Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt (ra) – The Preacher and Teacher

Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt (ra) was one of the great companions of our beloved Prophet (pbuh), who accompanied him throughout his life and served Islam till his death. He was one of those who require a special mention about his achievements and greatness.

Arab tribes led miserable lives under the hot sun in the deserts of Arabia. Their whole lives were shrouded with gloom and ignorance. They moved with their camels and tents from one place to another searching for food and water to survive. They had no fixed place to live at and they had to struggle to find a place where they could graze their animals. This was the type of life many Arabs used to lead.

Children of both sexes were taught nothing but to care for camels, invade other tribes, or defend their own tribes against invaders. Sometimes the children themselves were taken as slaves by those who could snatch them away from their people. This was exactly how Khabbab ibn al-aratt spent most of his childhood. He was a child who spent most of his life suffering because of the harsh and cruel ways of life the people lived.

None of the historians who recorded the biographies of the Companions of the Prophet mentioned anything about the place Khabbab ibn al-aratt was from. However, it was reported that he was taken as a slave while he was a young child and sold in Mecca to a woman named Umm Anmar Al-Khuza’iyah who mainly worked as a midwife.

This woman bought Khabbab ibn al-aratt so that he would earn for her a living during the day, and serve her during the night. When he grew up a young man, she built a shop for him so that he could make swords and spears, for these were the main weapons used during those days.

Khabbab had a weak body and skinny face. He spent most of his day in front of the furnace melting iron over red blocks of coal, moving them to the anvil and shaping them into sharp swords and spears. The flames of the fire in the furnace were very uncomfortable for his eyes and face. Unfortunately, this was the life the poor young man had to live.

Hardworking young man

After a very hard day’s work, instead of taking some rest, young Khabbab kept busy serving his mistress at her house. He was always asked to clean the house, make food and even care for the camels. So, his life was a sad series of humiliation, oppression and starvation. He was not even allowed to take rest after a hard day’s work in front of the furnace.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt spent years facing the glowing pieces of iron and coal until he became a professional sword maker. Before long he became very famous for his excellent craftsmanship. The chiefs of Mecca were all proud to have their swords made by him. He earned a lot of money from this craft, but only to pour in Umm Anmar’s pocket. The woman was taking full advantage of his talents. Indeed it was a miserable life that he led where no one cared for him or felt any sympathy towards him.

Days were passing with great difficulty. Khabbab felt as though the whole world was fighting against him. Sometimes, he would spend the whole night sleepless thinking about his miserable life. T0 add to his agony, his mistress was forcing him to pray to idols. Khabbab ibn al-aratt hated the idea of worshiping stones. He knew very well that those stones were not gods. They could not even help themselves let alone help him.

Pondering over real deity

Khabbab ibn al-aratt often wondered who was the real deity that deserved to be worshiped and to whom he should turn for help. He spent his nights in front of the window of his small and miserable room staring at the moon and the stars, asking himself who would save him from this miserable life. He felt as though the stars were staring back at him with sympathy and the moon was pleading with him to think more deeply to find an answer. Many thoughts crossed his mind. He longed to find a way out of this miserable and painful life, but there was no way out for him. Poverty, misery, humiliation and lonely nights added to his sadness.

A man with such a creative mind and expertise had to live as a slave to human beings. Not only this, but he was also forced to be a slave of false gods made of stone.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt was disgusted with the injustices and oppression that was going on in Mecca. Deep down in his heart, he felt that although there seemed to be no way out, one day all this corruption would end.

Guidance on its way

Khabbab ibn al-aratt did not have to wait long for this great change to come about. Allah chose Muhammad bin Abdullah as a Messenger to humanity to take them out of gloom and bring them to light. His message was to call the people to abandon the worship of false idols, to worship the One True Allah and to put an end to oppression and injustices.

The people of Mecca received the message of Muhammad (Pbuh) with indifference. A few of them believed in it but most of them did not. Those who wanted to stay in power and oppress the weak and poor did not want to believe in the message that Muhammad (Pbuh) cane with, because they did not want to lose their power. They did their best to stop the message of Islam and tried to put an end to the life of the Prophet (Pbuh).

