Abu Hudhayfa ibn Utbah

Abu Hudhayfa ibn Utbah ibn Rabi'ah ibn Abd Shams ibn Abd Manaf al-Qurashi al-Abshami was one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad; peace be upon him. He was born in Mecca and was considered one of its wealthiest and most noble residents.

His father, Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, was one of the chiefs of Quraysh during the pre-Islamic period and died before converting to Islam. His mother was Fatimah bint Safwan ibn Umayyah; his sister was Hind bint Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan, and his brother was Walid ibn Utbah ibn Rabi'ah.

The Islam of Abu Hudhayfa ibn Utbah

Abu Hudhayfa was one of the early converts to Islam. He was among those who migrated to Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) during the first migration, accompanied by his wife, Sahla bint Suhail ibn Amr. There, his son, Muhammad ibn Abu Hudhayfa, was born. Before Islam, Abu Hudhayfa had adopted Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfa. However, when Islam prohibited adoption, he regarded Salim as his brother and his freedman.

Abu Hudhayfa returned from Abyssinia to join the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him in Mecca. He stayed there until he later migrated with his wife Sahla, his son Muhammad, and his freedman Salim to Medina, following the Prophet's command for the Muslims to migrate. When the Prophet established brotherhood between the Muhajirun (migrants) and the Ansar (helpers) in Medina, he paired Abu Hudhayfa with Ubadah ibn Bishr al-Ansari.

Abu Hudhayfa was one of the companions who participated in the Battle of Badr with the Prophet, and peace be upon him. He fought on the side of the Muslims, while his brother Walid, his uncle Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah, and his father Utbah ibn Rabi'ah were on the side of the polytheists. Abu Hudhayfa requested to duel his father Utbah, but the Prophet forbade him, and he complied. Nevertheless, his father was killed in this battle. Abu Hudhayfa also participated in the Battle of Uhud, the Battle of the Trench, and all other military engagements alongside the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

The Martyrdom of Abu Hudhayfa ibn Utbah

Abu Hudhayfa ibn Utbah was martyred in the Battle of Yamama during the caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, fighting against the apostates. He was on the front lines of the Islamic army and fought the apostates with great bravery until he was martyred. According to different narrations, he was either fifty-three or fifty-four years old at the time of his martyrdom.