Abdullah ibn Hudhafah of the Sahm clan of the Quraysh was a companion of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) endowed with sharp intelligence and a resourceful personality. Therefore the Prophet assigned to him some of the more difficult tasks, and he always showed quick presence of mind as well as total devotion to the cause of Islam. When the tide had turned in favor of Islam, and the idolaters in Makkah signed a peace treaty with the new Muslim state in Madinah, the Prophet turned his attention to international horizons. He was fully aware that his message was not meant for the Arabs only. It was universal, addressing all mankind in all generations. Therefore, he needed to deliver it to the people of the world. He sent a number of his companions with messages to the emperors, kings and rulers of neighboring empires and states. One of the hardest of these missions was the one to invite Khusru II, the Persian emperor, to accept Islam. Therefore, he chose Abdullah ibn Hudhafah for this mission. Khusru II was one of the most powerful emperors of Persia. In his reign, the Persian Empire reached the pinnacle of its affluence. He even claimed that he was a god in the shape of a man. It is not difficult, then, to imagine his response to an invitation to relinquish his claims and submit himself to God Almighty.
The Prophet’s message carried by Abdullah ibn Hudhafah to Khusru ran as follows: “In the name of God, The Merciful, the Beneficent. From Muhammad, God’s messenger, to Khusru, the leader of Persia. Peace be to him who follows right guidance, believes in God and His messenger, and declares that there is no deity but God, the only God who has no partners, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I wish to convey to you God’s call, for I am God’s Messenger to all mankind, sent with the task of warning all those who are alive that doom will befall the unbelievers. If you submit to God you will be safe. If you refuse, you shall bear the responsibility for the Magians.”
When Khusru read the Prophet’s letter, he tore it to pieces, saying: “How dare he write this sort of letter to me when he is my slave?” Khusru then wrote to Badhan (or Badham), who was governor of Yemen, a Persian province. He ordered him to send two able-bodied soldiers to arrest the Prophet and take him to Persia. Badhan immediately carried out Khusru’s instructions, sending two of his officers to arrest the Prophet, but he also instructed them to learn as much as possible about Islam, the Prophet and the Muslim community. Needless to say, their mission, as far as arresting the Prophet was concerned, ended in complete failure. In fact the Prophet informed them of the assassination of Khusru when it took place while they were still in Madinah.
Abdullah ibn Hudhafah continued to serve Islam in every way he could. He fought in the battles that the Muslims fought against the Byzantine and Persian empires, the two superpowers of the day. He was once taken captive by the Byzantines. He was taken to their ruler who offered him a share in his kingdom. What is more, the ruler said that he would give him his own daughter as a wife if he would embrace Christianity. Abdullah said: “If you were to give me all your kingdom and all the wealth and property of all Arabs in return for disowning the faith of Muhammad, (peace be upon him), I would not accept for even a blink of an eye.
The Byzantine ruler said: “If you refuse, then I will kill you.”
Abdullah said: “Do what you like.”
The ruler then ordered that he should be crucified. Soldiers then shot at him with arrows piercing his legs and arms, but he refused to convert to Christianity despite all.
The ruler then ordered that he should be brought down from the cross. A large pan made of copper was put over a great fire until it was boiling fiercely. Another Muslim captive was then thrown into the pan and soon his bones were visible. Abdullah was then told to convert to Christianity, threatened that he would suffer the same fate if he did not. He refused, and the ruler ordered that he should be thrown into the pan. As he was being lifted, the ruler noticed that his eyes were tearful. He ordered that he should be brought down. He then spoke to him only to be astonished by Abdullah’s explanation of his crying. Abdullah said: “I only cried because I have one soul, and I am subjected to this torture for my faith. I wish I had as many souls as the number of hairs on my body and each one of them was subjected to the same fate.”
Another report suggests that the Byzantine ruler then imprisoned Abdullah ibn Hudhafah for several days without food or water. He then sent him wine and pork. Abdullah touched nothing of this. He was then taken to the ruler who asked him why he did not eat or drink. Abdullah said: “In my condition, (i.e. a case of starvation approaching death) it is lawful for me to eat and drink the otherwise forbidden things you sent me. But I will not give you the pleasure of feeling that you have broken my resolve.” The ruler secretly admired Abdullah for his great resistance under pressure. He said to him: “Kiss my head and I will set you free.” Abdullah said: “I will do so if you will also set free all the other Muslim captives you hold.” The ruler agreed and Abdullah kissed his head. The ruler was true to his promise and set them all free. Abdullah took them all to Madinah and reported what happened to the caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab who said: “It is the duty of every Muslim to kiss Abdullah ibn Hudhafah’s head. I will be the first to do so.” He then stood up and kissed Abdullah’s head. This shows that faith is a matter of grave importance. There can be no compromise about it. To uphold it may require paying a heavy price. But, to a Muslim, faith is far more valuable than any price. It is so also in God’s view. It is a trust honored only by one who is prepared to sacrifice his life for it. Indeed the life of this world with all the comforts it may throw is of little consequence compared with faith.