Bashir bin Khasasiyya (r.a.)

The Prophet invited people to believe. Bashir bin Khasasiyya was also invited by the Prophet. He accepted this invitation without hesitation. His name before Islam was “Nadhir” meaning “the one who frightens”. When he became a Muslim, the Messenger of Allah changed his name to “Bashir”, which means “the one who gives good news”.

Once, Bashir asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah! In what issues shall I pay allegiance to you?” The Prophet listed the things to be obeyed as follows:

“You will bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. You will perform five daily prayers on time and you will pay zakah. You will fast in Ramadan; you will go to hajj and you will make jihad in the way of Allah.”

Bashir said, “O Messenger of Allah!  I can do all of these besides two of them. One of them is zakah and the other is jihad. I swear by Allah that I have nothing but ten camels that meet the needs of my family for milk and traveling. How can I pay zakah?

As for jihad, I am a coward! However, people say, ‘Whoever flees from war is hit by the wrath of Allah!’ I am worried that I will escape from war due to fear of death, and therefore I will be hit by the wrath of Allah.”

Thereupon, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “O Bashir! If a person does not give zakah and if he does not make jihad, how can he go to Paradise?”

When Bashir heard this, he wept and said,

“O Messenger of Allah! Extend your hand and I will pay allegiance to you to do all of these things.” [ Hayatus-Sahaba, 1: 169. ]

He was from the school of Suffah. He was adherent to the Messenger of Allah with a great love. He was worried that the Messenger of Allah would be harmed and he would follow him if he saw him going somewhere alone. He narrates:

“One night, the Messenger of Allah left the house. I followed him from behind. He went to the Baqi Cemetery and said: ‘O land of believers! May the peace of Allah be upon you! We will certainly rejoin you. We come from Allah and we will return to Him again. You are a generation that attained goodness. You left before many evils occurred.’

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) realized what I was there. He asked who I was. I said ‘Bashir.’ He said, ‘Would you not be pleased if Allah directed your eyes, heart and ears to Islam?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Of course I would.’ He asked me why I came. I said, ‘I feared that dangerous animals would hurt you!’”

Bashir thought he could not bear the pain after the death of the Messenger of Allah. Therefore, he said to the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah! Pray to Allah for me so that I will die before you!” The Messenger of Allah said, “I will not ask Allah for this for anyone.” [ Hilya, 2: 26; Hayatus-Sahaba, 3: 241. ]