Usayd ibn Hudayr

A Chief Won by Reasoned Dialogue

Mus’ab ibn Umayr was teaching at the well of Banu Zafar when Usayd — chief of Banu Abd al-Ashhal — was sent by Sa’d ibn Mu’adh to drive him away. He came with his spear, threatening; Mus’ab 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 and prompted, by his apparent change of mood, the same dialogue with Sa’d — 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 amir, Usayd rallied the Aws to pledge instead to Abu Bakr — 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.