Khalid bin Said (r.a.)

The light of Islam had just started to illuminate the universe. The first rank of the true religion was about to form. The number of the Muslims was very few. One of the people who attained the honor of becoming one of the first Muslims was Khalid bin Said. The true dream he saw was a nice sign for him.

One night, Khalid bin Said saw in his dream that he was on the brink of Hell, that his father tried to push him from behind and that the Messenger of Allah saved him from fire by holding his waist. He woke up in excitement and panic. He said, “By Allah, this dream is true.” The next day he told Hz. Abu Bakr about the issue; he said, “May it be good for you! The Messenger of Allah is going to save you. Go to him at once and surrender to him. When you follow him, you will be with him. He is going to save you from falling into Hell as you saw in your dream. Your father will go to Hell.”

The sweet breeze of belief refreshed his spirit. He was aware that there were some changes in his inner world. He went to Jiyad, where the Messenger of Allah was, at once. He asked, 

“Oh Muhammad! What do you invite people to do?”

The Prophet, who realized that Khalid’s heart tended toward Islam, said, “I invite people to believe in the oneness of Allah and to believe that I am His prophet. I try to dissuade people from worshipping some pieces of rock that cannot hear, cannot see, cannot benefit or harm, and are unaware of those who worship and who do not worship them.”

Khalid, who was persuaded by those concise truths and the words that he had never heard before. Then, his wife Umayna joined him. The Prophet became very pleased that both of them became Muslims. [1]

Hz. Khalid concealed that he had become a Muslim and worshipped secretly. Once, he was praying on a desolate spot in Makkah. When his father, who was a polytheist, found out that he became a believer, sent his other sons, who were not believers, to bring Khalid before him. They brought him. He talked to him to dissuade him. However, Khalid said, “By Allah, Muhammad’s religion is true; I will not give it up even if I die.”

His father, who became very angry, hit Khalid on the head with the cane he was holding. His head and face was in blood. Then, his father imprisoned him. He made Khalid wait under the scorching sun of Makkah without giving him any food and water for days. When his father said he would not give him any food, Khalid said, “Even if you cut down on my sustenance, Allah will give me enough sustenance. You are not the Sustainer.” He somehow escaped and did not see his father for years. [2]

When the second migration to Abyssinia started, Khalid and his wife became the first people to join it. He stayed in Abyssinia for about 10 years. His son Said and his daughter Umm Khalid were born there.  

Hz. Khalid, his family and Jafar bin Abi Talib, Hz. Ali’s brother, left Abyssinia in 7 H. The battle of Khaybar was going on at that time. When they arrived in Khaybar, the war had ended. The Prophet and the Companions welcomed them happily. The Prophet (pbuh) gave him a share from the booty though he had not taken part in the war. Khalid felt sorry that he could not take part in the battles of Badr and Uhud. The Messenger of Allah consoled him by saying, “O Khalid! Are you not pleased that you took part in two migrations while others took part in only one migration?” Khalid said, “Yes.” Then, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “And this is your reward.” [3]

When Khalid settled in Madinah, the Prophet gave him the duty of correspondence and writing letters. Khalid wrote the letters that the Prophet would send to various places and record the treaties. Khalid acted like a special scribe of the Prophet. As a matter of fact, Khalid wrote the meeting between the Prophet and Sons of Thaqif of Taif in 9 H; then, he gave Khalid a duty in the peace negotiations with this tribe. 

Hz. Khalid was appointed as the governor of Yemen by the Prophet since he was a powerful administrator and he could read and write very well. He fulfilled this duty until the death of the Prophet. When he heard the death of the Prophet, he returned to Madinah.

Hz. Khalid had a great share in suppressing the incidents of apostasy and fake prophets during the caliphate of Hz. Abu Bakr. After those incidents, Khalid was given a duty in the army sent to Damascus by Hz. Abu Bakr.

Hz. Khalid took part in the conquests of Ajnadin, Fihl and Marjus-Sufr. After the Islamic army conquered Fihl, they confronted the Byzantine forces when they arrived in Marjus-Sufr. Khalid had just married Umm Hakim at that time. When he gave a meal to his soldiers the next day after the wedding, he was informed that the enemy was approaching.

Fighting started. The Byzantines sent a man to the battlefield. Khalid confronted him. After a while, he was martyred. Umm Hakim could not put up with the martyrdom of her husband. She put on her armor and took part in the battle. He removed the poles of the tent in which she married and attacked the enemy. She killed seven enemy soldiers. She fought heroically. This incident took part in the month of Muharram in 14 H. Hz. Umar was the caliph then. [4]

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[1]Tabaqat, 4: 94.
[2]Istiab, 1: 402.
[3]Tabaqat, 4: 100; Usdul-Ghaba, 2: 38.
[4]ibid, 4: 18-99.