Budayl b. Warqa'

Budayl b. Warqa'

Personal Information
Full Name	Budayl b. Warqa' al-Khuza'i
Teknonym	Abu 'Amr or Abu 'Abd Allah
Birth	c. 533 C.E. (based on a report that he was 97 in the Conquest of Mecca)
Religious Information
Presence at ghazwas	Battles of Hunayn and Tabuk as well as Conquest of Mecca

Budayl b. Warqāʾ (Arabic: بُدَیل‌ِ بْن‌ِ وَرْقاء) was a Meccan companion of Prophet Muhammad (s) and a senior member of the Khuza'a tribe. He was present in the events of Hudaybiyya Peace Treaty and Hajjat al-Wida', as well as the battles of Hunayn and Tabuk, and the Conquest of Mecca. According to one account, he was 97 years old during the Conquest of Mecca which occurred in 8/630.

Lineage and Kunya

Budayl b. Warqa' was a companion of the Prophet (s) and a senior member of the Khuza'a tribe. In the oldest sources, he is mentioned as “Budayl b. Warqa'” or “Budayl b. Warqa' al-Khuza'i”. However, Ibn Sa'd seems to be the first person who fully cited Budayl’s ancestors, but his version is incomplete in comparison with what is cited by Ibn Athir.

His kunya is differently mentioned as Abu 'Amr and Abu 'Abd Allah.

Birth and Death

There is no precise information about the years of his birth or death, but he was certainly present in Hajjat al-Wida' and died before the Prophet (s). On one account, he was 97 years old during the Conquest of Mecca, therefore, he must have been born 75 years before the emergence of Islam.

According to some sources, he was killed in the Battle of Siffin, but such sources have confused him with his son, 'Abd Allah.

Life

Budayl b. Warqa' was a respected, honored figure in Mecca before the emergence of Islam, but there is no precise information about the details of his life. His name is mentioned in the history of Islam early since the Bi'that of the Prophet (s), and in particular, the Peace Treaty of Hudaybiyya. Also, he and his companions from Khuza'a were called confidants of the Prophet (s) and steadfast in their friendship.

Presence in the Hudaybiyya Peace Treaty

According to the contents of the Hudaybiyya Peace Treaty, Khuza'a were allies with Muslims, and after the Prophet’s (s) return from Hudaybiyya, the majority of people from Khuza'a had converted to Islam. Khuza'a’s alliance with the Prophet (s) was not irrelevant to their alliance with 'Abd al-Muttalib before Islam.

The Prophet (s) wrote a letter to Budayl b. Warqa' in Jumada II, 8/September-October 629 in which he greatly admired the Khuza'a tribe and described them as the most honored people from Tihamah.

Conversion to Islam

Just before the Conquest of Mecca, Budayl b. Warqa', Abu Sufyan, and Hakim b. Hizam were taken by 'Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib to the Prophet (s). On one account, Budayl converted to Islam in that meeting, but on other accounts, he had already converted to Islam prior to his visit to the Prophet (s). On the day of the Conquest of Mecca, Budayl’s house was considered as a safe haven to which some people from Quraysh took refuge.

In the Battle of Hunayn, Budayl was commanded by the Prophet (s) to send the prisoners from Hunayn to al-Ju'ranah. Apparently, he was also in charge of the booties of the war as well. During preparations for the Battle of Tabuk, Budayl was commissioned by the Prophet (s) to prepare the tribes for the war.

Children

Some children of Budayl had roles in the events of the early period of Islam. Nafi' b. Budayl was martyred before his father in the Expedition of Bi'r Ma'una. 'Abd Allah b. Budayl attended the battles of Hunayn, Tabuk, and Ta'if. He played a role in the Conquest of Isfahan in 32/652-3. He was martyred in the Battle of Siffin as a member of Imam 'Ali (a)’s army. His brother, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Budayl, was also martyred in the Battle of Siffin.

Transmission of Hadiths

Hadiths transmitted by Budayl are cited in both Shiite and Sunni sources. His hadiths are concerned with the event of Hudaybiyya, moving the prisoners after the Battle of Hunayn, as well as a hadith about eating, drinking, and not fasting in Hajjat al-Wida'.