Zayd ibn Muhalhil

Zaid b. Mahlah b. Zaid b. Manhab b. Abd al-Razzaq b. al-Mukhtalas b. Thub b. Kinanah b. Malik b. Nabil b. Nabhan. His name was Sudan b. Amr b. al-Ghuth al-Ta'i al-Nabhan, and he was known as Zaid al-Khayr. He was one of those who had good hearts, then he converted to Islam and his Islam was good. He visited the Prophet ﷺ in the delegation of Tayy in the ninth year, and the Prophet ﷺ named him Zaid al-Khayr, saying: 'I have never seen anyone described to me in pre-Islamic times as I have seen you in Islam, except that I have seen you better than that.'

He was given two lands.

He was known as Abu Maknaf, and he had two sons: Maknaf and Harith, who both converted to Islam and accompanied the Prophet ﷺ, and they witnessed the Battle of al-Riddah with Khalid b. al-Walid.

Al-A'mash reported from Abu Wa'il from Abdullah, saying: 'We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and a rider came until he dismounted, saying: O Messenger of Allah, I have come to you from a distance of nine [days' journey], I have tied up my riding animal, I have spent my night, and I have exhausted my day, asking you about two characteristics.'

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'What is your name?' He said: 'I am Zaid al-Khayl,' He said: 'Rather, you are Zaid al-Khayr, so ask.' He said: 'I ask you about the sign of Allah for those who want it, and His sign for those who do not want it.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'How did you spend your day?' He said: 'I spent my day loving good and those who do good, and whoever works for it, if I worked for it, I would be rewarded for it, and if something was taken from me, I would grieve for it.'

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'This is the sign of Allah for those who want it, and His sign for those who do not want it. If Allah wanted you to have the other, He would give it to you, and then Allah would not care in which valley you died.'