By time, the number of believers increased. It added to their strength of belief. Those early believers bravely faced every type of torture and oppression they had to suffer at the hands of the enemies of Islam. Heresies about the Prophet ~

Khabbab ibn al-aratt learnt from the people passing by his shop that Muhammad (pbuh) was claiming to have received revelation from Allah. The people of Mecca were saying different things about him. Some falsely claimed he was a lunatic and others alleged he was a magician. A few people believed that he was indeed a Messenger sent by Allah to save mankind from the miserable and false Jives they were leading.

Confronts the message of Islam

Khabbab ibn al-aratt thought deeply regarding what he was hearing about the Prophet (pbuh) and Islam. Being unsatisfied with the things he heard from people, he decided to hear the message of Islam directly from the man who was preaching it. He felt that change was near, and that the teachings of Muhammad were like a powerful light paving the way for him in utter darkness.

His mind was full of different thoughts. Sometimes, he would think of his miserable condition and the light the new religion could bring to his Life. Yet other times he would think that his mistress would make his life more difficult if he would follow the new religion.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt spent the whole night haunted by such thoughts. Dawn was about to break. Khabbab was still awake. He had not slept a wink as he made his way to his shop; he passed by some slaves who were chained to rocks. Their lips were dry and desperate for a drop of water. The disbelievers had beaten them severely for abandoning the worship of idols and following the religion that Muhammad (Pbuh) had been sent with.

For a moment he thought he could help them, but then he immediately turned back with tears rolling down his cheeks. He opened the door of his shop with his shivering hand and supported his body against the wall. He let out a sigh full of sorrow. He felt that the people who were passing outside his shop were shadows. It seemed to him as though he was in an unreal world. He closed his eyes for a moment, and the stream of his life passed swiftly through his mind. Suddenly he stood up, and told himself that he had to make his mind up either way.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt was finally determined to meet the Prophet (Pbuh). However, it was very dangerous to openly meet him during the day. He waited until it became dark again and set off to meet the Prophet g,

Something unusual was indeed waiting Khabbab ibn al-aratt. In the depth of his heart he knew that meeting the Prophet (Pbuh) would change his life, because he knew that the religion of Islam was the true religion of Allah. The message of Islam touched his soul and mind very powerfully.

He spent the whole day in his shop; sometimes looking at the furnace and then looking towards the road that led to the Ka’bah. He did not get much work done that day. His mind was preoccupied with thinking whether this would be his last day of physical and mental misery or would it make things worse for him.

Islamic Change in Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt

The sun began moving towards the west. Khabbab ibn al-aratt closed his shop and left to his house. When he got home it was already dark. He went into his room, threw himself on his bed and closed his eyes. He slept, and paid no attention to the calls of his mistress. A few hours later he woke up. Everything around him was quiet. He peeped through the cracks of the door to make sure his mistress was asleep. He opened the door and went out into the dark. Everything around him was so quiet. The stars were shining with joy and the moon was gazing from behind the eastern mountains of Mecca.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt was told that the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions were secretly gathering in a house near the Ka’bah. When he got to the house, he went inside and there he was face to face with the Prophet (Pbuh). Khabbab listened to the Word of Allah; it was like sparks of light coming out of the mouth of the Prophet (pbuh). The words filled his heart with guidance and conviction. Minutes later, the young man was melting like a piece of ice under the sun. He immediately declared his belief in Islam. He knew that by accepting Islam he would face a lot of oppression and torture, because he was poor and weak. However, he happily welcomed whatever hardships he might have to face for the sake of his new faith and belief.

Tests of faith

The Quraish heard that Khabbab has accepted Islam, and had announced his acceptance loud and clear.

A man who was known to be very vicious and arrogant had bought some swords and spears from Khabbab. He asked Khabbab to give him some time to arrange for the payment. At the set date, he asked the man to pay the money that he owed him. The man told Khabbab (ra) that he would not pay him unless he abandoned his new faith. Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) strongly refused to abandon his faith. The man told Khabbab (ra) that he would wait until the Day of Judgment to pay him.

