Khoubayb and Zayd: the two rak’a before death

As for Khoubayb, Zayd ibn ad-Dathina and Abdallah ibn Tariq, they wavered, softened and desired life, and gave their hands: they were seized and carried toward Mecca to be sold. When they came to adh-Dhahran, Abdallah ibn Tariq pulled his hand from the bond, took his sword and stood alone against the people: they stoned him until they killed him, and his grave is at adh-Dhahran. Ibn Hicham reports that Khoubayb and Zayd were sold to Quraysh for two captives of Hudhayl held in Mecca. Khoubayb was bought by Houjayr ibn Abi Ihab at-Tamimi, client of the Banu Nawfal, on behalf of Oqba ibn al-Harith ibn Amir ibn Nawfal, for Abou Ihab was milk-brother to the mother of al-Harith: Khoubayb had killed al-Harith on the day of Badr, and they wished to kill him in vengeance for the father. Zayd ibn ad-Dathina was bought by Safwan ibn Oumayya, to be killed in vengeance for his father: he sent him to at-Tan’im with a freedman of his called Nistas, and had him brought out of the sacred precinct to be killed.

A group of Quraysh had gathered there, among them Abou Soufyan ibn Harb. When Zayd was brought forward to be killed, Abou Soufyan said to him: I adjure you by Allah, O Zayd: would you love that Mohamed were in your place now, and that we struck off his head, and that you were with your family? He said: by Allah, I do not love that Mohamed, where he is now, be hurt by a thorn causing him pain, while I sit among my family. Abou Soufyan said: I never saw among men anyone loving anyone as the companions of Mohamed love Mohamed! Then Nistas killed him.

As for Khoubayb ibn Adi, he remained chained in the house of Maawiya, freedwoman of Houjayr ibn Abi Ihab, who had embraced Islam. She relates: Khoubayb was with me, confined in my house, and one day I looked out upon him and he held in his hand a bunch of grapes the size of a man’s head, eating from it, though I know of no edible grapes in the land of Allah at that time. It is further related, from Asim ibn Omar ibn Qatada and Abdallah ibn Abi Najih, that when death was near Khoubayb asked for a razor with which to purify himself before the killing. The razor was given, and a boy of the clan carried it to him: fear seized the woman, who thought: what is this? The man would gain his vengeance by killing this boy, man for man. Khoubayb took the razor and said: by your life, your mother feared no treachery of mine when she sent you to me with this razor. And he let him go. Ibn Hicham says: the boy was her son.

Then they carried Khoubayb out to at-Tan’im to crucify him, and he said: if you see fit to let me pray two rak’a, then do so. They said: pray, you are free to. He prayed two rak’a, completing them perfectly, then turned to the people and said: by Allah, were it not that you would think I lingered out of shrinking from death, I would pray more. And he was the first of the Muslims to institute those two rak’a at the time of execution. Then they raised him upon a tree-trunk; when they had bound him fast he said: O Allah, we have conveyed the message of Your messenger: inform him in the morning of what is being done to us. Then he said: O Allah, count them one by one, kill them one by one, and leave not one of them! Then they killed him. Mouawiya ibn Abi Soufyan used to say: I was present that day among those who stood there with Abou Soufyan, and by Allah I saw the invocation of Khoubayb strike me to the ground in terror. And people used to say: when a man is invoked against and lies down on his side, the invocation slides off him.

As-Souhayli says: the two rak’a became a Sounna at the time of execution because they were practised in the lifetime of the Prophet, who confirmed them and approved of that act. Zayd ibn Haritha also prayed them in the Prophet’s lifetime: the Bayhaqi reports, through al-Layth ibn Sa’d, that Zayd ibn Haritha hired a mule from a man of Ta’if on condition that the hirer let him alight wherever he wished. The man bore him toward a ruined place full of corpses, and when he meant to kill him, Zayd said: let me pray two rak’a. He said: pray your two rak’a: these men often prayed, and their prayer availed them nothing. He prayed, and the man came to kill him, and he said: O Most Merciful of the merciful! And behold, a voice crying: do not kill him! The man was frightened and went to look, saw nothing, came a second time to kill him, and Zayd repeated his cry; again the voice said:

