Khuzayma b. Thabit: Difference between revisions

Khuzayma b. Thabit b. Fakih b. Tha‘labah b. Sa‘idah Ansari was one of the Prophet’s (s) companions and Imam Ali’s (a) friends. He was the first companion of [[the Prophet (s)]] who converted to Islam and believed in the Prophet (s). He was martyred in the Battle of Siffin.

==Name, Linage, and Kunya ==

Khuzayma b. Thabit b. Fakih b. Tha‘labah b. Sa‘idah Ansari was from Medina, the tribe of Ows, Bani Khatmah family. He was one of the great companions of the Prophet (s) and a famous friend of Imam Ali (a).

His mother, Kabshah, the daughter of Aws, was from Bani Sa‘idah. His kunya was Abu ‘Umarah. He was of the first people from Medina who believed in Islam and became a special companion of the Prophet (s). He broke the idols of Bani Khatmah by his hands.

==Title==

Khuzayma b. Thabit is known as Dhu al-Shahadatayn; because once he testified due to a request for verification of a dealing and the Prophet (s) regarded it as the testimonies of two just witnesses which it apparently was due to Khuzayma’s strong faith in the Prophet (s) and Islam. It brought him a great honor and the people of Medina, from both tribes of Ows and Khazraj, felt proud of him. The people of Ows said, “The one whose testimony was regarded as two testimonies by the Prophet (s) is one of us”. His testimony was about the horse of the Prophet (s) called Murtajiz. The Prophet (s) had bought it from an Arab, but he denied the dealing. Khuzayma testified for the Prophet (s). The Prophet (s) asked him, “How do you testify while you was not with us?” Khuzayma answered, “I am sure that you tell nothing but the truth.” Then, the Prophet (s) said, “Khuzayma’s testimony for or against a person is a proof”.

==At the Time of the Prophet (s)==

Khuzayma b. Thabit fought in the Battle of Badr and the battles after it. According to some traditions, for the first time, he fought in the Battle of Uhud. However, the authors of maghazies [accounts of the Prophet's raids during his lifetime] have not mentioned his name in the list of the Prophet’s (s) friends who fought in the Battle of Uhud, and it is said that he fought in the battles after the Battle of Uhud. At the time of the Muslim conquest of Mecca, Khuzayma b. Thabit carried the flag of Bani Khatmah.

He took part in the Battle of Mutah (8 AH). He was the first companion of the Prophet (s) who believed in Islam and the Prophet (s).

==Refusing to Accept Caliphate of the First Caliph==

Similar to some other companions of the Prophet (s), Khuzayma b. Thabit together with the majority of Bani Hashim, acknowledged caliphate of Ali (a) after the Prophet (s), and refused to accept caliphate of Abubakr. He debated with Abubakr in this regard and testified that the Prophet (s) on Ghadir Khum had said, “Whoever I am his master and authority, this Ali (a) will be his master and authority" and testified that Ali (a) was the Prophet’s (s) brother and successor.

The name of Khuzayma has been mentioned among the names of 12 people who refused to accept caliphate of Abubakr; and each of them, in some way, wanted Abubakr to relinquish caliphate.

His words with Abubakr has been recorded as follows:

“O Abubakr! Do you know that the Prophet (s) accepted my testimony as two testimonies?” Abubakr answered, “Yes” Khuzayma said, “So, I swear by God that I heard the Prophet (s) saying, 'My Ahl al-Bayt make the distinction between the truth and the falsehood; and they are the leaders to be followed.'"

==At the time of Imam Ali (a)==

When ‘Uthman was killed (35 AH) and the people of Medina paid allegiance to Ali (a), Khuzayma b. Thabit paid allegiance to Imam (a) as well.

===In the Battle of Jamal===

In the Battle of Jamal, he was of the nobles of Ansar [citizens of Medina city who helped and gave refuge to the Emigrants] who sided with Ali (a) and accompanied Imam (a) from Medina to Basra to fight against those who had broken their oaths. He entered Basra on a horse, wearing yellow turban and white clothes, armed with a sword on his waist and a bow on his neck, and one thousand troopers followed him. He was so loved by Ali (a) that in the Battle of Jamal, when Imam (a) got angry with his son, Muhammad Hanafiyyah, the flag of the army was returned to him on Khuzayma b. Thabit’s request. Then, he went to Kufa with Imam Ali (a) and constantly accompanied him.

===In the Battle of Siffin and Martyrdom===

In the Battle of Siffin, Khuzayma was one of the commanders of Imam’s army. Although at that time he was an old man, with a firm belief in Imam Ali’s (a) truthfulness, he fiercely fought against Mu’awiya’s army and Mu'awiya's deception did not weaken him. In the Battle of Siffin, when ‘Ammar b. Yasir was martyred, Khuzayma b. Thabit went into his tent, performed his full ritual ablution. Then, he went to the battlefield and fought until he was martyred.

==Kuzayma’s Testimony about Ammar b. Yasir's Murder by a Group of Oppressors ==

Khuzayma b. Thabit has quoted from the Prophet (s) that ‘Ammar b. Yasir would be killed by a group of oppressors. Khuzayma was martyred in 37 AH in a stage of Battle of Siffin when the fight became very fierce and has become known as Yawm Waq‘ah al-Khamis. Imam Ali (a) has mentioned Khuzayma b. Thabit as one of the martyrs of Siffin and one of his brothers who remained steadfast in the right way. Therefore, according to previously mentioned traditions, this matter that Khuzayma b. Thabit did not fight in the Battle of Jamal and in the Battle of Siffin until ‘Ammar was martyred, cannot be true.

Some historical narrators believe that Khuzayma b. Thabit passed away at the time of [[‘Uthman]] and the one who attended the Battle of Siffin was a person with the same name. However, according to general and specific traditions, martyrdom of Khuzayma b. Thabit in Siffin has been related by successive transmitters and denial of Khuzayma’s martyrdom in Siffin is actually an attempt by the enemies to claim that those who struggled in the Battle of Badr did not side with Ali (a) in Siffin. Moreover, most of the historians such as Khatib Baghdadi and Ibn Abi al-Hadid have said that Dhu al-Shahadatayn was Khuzayma b. Thabit, and according to genealogical references, there was no other one called Khuzayma b. Thabit among Ansar. The belief that Khuzayma is someone other than Dhu al-Shahadatayn is actually originated from the bias propagated by Umayyads.

==Transmitter of Hadiths==

Khuzayma b. Thabit is among reliable transmitters of hadiths who has directly quoted hadiths from the Prophet (s). Also some people have quoted from Khuzayma b. Thabit, some of whom are:

In the collections of hadiths, 38 hadiths from the Prophet (s) have been quoted by Khuzayma b. Thabit.

==Composing Poems for Praising Ali (a)==

Khuzamah b. Thabit had a talent for composing poems and a large number of poems have been attributed to him. Some have counted him among Shi‘a poets. Khuzayma, who was present in the events such as Saqifah Bani Sa‘idah, Jamal, and Siffin, has composed many poems about Imam Ali (s) in which he has praised and supported him. Also, the daughter of Khuzayma has composed an elegy about his father. The grave of Khuzayma is not known in Siffin.