When Umm Anmar, Khabbab’s mistress, found out that Khabbab (ra) had become a Muslim, she became very angry and vicious. Her heart burned with hatred. She asked her slaves to bring Khabbab to her. He was brought to her chained and was thrown down at her feet. The nasty woman stripped his shirt off, brought a piece of glowing iron, and placed it on his back. Khabbab (ra) was in so much pain that he lost consciousness. Umm Anmar was very evil. She felt no shame of what she was doing. She in fact enjoyed the smell of poor Khabbab’s burnt skin.

In spite of all the torture and agonies, Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) kept steadfast and firm to his faith. His mistress tried her best to make him abandon Islam but she could not even get him to utter a single word against Islam. He did not despair a bit, nor did he lose patience in the face of his sufferings. He was as strong as the high mountains that surrounded Mecca.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) suffered like this for months, but he remained steadfast. He even began to call other people to Islam. Once he and the other Muslims who had suffered like him, went to the Prophet (Pbuh) to ask him to pray to Allah to help them against the pagans. The Prophet (Pbuh) told them that the people who lived before them had suffered all kinds of torture, they were even killed, yet they never abandoned their faith.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) was one of the few Muslims or Arabs in general, who knew how to read and write the Arabic language. So, he played a great role in teaching other Muslims how to read the Qur’an.

The pagan Arabs were torturing the Muslims in many ways, so the Muslims had to meet secretly to learn the Qur’ an.

Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt as a Teacher and Preacher

Once Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) was at the house of Said bin Zaid (ra), teaching both him and his wife, Fatimah bint Al-Khattab (ra,) how to read the Qur’an. Umar bin AI-Khattab, Fatimah’s brother, who was an idol worshipper at the time, was very much against Islam. He even took an oath to kill Prophet (Pbuh) and put an end to Islam.

One day Umar took his sword and set off on his mission to kill the Prophet (Pbuh). On the way he met a man named Na’eem. He had already accepted Islam and kept it secret. When he saw that Umar was in a very bad mood storming his way through the streets of Mecca, he asked Umar where he was going. Umar replied that he was going to kill Muhammad (Pbuh) and put an end to the message of Islam. Na’eem wanted to divert Umar’s bad intentions. He told him that he should see to his sister before killing the Prophet (Pbuh), for even she had become a Muslim.

Umar became very angry when he heard that his sister had become a Muslim. He immediately made his way towards his sister’s house and banged on her door. Inside he could hear Khabbab teaching Fatimah (ra) and her husband the Quran. Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) was reading some Verses from Surah Ta-Ha of the Quran. Fatimah peeped through the cracks of the door. She saw her brother with a sword in his hand and signs of anger on his face. She asked Khabbab (ra) to hide, and she opened the door for her brother.

The Power of the Noble Qur’an

Urnar stepped inside and shouted: “What were you reading?” Fatimah (ra) answered that they were reading nothing.

He told her that he knew they were reading the Qur ‘an. Fatimah denied that they were reading the Qur’an. Umar told her that he knew they had become Muslims. Fatimah (ra) admitted that they had become Muslims. Upon hearing this, Umar slapped Fatimah (ra) violently on her face so much so that she began bleeding from her nose.

When Umar saw blood streaming out of his sister’s nose, he felt very ashamed of what he had done. He asked his sister to show him what they were reading. Fatimah allowed Umar to see the written pages. Umar began reading the Verses from Surah Ta-Ha in which Allah says:

“We have not sent down the Qur’an unto you (O Muhammad) to cause you distress, but only as a Reminder to those who fear (Allah). A revelation from Him (Allah) Who has created the earth and high heavens.” (20:2-4)

Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt begins attracting others

As soon as Khabbab heard Umar reciting the Quran, he came out of his hiding place. When Umar read these Verses his heart melted. He knew that the Quran was from the true Allah. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Khabbab told Umar that he heard the Prophet praying to Allah to strengthen Islam by guiding Umar to accept Islam. Umar immediately left to meet the Prophet (ra) and to accept Islam.

Umar was a tall and a very powerful young man. He was well known for his temper. He knocked on the door of the house where the Prophet (ra) and his Companions were gathering and waited for someone to open the door. The Prophet (ra) asked one of his Companions to see who was at the door. The man came back full of horror. He told the Prophet that Umar was at the door.