do not kill him! He came a third time, and behold, a horseman on a steed, a lance in his hand at whose head blazed a sheaf of fire: he thrust him through, and he fell dead. Then he said: the first time you called upon Allah I was in the seventh heaven; the second time, in the lowest heaven; the third time, I came to you. As-Souhayli relates also that Houjr ibn Adi ibn al-Adbar prayed those two rak’a when he was brought from Iraq to Mouawiya carrying the letter of Ziyad: Mouawiya commanded his killing, and he prayed two rak’a before he was killed. Aïcha rebuked Mouawiya for it; he said: it was only he who testified against him who killed him. Then he said: leave me and Houjr: I shall cast him upon the balance on the Day of Resurrection. She said: where now has gone the forbearance of your father Abou Soufyan? He said: since one like you, of my people, left me.

In the campaigns of Moussa ibn Oqba it is related that Khoubayb and Zayd ibn ad-Dathina were killed on one and the same day, and that the Messenger of Allah was heard that day saying: "And upon you be peace, O Khoubayb: Quraysh has killed you." He relates also that when they crucified Zayd ibn ad-Dathina they shot him with arrows to tempt him from his religion: it only increased him in faith and submission. Urwa and Moussa ibn Oqba relate that when they raised Khoubayb upon the tree-trunk they called to him, adjuring him: would you love that Mohamed were in your place? He said: no, by Allah the Great, I do not love to be ransomed from him by a thorn that would hurt his foot.

And they laughed at him. The Boukhari relates this in the story of Zayd ibn ad-Dathina: Allah is most knowing. Moussa ibn Oqba relates that Amr ibn Oumayya is said to have buried Khoubayb. And Oqba ibn al-Harith himself denied killing him: by Allah, I did not kill Khoubayb, for I was younger than that; but Abou Maysara, milk-brother of the Banu Abd ad-Dar, took the spear, placed it in my hand, seized my hand with it, and thrust him until he died.

It is related that Oumar ibn al-Khattab appointed Sa’id ibn Amir ibn Hidhyam al-Joumahi governor over part of Syria, and that he would be seized with fainting fits among the people, until it was mentioned to Oumar, who questioned him during one of his visits and said: O Sa’id, what is this that comes upon you? He said: by Allah, O commander of the believers, there is nothing grave in me; but I was among those present at the killing of Khoubayb ibn Adi, and I heard his supplication. By Allah, never has my heart sat in an assembly but I have been seized with faintness! And that only increased him in Oumar’s esteem. Ibn Ishaq reports that Oumar said: whoever delights to look upon a man of solitary sincerity, let him look upon Sa’id ibn Amir. Ibn Hicham reports that Khoubayb remained in their hands until the sacred months had passed, and then they killed him.

The Bayhaqi finally reports, from Amr ibn Oumayya ad-Damri, that the Messenger of Allah had sent him out alone on a reconnaissance: I came to the tree-trunk of Khoubayb and encamped there, shielding myself from eyes, then I undid it, and it fell to the ground; I dashed away and hid a while, then turned around and saw nothing: it was as if the earth had swallowed it. And no grave was ever mentioned for Khoubayb down to this hour. When the companions of ar-Raji’ were killed, some hypocrites said: woe to these deluded ones who perished thus: they neither lived on among their families nor conveyed the message of their master! Allah sent down concerning them: among the people is he whose speech delights you in the present life, and who calls Allah to witness what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of adversaries (al-Baqara, 204), and what follows.

And concerning the men of the expedition came down: among the people is he who sells his soul seeking the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is gentle with the servants (al-Baqara, 207). Hassan ibn Thabit wept for Khoubayb in beautiful verses, and satirised Hudhayl and the Banu Lihyan for their treachery; but most of the masters of poetry deny him these pieces.