In Prothom Alo's religion series on the Companions of the Prophet, Mahmud Hasan Fahim, a teacher at the Baitul Akram mosque and madrasa complex in Gazipur, retells the story of Abdullah ibn Hudhafa as-Sahmi. In 19 AH, during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, he was captured by the Romans while serving with a Muslim force sent against them. The writer cites classical sources including Ibn Asakir's Tarikh Dimashq and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani's al-Isabah.
According to the accounts, the Roman emperor wanted to test for himself how firm the Muslims' faith was. He offered Abdullah his freedom if he became a Christian, then half his kingdom, then a share in his power. Abdullah replied that faith is not for bargaining, and that not even every kingdom of the Arabs and non-Arabs would make him leave the Prophet's religion for a moment.
Archers surrounding him with drawn bows did not move him, so he was imprisoned. Denied food and water until he was weak, he was offered wine and pork. Islam permits forbidden food in extreme need to save a life, but he refused so that his captors could not mock Islam, and was later given lawful food. Then two Muslim captives were thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil before his eyes, with more temptation offered, and still he held firm.
Standing before the cauldron, he wept, and the emperor thought he was afraid. Abdullah said he wept not from fear of death but from regret that he did not have as many lives as hairs on his body to give, one after another, in God's cause. At last the emperor offered to free him and all his companions if he kissed his head. Unwilling to lose the chance to save so many lives, Abdullah touched the emperor's forehead, and the emperor kept his word and freed every Muslim prisoner.
When the story reached Madinah, Caliph Umar said every believer should kiss Abdullah ibn Hudhafa's head, and did so first himself, followed by the Companions present. For the writer, the story is an example of holding to faith in the face of both temptation and fear.
Source: Prothom Alo
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