Hamza, the Prophet’s uncle who had accepted Islam, asked the Prophet (ra) to allow him to kill Umar, However, the Prophet (ra) told his Companions to be patient and to open the door for Umar, As soon as Umar stepped in, the Prophet (Pbuh) asked him:

“What do you want? I fear for you lest Allah sends down His punishment on you”.

Umar gently told the Prophet (Pbuh) that he came to embrace Islam. The Muslims who were with the Prophet (Pbuh) at that time were very happy. They felt that Umar added to their strength.

So Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) was able to attract Umar to Islam. Umar later became one of the most prominent supporters’ of Islam. He was also the second Caliph of Islam after the Prophet.

The pagans of Mecca had made life very difficult for the Muslims. The Muslims eventually had to leave their hometown and settle in another place to escape the Quraish’s oppression and to be able to worship Allah in peace.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) and some other Muslims had no choice but to leave the land of oppression and agonies. They asked the Prophet (Pbuh) to allow them to move to another place where they would be safe to worship Allah.

The Prophet (Pbuh) allowed some of his Companions to migrate to Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). He told them that the king of Abyssinia was a just Christian ruler. He did not allow any injustice in his land. The Prophet (Pbuh) told his Companions that the king would treat them with justice and would never allow anyone to harm them.

Close escape from the Torture

Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) and some other Muslims left Mecca while it was dark. When the pagans found out that some of the Muslims had left Mecca and gone to settle in Abyssinia where they would be safe from their oppression, they became very angry. They tried their best to stop them, but it was too late. The Muslims had already gone too far.

The Quraish hunt

The Quraish then decided to send a delegation to Najashi, king of Abyssinia, asking him to send the Muslims back to Mecca. Amr bin Al-Aas, who was the king’s friend, was sent to Abyssinia to undertake this mission. The Quraish sent some very expensive presents for the king, hoping that he would expel the Muslims from his land.

Amr bin Al-Aas went to Abyssinia and met the king. He told him that some rebels had sought shelter in his land and that these rebels had left the religion of their people for a strange religion.

After hearing what Amr bin Al-Aas had to say, the king being a very fair judge said that he wanted to hear what the Muslims had to say before he could make a decision.

Jafar bin Abi Talib (ra) was chosen as the spokesperson for the Muslims. The king asked them about the new religion. Ja’far (ra) told the king that they used to be ignorant people, worshipping stones, robbing each other and treating the poor and weak very badly, Allah sent a messenger from among themselves, well known to them with good morals that none of them ever doubted him in any respect. Jafar went on saying that the Messenger taught them to worship Allah Alone, the Creator of the universe, without joining any partners to Him. He taught them to treat the weak and poor with kindness and to be good to each other.

Failure of Quraish’s Plans

The king asked them what Islam said about Jesus Christ and his mother. Jafar recited the opening Verses of Surah Maryam. As soon as the king heard the Verses, tears began to flow from his eyes. When the meeting came to an end, the king told the migrants that they were free to live in his kingdom.

The Muslims stayed in Abyssinia under the care and protection of the king until they left to Medina to join the Prophet (Pbuh) and his Companions in building the new Islamic State.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt in the New Islamic State

Some spies from the Quraish had spread rumors that the situation in Mecca was better. They said that the Prophet (Pbuh) reached an agreement with the Quraish. Some of the Muslims believed the rumors to be true and happily returned back to Mecca. However, this was an attempt on the part of the Quraish to bring the Muslims back to Mecca so that they could torture them again. Khabbab ibn al-aratt and his Companions were able to escape the oppression once more and migrate to Medina.

Migration to Medina

As the Prophet (Pbuh) lost any hope for his tribesmen to believe in Islam and stop their aggression against the Muslims, he began calling tribesmen from outside of Mecca to Islam. Many people from the Arabian Peninsula came to Mecca every year to visit the Kabah and trade with the people of Mecca.

A group of men from Yathrib (known later as Medina) visited Mecca. The Prophet ss called them to Islam and asked them to provide protection to him and his Companions in their town to be able to propagate the Word of Allah.

The people of Medina had already heard from the Jews who lived in the suburbs of Medina that a Prophet was going to appear in the Arabian Peninsula. So, the men were sure that the Prophet was Muhammad (Pbuh). They immediately believed in him and promised to come the next year with the chiefs of their tribes to make an agreement with the Prophet.

