Persecution

It is narrated by Hazrat Khabbab^(ra),

“I was a blacksmith and As bin Wa‘il owed me a debt. When I went to him to ask him to repay the debt, he said, ‘I will never repay your loan until you reject Muhammad^(sa)’”, that is, until he announced that he had renounced his oath of allegiance to the Holy Prophet^(sa).’” Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) further relates, “I said to him, ‘I will never reject the Holy Prophet^(sa), even if you die and are brought back to life’”, meaning it is impossible that I reject him. “As bin Wa‘il stated, ‘When I am brought back to life after dying’”, he proceeded to give a similar answer, “‘and I will be returned to my wealth and progeny, I will then repay your loan.’” Thus he also refused. Hazrat Khabbab(ra) says, “It was regarding him that these verses were revealed:

أَفَرَءَیۡتَ ٱلَّذِی کَفَرَ بِـَٔایَٰتِنَا وَقَالَ لَأُوتَیَنَّ مَالٗا وَوَلَدًا أَطَّلَعَ ٱلۡغَیۡبَ أَمِ ٱتَّخَذَ عِندَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ عَہۡدٗا کَلَّاۚ سَنَکۡتُبُ مَا یَقُولُ وَنَمُدُّ لَہُۥ مِنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ مَدّٗا

“‘Hast thou not seen him who disbelieves in Our Signs, and says, “I shall certainly be given wealth and children?” Has he become acquainted with the unseen or has he taken a promise from the Gracious [God]? Nay! We shall note down what he says and We shall greatly prolong the punishment for him. And We shall inherit of him all that of which he talks, and he shall come to Us all alone.’” (Surah Maryam: 78-81) (al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 122, Khabbab bin al-Arat, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) was a blacksmith and used to make swords. The Holy Prophet^(sa) had great love for him and would often go and visit him. When his owner came to know that the Holy Prophet^(sa) visited Hazrat Khabbab^(ra), she began placing burning iron on his head. He worked with iron and he would place iron in a furnace; and so she would take it and place it on his head. Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) complained about this to the Holy Prophet^(sa) to which he said, “O Allah! Help Khabbab^(ra)”, which shows that the Holy Prophet^(sa) prayed for him. The result was that, it is narrated, his owner Umm-e-Anmaar developed an ailment of the head and she would whimper like a dog. She was advised to get branded, meaning have burning iron placed on her head. And so Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) would brand her head with burning iron. She was left with no choice, and thus would have Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) place burning iron on her head. (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 148, Khabbab bin al-Arat, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Abu Layla Kindi narrates that Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) went to Hazrat Umar^(ra). Hazrat Umar^(ra) asked him to come closer because there was no one other than him, beside Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir^(ra), who was more worthy of being in this gathering. Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) then showed the scars on his back which he received from the afflictions of the idolaters. This is a narration of al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra. (al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 122, Khabbab bin al-Arat, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

There is another narration giving the details of the incident in which he showed the scars on his back. Sha‘bi relates that Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) went to Hazrat Umar^(ra) bin al-Khattab. Hazrat Umar^(ra) then had him seated in that particular gathering and said, “There is no one on the face of this earth worthier than you to be in this sitting, beside one other person.” Hazrat Khabbab(ra) asked, “O Amirul Momineen, who is that person?” Hazrat Umar^(ra) replied, “He is Bilal^(ra)”. Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) then said, “O Amirul Momineen, he is not more worthy of this than I, for when he was in the hands of the idolaters, he always had a helper, through whom he would be saved by God Almighty. As for me, I had no helper to protect me.” Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) then said, “One day I found myself in a situation where I had been seized by a group of people. They lit a fire and threw me onto the burning coals. One of them threw me onto the burning coal and another placed his feet on my chest. It was only my back that saved me from the burning ground.” Or he said that it was only his back that kept the ground cool. He then removed the cloth from his back which had become all white like one who suffers from vitiligo. (al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 123, Khabbab bin al-Arat, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

That is to say that when he was thrown on the burning coal there was nothing to cool the coal down, it was merely the skin and flesh of his back that cooled it down.

Then, there is another narration in this regard which is as follows. Sha‘bi narrates that Hazrat Umar^(ra) enquired from Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) about the difficulties he had to endure from the idolaters. He answered, “O Amirul Momineen, look at my back.” When Hazrat Umar^(ra) saw his back he said, “I have never seen such a back.” Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) told him, “A fire would be lit and I would be dragged in it. Furthermore, there was nothing to put this fire out other than the flesh on my back.” (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 148, Khabbab bin al-Arat, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Whilst describing this incident, Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) writes:

“Bear in mind that those who suffered the most afflictions after accepting the Holy Prophet^(sa) were the slaves. Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) bin al-Arat was a slave and worked as a blacksmith. He accepted the Holy Prophet^(sa) in the very early days.

“He would be subjected to severe cruelties at the hands of the people, to the extent that he would be made to lie down on burning coal from his own furnace and a large stone would be placed on his chest so he would not be able to move. Those that were responsible for paying his wages refused to pay him. Despite all the persecution and financial difficulties, he did not waver even for a minute and remained steadfast in his faith. The scars on his back were visible until the end of his life. During the Caliphate of Hazrat Umar^(ra), Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) spoke about the previous hardships, to which he asked Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) to lift his shirt from his back. When Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) lifted his shirt, his back was covered in white marks, like one who suffers from vitiligo.” (Dunya ka Mushin(sa), Anwarul Ulum, Vol. 10, p. 273)

In another instant Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states:

“One of these early slave converts named Khabbab^(ra) bin al-Arat had his back exposed. The people who were with him saw that his skin was not normal and instead had become hardened like that of an animal. They were shocked to see this and enquired which ailment he was suffering from. Hazrat Khabbab^(ra) laughed and said, ‘It was not an ailment; only a memory of those early days when the people of Mecca would drag Muslim slaves who had converted to Islam, such as us, through the streets of Mecca over hard and hot sands and stones. They would continue to mete out this cruelty as a result of which my back bears these scars.’” (Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwarul Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 193)

These early converts to Islam were not only poor, but many of them were slaves as well. After converting to Islam, they had to endure many difficulties. As we have heard in reference to Hazrat Khabbab^(ra), they were made to lay down on burning coals and dragged across stones. They endured these hardships in the early days, however when Islam spread God Almighty granted them countless blessings and bestowed upon them an eminent status in the world.