Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent a Sariya of ten men as spies under the leadership of `Asim bin Thabit al-Ansari,
the grandfather of `Asim bin `Umar Al-Khattab. They proceeded till they reached Hadaa, a place
between 'Usfan, and Mecca, and their news reached a branch of the tribe of Hudhail called Bani
Lihyan. About two-hundred men, who were all archers, hurried to follow their tracks till they found
the place where they had eaten dates they had brought with them from Medina. They said, "These are
the dates of Yathrib (i.e. Medina), "and continued following their tracks When `Asim and his
companions saw their pursuers, they went up a high place and the infidels circled them. The infidels
said to them, "Come down and surrender, and we promise and guarantee you that we will not kill any
one of you" `Asim bin Thabit; the leader of the Sariya said, "By Allah! I will not come down to be
under the protection of infidels. O Allah! Convey our news to Your Prophet. Then the infidels threw
arrows at them till they martyred `Asim along with six other men, and three men came down
accepting their promise and convention, and they were Khubaib-al-Ansari and Ibn Dathina and
another man So, when the infidels captured them, they undid the strings of their bows and tied them.
Then the third (of the captives) said, "This is the first betrayal. By Allah! I will not go with you. No
doubt these, namely the martyred, have set a good example to us." So, they dragged him and tried to
compel him to accompany them, but as he refused, they killed him. They took Khubaid and Ibn
Dathina with them and sold them (as slaves) in Mecca (and all that took place) after the battle of Badr.
Khubaib was bought by the sons of Al-Harith bin 'Amir bin Naufal bin `Abd Manaf. It was Khubaib
who had killed Al-Harith bin 'Amir on the day (of the battle of) Badr. So, Khubaib remained a
prisoner with those people.
Narrated Az-Zuhri: 'Ubaidullah bin 'Iyyad said that the daughter of Al-Harith had told him, "When
those people gathered (to kill Khubaib) he borrowed a razor from me to shave his pubes and I gave it
to him. Then he took a son of mine while I was unaware when he came upon him. I saw him placing
my son on his thigh and the razor was in his hand. I got scared so much that Khubaib noticed the
agitation on my face and said, 'Are you afraid that I will kill him? No, I will never do so.' By Allah, I
never saw a prisoner better than Khubaib. By Allah, one day I saw him eating of a bunch of grapes in
his hand while he was chained in irons, and there was no fruit at that time in Mecca." The daughter of
Al-Harith used to say, "It was a boon Allah bestowed upon Khubaib." When they took him out of the
Sanctuary (of Mecca) to kill him outside its boundaries, Khubaib requested them to let him offer two
rak`at (prayer).
They allowed him and he offered Two rak`at and then said, "Hadn't I been afraid that you would think
that I was afraid (of being killed), I would have prolonged the prayer. O Allah, kill them all with no
exception." (He then recited the poetic verse):-- "I being martyred as a Muslim, Do not mind how I am
killed in Allah's Cause, For my killing is for Allah's Sake, And if Allah wishes, He will bless the
amputated parts of a torn body" Then the son of Al Harith killed him. So, it was Khubaib who set the
tradition for any Muslim sentenced to death in captivity, to offer a two-rak`at prayer (before being
killed). Allah fulfilled the invocation of `Asim bin Thabit on that very day on which he was martyred.
The Prophet (ﷺ) informed his companions of their news and what had happened to them. Later on when
some infidels from Quraish were informed that `Asim had been killed, they sent some people to fetch
a part of his body (i.e. his head) by which he would be recognized. (That was because) `Asim had
killed one of their chiefs on the day (of the battle) of Badr. So, a swarm of wasps, resembling a shady
cloud, were sent to hover over `Asim and protect him from their messenger and thus they could not
cut off anything from his flesh.
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 56, Hadith 251
" Do not move thy tongue there with to make haste," that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) felt it hard and he moved his lips. Ibn 'Abbas said to me (Sa'id b. Jubair): I move them just as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) moved them. Then said Sa'id: I move them just as Ibn 'Abbas moved them, and he moved his lips. Allah, the Exalted, revealed this:" Do not move your tongue therewith to make haste. It is with US that its collection rests and its recital" (al-Quran, ixxv. 16). He said: Its preservation in your heart and then your recital. So when We recite it, follow its recital. He said: Listen to it, and be silent and then it rests with Us that you recite it. So when Gabriel came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he listened to him attentively, and when Gabriel went away, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited as he (Gabriel) had recited it.
Sahih Muslim Book 4, Hadith 167
I came to Mu'awiyah in Jerusalem. He led us in the Friday prayer. I saw that most of the people in the mosque were the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). I saw them sitting in ihtiba condition, i.e. sitting on hips erecting the feet and sticking them to the stomach and holding them with hands or tying them with a cloth to the back, while the imam was giving sermon.
Abu Dawud said: Ibn 'Umar used to sit in ihtiba position while the imam gave the Friday sermon. Anas b. Malik, Shuraih, Sa'sa'ah b. Sawhan, Sa'id b. al-Musayyib, Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, Makhul, Isma'il, Ismail b. Muhammad b. Sa'd, and Nu'aim b. Sulamah said: There is no harm in sitting in ihtiba position.
Abu Dawud said: I do not know whether anyone considered it disapproved except 'Ubadah b. Nasayy.
Sunan Abi Dawud Book 2, Hadith 722