Next year, the number of the Muslims increased. Seventy-three men and women from Medina made a trip to Mecca to make the agreement with the Prophet ss. The Prophet (Pbuh) told them that he needed protection for his followers in their town. They agreed to his request and vowed to provide everything they could to support the message of Islam.

The Prophet (Pbuh) asked his Companions to migrate to Medina. Khabbab ibn al-aratt (ra) set off to Medina under the cover of darkness. He arrived there and found much support and help from his brothers in Islam in Al­Medina.

Building the New Islamic State

In Medina, Khabbab (ra) along with other Muslims began building a new Islamic State. After a while, the Prophet (Pbuh) accompanied by Abu Bakr (ra) left Mecca to Medina. In Medina, the Prophet (Pbuh) was very warmly welcomed by the migrants and the supporters.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt was a courageous warrior and was ready to sacrifice his soul and everything else he had for the sake of Islam. At the same time he waited for the day to take revenge on those who had tortured him and treated him unfairly.

In the second year after the Muslims had settled in Medina, they began patrolling outside Medina for security purposes. They received the news of a Quraish caravan nearby they went towards it to check it. Abu Sufyan, the caravan leader, quickly took a different route. At the same time, however, Abu Sufyan sent a message to Mecca warning the rest of the Quraish that their caravan was in danger.

The Quraish chiefs were very angry that the Muslims were threatening their economical interests. Therefore, they organized a heavily armed army of about one thousand fighters and headed toward Medina to put an end to Islam and its followers.

Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt took part in First Battle of Islam

The Prophet (Pbuh) and his Companions heard of the Quraish’s plan and decided to protect their city against the overwhelming attack. The Prophet (Pbuh) consulted his Companions and finally they decided to fight for their faith. The Muslims prepared a barely armed army of three hundred and thirteen men.

Both armies met at a place called Badr near Medina. Khabbab ibn al-aratt felt very happy for this occasion and was well prepared to sacrifice himself for the Cause of Allah. Full of devotion and self-denial, Khabbab fought an honorable battle that ended in a great victory for the Muslims. This battle is known as the battle of Badr.

Another Challenge

The Quraish did not accept the fact that they had lost their battle against the Muslims. They wanted to revenge themselves against the Muslims. So they prepared themselves for another battle. They gathered an army of three thousand heavily armed men and headed to Al­Medina the following year, hoping to destroy it and put an end to Islam and the Muslims.

The Muslims received news about the big army the Quraish had gathered to destroy them. The Prophet (Pbuh) discussed the situation with his Companions. Some of them preferred to keep inside Medina and defend it against the attackers.

However, the young zealous men of the Muslims urged the Prophet (Pbuh) to fight an open battle. The Prophet (Pbuh) agreed to the opinion of the young men and prepared an army of one thousand men. Some of the inhabitants of Medina apparently accepted Islam but they hid their hypocrisy. Their leader was a man named Abdullah bin Ubai. This man claimed that the Prophet (Pbuh) was not wise in taking the side of the young men. So, he left the army and went back to Al­Medina. He was followed by about three hundred other men. The Muslim army was now seven hundred fighters only.

Both the Muslim army and the Quraish army met at Uhud, a mount near Medina. The Muslims arrived at the site before the army of the Quraish. The Prophet (Pbuh) chose fifty archers and positioned them on a small hill behind the Muslim army to protect the backs of the Muslims against any attack by the pagan army from behind.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt and his Muslim brothers fought very bravely in the battle. They were defeating the pagan army. The archers saw their Muslim brothers collecting booty. They thought that they had finally defeated the pagans. Therefore, they left their positions and shared in collecting booty. The pagan horsemen found it a good chance to attack the Muslim army from behind. The victory turned into a heavy loss for the Muslims as a result of the act of the archers.

Battle of Trench

As the pagans won the battle of Uhud, they were filled with arrogance. They thought that the Muslims could not withstand another battle. They convinced other Arab tribes to help them in destroying Islam. The Jews, on the other hand, found it a good chance to get rid of the Muslims although they had already made agreements with the Muslims to support them in their struggle against idolatry.

