Among them is Abū Ṣafiyyah (1), a freedman of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him.

Abū al-Qāsim al-Baghawī said: “Aḥmad ibn al-Miqdām narrated to us; Muʿtamir narrated to us; Abū Kaʿb narrated to us, from his grandfather Baqiyyah, from Abū Ṣafiyyah, the freedman of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—that a leather mat would be spread for him and a basket filled with pebbles would be brought. He would glorify Allah with them until midday; then the mat would be removed. When the time for the Zuhr prayer had passed, he would resume his glorification until nightfall.”

Among them is Abū Ḍumayrah (2), another freedman of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—father of the previously mentioned Ḍumayrah and husband of Umm Ḍumayrah. Part of their story and of their document has already been cited in the biography of his son.

Muḥammad ibn Saʿd said in al-Ṭabaqāt: “Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Uways al-Madanī informed us; Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Ḍumayrah related to me that the letter the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—wrote for Abū Ḍumayrah read:

‘In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. A document from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Abū Ḍumayrah and his household. They were an Arab household and were among those whom Allah placed in the Prophet’s share, whereupon he set them free. The Prophet then allowed Abū Ḍumayrah to choose: if he wished to return to his people he had permission, but if he preferred to remain with the Messenger of Allah and be counted among his household, he might do so. Abū Ḍumayrah chose Allah and His Messenger and embraced Islam. Let no one approach them except with goodness, and whoever among the Muslims meets them should treat them well.’ Written by Ubayy ibn Kaʿb.”

Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Uways added: “Thus he was a freedman of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and a man of Ḥimyar. A group of them once set out on a journey carrying this document. Bandits waylaid them and seized their possessions. They produced the document and explained its contents; when the bandits read it, they returned everything they had taken and left them unharmed.”

He continued: “Later Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Ḍumayrah visited al-Mahdī, the Commander of the Faithful, bringing this very document with him. Al-Mahdī placed it before his eyes in reverence and gave Ḥusayn three hundred dinars.”

Among them is Abū ʿUbayd (5), his freedman—may Allah be pleased with him. Imām Aḥmad (6) said: “ʿAffān narrated to us; Abān al-ʿAṭṭār narrated to us; Qatādah narrated to us, from Shahr ibn Ḥawshab, from Abū ʿUbayd, that he cooked a pot of meat for the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—whereupon the Messenger of Allah said …”