coming towards him. It quickly gained on him and soon he saw that it was the horseman on his horse.

The wanderer dismounted and tied the he-camel. He took out an arrow and placed it in his bow and stood in front of the other camels.

The horseman stopped at a distance and shouted: "Untie the camel." The man refused saying that his family is starving in Hira and that he sworn not to return unless he had money or died in the process.

The horseman threatened him and said: "Hold out the reins of the camel. There are three knots in it. Tell me in which of them you want me to place my arrow." The man pointed to the middle knot and the horseman lodged an arrow right in the center as if he had neatly placed it there with his hand. He did the same with the second and third knots. On seeing that, the man returned his arrow to his quiver and surrendered.

The horseman took away his sword and his bow and said to him: "Ride behind me."

The man was now under the mercy of the horseman who said: "Do you think I will cause you harm when you have shared with Muhalhil (the old man, his father) his drink and his food last night?"

When the man heard the name Muhalhil, he was astonished and asked: "Are you Zayd al-Khayl?"

"Yes," said the horseman.

"Be the best captor," said the man.

"Don't worry," replied Zayd al-Khayl calmly. "If these camels were mine, I would give them to you. But they belong to one of my sisters. But stay some days with me. I am about to make a raid."

Three days later he raided the Banu Numayr and captured about a hundred camels, as booty. He gave them all to the man and sent some guards with him to Hira.

This story is about Zayd al-Khayl as he was in Jahiliyyah, as told by the historian ash-Shaybani. The books of Siyar give another picture of Zayd al-Khayl after he had embraced Islam . . .

Zayd al-Khayr heard the news about Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), so he gathered some of his own enquiries and then decided to go to Madinah to meet the Prophet. With him was a big delegation of his people among who were Zurr ibn Sudoos, Malik ibn Jubayr, Aamir ibn Duwayn and others.

When they reached Madinah, they went straight to the Prophet's Mosque and tethered their horses at its door. When they entered the mosque the Prophet was on the mimbar addressing the Muslims. His speech aroused Zayd and his delegation and they were also astonished by the rapt attention of the Muslims and the effect of the Prophet's words on them.

The Prophet was saying: “I am better for you than al-Uzza (one of the main idols of the Arabs in Jahiliyyah) and everything else that you worship. I am better for you than the black camel which you worship besides God."

The Prophet's words had two different effects on Zayd al-Khayl and those with him. Some of them responded positively to the Truth and accepted it. Some turned away and rejected it.

The reaction of Zayd was a positive one. When the Prophet had finished speaking, Zayd stood up, tall and impressive-looking in the midst of the Muslims and said in a loud and clear voice:

"O Muhammad, I testify that there is no god but Allah and that you are the messenger of Allah."

The Prophet came up to him and asked, "Who are you”

"I am Zayd al-Khayl the son of Muhalhil."

"From now on you are Zayd al-Khayr instead, not Zayd al-Khayl," said the Prophet.

"Praise be to God Who has brought you from the hills and dales of your native land and softened your heart towards Islam." From that day on he was called Zayd al_khayr.

Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) invited him to his house. Omar ibn al-Khattab and some other Companions were with them. The Prophet gave him a cushion to sit on but he felt very uncomfortable to recline thus in the presence of the Prophet and he returned the cushion. The Prophet handed it back to him and he returned it to him. This happened three times.

Eventually, when they were all seated, the Prophet said to Zayd al-Khayr: "O Zayd, no man has ever been described to me and when I see him he does not fit the description at all except you. You have two characteristics which are pleasing to God and His Prophet."

"What are they?" asked Zayd.

"Perseverance and sagacity," replied the Prophet.

"Praise be to God," said Zayd, "Who has given me what He and His Prophet like." He then turned directly to the Prophet and said: "Give me, O messenger of God, three hundred horsemen and I promise you that I will secure Byzantine territory with them." The Prophet praised his fervor and said, "What manner of man are you!"

During this visit, all those who stayed with Zayd became Muslims. They then desired to return to their homes in Najd and the Prophet bade them farewell.

However, The great desire of Zayd to work and fight for the cause of Islam was beyond any man’s imagination.

In Madinah al-Munawwarah at that time there was an epidemic of fever and Zayd al-Khayr succumbed to it and said to those with him: "Take me away from the land of Qays. I have the fever of small pox. By God, I shall not fight as a Muslim before I meet Allah, the Mighty, the Great."

Zayd took the road to his people in Najd in spite of the fact that the fever became more and more intense and slowed him down. He hoped at least to get back to his people and that they would become Muslims, through God's grace, at his hands.

He struggled to overcome the fever but it got the better of him and he breathed his last on the way before reaching Najd. Between his acceptance of Islam and his death, however, there was no time for him to have fallen into sin.