Rajya’ is the name of a water, belonging to a settlement of the Hodhayl, near which a misfortune befell the professors of Islâm, in the following manner: When the idolaters returned from Ohod, Sofyân B. Khâled Hodhayli was going to Mekkah with a company of the A’dzal and Qârah. They were congratulating each other on the loss the Musalmâns had sustained, and conversing about Solâqah the daughter of Sa’d, the wife of Ttolhâh B. Abu Ttolhâh, who had been killed at Ohod, together with her sons. She had made a vow to give one hundred good camels to anyone who would bring her the head of A’assum B. Thâbet. This promise stimulated the covetousness of Sofyân B. Khâled, and he despatched seven wicked fellows of his tribe to Madinah, who waited on the lord of existences, made a [false] profession of Islâm, and represented to him that, a great many of their tribe having become Musalmâns, it would be proper to send some companions to teach all the people the Qurân and so ennoble them, by making them acquainted with the ordinances of the law. Those hypocrites were lodging in the house of A’assum’s father, cajoling him day and night to induce him to accompany them to their tribe. After several days had elapsed the apostle—u. w. b.—appointed ten of his companions—seven of whose names are in biographical works recorded as follows: A’assum B. Thâbet, Mazyd Abu Mazyd, Habyb B. A’dy, A’bdullah B. Târeq, Khâled B. Alkabyr, Ma’qob B. O’baydah and Zayd B. Wothnah, but as the names of the three remaining individuals cannot be found in any copy they are omitted in this place also. In short, the Musalmâns took their arms, started on their journey, concealing themselves during the day, and travelling in the night until they arrived near Hodhayl. In this place one of the seven hypocrites, who accompanied the ten Musalmâns, left them, joined the tribe and informed Sofyân B. Khâled of their arrival, and that wretched hypocrite immediately proceeded with two thousand armed men to the above locality. When those ten fortunate men were going up the mountain the idolaters arrived, and that rogue who had carried the news of the companions to Sofyân preceded and was advancing in front of the infidels. Then Khâled B. Alkabyr said to A’assum: ‘Thy guests have deceived us.’ The latter believed it and instigated the companions to attack the adherents of darkness. But when the opponents saw that the Musalmâns were ready to fight they advised them not to expose themselves to be killed, and said: ‘Do not attempt to bring on thy destruction, and that of all thy companions, for we have given and do give you quarter.’ But A’assum B. Thâbet, who had been appointed chief of his companions, was determined to attain martyrdom, and said: ‘We are not afraid to be killed, because we are certain of our religion. I have sworn an oath not to accept quarter from any idolater, nor to shake hands with an infidel.’ After uttering these words he began to shoot his arrows, till he spent them all. Then he fought with his spear till it broke; he drew his sword, turned to the Qiblah of prayer, and said: ‘Great God, I have fought for Thy religion in the beginning of the day; protect it and the end of it from the wickedness of my enemies.’ This prayer he uttered because he had heard that Solâqah, the wife of Abu Ttolhah, had made a vow to drink wine from A’assum’s skull, and when the latter actually attained martyrdom the idolaters meant to cut off the head of that blessed individual, to convey it to Solâqah, and to take the camels with all the property of those Musalmâns. But by a decree of Divine providence so many hornets gathered around the corpse of A’assum that whoever approached it was fearfully stung. Accordingly the idolaters said to each other: ‘We must wait till the night sets in and the wasps depart.’ But when it was night God the Most Magnificent and Glorious sent a torrent which floated away the body of A’assum, so that the idolaters were disappointed and saddened. And this is one of the most strange events. It is related that seven of the above-mentioned ten individuals fought against the idolaters till they attained martyrdom, and that three of them, i.e., Habyb B. A’dy and A’bdullah B. At-târeq and Zayd complied with their wishes and came down from the mountain; but the opponents broke their promise and tied their hands with bowstrings.
When Ebn Târeq beheld this treachery he managed in some way to disentangle his hands, to snatch up a sword, and to attack the enemies till he was at last sent by the stones of the infidels to the gardens of paradise. The idolaters carried Habyb and Zayd to Mekkah, and sold them to the Qoraish, who imprisoned them till the sacred months elapsed, and then crucified them both in a place called Tana’ym. On that occasion Habyb asked the idolaters for permission to allow him to perform his orisons with two prayer-flexions: permission having been granted, he terminated his devotions, but uttered also a malediction upon the idolaters who had assembled at the foot of the gallows, which was afterwards fulfilled, and the majority of those present were shortly overtaken by a calamity. Habyb was suspended on the gallows in such a manner that his back was turned towards the Qiblah, whereon he exclaimed: ‘It is no calamity to me to have my face turned away from the Ka’bah, since the Most High and Magnificent has said: “Wherever you turn, there is the face of God!”’ Then they said: ‘Renounce Islâm, and we shall let thee go.’ After his firm refusal to comply, they asked: ‘Wouldst thou like to see Muhammad in this place?’ He replied: ‘I should not like even a thorn to hurt the foot of Muhammad.’ They continued: ‘We swear by Lât and by U’zza that we shall kill thee unless thou renouncest the religion of Muhammad!’ He rejoined: ‘It is but a small thing to be killed for the cause of God!’ and added: ‘O God, I behold only enemies, and there is no friend to convey my greeting to Thy favourite.’
Zayd B. Aslam says: ‘I was with a number of companions in the assembly of the prophet, when all of a sudden the signs of Divine revelation manifested themselves on the blessed countenance of his lordship, and after that he said: “The Qoraish have slain Habyb, and this is Jebrâil, who has come to bring me his greeting.”’
When Habyb B. A’dy refused to apostatize from Islâm, one of the idolaters pierced him with a lance, so that it issued from his back, but he uttered the formula of monotheism and expired. It is said that he was the first individual who used to make two flexions at his prayers. When they brought Zayd to the foot of the gibbet he imitated the prayers of Habyb, and the idolaters used the same gibes also towards him which they had uttered to Habyb. Having received the same answer, they ordered the slave of Ssafuwân B. Ommyah, to kill him, which was done. It is related that when Habyb B. A’dy obtained martyrdom, he was left hanging on the gallows, so that the news spread among the tribes and reached also the prince of existences, who exclaimed: ‘Will any one of you go and take down Habyb from the gallows, and thus obtain the reward of paradise?’ Accordingly Zobeyr B. Ala’wâm and Moqâd B. Aswad took this matter upon themselves, started on the journey, concealing themselves in the day, and travelling during the night, till they arrived one night in Tana’ym. There they beheld forty persons sleeping near the gibbet. They slowly took down Habyb, whose body they found to be still fresh after forty days, and on probing his wounds with their hands blood was yet flowing from them. Zobeyr then placed the corpse on his horse, whereon both friends started on their return journey. When it was day the Qoraish saw what had happened, and seventy of them sallied forth on horseback, in pursuit of the two fugitives, whom they overtook. Zobeyr, however, removed the body from the saddle and covered it with earth, wherefore those two blessed individuals were afterwards surnamed ‘swallowed by the earth.’ When the infidels were near, Zobeyr took off his turban, shouting out his name and genealogy, to show his readiness to fight. But as the idolaters perceived no utility in this contest they returned, and those two friends, traversing the distance, were exalted by being allowed to wait upon the prince of the righteous—u. w. b. It is said that when they arrived Jebrâil was present, and said to the prophet: ‘O Muhammad, the angels are vying with these two companions of thine!’