The Killing of Umayyah bin Khalf
During the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Bilal (ra) killed Umayyah bin Khalf, who was a staunch enemy of Islam and used to persecute Hazrat Bilal (ra) for accepting Islam.
(Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, Bilal bin Rabah [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Isha‘ah, 2004] 256)
The incident in regard to the killing of Umayyah is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari [previously cited in relation to Khubaib bin Isaaf]. Nevertheless, they shall also be narrated here as some of these details relate directly to Hazrat Bilal (ra) as well.
Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf relates (ra), “I wrote a letter to Umayyah bin Khalf stating that he should look after my property and family in Mecca – which at the time had become a land of conflict – and I would in turn look after his wealth and property in Medina.” Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf (ra) had known Umayyah bin Khalf for a long time. Umayyah bin Khalf also participated in the Battle of Badr alongside the army of the disbelievers and Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf (ra) learnt of this. Owing to this old relation of theirs, he wished to extend him a favour and thought of protecting him the night after the battle.
Hence, he narrates, “During the battle when everyone had fallen asleep, I made my way towards a hilltop in order to give him refuge. I knew in which direction he would have gone, so I too went there to protect him and offer him refuge, but somehow, in that moment, Hazrat Bilal (ra) saw him. Hence, Hazrat Bilal (ra) went and stood in a gathering of the Ansar, saying, ‘Umayyah bin Khalf is nearby; if he escapes, then my life will be in danger.’ So, a group of people who were with Hazrat Bilal (ra) went forth in pursuit of us. Being afraid that they would catch us, I left Umayyah’s son behind so that they would first engage in fighting with him and we would be able to advance further ahead. Subsequently, they killed him in battle. And so, this plan of mine proved unsuccessful as they killed him and continued to pursue us. Umayyah, being of a heavy build, was unable to escape quickly. Eventually, when they reached us, I told him to sit down. So, he sat down and I laid myself on him to protect him but they, i.e., those pursuing us, killed him by piercing him with their swords underneath me, and one of them also injured my foot with his sword.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Wakalah, Bab idha Wakkala al-Muslim…, Hadith 2301)
A part of another narration in which this incident is mentioned is as follows. Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf (ra) relates, “I was walking along with both of them”, i.e., Umayyah bin Khalf and his son, “when all of a sudden, Hazrat Bilal (ra) spotted Umayyah with me. Umayyah was the one who used to greatly torture Hazrat Bilal (ra) in Mecca so that he would leave Islam. Therefore, when Hazrat Bilal (ra) saw Umayyah, he started saying, ‘Umayyah bin Khalf, the chief of the disbelievers is here and I will not survive if he is spared.’”
Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf (ra) further narrates, “After hearing this I said to him ‘O Bilal! Are you saying this about my prisoners?’ Thereupon, Hazrat Bilal (ra) once again repeated what he was saying and each time, I would reply in the same manner that they were my prisoners. Following this, Hazrat Bilal(ra) said the following words in an extremely loud voice: ‘O Ansar of Allah! This is Umayyah bin Khalf, the chief of the disbelievers. I shall be destroyed if he is spared’ and he continued to say this over and over.”
Hazrat Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf then says, “Following this call of his, the Ansar charged forward and surrounded us from all sides. Hazrat Bilal (ra) drew his sword and attacked Umayyah’s son and as a result, he fell down. Out of fear for his son, Umayyah let out such a shocking cry that I had never heard before. Thereafter, the Ansar struck both of them with their swords.”
(Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Bab Dhikr Maghaziyat al-Nabi (sa) /Gahzwat Badr al-Kubra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah] 232-233)