This is a brief Biography of Abū Tha’labah Al-Khushani Radhi’Allāhu’anhu; we ask Allāh to benefit us thereby.
59. Abū Tha’labah Al-Khushani رضي الله عنه He died in prostration
Abū Tha’labah Al-Khushani was a Companion of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ). Ad-Dāraqutni and others reported: He was from those who gave the pledge (under the tree). Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) fixed a share for him on the day of Khaybar and he sent him to his people. His brother, Amr bin Jurhum also accepted Islām in the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ). [Al-Isabah 17/273], biography of Amr ibn Tha’labah Al-Khushani.]
When he became aware of the truth of this religion, he accepted Islām with a conviction that this religion will bring him eternal life and Allāh will soon establish His own people. Soon will He grant succor to the weak and oppressed of the earth and will make them leaders and inheritors thereof.
Abū Tha’labah said: I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: “O Messenger of Allāh, write for me (the control) of such and such land in Shām (Syria).” At this time, the Prophet (ﷺ) had not even conquered it yet. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Don’t you listen to what this one is saying?” Abū Tha’labah said: “By Allāh in Whose Hands is my soul, we shall conquer it.” So the Prophet (ﷺ) wrote for him (the authority) of the territory he requested for. [Its chain is Sahih: reported by Ahmad in Al-Musnad [4/193,194]]
Observe the impeccable trust in the promise of Allāh. Did the Prophet (ﷺ) not say to Khabbab something similar to that? “By Allāh this affair (i.e.. Islām) will prevail till a traveler will set out from Sana’ (in Yemen) to Hadramout…”. Hadith.
From His Words
Narrated Isma’il bin Ubaidullah: People were sitting in the presence of Tha’labah and Ka’b when Abū Tha’labah said: “O Abū Ishaq, no slave of Allāh will devote himself to the worship of Allāh except that He will suffice him with his provision in this world.”
Ka’b said: “Verily, it is (recorded) in the Revealed Book of Allāh that: ‘Whoever makes his concerns one and makes that one concern, the obedience of Allāh, Allāh will suffice him in all of his concerns and his sustenance depends on Allāh and his deeds are for himself. Whoever makes his concern numerous and puts in every valley, a concern, then Allāh does not care in which (of the valley) he is destroyed.”””
While commenting on this, Imām Adh-Dhahabi said: “Part of devotion to the worship of Allāh is making effort regarding the means (of sustenance) especially for the one who has family.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The best of what a man eats is what he earns by his own hands.””[ Its chain is hasan with corroborations: reported by At-Tabarani in Al-Kabir and Al-Awsat from the Hadith of Ibn Umar with the wordings: ‘From the best earnings of a person is what comes from his handiwork and every acceptable trade.” and its transmitters are trustworthy as Al-Haythami mentioned in Al Majmu (4/61)]
Whoever is incapable of (seeking) the means owing to some weakness or due to the non-availability of the means, Allāh allotted a portion for him in Zakah [See: Siyar Aalam An-Nubalā’ [2/570])]
Some Narrations: Abu Tha’laba al-Khushani reported: I came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah’s Messenger, we are in the land of the People of the Book, (so) we eat in their utensils, and (live) in a hunting region. where I hunt with, the help of my bow, and hunt with my trained dog, or with my dog which is not trained. So inform me what is lawful (Halal) for us out of that. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Regarding what you have mentioned of the fact that you live in the land belonging to the People of the Book and so you eat in their utensils, but if you can get utensils other than theirs, then don’t eat in them; but if you do not find any, then wash them and eat in them. And regarding what you have mentioned about (your living) in a hunting region, what you hunt, (strike) with the help of your bow, recite the name of Allah (while shooting an arrow) and then eat; and what you catch with the help of your trained dog, recite the name of Allah (while letting oil) the dog and then eat it, and what you get with the help of your untrained dog, (if you find it alive) and slaughter it (according to the law of the Shari’ah), eat it. [Sahih Muslim 1930a]
Narrated Abu Tha`laba: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the eating of the meat of beasts having fangs. [Sahih al-Bukhari 5530]
Abu Tha’laba al-Khushani traced to the Prophet (ﷺ) the saying that the jinn are of three classes, one which have wings and fly in the air, one which consists of snakes and dogs, and one which stay in places and travel about. [It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunnah. Classed as Sahih by Sheikh Albani (may Allaah have mercy on him)]
Abu Tha’laba al-Khushani said that when the people encamped they scattered in the glens and wadis, but when Allaah’s Messenger said, “Your scattering in these glens and wadis (valleys) is only of the devil,” they afterwards kept close together when they encamped to such an extent that it used to be said that if a cloth were spread over them it would cover them all. [Abu Dawud transmitted it. Classed as Sahih by Sheikh Albani (may Allaah have mercy on him)]
It was narrated that Abu Umayyah Sha’bani said: “I came to Abu Tha’labah Al-Khushani and said: ‘How do you understand this Verse?’ He said: ‘Which verse?’ I said: “O you who believe! Take care of your own selves. If you follow the (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who are in error.”?[5:105] He said: ‘You have asked one who knows about it. I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about it and he said: “Enjoin good upon one another and forbid one another to do evil, but if you see overwhelming stinginess, desires being followed, this world being preferred (to the Hereafter), every person with an opinion feeling proud of it, and you realize that you have no power to deal with it, then you have to mind your own business and leave the common folk to their own devices. After you will come days of patience, during which patience will be like grasping a burning ember, and one who does good deeds will have a reward like that of fifty men doing the same deed.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 4014]Noble Death
Abū Tha’labah lived long but throughout his life he nursed only one yearning to meet his Lord in a state of prostration. He used to say: “I wish that Allāh does not take my life the way I see most of you die.”
Eventually, while he was praying in the middle of the night, his soul was taken while he was in prostration. The same night, his daughter saw in a dream that her father had died. She was startled out of her sleep and called to her mother: “Where is my father?” she asked. “He is in his place of prayer,” her mother replied. She called out to him but he did not respond. She tried to stir him but he was dead. [See: Al-Isabah [11/56]]
