Hazrat Usayd ibn Hudayr

A Chief Won by Reasoned Dialogue

Mus’ab ibn Umayr رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Mus'ab ibn Umayrرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُThe first teacher of Islam in Madinah; standard-bearer and martyr of UhudMuhajirun · People of Badr · Early Converts was teaching at the well of Banu Zafar when Usayd — chief of Banu Abd al-Ashhal — was sent by Sa’d ibn Mu’adh رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Sa'd ibn Mu'adhرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُChief of the Aws; at whose death the Throne of the Most Merciful shookAnsar · People of Badr to drive him away. He came with his spear, threatening; Mus’ab رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Mus'ab ibn Umayrرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُThe first teacher of Islam in Madinah; standard-bearer and martyr of UhudMuhajirun · People of Badr · Early Converts said: “Won’t you sit and listen? If you like what you hear, you may take it; if not, we shall leave you.” He sat. After hearing the Qur’an his face changed; he said, “How beautiful! How sublime! What do you do when you want to enter the fold of this religion?” — and embraced Islam on the spot. 1 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 205–207 — Kandhlawi — Usayd's conversion through Mus'ab; the question 'what do you do when you want to enter the fold of this religion?'

He then returned to Sa’d ibn Mu’adh رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Sa'd ibn Mu'adhرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُChief of the Aws; at whose death the Throne of the Most Merciful shookAnsar · People of Badr and prompted, by his apparent change of mood, the same dialogue with Sa’d رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Sa'd ibn Mu'adhرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُChief of the Aws; at whose death the Throne of the Most Merciful shookAnsar · People of Badr — bringing about the conversion of the chief of his clan; by evening “not a man or woman of Banu Abd al-Ashhal had failed to accept Islam.” 2 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 205–207 — Kandhlawi — Sa'd ibn Mu'adh's conversion via the same dialogue; the Banu Abd al-Ashhal embraces Islam in a day.

The Angels and the Recitation

One night Usayd was reciting Surah al-Kahf in his orchard, his horse tied beside him, when the horse began to start; he stopped, and saw what looked like a canopy of lanterns descending. The Prophet ﷺ later told him: “Those were the angels — they had come to listen to your recitation.” 3 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. — — Kandhlawi — the angels descend to listen to Usayd ibn Hudayr's recitation.

At Saqifa

When the Ansar gathered at Saqifa to make Sa’d ibn Ubada رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Sa'd ibn Ubadaرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُChief of the Khazraj; famed for boundless generosityAnsar amir, Usayd rallied the Aws to pledge instead to Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiqرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُFirst Caliph; the Prophet's closest companionKhulafa Rashidun · Ashara Mubashara · Muhajirun — and his decisive lead broke the Khazraj’s push. 4 Seerat-e-Mustafa · Vol 3 · pp. 236 — Idris Kandhlawi — Usayd ibn Hudayr at Saqifa rallies the Aws to Abu Bakr.