The Afflictions of Hadhrat Khabbab bin Alarat (Radhiyallaho anho)

Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho) is also one of those blessed persons who offered themselves for sacrifice and suffering for the cause.of Allah. He was the sixth or seventh person to embrace Islam and. therefore, he suffered long. He was made to put on steel armour and lie in the sun to sweat and swelter. Very often he was made to lie flat on burning sand, which caused the flesh on his back to waste away. He was the slave of a woman. When she came to know that he was visiting the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), she used to brand his head with a hot iron rod. Hadhrat Urnar (Radhiyallaho anho) during his caliphate once inquired of him about the details of his sufferings after embracing Islam. He showed him his back, seeing, which Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) remarked. "I have never seen such a back before." He said, "My body was dragged over heaps of smouldering charcoal, and the blood and fat coming out of my back put out the fire." It is said that, when Islam spread and the Muslims conquered all the surrounding territory, he used to weep and say:

"Allah seems to be compensating us in this world for all our sufferings, and perhaps nothing would be left for us as reward in the Hereafter."

Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates:

"The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) once performed an unusually long rakaat while leading a Sa-laat. When the Sahabah mentioned it to him, he said, "This was a Salaat of yearning and humility. I asked three boons from Allah. I besought Him:

“O, Allah! Let not my Ummat perish by famine; let not my Ummat be annihilated by an enemy gaining an upper hand on them; and let not my Ummat fight among themselves.'

Allah granted the first two prayers, but not the third one."

Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho) died in 37 A.H.

He was the first of the Sahabah to be buried at Koofah. Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) once passing his grave said:

"May Allah bless and show mercy on Hadhrat Khab-bab (Radhiyallaho anho). He embraced Islam willingly. He emigrated with great pleasure in Allah's path, and spent his whole life in striving and suffering for Islam. Blessed is the person who is mindful of the Day of Judgement, prepares for his reckoning, remains con-tented with very little of this world, and is able to please his Lord."

To be able to please Allah, was really, the Sahabah's greatest achievement, for this was the sole purpose of their life.