The Quraish and their allies gathered an army of ten thousand fighters and headed to Medina to put an end to Islam and destroy the new Islamic State. They agreed with the Jews to attack the Muslims from all sides.

The Muslims received news of the huge pagan army. The Prophet (Pbuh) discussed the situation with his Companions. Some of them suggested that they should fight an open battle while others thought it would be better to keep inside Medina and defend the city against the aggressors. The Prophet (Pbuh) was not satisfied with either of these suggestions.

A Muslim from Persia, named Salman Al-Farisi, told the Prophet (pbuh) that the best solution was to dig a wide trench at the weak points of the city and deploy the Muslim army at the inner side of the trench so as to defend the city against any trespassers. He told the Prophet (Pbuh) and his Companions that his people in Persia used to do so when they were attacked by huge armies. The Prophet ~ found it a good idea. He instructed his Companions to immediately start digging the trench.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt did all he could to help his fellow Muslims in completing the trench before the arrival of the pagan army. He saw the Prophet (Pbuh) moving soil and stones on his shoulder and encouraging the Muslims to work hard.

Upon the arrival of the pagan army, Khabbab and his fellow Muslims stood on the other side of the trench daring anyone of the pagans to cross over. The siege continued for about one month. The pagans with their huge army were trying their best to cross over the trench and the Jews were waiting for the chance to see the Muslims surrender to have them as an easy prey.

However, Khabbab and the other Muslims kept steadfast in the face of this huge dilemma. Finally, the pagans withdrew their army and went back to Mecca with humiliation. As for the treacherous Jews, the Prophet (Pbuh) and his Companions overcame them and killed their men and took their women and children as slaves. This was a punishment, which they well deserved.

Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt was Devoted Muslim

Afterwards, Khabbab ibn al-aratt took part in all battles fought in defense of [slam. He shared with the Prophet (Pbuh) and his fellow Muslims in conquering Mecca and putting an end to idolatry in the Arabian Peninsula. He also joined the Prophet (Pbuh) in the Farewell Pilgrimage and listened carefully to the last commandments given by the Prophet at Mina.

The Prophet (Pbuh) and his Companions returned to Medina after completing the pilgrimage. The Prophet (Pbuh) passed away and left the Muslims to continue their struggle to spread the light of Islam all over the world. Khabbab fought the apostates who rebelled against the Muslims and brought them back to Islam. He also continued his efforts to spread the light of Islam under the rule of Abu Bakr, Umar and Usman bin Affan.

The Last Days

Khabbab ibn al-aratt spent his life fully devoted to the cause of Islam. He did whatever he could to support Islam, and he wished he could spread Islam all over the world. He had never cared about the pleasures of this short life. He wanted to have the pleasures of the Hereafter. Even though he was leading a life of poverty and hardship, he was always afraid that he might have lived a life of pleasure.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt was very sad when he saw the Prophet (Pbuh) and some of his Companions leave this world. He always prayed to Allah to be with them in Paradise.

Khabbab continued his way of life as he used to during the life of the Prophet (Pbuh). He did not change one little bit, even though the Islamic State was much wealthier during the rule of Abu Bakr, Umar bin Al-Khattab and Usman bin Affan,

During the rule of Ali bin Abi Talib, Khabbab ibn al-aratt left to Kufah in Iraq. In Kufah he stood by the Caliph and supported him against those who tried to seize power. As time went on, old age made him ill. He stayed in his house remembering the days when he shared in the building of the Islamic State. He looked forward to the next life, where he longed to be with the Prophet (Pbuh) and his Companions.

A group of his friends visited him while he was dying on his bed. They told him that his dream to meet the Prophet ~and his Companions would at last come true. Khabbab cried, not because he was afraid to die, but because he was afraid that he might not be with the Prophet (Pbuh) and his Companions in the Hereafter.

Khabbab ibn al-aratt died but he left behind an excellent example of sacrifice and self-denial for the coming generations of Muslims to follow. Once Ali bin Abi Talib, the fourth Caliph of Islam, said:

“May Allah bestow his mercy on Khabbab. He willingly embraced Islam, voluntarily migrated and lived like a martyr. For sure, he will not be a loser with Allah.”