Asim bin Thabit (r.a.)

Those who were saved from the darkness of polytheism, unbelief and oppression in the Era of Bliss had a completely different life after attaining the luminous light of Islam and they abandoned everything related to their old days. Anything that reminded them of their life before Islam caused them great suffering. This mood also affected Asim bin Thabit, who was a person from Madinah and who became a Muslim before the Pledge of Aqaba, in a different way.

After becoming a Muslim, Asim decided not to touch any polytheists and not to allow any polytheists to touch him. He always prayed to Allah Almighty to continue this decision.

Hz. Asim joined the Battle of Badr and killed many of the notables of the polytheists. After the Battle of Uhud, a congregation from the tribes of Adal and Qara came to the Messenger of Allah and asked him to send a delegation to them to teach them Islam. The Messenger of Allah sent a delegation headed by Asim to them. However, the people that came to the Messenger of Allah had evil intentions. They planned to trap the Muslims and sell them to Makkan polytheists; thus, they would get a lot of money from them. When they arrived in Raji, they revealed their plan and the Muslim delegates were surrounded by Bedouins with swords.

They said, “We do not want to kill you. Our intention is to sell you to Makkans and to get some rewards from them. Surrender!”

How could Hz. Asim and his friends who saw this betrayal with their own eyes could trust these cruel polytheists? Asim answered them as follows:

“I swore beforehand that I would never accept the protection of polytheists. By Allah, I will never believe in the protection and promise of the unbelievers and I will never surrender to unbelievers”

Then, he started to throw arrows at the polytheists by saying, “O Allah! Inform the Prophet about our situation!” When he threw arrows, he recited poems: “Death is true; life is empty and ephemeral / Whatever is written in fate (qadar) will happen /  People will go to Allah sooner or later. / If I do not fight you, let me die!”

Asim bin Thabit had seven arrows in his quiver. He killed one polytheist with each arrow. When he ran out arrows, he hit the polytheists with his spear. When his spear was broken, he drew his sword. He broke the sheath of his sword and prayed as follows:

“O Allah! I protected your religion at the beginning of today. Now protect my body at the end of today! “Do not allow the polytheists to touch my body.”

Finally, he was wounded in two legs and fell down.

Sons of Lihyan martyred seven Companions including Asim bin Thabit by arrows.

The polytheists wanted to cut off his head; they wanted to take his head to Shuhayd’s daughter and receive a reward from him. For, Hz. Asim had killed her father, who was a polytheist, at Badr. His daughter called “Sulafa” promised that she would give a reward to the person who cut off Asim’s head and brought it to her.

The polytheists of Huzayl rushed in order to cut off Asim’s head. However, a group of bees suddenly appeared around Asim. The bee community resembled a dark cloud and they clung to the faces of those approaching Asim’s dead body; they disturbed the polytheists and prevented them from approaching the dead body. The bees were protecting Asim’s body. No matter how hard the polytheists tried, they could not cut off even a small part of the body of Asim. They said, “Let us wait for the evening. We will come and cut off his head after bees leave.” However, Allah Almighty sent unexpected rain in the evening and it rained all the time; the flood caused by the rain took the body of Asim bin Thabit away. The polytheists could not reach their goal.

Allah Almighty protected the blessed body of Asim from the polytheists after his martyrdom by His mercy as He protected his body from the fury of the polytheists when he was alive. He had not touched the polytheists; and the polytheists could not touch him. Allah accepted his prayer. [ Usdul-Ghaba, 3: 73-74: Isaba, 2: 244-245. ]